Poison-related puns

[Finalsora811]

Originally Posted by Maz

http://www.enotes.com/poisoning-reference/poisoning <<this one seems to have a good rundown on some of the more common poisons an poisoners throughout history.

I'm kind of just looking for TYPES of poisons and what they do. I wish there was a GURPS version of that, but the only one I can find is in Basic, and it's very limited.

[lwcamp]

Originally Posted by Finalsora811

I'm kind of just looking for TYPES of poisons and what they do. I wish there was a GURPS version of that, but the only one I can find is in Basic, and it's very limited.

Poisons that would be available and widely known at TL4 include

Viper venom: causes localized pain and swelling, internal bleeding, and kidney failure. Pain and swelling develop within seconds to minutes (depending on dose). For large doses, expect incapacitation within hours, possible death within a day or three.

Cobra venom: causes lack of coordination, slurred speech, drooling, clammy skin and, at high doses, paralysis and respiratory failure. Death, if it occurs, happens within hours to a day.

Botulism: A tasteless, odorless toxin produced by contaminated food. It causes double vision, paralysis, nausea, and vomiting. Onset times are typically about a day, death takes several days.

Wolfsbane: also known as monkshood or blue rocket. It is a weedy herb which grows wild in Europe and North America and thrives in gardens. It causes tingling and then numbness starting in the extremities, lips, and tongue, and then progressing through the limbs. throat, and face. Subsequent symptoms include sweating, nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, weakness, loss of coordination, difficulty balancing, headaches, and tremors. Paralysis follows, breathing rate is initially elevated and then slows as the diaphragm is paralyzed. Death is typically due to paralysis of the heart. Onset time is several hours, death in about a day.

Belladonna: Also known as nightshade, belladonna is a weedy or viney plant with purple-black berries and pale blue flowers. Jimsonweed and mandrake have similar toxins with similar effects. It causes dilated pupils, hot and dry skin, a lack of secretions (saliva, tears, mucus), delirium, fever, racing heart, slurred speech, and, at higher doses, convulsions and death. Belladonna and related alkaloids tend to require much higher doses to kill than they do to incapacitate. Victims become increasingly confused, may disrobe because of the sensation of overheating, and may engage in semi-automatic behaviors such as picking, plucking, or grasping. Onset time is typically several hours. Belladonna was used in renaissance Italy by women seeking to look more attractive; by taking small doses they could cause their pupils to become dilated.

Foxglove: Foxglove is a weedy, upright plant with stalks of bell-shaped flowers. It causes loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, confusion, and finally convulsions and death. Visual disturbances are common, including blurred, yellow-tinted vision, blind spots, halos or rings of light around objects, and seeing spots of light. Onset time is several hours.

Hemlock: This is the lacy, white flowered-shrub that grows to 2 meters tall, not the coniferous tree. It contains a paralytic poison that will affect those who eat it. It was used as a method of execution by the ancient Greeks. The philosopher Socrates may be its most famous victim. Victims retain full consciousness even as they are rendered completely immobile and unable to breathe. Death will take about a day (more or less, depending on dose).

Curare: Curare is prepared from certain vines that grow only in the jungles of South America. It is used to envenomate blow-gun darts by the native peoples of South America. It is a quick-acting paralytic which is only effective if injected - game taken by curare-tipped darts are perfectly safe to eat. Victims retain full consciousness even as they are rendered completely immobile and unable to breathe. Introduced by dart into the bloodstream, incapacitation or death may occur in less than an hour.

Strychnine: Strychnine grows as a shrub which can be found in the tropical regions of India, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. It causes muscle spasms, mild at first but progressing to continuous convulsions. Victims of strychnine poisoning often lose a lot of body heat and may end up hypothermic. It is extremely bitter, and easily detected in food or drink. Onset time is many hours.

Death's cap: This is an extremely toxic mushroom. It initially causes nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Symptoms subside after about a day, but the poisons will have destroyed the kidneys and liver, causing death by renal or hepatic failure within several days, with symptoms of a feeble rapid pulse, blue lips, yellow skin, difficulty breathing, weakness, delerium, and confusion.

Arsenic: A tasteless poison that looks like sugar granules. It causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. At high doses, it may kill within hours. Arsenic builds up in the body, its effects are cumulative and poisoning may occur from repeated small doses over time.

Cyanide: Salts of the cyanide ion can be extremely toxic. They can be extracted from the seeds of many plants in the rose family, such as almonds, apples, pears, peaches, apricots, or plums. They will cause rapid breathing, gasping for breath, headache, dizziness, vomiting, and unconsciousness. At lethal doses, you get convulsions and then death within minutes to hours, depending on dose. Cyanide smells of bitter almond.

Tobacco: When mashed, soaked in water, and the water allowed to evaporate, you get a brown, sticky mass of deadly nicotine. Symptoms include an initial burning sensation in the mouth, throat, and stomach, followed by nausea, diarrhea, convulsions, coma, and death within minutes to hours depending on dose. Smokers will have a higher tolerance for the poison.

Puffer fish: Certain organs of the puffer fish are extremely toxic, with symptoms similar to that of wolfsbane. This was not widely known in Europe, but was known in east Asia and Polynesia. Onset can be from ten minutes to hours.

Luke

[Finalsora811]

That was VERY informative. Now I only wish there was a GURPS version of that, notation-wise.

[sir_pudding]

Are there more period names for some of these? Or would an Elizabethan poisoner use "Strychnine"?

[lwcamp]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Are there more period names for some of these? Or would an Elizabethan poisoner use "Strychnine"?

Where possible, I tried to use common names. But something like strychnine might not have had an English common name in the Elizabethan era. It would be an exotic plant from the far reaches of the globe. Scholars might have a name for it at some point in this period, but I don't know about the common man.

Now, for a game set in India, for example, the Indians would surely have a period name for it. But since I don't know any of the various Indian languages I really can't help there.

Luke

[sir_pudding]

Mine whip is in thine veins. It is like unto the Captain's cat as it is numbered nine and very strict indeed.

[Flyndaran]

Don't forget that only around 40% of people can smell cyanide.

[kdtipa]

It is really hard to make a clever sounding movie style catch phrase/pun for poison. For Dr. Freeze, something as simple as "you need to cool off" can work. For poison... wow.

If it helps at all, the German word for poison is "Gift". But your audience would have to know that in order for any humor using it to work. Stuff like "here... I have a Gift for you."

You could try something like... "How do you like that? It's positively to die for!", but that doesn't really have anything specific to poison.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by kdtipa

It is really hard to make a clever sounding movie style catch phrase/pun for poison. For Dr. Freeze, something as simple as "you need to cool off" can work. For poison... wow.

It's extra hard if you take the TL4 thing seriously.

[kdtipa]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

It's extra hard if you take the TL4 thing seriously.

Good point.

Some friends of mine are responding with ideas, I'll share a few I like...

"I'm sure you're getting sick of this."

"You appear to be green with Envy...or maybe that's just the poison."

"Your Mother's a whore, it has nothing to do with anything, but you should know before you die from the poison I just gave you."