Poisoning (semi)-effectively in PFS (Part 1)

Disclaimer: The first part is my exploration into the ‘potential’ effectiveness of poison use in PFS play, I’ve been experimenting with a series of builds in a variety of classes to replace my nerfed Lore Warden/Trapsmith that just doesn’t work after the recent changes from the Adventurer’s Guide. (That is a rant for another day)
One of these is testing out a race boon I’ve had a while, the Vishkanya racial boon, given their naturally toxic nature. The fact my Lust Wizard/Enchanting Courtesan just about has access to poison use and several interesting options for playing with them also peaked my interest.

The Pros: You can really wreck a bad guy with a good selection of poisons! We are talking all sorts of things like attribute damage/drain, special conditions or even killing them! Poison Use gives you access to a part of those chronicles no one else uses.

The Cons: Poison ain’t cheap, from what I’ve seen and read they cost a lot and have no rhyme or rhythm to why they cost. You can get a poison with a crappy DC, for hundreds and even THOUSANDS of gold. In play/Roleplaying considerations, poison is bad mmmmkay? Some of your party members will not like it. It will definitely offend your foes possibly to the point of of deciding you got to die RIGHT NOW.

Tricks of the (nefarious) trade
- Abilities: these come in several sources: Poison Use (class or racial) is all but needed to be effective. (with a caveat, check the gear section) The big five classes for this are: Alchemist, Investigators, Ninja, Rogue and Stalker; Grippli, Nagaji and Vishkanja to varying levels of utility.
 —Poison Use: Nearly a must have. Why? Without it you can’t buy or craft poisons. You have to rely either on the charity of your local party crafter (who has acces to them but has to pay) or what you find in mid-adventure (which is definitely hit or miss). Additionally you run the risk of poisoning yourself in the mix, which means that nice deadly poison is suddenly not so cool as you are trying to gulp down an antitoxin when Mr ‘Nat-1’ comes visiting. That is a 5% failure rate anytime you handle the envenomed weapon, so.... remember how many times you handle it before trying it without poison use. You have been warned.
— Racial Poison Abilities:
 — Grippli: They have an alternate racial feature, toxin skin, which is accessible by them as an Alchemist Discovery via access to the Bogborn Alchemist as well as access to Black Marsh Spider venom (800 gp, adds in 1 rd of confusion to Dex damage. Alchemist fc bonus to toxic skin uses/day
  — Nagaji: Alchemist class bonus to crafting poison, the ability (from a feat) to spit poison. The hit to Int makes it hard to go all Alchemist but the fc bonus might work if you’re splitting your levels among several classes. Only so-so in my opinion, but a Nagaji Rogue is all sorts of nasty built right.
 — Vishkanya: Premiere poisoner race. Full stop. Racial poison use feature allows best flexibility in class choice; allowing access to Poison use even if your archetype trades it in. Keep in mind that most such archetypes also remove access to quicker application of poison. You got feats to supplement your poison for sleep toxin (A rare poison on the approved list), and with the arrival of Deadly Kiss/Vishkanya Perfume from the Villans codex you can change the toxin from injury to contact and inhaled. Several facials items add in even more fun. Keeping in mind, aside from a few items, your racial poison depends on your Con bonus.
- Class Abilities:
— Alchemist: Top tier poisoner. Period. You got archetype fun (Eldritch Poisoner), Discoveries and class abilities. Alchemists get poison use, ability to apply them quickly, and resistance/immunity to them. Discoveries merit a whole section to itself, check it out. Investigators get a bit of this with their access to Discoveries
— Rogues: (and Ninja, Slayers oh my..) Requires either access via talent or archetype mostly but they  have some nice tricks too. Plus everyone of them have Sleight of hand as a class skill. The feats will be discussed in its sectio and so will the talents in theirs. Class abilities vary a bit but most of the fun requires follow up and supplements from feats, talents and gear. The Master Poisoner ability, from the Poisoner Rogue, will get special discussion later.

