How To Make Arrows with Poison Damage

Hi there!

I am hoping you will provide step by step instructions on how I can make poisoned arrows (2d6 poison dmg) for DnD 5e in FGU.

Thank you for your help!!!

Lady Archer

Hi, back at you.

Simplest solution:
Go to the actions tab of your character sheet
Click on the Magnifier Glass beside the bow you have equipped.

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This will open the weapon's setting window. Click on the edit list button

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Click on the Green add button that shows up. This will add a new damage row to the weapon.

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In the dice box, drop the 2 six sided dice here. In the Type section, type in "poison"

You don't need to change anything else here. Close the window and it will work just fine. I would suggest renaming the bow to something to let you know that it does poison damage though.

Thank you so much Fear Grounds! You instructions were very helpful. :)

Lady Archer

That's an excellent solution. Though, it will apply the piercing & poison damage every time you damage a target with that weapon - so you'd need a bow entry for "using poison arrow" and one for "using normal arrow." If the bow applies the added damage to any arrow used by said bow, SAWEET, says my Ranger.

But, if the damage is only applied based on the arrow...I have an alternative solution. I'll be honest, there are a few more steps. But (in my opinion), it opens the window to more versatility down the road...once you get used to the process - which is pretty fast once you're comfortable with it. (I made a custom wand while the PCs were chatting about what to do next, as the wizard identified it; they thought it was a pre-made item.)

The alternative solution is:

1) On the character's character sheet, access the Actions tab
2) Activate "Edit List" (the little button in the bottom-right), and select "New Power" (the star button)
-- This will create a new, blank ability near the top of the list, below Spell Slots and weapons
3) The new entry has 2 text boxes. In the right-side box title the type of thing...in this case Upgraded Arrows (or something like that...magic arrows? But maybe they're dipped in something, right?)
-- Once you click off that box, the entry will create a new power group/heading, so you'll need to scroll down to that entry
4) Disable the "Edit List" option
5) In the blank left-text box for the new item (it might say <<new spell>>), call it what this exemplar item is...e.g., Poison Arrow
6) Add an effect. In this case:
a) Right-click on the entry you just made
b) Select Add Action from the radial menu
c) then Add Effect from the sub-menu that appears
7) Edit the effect (click the magnifying glass to access the Effect's properties window):
a) Change the Targeting to Self
b) Change Expend? to On next roll
c) In the description box, type: Poisoned Arrow; DMG: 1d6 poison
-- The first bit "Poisoned Arrow;" is just a label for the "Active Effects" list in the Combat Tracker, so you know where the damage was from
-- You now have an effect that the player can activate whenever they want to use that special arrow
-- Creating new entries here under the "Upgraded Arrows" heading lets them access a virtual quiver of more powerful arrows, without needing a new bow for every one. Plus...
8) Now, at the bottom of the character sheet (still on the Actions tab), click the Mode to Preparation
9) Find your arrow(s) you made, and look for the left-side entries. These should default to 0, Daily. As this is ammo, and as poison and magic ammo are consumed upon (successful) use, you simply change the entries:
a) Change Daily to Once <-- as each arrow is a discreet consumable item
b) Then edit the 0 to equal however many they have in their quiver
-- The cool thing is, each type of arrow/potion/consumable you add in this way, with "Once" as their prepared property, will ONLY appear in the Combat: Actions mode if the character actually HAS one. Once used, tick the little pip, to show it's been used. Once there are no pips left, it is hidden from the Combat: Actions mode (so they know they need to go get more!)
-- Buy more? Find more in a horde? Just go to the Preparation mode and up that 0 to however many you have left, and voila, it'll once again be visible in the Combat: Actions mode view
-- The other solution, while sleeker in one sense, means that the bow will be in the list whether they have poisoned arrows left or not (assuming you make an entry for both non-poison and poison) OR, if the player has one bow, and they will need to edit that Damage entry every time they swap arrow types - this method creates a 1-click "add damage" button that only applies to the next damage roll, so they can add it with 1-extra click on demand - with the added bonus of tracking usage.

Is this more complicated to set-up? Maybe a little (up front). But I see a couple benefits:

1) The effect can be applied before the damage is rolled, so any CRIT will get calculated correctly
2) The DM can add as many of the types as they want for special arrows (fire, +X Dmg, etc.); you could even make a slaying arrow, I imagine...hmm
3) A bow is usually a long-term (many session) item, while a consumable may only be around a short time; and many variant bows (or editing the damage each swap of ammo) will be cumbersome.
4) If magic/specialty ammo is uncommon, this consumes it on use. As arrows (magic) only lose their magic nature when they actually apply the damage. They can tick off the pip whether they actually applied the damage or not (to mark that arrow as used). Then, if they recover it with its enchantment intact, they simply edit the Preparation counter.


I use this basic principle for potions, scrolls, and other limited-use items. I had a rogue who loved poisons, so they had a category for poisons, and an entry with each of the poisons they could use (tracking usage - which had a cost for acquisition; and any effect it added to the target, poisoned, simple damage to next attack, slowed, unconscious, etc.). It made for easy book-keeping, quick usage, and they are reminded of all those consumables (scrolls, potions) that were buried in their inventories!

Thanks for the clear instructions. Very helpful.

I'd just create a new ranged weapon line and make the damage 2d6 poison damage and then add in the number of arrows into the ammo box.

Personally, I love how many different ways you can choose to do the same thing. Just depends on how you want it to look or work on your character sheet.

Yes, certainly Zacchaeus' solution is simpler. Do that one, hahaha. +100!!

Fear is right, there are often more than one solutions to a question. Part of it is finding the way that a) solves the problem, b) is quick and easy enough for you to manage, and c) your player can apply without too much explanation.

I reached mine, because it proved easier for me after they acquired different consumables and failed to ever remember or use them (potions and scrolls). I started making Actions so they were visible, and my players would see them and not just their sword. And, well it clicked where previous explanations had not. I even created a z_Other-Actions heading filled with the stuff they always forgot they could do (help, hide, grapple, shove, etc.), stealing the idea from Baldur's Gate 3.

It worked for my guys, probably because of all the WoW they played, haha. Especially as limited use items would stop showing up once they were out. (Like, "uh oh, the Soul Stone icon is gone, I should probably tell the 'lock!") Then, after purchasing more, it was just change the usage counter and it's back. (Their patron would give them a basic healing potion before each mission, so they got used to it real quick.)

But, now it dawns on me...Poisoned Arrows could be handled two ways that I can think of - campaign-wise: a) they simply DO poison damage, as a magical state of being, or b) they are coated with poison and do arrow (piercing) damage and serve as a *delivery mechanism* for poison - which usually involves a saving throw.

If they simply DO poison damage of 2d6, sweet. Moreso if they're a common ammo.

If they deliver poison, which triggers a save - and then damage, the poisoned condition, or both (or sleep or whatever poison you used, slow, blind, etc.), then that lengthy treatise might be more what you need.

Only then, you could also add a CAST action to the entry, which allows the player to set a DC and force targets they hit to save (just like a spell), allowing for auto processing of half damage on saves if applicable. And an effect (Target, instead of Self) to apply whichever condition you needed. unconscious, poisoned, blinded, etc..

Meh, sorry - just got excited after a post-game chat session with one of my players who nerds-out on tweaking his character sheet. Lol