History Main / PoisonedWeapons

It should be noted that the poison being ''fatal'' isn't always the case. Often times, the poison will be nonlethal and merely intended to weaken or disorientate the target instead. Reasons why vary from wanting to capture them alive, to avoid accidentally killing onself, to wanting to actually kill them with their own hand but knowing they only stand a chance against them if they're weakened. If the poison is actually lethal, it normally depends on who is hit with it whether or not the poison will actually kill them. If a hero is infected, the poison will normally be slow acting enough to permit a FindTheCure by his allies, but not always. If it's the villain, they're more likely to die.

* ''DeusEx'' features poisoned crossbow bolts, which serve as tranquilizer darts (though they kill ''you''). In the sequel there is a similar dart gun, but also a hidden, poisoned dagger. Striking your enemies with it makes them cough from the poison in addition to extra damage. This is especially useful as continuous strikes will have your opponent hacking so much he won't have the chance to fight back.

* ''TheObsidianTrilogy'': The Goblins have deadly poison on their claws and teeth (the Shadowed Elves often use them on weapons). Only the timely intervention of a unicorn can save someone from even a slight or incidental dose.

* Poisoned bladed weapons in real life have always been uncommon and not very effective because successful strikes make almost all the poison bleed out almost as soon as the wound is made. Blowdarts, throwing spikes and the like are exceptions because they cause very little bleeding, and do manage to inject useful amounts of poison into the body.

-->''[[TheEvilPrince Tavius]] was right about one thing. I do have a fair knowledge of poisons.''\\
-- '''Otho''', ''StargateAtlantis'', after [[HoistByHisOwnPetard getting nicked]] [[LastWords with his own knife]].

* ''MonsterHunter'' series: Poisoned weapons do exist, but they behave a little differently from the norm. First, each monster has its own tolerance to poison -- Bnahabra die instantly from poison smoke, while bigger monsters tend to resist it more readily. Also, each monster takes a given amount of damage maximum from the poison, and no weapon can inflict more or less. That said, a weapon's Poison attribute is in fact its virulence - a higher attribte means that the poison starts doing damage with fewer blows. Neurotoxins (paralysis) and sleeping agents (sleep) behave in the same way.

It should be noted that the poison being ''fatal'' isn't always the case. Often times, the poison will be nonlethal and merely intended to weaken or disorientate the target instead. Reasons why varie from wanting to capture them alive, to avoid accidentally killing onself, to wanting to actually kill them with their own hand but knowing they only stand a chance against them if they're weakened. If the poison is actually lethal, it normally depends on who is hit with it whether or not the poison will actually kill them. If a hero is infected, the poison will normally be slow acting enough to permit a FindTheCure by his allies, but not always. If it's the villain, they're more likely to die.

* In some versions of ''Tristan and Isolde'', Tristan is poisoned by the Irish knight Morholt's spear (but wins the duel), and [[MosesInTheBullrushes sent on a craft without rows or sail]]; Morholt's niece Isolde cures him, not knowing ''he'' was Morholt's killer.

** Representing their love for this one, the Dark Eldar have poisoned weapons as an upgrade in ''{{Warhammer 40000}}: DawnOfWar [[{{Sequelitis}} Soulstorm]]''

It should be noted that the poison being ''fatal'' isn't always the case. Often times, the poison will be nonlethal and merely intended to weaken or disorientate the target instead. Reasons why varie from wanting to capture them alive to wanting to actually kill them with their own hand but knowing they only stand a chance against them if they're weakened. If the poison is actually lethal, it normally depends on who is hit with it whether or not the poison will actually kill them. If a hero is infected, the poison will normally be slow acting enough to permit a FindTheCure by his allies, but not always. If it's the villain, they're more likely to die.

* ''GirlGenius'' not only [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110907 hints]] that [[McNinja Smoke Knight]]'s weapons are poisoned, but how it can be used for an insult (what with those poisononus frogs and all):

* ''[[TheElderScrollsIV The Elder Scrolls IV : Oblivion]]'' lets you poison your weapons. Any potion you make (or find) which only has negative effects will be treated as a poison and be applied to your weapon (delivering its effects to the next enemy you strike with a melee weapon or applying them to the next arrow you fire). This causes some confusion as to how a warhammer-or other blunt weapon-can be poisoned in the same manner as, say, a weapon with an actual blade or spike.

* ''[[TheElderScrollsIV The Elder Scrolls IV : Oblivion]]'' lets you poison your weapons. Any potion you make (or find) which only has negative effects will be treated as a poison and be applied to your weapon (delivering its effects to the next enemy you strike with a melee weapon or applying them to the next arrow you fire).

* ''Man Plus'', a science fiction novel by Frederik Pohl, has the U.S. Secret Service require women meeting the president to soak their hands in a solution first, in case their fingernails have a biochemical poison on them.

* ''CommandAndConquerGenerals'' allows the [[Qurac GLA]] to infect their tank shells with toxins given a certain upgrade. [[MadScientist Dr. Thrax]] in the expansion takes it UpToEleven and places poison on everything in his arsenal - missiles, vehicles, soldiers...

* Early bullets usually consisted entirely of lead, and sometimes copper (if it was more widely available in the region). Both are toxic metals, and often cause secondary poisoning in the man they shot, assuming he lived long enough for that to be an issue. Modern bullets often utilize both. Its not that they're intended to be toxic, its just that they're cheap and have good ballistic properties (due to high density); their toxicity is more of a beneficial side effect.\\

* In ''{{Naruto}}'', Sasori tips every weapon he has with poison. And he has many weapons. Hell, he's just the only one who puts it on all of his weapons (which is probably because he can't be harmed by poison). Shizune and one of Kankuro's puppets also have poison needles, the Demon Brothers that Team 7 run into on the way to the Land of Waves used poison claws, and Sakura is once stated to have put poison on a kunai (and that she apparently learned to make it from Shizune).

A literary device as old as time is to have a confrontation involving a poisoned weapon which the audience knows is poisoned, but the [[DramaticIrony characters involved do not]]. Expect from such a weapon to ooze a [[PurplePoison stone-melting purple liquid]]. The poison acts instantly, or is timed to the FinalSpeech.

A literary device as old as time is to have a confrontation involving a poisoned weapon which the audience knows is poisoned, but the [[DramaticIrony characters involved do not]]. The poison acts instantly, or is timed to the FinalSpeech.

* Poisoned weapons featured in a number of Shakespeare's plays, perhaps most prominently in ''{{Hamlet}}''.

* In ''{{Hamlet}}'', the titular character is fatally poisoned by a sharpened rapier, which he then uses to (unknowingly) poison Laertes and (knowingly) poison Claudius.