- Feats:
— Adder Strike/Pinpoint Poisoner (UC): Lets you apply a poison to two unarmed strike locations or two darts. Mostly of use to folks like monks and/or brawlers with flurry of blows.
— Brewmaster (Advanced Race Guide): Playing a dwarf, get a bonus to craft (alchemy) AND a bonus to ingested poison DCs.
— Daggermark Lore (Advanced Class Origins): Got a favored poison? Increase the number of saves by 1 and the DC to recognize/neutralize poison it by 5
— Deadly Kiss/Vishkanya Perfume (Villans Codex): lets you change your Vish’s poison type to contact and inhaled respectively.
— Deep Toxin (Dirty Tactics Toolbox): Using vital strike with a poisoned weapon, let’s you deliver a poison in a way that increase its time buy one and immediately onsets. The high to hit makes it useful for Slayers and strength based Alchemists and Rogues.
— Divine Fighting Style (Calistra, Weapon Master’s Handbook): Lets you apply a contact poison to a whip (and three doses at advanced) that works even if you don’t hurt the target.
— Insightful Deliver (Advanced Class Guide): add half your studied strike dice to the poison DC. Fairly high studied strike die requirement (4d6).
— Pernicious Stab (Giantslayer’s Handbook)/Treacherous Toxin (Dirty Tactics Toolbox): Both trade sneak attack for increases to poison DC, pernicious is 2d6/+1, while treacherous is 1d6/+1 BUT is capped to 15 + character level. Depending on your build and poison in hand utility will vary. Keep in mind this is AFTER all other DC bonuses are added in.
— Subtle Poisoner (Alchemy Manual): Draw and poison as part of the same action.
— Toxic Spell (Dirty Tactics Toolbox): Infuse a poison into a spell. You pick a single creature in the spell's AOE and it has to make a save vs the poison. Note: Uses the poison's DC not the spell, but you can do all sorts of nasty things. Add in a Chelish Death Apple to oh.. Cloud Kill and leave the caster in the middle of noxious toxic death. Additionally, depending on various abilities (class, racial, item based, ect) it adds the poison descriptor.

- Discoveries:
— Celestial Poisons. (Champions of Purity): Allows you to poison evil creatures that are normally immune to poisons. Evil outsiders, undead, ect. Critters that normally aren't effected who occasionally are built with less than sterling Fort saves. Besides who doesn't like poisoning something that doesn't expect it?
— Concentrate Poison (Advanced Player's Guide): Use two does of poison into one, increases frequency by 50% and the DC gains a +2 but it has to be used within an hour of creation.
— Deadly Excretions (Advanced Race Guide): Changes the Grippli's poison from dex to con damage, requires the toxic skin racial trait
— Malignant Poison (Dungeoneer's Handbook): A truly nasty discovery that increases the DC of the poison by 4, increases frequency by 2 increments. Changes it to an immediate onset rather than what it is normally. After minutes equal to Alchemist's levels, it reverts back. Higher level requirement than concentrate poison but it doesn't require multiple doses or lose the poison after the duration.
— Nostrum (Heroes of the High Court): Allows the creator of an infusion to put in an ingested poison into the infusion, and then delay onset up to a number of hours equal to his Int bonus at the time of discovery. Not particularly useful in PFS play but you never know..
— Poison Bomb
— Poisoned Explosive (Dirty Tactics Toolbox)
— Precise Poison (Inner Sea Monster Codex)
— Sticky Poison
— Toxic Skin (Advanced Race Guide) Basically giving the racial trait Toxic Skin to any Bogborn alchemist.

