Poison (Dark Souls II)

Poison is a negative status effect, damage type and auxiliary effect in. It can be inflicted by the enviroment, various weapons, spells or items. It can also be used as an infusion for weapons. Poison can effect both the player and most enemies.

Poison Buildup
When exposed to Poison, the target's Poison Meter gradually fills. The rate at which this fills is dependent on the Poison buildup value of the offender's weapon, item or spell; and the target's Poison Resist stat. The Poison meter will gradually reset back to zero naturally, provided additional Poison attacks are not endured.

Once the meter is full, the Poison effect takes hold and drains the target's HP over a period of 20 seconds. This lasts until the Poison is either cured, expired or death occurs. The total damage dealt to HP if left uncured is approximately 1,100 points.

Toxic is a more potent form of Poison that inflicts greater damage, but is restricted to only a select few sources. Toxic buildup and cure works exactly like Poison, however the total damage dealt to HP is approximately 1,485 points.

Its not possible to increase the total amount of damage Poison inflicts - only the rate at which Poison builds up can be increased. Depending on the source of the Poison,the buildup value can vary greatly.

Poison Attack
The Poison Attack (abbreviated as Poison ATK in-game) governs the rate at which the player's Poison attacks buildup upon a target.

Poison Attack Bonus
The Poison Attack Bonus (abbreviated as Poison BNS in-game) increases the amount of Poison buildup inflicted per hit. It does not affect the total amount of damage the poison will do. Unlike weapons that have a magical scaling stat, Poison has no equivalent scaling.

The Poison BNS value is determined by the Dexterity and Adaptability stats. In order to continually increase innate Poison BNS, both Dexterity and Adaptability need to be leveled up, with Dexterity giving a larger bonus.

Poison Weapons
The following is a list of weapons and shields that bear an innate Poison buildup effect. For information as to how these weapons are effected by Poison infusions, see this section.

Boosting Poison Buildup
There are two pieces of equipment that can grant a flat bonus to the Poison buildup stat on Poison weapons when worn. The bonus granted from these items can vary depending on what type of Poison weapon is equipped, be it innate Poison, infused Poison or both. Both of these items can be worn together, which would provide double the bonus. {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="article-table" ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" scope="col"|Item ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"|Bonus ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"|Infused ! scope="col"|Innate ! scope="col"|Both
 * Ring Crest of the Rat.png
 * Ring Crest of the Rat.png

Crest of the Rat
''Ring of the Rat King covenant. Join this covenant and wear this ring to lure trespassers of the Rat King's territory into your world.''
 * colspan="1" rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|25
 * colspan="1" rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|50
 * colspan="1" rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|60
 * Sanctum Soldier Gauntlet 2.png
 * Sanctum Soldier Gauntlet 2.png

Sanctum Soldier Gauntlet
''Gauntlets of the sanctum soldiers. Improves effect of poison weapons. These gauntlets are corroded by the poison of the sleeping dragon, making it difficult to discern their original shape.''
 * }

Inflicting Poison and Toxic Buildup
Poison and Toxic buildup can be inflicted in a number of ways. Poison Mist, Toxic Mist and Dark Fog are spells that produce a cloud of gas which inflicts constant Poison buildup, provided the target is in the vicinity.

Most weapons can be given the ability to deal Poison buildup temporarily through the use of Rotten Pine Resin. This buffs does not scale with the Poison BNS, rather applies a flat bonus based on the weapon's original Poison buildup. If the weapon has an innate Poison effect, the buildup is stacked and thus more powerful. Infused weapons cannot have the resin applied to them. Applying a Poison resin results in the weapon taking on a green glow.

Unlike weapon buffs, the Poison buildup of Poison Throwing Knives can scale based on the Poison BNS value. They can be purchased from Lonesome Gavlan for 350 souls each. Poison Arrows deal a flat Poison buildup value of 300, plus their physical damage. They can also be purchased from Lonesome Gavlan.

The Moon Butterfly Set is unique in that its the only set of armor that inflicts Poison buildup when enemies are close by. The Poison buildup is not constant, rather it emits Poison in waves every few seconds. Each armor piece has its own Poison buildup value, thus wearing multiple pieces will increase the strength of the Poison buildup.

