Venomous or Poisonous Natural Weapons as Powers?

How would I design this? I'm working on a Faerie Troll that has poisonous claws, and I'm thinking I'd design it as a constantly-active Personal Power, but I'm not really sure if that works since the poison from the attack takes effect against whoever is scratched. Can Personal Powers be used like that, for making a natural weapon have a combat-affecting property, like, say, a scorpion's stinger having its venom, or my example Troll's claws being poisonous? And if not, what method might you recommend for something that is a constant property of a supernatural creature's natural weapon, which the creature obviously isn't activating a Power for every time it strikes because it's, y'know, something the creature constantly excretes or stores in its weapon? Thanks for helping a guy with no monster-making experience out!

It's simply a non magical Quality, it's called Venomous and discussed in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults on page 43.

So there's no way to make a creature with supernaturally powerful venom or poison, then?

Oh, you certainly could. But you need to be able to have penetration against those with MR. It's going to be weaker against magi.

Oh, yeah, I'm aware of that particular limitation. All depends on the relative strength of the magus compared to the creature, but yeah, I had no inclination to believe that magi were any less vulnerable to supernatural venom than they'd be to any other supernatural Power. I'm just not sure how to do it, thus my request for help. So on that note, since you stated that it's possible... How would I apply that kind of power to a creature? Constant Personal Power that imbues the claws/fangs/stinger/etc. with venom, some kind of conditional Lesser/Greater Power which I haven't seen rules for, or what? I'm thinking constant Personal Power, but I don't know if imbuing one of your natural weapons with venom is appropriate for Personal range or if a power made constant would actually continuously provide venom. What are the rules on this?

It's a difficult one for sure. My take is to design the effects of the venom as a power. For example, it might be a PeCo 20 (Base 15 for a Heavy Wound, +1 Touch); perhaps through in an Animal requisite if you want it to affect animals. Then, have the power triggered automatically following a successful hit. How you do this last bit can vary; you might say that the troll has to trigger its power in the round following the wound, or add in a cost for the automatic trigger, which might manifest as a Minor Supernatural Virtue (or Magic Quality). Alternatively, you may be content to handwave it -- as long as the creature has paid for the power, the fact it has to hit an opponent in combat is sufficient payoff. (This was the route taken with the girtablullu/scorpion man in The Cradle and the Crescent)

Another route would be to use MuAq 20 to change the creature's blood or saliva into a venom (Base 4 for a Heavy Wound, +2 Sun, +1 Part, +1 constant effect), and say that it has blood leaking from under its nails as a cosmetic effect, or that it spits on its hands. This wouldn't need any handwaving.

A third route for faeries is the Improved Damage Supernatural Virtue. The extra damage this inflicts is due to the venom, and characters have an opportunity to spot this.

A fourth route is that the creature might inherit a Mundane Quality from its shape. This wouldn't work for your troll, but a faerie manticore or a magic snake could easily have a venomous sting or bite by sheer virtue of having that form. In this case, the venom would be non-magical.

Hope this helps,

Mark

Actually, producing venom constantly is something you can do with a power, based on the example Scitalis creature in Realms of Power: Magic. I would base other venom powers on that, personally... So it's a Lesser or Greater Power, rather than Personal, but still with a constant effect. Hope that helps.

And MoH, with the transformation on snake to "milk" the poison.