Tomb spider broodswarm poison?

[bigbaddragon]

Hi all,

I've encountered this monster/swarm in MM4 (page 164) and I don't understand what does "poison (DC 13, 1d4 HP/1d4 HP)" entry among its attack options mean/do. Can someone clarify this?

Thanks in advance

[Keld Denar]

All poisons are listed as DC N, X,Y.

N is the DC, or the number of the fort save that must be passed to prevent the damage.

X is the initial damage. Normally poisons do ability score damage, but this one aparently does HP damage, so if they fail the save, they take an extra 1d4 damage. Just add it onto the total.

Y is the secondary damage. 10 rounds later (1 minute), if they failed the first check, they have to make a 2nd save against the poison. If they fail that, they take the second amount. In this case, 1d4 hp damage again. This save can be modified by an ally making a heal check, or a caster applying Neutralize Poison or other such magic to the affected character.

Since the poison does HP damage, it can be healed by normal means. Ability score damage normally is recovered at 1 point per day, or via (Lesser) Restoration spells.

I think I remember something on that particular poison, however, that did something to tombtaint you for a short while, where it reversed your polarity to positive and negative energy. Something like that occured with somekind of tomb spider, because my Radiant Servant once killed another character on accident after having been poisoned by something similarly named to that. I don't really remember though. We were all just so stunned when it happened!