- Gear:
— Blackfinger Paste (Rival Guide): For those who want to use poison without poison use.
— Poison Diffuser (Alchemy Manual)  Lets you do a time delay cloud of poison, anyone passing within 5 feet of the diffuser can suffer from a contact or ingested poison like it was an inhaled gas for 3 rounds after activation.
— Poison Lip Paint (Ultimate Intrigue) This one is pretty much self evident.
— Poison Tattoo (Advanced Rivals Guide): A temporary tattoo of henna like paste that adds a +2 DC of the next of Vishkhanya venom.
— Poisoning sheath (Ultimate Equipment): Full round to pour in the poison, then the first time you pull the blade in four hours it applies the poison.
— Snake-tongue concoction (Adventurer's Armory 2): Lets you spit saliva onto a blade as black adder venom or if you're a Vishkhanya it adds another daily use of your poison. For 50 gp a use, and it's an alchemical item, so you can craft them if you're an alchemist.
— Vector Ink (Alchemy Manual):  Lets you literally give a poison letter to folks.

- Magic:
<To be added to later.. still evaluating this part>

- Prestige Classes:
— Assassin, Red Mantis Assassin and Daggermark poisoners: These types are out there, Limited one off boons. You might see them, enjoy playing with them.
— Enchanting Courtesan (Inner Sea Intrigue): Very nice caster with some neat tricks. Sleight/bluff to hide spells, the ability to change a poison's effect type, use contact poisons with a touch attack AND magic. Lots of fun let me tell you.

- Rogue Talents:
— Deadly Cocktail (Advanced Player's Guide) Apply two poisons at the same time. Either the same poison or two different poisons. Could make for a very interesting mix of fun.
— Knockout Queen (Adventurer's Guide) Limited uses of Drow Sleep poison. A very good knockout drug but one you don't see on the chronicles.
— Lasting Poison  (Advanced Player's Guide): Add the number of times a poison application lasts on a weapon. For a -2 to DC you get to add your Dex bonus in uses before it wears off. That can EASILY make up for the -2 if you are a multiple attacking/sneak attacking/flatfooted attack. -2 to DC, +2 to DC for each application (say 3 or 4 attacks with TWF, you could end up with a +2 or 4 to DC easily.)
— Poison Bombs (Ultimate Combat): Useful for a ninja, not as much for a rogue given you need the Ki pool and the Smoke Bombs talent. Of course Eldritch Scoundrel can replace spell castings for ki Points. Still need smokebombs first.
— Poison Use (Blood of Shadows) The gateway talent to poison use.
— Swift Poison (Advanced Player's Guide) If you don't have other ways of reducing the actions require for applying poison, this can be useful.

- Skills
— Craft (Alchemy): Needed to craft most poisons as well as recognize most toxins out there. You can add a LOT of things to your craft roll for poison. HINT: If it doesn't explicitly state that your character class can USE Craft (Alchemy) to craft poisons (Like Alchemist, Poisoner Rogue, ect) expect table variance. Some folks are going to insist that its like the Alchemist's craft alchemical items and limited to those classes/archetypes that outright state they can.
— Heal: Knowing how to treat the poisons can be useful, .at least when your side is poisoned, and there are things out there that can help out. (Healers Kit and Antitoxin both add to the treatment roll btw)
— Knowledge (Nature): Identifying toxic critters in nature
— Sleight of Hand: Applying poison, hiding poisoned weapons. Fun toy out of Ultimate Intrigue, the wrist launcher requires this to discretely fire this at a potential victim (as well hide it from discovery).

Andrew's 'X' Items of underused utilty.

There is an amazing number of underutilized and underestimated items in Pathfinder that never hit the 'required' items list like Swarmbane scarab, alchemist's fire, and the obligatory 2 PP wand of cure light wounds.
Here are a few ideas and items. Some I'll make the comments on the ones that I have used or plan to use, but check out the others.

