Poison

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This article is about the detriment. For the item needed for the Ernest the Chicken quest, see Poison (item).

Not to be confused with Venom.

A player taking damage from poison

Poison is a detriment that players and monsters suffer when they are attacked by a poisonous weapon. Many NPCs are able to inflict poison. Players can use poisonous weapons or the smoke set of spells from the Ancient Magicks to cause their target(s) to become poisoned. The maximum damage from this can range from 1 to over 20 depending on the type of poison.

When a player or monster is poisoned, a number appears with a green hitsplat () instead of a red or blue one, indicating the amount of damage the poison has dealt. The player is then damaged by this poison once every 15 seconds unless it is cured or it wears off. Poison wears off over time, decreasing by a value of one for every minute that passes (four strikes).

Monsters that can inflict poison may do so regardless of whether or not they inflict any damage, even if protection prayers are used. Player inflicted poison does need to deal damage to apply.

The list of poisons in terms of deadliness are as such:

• Weak thieving poison by opening some thieving chests: 1,2
• Various weapon poisoning (see below section): 2-6
• Converted venom to poison by drinking any antipoison potion once: 6
• NPC poison: (varies) 6-20. The aggressive Tribesmen of Karamja, for example, have poison starting at 11.

Weapon poisoning

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 could be poisoned. The abyssal tentacle can also poison.

• Weapon poison - poisoning deals 4 damage initially with melee weapons, 2 damage with ranged. (p)
• Weapon poison(+) - hits for 5 damage with melee, 3 with ranged (p+)
• Weapon poison (++) - hits for 6 damage with melee, 4 with ranged (p++)
• Karambwan paste - hits for 6 damage. It can only be applied to spears or hastae (except the zamorakian hasta and Bone spear)
• Emerald bolts (e) - hits for 5 damage

Notes

• A player must hit at least 1 or higher with the poisoned weapon to poison their enemy, Each hit 1 or higher with the poisoned weapon will reset the Poisons duration against the enemy you have already poisoned.
• A weapon poison potion can only be used on 5 thrown objects before running out, e.g. 5 Arrows or 5 Darts.
• If you poisoned a monster while fighting it, you will not receive experience from the poison damage (you will receive full Slayer experience, however).
• Some monsters, such as Wall beasts, Turoths, Waterfiends, and the God Wars Dungeon bosses, are immune to poison.
• Poison can be removed from weapons with a cleaning cloth, obtained by using Karamja rum with Silk or by purchasing it directly from Tamayu after completing Tai Bwo Wannai Trio.
• Poison interrupts some actions, including most skilling actions and the home and minigame teleports. Posion does not interrupt combat in any way.

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.

• Antipoison (2 minutes)
• Superantipoison (6 minutes)
• Antidote+ (9 minutes)
• Antidote++ (12 minutes)
• Prayer book (no immunity)
• Strange fruit (no immunity)
• Guthix rest (reduces poison damage per hit by 1)
• Sanfew serum
• Cure Me (no immunity)
• Cure Other (no immunity)
• Cure Group (no immunity)

The serpentine helm while worn provides full immunity to poison, as well as venom.

See also

• Venom
• Disease

Trivia

• If you are poisoned, you can simply left-click the hitpoints icon on the minimap to cure it, as long as you have any sort of antipoison in your inventory.
• Being afflicted by poison does not interrupt certain skilling actions, such as Woodcutting or Fishing.