"Save or Die" Poison

Poisons, as described in the Encounter and Monster sections, kill characters instantly. Game Masters may find this makes the mortality rate of player characters a bit too high. On the other hand, poisons should be scary. Here's an optional rule which makes things a bit easier without entirely removing the fear from poison: Where a "save or die" poison is indicated, the victim must make a save vs. Poison or suffer 1d6 points of damage per round for 6 rounds, starting the round following the exposure to the poison; this is an average of 21 points of damage, but even a first level character might survive with a combination of luck and healing magic. The GM may create poisons which vary from these figures, of course. If the Negative Hit Points optional rule is being used, it is suggested to increase the poison duration to 10 rounds (an average 35 points).