Armor Enchantments:
Going to keep these in the 'plus-less' enhancements of 5,000 gp or less (with two exceptions)
- Burdenless (Advanced Class Guide) Good for low strength PCs, adding it to my favorite set of 'caster armor' of Silken ceremonial armor.
- Comfort (Pathfinder Society Guide) Self -cleaning, endure element.. good things. Plus you can sleep in your armor with it.
- Corsair (Advanced Class Guide)
- Creeping (Ultimate Equipment)
- Cushioned (Armor Master's Handbook)
- Glamered (Core Rulebook)

Weapon Enchantments
- Concealed (Greater/Lesser, Spymaster's Handbook)
- Dry Load (Ammo, Ultimate Combat, Ultimate Equipment)
- Exclusionary (Advanced Class Guide)
- Glamered (Ultimate Equipment) .
- Impervious (Ultimate Equipment)
- Phantom (Ammo, Ultimate Combat, Ultimate Equipment)
- Resizing (Giant Hunter's Handbook)
- Shrinking (Melee Tactics Handbook)
- Sniping (Various, Range Tactics Toolbox)
- Spike Hilt (Dirt Tactics Toolbox)
- Undine Weaponshaft (Advance Player's Guide, Ultimate Equipment)

Magic Items
- Aegis of Recovery (Rival Guide)
- Aerialist's Rod (Villain Codex)
- Backbiter's focus (Harrow Handbook)
- Bladed belt (Ultimate Equipment)
- Blinkback belt (Ultimate Equipment)

- Corset of Delicate Moves (Melee Tactics Toolbox)

- Gloves of Arcane Striking (Ultimate Equipment)

- Gutbite Belt (Inner Seas Gods)
- Metamagic Rods (Various, Ultimate Equipment, others)
- Metamagic Gems (Rival Guide)
- Riffle Scroll (Inner Sea Magic)
- Sash of the War Champion (Advanced Player's Guide, Ultimate Equipment)
- Tunic of careful casting (Ultimate Equipment)

Books
- Blue Book (Ultimate Equipment)
- Pathfinder Chronicles (Adventurer's Guide, Inner Sea World Guide)
- Pathfinder Chronicles (Selected volumes, Pathfinder Society Primer)

Adventuring Gear
- Burglar's torc (Dirty Tactics Toolbox) Hidden lockpicks and other tools.
-Thief's ring (Dungeoneer's Handbook) A great last backup that lets you pick manacles, while wearing them.

Alchemical Remedies
- Air Crystal (Pathfinder Society Field Guide)
- Alchemist's Kindness (Advanced Player's Guide, Ultimate Equipment)
- Blood-boiling Pill (Alchemy Manual)
- Blood-chilling Pill (Alchemy Manual)
- Elemental breath (Advanced Race Guide)
- Troll Stypic (Adventurer's Armory 2, Seeker of Secrets)

Alchemical Tools
- Alchemical Solvent (Advanced Player's Guide, Adventurer's Armory, Ultimate Equipment)
- Armor Ointment (Armor Ointment)
- Blackfinders Paste (Rival Guide)
- Efreeti Cord/Switch (Ultimate Intrigue)
- Troll Oil (Ultimate Equipment)

Alchemical Weapons
- Acid Neutralizer (Alchemy Manual)
- Artoku's Fire (Alchemy Manual)
- Blanch Bomb (Various, Alchemy Manual)
- Congealer Spray (Alchemy Manual)
- Fuse Grenade (Adventure's Armory, Ultimate Equipment)
- Ghast retch flask (Ultimate Equipment)
- Holy Weapon Balm (Advanced Class Guide)
- Liquid Blade (Ultimate Equipment)
- Pellet Grenade (Various, Ultimate Equipment)
- Slime Grenade (Alchemy Manual)
- Slime Slow (Demon Hunter's Handbook)
- Stormstone (Alchemy Manual)
- Tangleburn bag (Ultimate Equipment)

Tools
- Balancing Pole (Advanced Player's Guide, Adventurer's Armory, Ultimate Equipment)
- Bottled Sunlight (Undead Slayer's Handbook)
- Climber's Kit (?)
- Masterwork Tool (Core Book)
- Musical Instrument, Masterwork (Core Book)
- Musical Instrument, MW Silver (Occult Adventures)
- Spiritbane Spike (Undead Slayer's Handbook)