{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="article-table" ! scope="col" style="text-align: center;"|Spells ! scope="col"| ! scope="col" style="text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"|Poison Buildup
 * scope="col" style="text-align: center;"|Poison Mist II.png
 * scope="col"|
 * scope="col"|

Poison Mist
''A fringe pyromancy of unknown origin. Creates a cloud of poison mist. The spell contradicts the very principles of pyromancy, suggesting that its creator had a heretical streak. ''
 * scope="col" style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"|?
 * scope="col" style="text-align: center;"|Dark Fog II.png
 * scope="col"|
 * scope="col"|

Dark Fog
''This hex is regarded as a poison due to the outward symptoms, but in fact, the fog eats away at the target's inner essence. Just the traits that led to the prohibition of hexing.''
 * scope="col" style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"|?
 * scope="col" style="text-align: center;"|Toxic Mist II.png
 * scope="col"|
 * scope="col"|

Toxic Mist
''A fringe pyromancy of unknown origin. Creates a powerful cloud of poison mist. The poison gradually erodes the target's body, inflicting damage all the while. Whoever created this spell did not believe his enemies deserved a swift death. '' ! scope="col" style="text-align: center;"|Buffs ! scope="col"| ! scope="col" style="text-align: center;"|Poison Buildup
 * scope="col" style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"|?
 * style="text-align: center;"|Rotten Pine Resin II.png
 * style="text-align: center;"|Rotten Pine Resin II.png

Rotten Pine Resin
''This Rotten Pine Resin has gone poisonous. Applies poison to right-hand weapon. Poisoned foes slowly lose HP over time. '' ! style="text-align: center;"|Item ! ! style="text-align: center;"| Poison Buildup
 * style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"| ?
 * style="text-align: center;"|Poison Throwing Knife II.png
 * style="text-align: center;"|Poison Throwing Knife II.png

Poison Throwing Knife
''A throwing knife. Intended to poison the target more than inflict direct damage. This simple weapon is easily utilized, but has limited range and deals little damage.''
 * style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"|?
 * style="text-align: center;"|Dung Pie II.png
 * style="text-align: center;"|Dung Pie II.png

Dung Pie
''A large excrement. Still rather warm. Throw at enemy to cause rapid onset of poison, but you too will be subjected to the same bane.'' ! style="text-align: center;"|Ammo ! ! style="text-align: center;"|Poison Buildup
 * style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"|?
 * style="text-align: center;"|Poison _Arrow II.png
 * style="text-align: center;"|Poison _Arrow II.png

Poison Arrow
''Arrows imbued with poison. Tipped with Rotten Pine Resin. Poisoned foes slowly lose HP over time.'' ! style="text-align: center;"|Armor ! ! style="text-align: center;"|Poison Buildup
 * style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"|300
 * Moon Butterfly Hat.png
 * Moon Butterfly Hat.png

Moon Butterfly Hat
''Hat made from wings of the rare moon butterfly. Poisons those who approach its wearer.''
 * style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"|?
 * Moon Butterfly Wings.png
 * Moon Butterfly Wings.png

Moon Butterfly Wings
''Pinions made from wings of the rare moonlight butterfly. Poisons those who approach its wearer. Also extends jump distance.''
 * style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"|?
 * Moon Butterfly Cuffs.png
 * Moon Butterfly Cuffs.png

Moon Butterfly Cuffs
''Cuffs made from wings of the rare moon butterfly. Poisons those who approach its wearer.''
 * style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"|?
 * Moon Butterfly Skirt.png
 * Moon Butterfly Skirt.png

Moon Butterfly Skirt
''Skirt made from wings of the rare moon butterfly. Poisons those who approach its wearer. Also extends jump distance.''
 * style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"|?
 * }

Poison Resist
Poison Resist governs how robust the player is against Poison buildup.

Innate Resist
Innate Poison Resist describes the value of the player's Poison resistance when not influenced by any outside factors, such as armor, spells or consumables. Poison Resist can be increased incremetally through leveling both Vitality and Adaptability. Poison Resist will increase steadily until a soft cap of 140 Poison resistance is reached, after which any further increases will be much slower. Innate Poison Resist caps at 200 points, when both stats are at 99.

Poison Resist Cap
Poison Resist is capped at 890 points. Combined with a hidden stat of 100 points, Poison Resist can reach a maximum of 990 points. Since 1000 points of any magical or elemental defense equals immunity, Poison buildup cannot be completely nulified, with the exception of blocking with a shield.

Armor and Shields
Various armor pieces grant varying levels of Poison Resist. The following armor table shows the armor pieces which grant the highest possible Poison Resist, for each body part.

Shields will only block Poison buildup if the player is actively blocking. Merely equipping the shield does not count towards defense. The value on shields is expressed as a percentage, as opposed to points on armor.

Spells and Items
Certain defensive spells can temporarily increase Poison Resist, but they cannot be stacked with each other. Only one will be active at a time. Common Fruit is a consumable item that can be purchased from Rat King for 1600 souls each. They cannot be stacked with any of the defensive spells either. Consuming a Common Fruit will remove the Poison Resist provided by the spell, and apply the Common Fruit resist value.

