Silver-Mercurium

Silver-mercurium was, under second edition rules, an extremely dangerous poison, whether delivered by a blade or in food or drink, of the save or die variety, which was available from at least one alchemist in Richemulot for 1000 gp. Part of its attraction was its effectiveness against wererats and lycanthropes in general. When the poison was applied to a blade, that weapon would cut them and deliver the poison as though the device were made of silver. Silver-mercurium is, under third edition rules, a very expensive poison that might by itself occasionally slay someone including a lycanthrope and would be of some assistance in fighting a lycanthrope, but that would potentially be of precious little use against a wererat. First, as of Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume III, Jacqueline Renier and wererats generally are immune to poison with the exception of their individual chemical banes. An ingredient in silver-mercurium might be the chemical bane of some tiny portion of wererats but no more than that. Against the crushing majority of wererats silver-mercurium is the equivalent of silversheen with the difference that the duration is not one hour but rather is until a hit is scored, making silversheen or a simple silver weapon both far cheaper and far more effective. Second, poisons are no longer of the save or die variety. Third, poisons doing the sort of constitution damage that is likely to kill in the end are very expensive. Fourth, poisons doing as initial damage the sort of constitution damage that is capable of killing outright are even more expensive. Fifth poisons reliably doing as initial damage the sort of constitution damage that is assured of killing outright do not exist. A conversion of silver-mercurium to third edition rules then can only aim at offering a more expensive, less reliable poison that may have no useful applicability to wererats. And against other types of werebeasts, some other poison (and not necessarily one attacking physical abilities) applied to a silver weapon or a weapon bearing silversheen is probably the better choice. The sale of silver-mercurium in Richemulot for use against wererats would at best be an act of dangerous ignorance and at worst be a fiendish scheme of the wererats.

Statistics

2nd ed

• any weapon coated with silver-mercurium is treated as silver for the purpose of hitting creatures struck only by silver weapons;
• Poison Type E: Injected, Immediate, Death / 20 hp;
• Poison Type J: Ingested, 1d4 minutes, Death/ 20 hp;
• 1,000 gp/vial (enough to coat one dagger-sized object for one use, or to poison up to 10 people when administered to food or drink).

3rd ed.

• A weapon to which silver-mercurium is applied is treated as though it were of alchemical silver as per the rules for silversheen with the difference that duration is not one hour but rather until a hit is scored;
• Ingested and Injury Poison;
• Initial Damage 1d10 temporary Constitution
• Secondary Damage 1d10 temporary Constitution
• 1,500 gp/dose
• Craft (poisonmaking) DC 25, Craft Wondrous Item