View source for Guide:The Tao of Poison v1.09, by Bkelly

==Effective Poison with Ranged Weapons==
The method of delivery is also an important consideration with poison. For some unknown reason, poison from multiple sources lasts a lot longer when delivered by a bow or thrown knife. Just like melee attacks, the ranged weapon must do physical damage, so if the attack is misses or is blocked, the poison sources are ineffective. Poison gas is a ranged weapon, but it does no physical damage and will not be made stronger with additional poison sources.

With a ranged weapon, the rate of the effective poison is the same as with a melee weapon; the sum of the individual rates. However, the effective poison length becomes the sum of all source lengths instead of the average. Take our first example in the melee section, a perfect emerald and [[Snakecord]]. If the damage is delivered by a bow, the rate remains the same at 187 bite damage per frame, but the lengths stack. Instead of the previous 125 frames, the poison will now last for 250 frames (175 frames + 75 frames). Maximum damage jumps to 46750 bite damage (187 bd/frame * 250 frames) or 182.62 hit points (46750 bd / 256 bd/frame), double the hit point loss with melee delivery.

This can create massive amounts of poison damage when many poison sources are used. Consider our melee example with two perfect emeralds and three small charms, which resulted in 357 bite damage per frame for 115 frames. If delivered with a ranged weapon, the length increases from 4.6 seconds (115 frames / 25 frames/sec) to 23 (((2 items * 175 frames) + (3 items * 75 frames)) / 25 frames/sec), increasing the maximum damage by five times. This makes the poison wielding Amazon, quaintly referred to as a Poizon, one of the most dreaded adventurers says 4 out of 5 Fallen.

So, to increase either the speed or damage from poison delivered with a ranged weapon, just add more sources of poison since each item adds to effective poison rate and length. If your goal is to kill as quickly as possible, pick sources with higher rates, like the TAL rune. To maximize damage, you should instead use items with the highest total damage, like the perfect emerald.

I thank the great goddess of procedures and flow charts for this bonus in poison length because I can infect my target from a safe distance and watch him suffer over the long, extended length. I do expect the great gods of the Santa Anas will soon swoop in and change things for there are indicators that this was not how they intended things to work. Do not whine when they do! Anyone who is an ineffective killer without this prolonged suffering time is not a worthy to be my student.