Do Paladins Get Poison Immunity? A Comprehensive Guide
The short answer is no, Paladins in most editions of Dungeons & Dragons do not inherently gain poison immunity. However, the interaction between a Paladin’s abilities and poison is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Their class features, particularly Divine Health, offer protection against disease, and Lay on Hands can remove the poisoned condition, but a straight-up immunity is usually not part of their core class abilities. Let’s delve deeper into the specifics.
Understanding Paladin Abilities and Poison
The key ability that often gets confused with poison immunity is the Paladin’s Divine Health. This ability, typically gained at 3rd level, grants the Paladin immunity to disease. Crucially, poison is not a disease. While both can negatively affect a character’s health, they are mechanically distinct within the game rules. Disease often involves an ongoing affliction, while poison typically involves immediate damage and the “poisoned” condition.
Divine Health: Disease Immunity
Divine Health protects Paladins from contracting diseases, including magical diseases like mummy rot. This is a significant boon, as diseases can be debilitating and difficult to cure without magical intervention. However, this immunity doesn’t extend to poisons.
Lay on Hands: Removing the Poisoned Condition
While not providing outright immunity, the Lay on Hands feature offers a way for Paladins to actively counteract the effects of poison. Lay on Hands allows a Paladin to heal hit points or cure diseases and conditions. The “poisoned” condition, which is often inflicted by poisons, can be removed using Lay on Hands, making it an invaluable tool against venomous creatures.
Other Considerations
It’s important to remember that D&D is a game with many variables. A Dungeon Master (DM) might introduce specific magic items, class variations, or homebrew rules that do grant a Paladin poison immunity. For example, a specific quest reward could be a ring that provides resistance or immunity to poison. However, these would be exceptions to the standard class features.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about Paladins and poison, along with detailed answers:
1. Does Divine Health stop poison?
No, Divine Health only provides immunity to disease. It does not protect against poison or the poisoned condition.
2. Can Paladins cure poison?
Yes, Paladins can use their Lay on Hands ability to remove the “poisoned” condition. They can also use spells like Lesser Restoration which are commonly known to cure poison
3. Are Paladins resistant to poison?
Not inherently. Unless a Paladin has a specific racial trait, magic item, or other source of resistance, they are not resistant to poison damage or its effects.
4. What races have poison resistance or immunity?
Several races in D&D have inherent poison resistance or immunity, including:
- Dwarves (Stout subrace): Often gain advantage on saving throws against poison and resistance to poison damage.
- Yuan-Ti: Are typically immune to poison and disease.
- Green Dragonborn: Have resistance to poison damage.
- Reborn: Some lineages may include resistance to poison damage.
- Warforged: Are often resistant to poison damage.
- Stout Halflings: Have advantage on saving throws against poison and resistance to poison damage.
5. Can a Paladin develop poison immunity?
It’s possible for a DM to introduce ways for a Paladin to develop poison immunity, such as through a specific quest, magical item, or custom feat. However, this is not a standard feature of the Paladin class.
6. What level do Paladins get Divine Health?
Paladins typically gain the Divine Health feature at 3rd level. This is a core class feature for all Paladins, regardless of their chosen Sacred Oath.
7. What happens if a Paladin is poisoned?
If a Paladin is subjected to poison, they suffer the effects as described by the poison, including potential damage and the poisoned condition, unless they have some form of resistance, advantage on the save, or immunity.
8. Can a Paladin’s Aura of Protection help against poison?
The Aura of Protection, gained at 6th level, adds the Paladin’s Charisma modifier to saving throws for themselves and nearby allies. This can absolutely help against saving throws made to resist the effects of poison.
9. Does being immune to fear help against poison?
No, immunity to fear has no bearing on poison resistance or immunity. Fear and poison are completely separate game mechanics.
10. Can multiclassing affect a Paladin’s poison resistance?
Yes, multiclassing into a class that grants poison resistance or immunity (like Monk) would provide those benefits to the Paladin character.
11. Are there any Paladin subclasses that grant poison immunity?
In the core D&D 5e rules, no Paladin subclass grants poison immunity. However, DMs could create custom subclasses or modify existing ones to include this feature.
12. Can magic items grant Paladins poison immunity?
Yes, magic items can absolutely grant poison immunity or resistance. A Ring of Poison Resistance or a similar item would protect a Paladin from the effects of poison.
13. How can a Paladin best protect themselves from poison?
Aside from relying on Lay on Hands after the fact, a Paladin can protect themselves from poison through:
- Potions: Using potions of poison resistance.
- Spells: Receiving buffs from other party members, such as Protection from Poison.
- Positioning: Avoiding situations where they are likely to be targeted by poisonous attacks.
- Saving Throw Bonuses: Maximizing their saving throw bonuses to resist the effects of poison.
14. Is alcohol considered a poison in D&D?
Generally, alcohol is not treated as poison in D&D, though excessive consumption could lead to the poisoned condition (at the DM’s discretion) due to alcohol poisoning, and it could be ruled as a disease depending on the circumstances. More commonly, alcohol consumption might impose disadvantage on ability checks due to inebriation.
15. How does the poisoned condition affect a Paladin?
The “poisoned” condition typically imposes disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. This can significantly hinder a Paladin’s effectiveness in combat and other situations. Remember that a Paladin can use Lay on Hands to remove this condition.
Conclusion
While Paladins don’t inherently gain poison immunity, their access to Lay on Hands, combined with the potential for magic items and multiclassing, means they are far from defenseless against poison. Understanding the nuances of their abilities and the rules surrounding poison is crucial for playing a Paladin effectively. Furthermore, resources like Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org offer valuable insights into the intersection of gaming and learning, providing a broader perspective on the educational and social aspects of tabletop games like D&D. Knowledge is power, and that holds true both in and out of the game.