{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="article-table" ! scope="col" style="text-align: center;"|Spell ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"|Resist
 * Iron Flesh II.png
 * Iron Flesh II.png

Iron Flesh
''A pyromancy that internalizes the power of flame. Turns the body into iron, increasing defense and resistance. As one might guess, the rock-solid flesh enabled by this spell dramatically slows movement. Guaranteed to cause trouble if used at an inopportune moment.''
 * 200
 * Perseverance.png
 * Perseverance.png

Perseverance
''Enwreathes its caster with a pure veil. Grants temporary resistance to status effects. Lindelt ascetics are sent to distant lands for proselytizing and self-training, but many of them decide not to return.'' ! style="text-align: center;"|Item ! !Resist
 * 150
 * Common Fruit.png
 * Common Fruit.png

Common Fruit
''A spotted fruit. Temporarily boosts poison resist. This common fruit has no taste, but when facing a true test of mettle, its benefits could make the difference between life and death.''
 * 200
 * }

Rings
Only two rings provide Poison Resist. Both can be worn together, granting a maximum of 320 Poison Resist, at the highest item level. Like all other rings, duplicate rings cannot be worn simultaneously. {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="article-table" ! scope="col" style="text-align: center;"|Ring ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"|Resist
 * Poisonbite Ring.png
 * Poisonbite Ring.png

Poisonbite Ring
''One of several "bite" rings, known for their peculiar design. Increases poison resistance. The similar, oddly disturbing design of these rings suggests a common source. Whoever the master craftsman was, he clearly knew his trade.''
 * 120/200
 * Ring of resistance.png
 * Ring of resistance.png

Ring of Resistance
''A protective ring adorned with four blessed gems. Increases resistance to poison, bleeding, weapon breakage and curses.''
 * 60/120
 * }

Other
Yorgh's Spear is unique in that it provides an additional 200 points of resistance to Poison buildup when wielded. One can be wielded in each hand to provided twice the resistance. {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="article-table" ! scope="col" style="text-align: center;"|Weapon ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"|Resist
 * Yorgh's Spear 2.png
 * Yorgh's Spear 2.png

Yorgh's Spear
''Spear wielded by Sir Yorgh during his invasion of the Sanctum City. After his defeat of the Sunken King, Sir Yorgh pierced Sinh, the sleeping dragon, with this spear to claim its blood.''
 * 200
 * }

Prevention and Cure
If the Poison meter is filled, its effects will begin to take hold and HP starts to drain at a steady rate. To prevent the Poison status effect from triggering, the Poison meter can be set back to zero using a number of methods, such as using certain consumable items or resting at a bonfire. This can be useful in "life-or-death" situations, when the onset of the Poison status is imminent.

Alternatively, if the Poison status does trigger, it is possible to completely cure its effects with the same methods listed below. Some consumable items have other additional benefits, such as restoring HP.

{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="article-table" ! scope="col" style="text-align: center;"|Item ! scope="col"| ! scope="col" style="white-space: nowrap;"|Additional Effects
 * Poison Moss.png
 * Poison Moss.png

Poison Moss
''A faintly poisonous clump of moss. When ingested, it counteracts poison and cleanses one's insides. If enough poison builds up in the body to break out and cause poisoning, your HP will start to decrease.''
 * None
 * Monastery Charm.png
 * Monastery Charm.png

Monastery Charm
''A blessed charm. Cures poison and restores HP. Many such charms were blessed in reconstructed ancient ceremonies, carried out in the monastery of Lindelt, now known as the new home of miracles.''
 * Restores 850 HP
 * Dragon Charm.png
 * Dragon Charm.png

Dragon Charm
''A blessed charm. Cures poison and greatly restores HP. A rare, ancient charm that is said to be endowed with the power of dragons. It is not clear whether it is a man-made creation, or of some other nature.''
 * Restores 1,500 HP
 * Divine Blessing II.png
 * Divine Blessing II.png

Divine Blessing
''Holy water endowed with a divine blessing. Cures status effects and fully restores HP. Water blessed by an ancient goddess. Her name is long forgotten, and the Magic Academy of Melfia denies even her existence.'' Cures all status effects. Removes Profound Still effect
 * style="white-space: nowrap;"|Fully restores HP
 * Caressing Prayer.png
 * Caressing Prayer.png

Caressing Prayer
''An elementary miracle for clerics. Purifies the body, removing all poison. Affects both the caster and nearby allies. This spell was recently developed, and may not be an authentic miracle.''
 * Cures poison on nearby allies.
 * }

Infusion
Steady Hand McDuff can infuse most weapons with Poison through the use of a Poison Stone. Once a weapon is infused, the Poison icon will be displayed next to its image in the HUD.


 * Uninfused weapons imbued with Poison gain a fixed Poison buildup value (which does not scale with the Poison Attack Bonus), but the base physical damage is lowered by 30%. For example, if a regular weapon that deals 100 physical damage is infused with Poison, its stats switch over to 70 physical damage and 112 Poison buildup.
 * Weapons with innate Poison buildup gain an additional increase to Poison buildup, but the base physical damage is lowered by 5%, as is the current scaling. For example, the Spotted Whip goes from 78 physical damage + 133 Poison buildup to 74 physical damage + 191 Poison buildup when infused.
 * Shields gain additional Poison resistance while lowering other resistances.

Enemies
The following is a breakdown of enemy and boss information relating to Poison buildup and immunity.