Poison

Poison is a detriment that players and monsters suffer when they are attacked by a poisoned weapon. Also, the Smoke-type spells from the Ancient Magicks may poison targets.

Many non-player characters are also able to poison. The damage can range from 18 (Poison almost worn off) to 168. (K'ril Tsutsaroth's starting poison)

When a player or monster is poisoned, a number appears with a green splat instead of a red or blue one, indicating the amount of damage the poison has dealt to their life points (for example, a player who suffers 68 poison damage will lose 68 life points). Poison wears off over time, decreasing by a value of two life points every strikes. After poison damage is reduced to 12, it disappears and the poison has abated.

For instance, if a player is hit by another player wielding a poisoned dagger, they would be hit for 4 damage every 18 seconds or 30 game ticks (four times), then 3 damage every 18 seconds (four times), then 2 damage every 18 seconds (four times), then 1 damage every 18 seconds (four times), and then the poison would be gone.

It is worth noting that an attack with a poisoned weapon does not actually need to inflict direct damage to inflict poison. Whether this is a programming oversight or intentional is not known. This could possibly be that poison does not need a cut (i.e. dealing 1 damage) but just a graze which deals no damage to the player, but enough to get the poison into their bloodstream. Technically, this may be because an attack hits, but the strength of the hit is only 0. (Missing and hitting for 0 are different but appear the same) Some monsters, such as tribesmen or Kalphites, must inflict damage in order to poison a player (Prayers such as the Protect from Melee cannot negate this, and even if they hit zeros due to the prayer's effect, you are still poisoned). Others, such as Cave Slimes and Saradomin wizards, as well as other players, may inflict poison even if they hit a zero (unless the player is protected by an antipoison potion). As an additional note, being hit by a poisoned weapon does not guarantee becoming poisoned.

It is also interesting to note that being afflicted by poison does not disrupt Woodcutting, and players cannot rest if they are poisoned.

Tripwires in Tirannwn cause 2 poison damage.



Weapon poisoning
Clean, unpoisoned weapons can be poisoned by weapon poisons made through the Herblore skill. There are several types of weapon poisons which deal progressively more damage. Only spears, arrows, bolts, darts, throwing knives, javelins, daggers, and hastae can be poisoned.
 * Weapon poison - poisoning deals 4 damage initially with melee weapons, 2 damage with ranged. Weapons with this poisoning have the suffix (p) on the end of their names (for example, Dragon dagger(p)).
 * Extra strong weapon poison - hits for 5 damage with melee, 3 with ranged. Suffix (p+).
 * Super strong weapon poison - hits for 6 damage with melee, 4 with ranged. Suffix (p++).
 * Karambwan paste - hits for 6 damage, cannot be cured by normal Anti-poison potion. This poison can only be applied to spears and hastae. Suffix (kp).

Also, if a monster you are fighting gets poisoned by you, you will not receive experience from the poison damage.

Poison can be removed from weapons with a cleaning cloth, obtained by using Karamja rum with Silk. A new poison can then be applied to the weapon. If you attempt to apply poison to an already poisoned weapon nothing interesting happens. This is the case of all poisoned weapons except when you use an poisoned karambwan paste on an spear or hasta. For example, you have an dragon spear p++ and you also have poisoned karambwan paste, you can use the paste on the dragon spear p++ without needing to wipe off the p++ with a cleaning cloth.

Curing poison
Poison can be cured through antidotes in the form of anti-poison potions. Anti-poison potions come in various levels which provide progressively longer immunity to poisoning. All poisons except for Karambwan paste can be cured by regular antipoison, even that inflicted upon players by K'ril Tsutsaroth, which hits 16 to start.
 * Anti-poison potion;
 * Super anti-poison potion;
 * Extra strong anti-poison potion;
 * Super strong anti-poison potion;
 * Prayer book; this will not grant immunity.
 * Strange fruit; this will not grant immunity.
 * Guthix rest; this will reduce the poison damage with 1 damage hit e.g. a 5-damaging poison will become a 4-damaging poison, and reduce the usual way.
 * Sanfew Serum;
 * Oo'glog thermal spa;
 * Cure Me Lunar Spell; this will not grant immunity.
 * Cure Other Lunar Spell; this will not grant immunity.
 * Cure Group Lunar Spell; this will not grant immunity.
 * Right-clicking "Cure" on the Unicorn Stallion familiar will cure poison and disease, although it does cost the player some summoning points. However, it will not grant the player immunity.

Another free alternative if you are really low on health is to teleport to your respawn location. This way when you die you can instantly obtain your items again. This is not advised in a player vs player world, if you have been attacked by another player, even if they have done one damage, you will lose all your items (unless on a bounty hunter world, you will lose all but one item).

Trivia

 * When the player is poisoned their hitpoints meter near the minimap paints itself green with a use cure (p) option.
 * You cannot rest while you are poisoned.
 * Players do not experience the effects of poison whilst wearing the Ring of stone.
 * Players do not experience the effects of poison whilst wearing the Easter ring.