It’s Canon Now: Poison does not get through, if the damage is Stoneskinned
Stoneskin is a extraordinarily popular and useful spell, especially for squishy characters like mages and young clerics. That extra 70 to 150 damage reduction, even if taken in chunks, can be an absolutely for a PC that ends up unconscious more often than is palatable.
But recently it came up that several PCs, while enjoying the protections of Stoneskin, were also potentially subject to poison damage from the monster attacking them. The question: when a creatures who’s attack also delivers poison, but in which the damage is completely absorbed by the Stoneskin, does the poison still get through?
NO. But first, let’s talk about what Stoneskin looks like, because spell doesn’t define it. Looks could be a factor:
The classic CRPG interpretation is very literal: Baldur’s Gate renders the protected character in a uniform gray or mineral-colored overlay, almost as though the entire person has been dipped in stone. Neverwinter Nights does something similar for many humanoids, but for some larger creatures it uses orbiting chunks of rock rather than changing the body texture.
There’s also a long-standing “invisible until struck” interpretation among tabletop players. That actually fits PF1 rather well because the spell text says only that the creature gains resistance to physical attacks; it never says the target visibly turns gray or rocky. One Pathfinder discussion specifically notes that there need not be any obvious visual indication at all until somebody lands a blow and discovers that the attack was strangely ineffective.
A third interpretation treats it as an ablative shell rather than altered flesh. Stone plates form over the target like extremely thin armor—perhaps overlapping scales of shale, granite, or slate—and attacks visibly chip pieces away. This is especially natural in older D&D-inspired versions of stoneskin, where individual “skins” could be expended by attacks. One unofficial Baldur’s Gate spell revision literally describes an outer skin of stone emerging and completely covering the caster.
It could also be that the flesh merely becomes unnaturally hard. No gray coloration, perhaps just a slight mineral sheen, loss of softness, or faint crystalline glimmer. A person might look completely normal from ten feet away, but close inspection reveals that their skin reflects light like polished rock. Some players specifically prefer this because, as one discussion put it, stoneskin makes flesh as hard as stone rather than necessarily transforming it into stone.
Pathfinder itself gives us some related imagery elsewhere. The Stone spirit shaman, for example, develops rough, stony-looking skin with tiny gemstones beneath the flesh that glow when its abilities are invoked. That suggests another excellent possibility: stoneskin could look less like granite and more like mineralization—crystalline veins, quartz flecks, mica shimmer, or little geode-like patches beneath otherwise normal skin.
So to categorize the possibilities:
- Statue: skin visibly becomes gray stone.
- Stone armor: thin plates or a shell appear over the body.
- Mineralized flesh: still clearly flesh, but marble-veined or crystalline.
- Invisible protection: essentially no change until something hits it.
- Orbiting ward: stones or shards circle the recipient as an abjurative barrier.
- Impact manifestation: normal appearance, but the struck area flashes into stone at the instant of impact.
I think that last one may actually be my favorite. I envision someone looking entirely normal until a sword hits their ribs — and for only an instant the flesh beneath the blade becomes rough black granite, sparks flying from the weapon. Then it softens immediately back into ordinary skin. But, It’s Canon Now is nothing but egalitarian and we believe the power of democracy SO we put it to a vote. Here are the results:
- “Chicago” style voting (multiple votes per person): TIE between #1 Statue: skin visibly becomes gray stone, and #6 Impact manifestation: normal appearance, but the struck area flashes into stone at the instant of impact.
- “Fair” style voting (one person, one vote): #1 Statue: skin visibly becomes gray stone
Under proper rules, Canon is now Statue: skin visibly becomes gray stone.
There was, however, some salient commentary, which should be included:
Matt M
“That you have all these gradients of stone flesh as a GOOD thing, but you get someone turned into stone is BAD is bullshit, man. Basilisks are just OP clerics keeping you extra protected.”
“I would lean towards #3 (editor note: Mineralized flesh: still clearly flesh, but marble-veined or crystalline) but the spell is abjuration, not transmutation so I would think it would have minimal visual impact, it would just protect you.”
MIKE p
“I like the idea of no one knowing that you have that protection unless they ‘Detect Magic’ or hit you.”
Don M
I went with Option 3 in my own writing. Technically the spell was “Stone Fist” (offensive, vs defensive, but same principle):
Libby M
Casting Stone Fist:
Iria twisted to put both hands on the tower wall, whispering the brief incantation to draw its strength into her bones. She exhaled, releasing her will with her breath, and the flesh from mid-forearms to fingertips took on the appearance of pink-ivory quartz, streaked with delicate blue-green veins where her blood vessels had been close to the surface. The freckles on her forearms and hands became sparkling mica. She tested her dexterity, tapping each finger to her thumb and smiled, satisfied. She should have no issues pouring fire down the drake’s gullet.
And then later after the big bad fight:
Iria relaxed into the floor. Thaedon kicked her foot and she returned the favour. She rolled up her sleeves so she could study her hands and arms, searching for chips or cracks in the stone, and swallowed her relief that she couldn’t find any, but rosy quartz had given way to dull onyx. She was the only one to respond
to Kinkaid’s call for injuries. “Bruised, but not broken,” she reported. Hopefully it stayed that way when her spell faded.
What is ” but the struck area flashes into stone at the instant of impact.”?
Doug K
Don has a point in that sporting extra protection, without the enemy knowing about said protection, is a plus. But that is part of the pros and cons of magic. Without the optical effect the spell shouldn’t be called “Stone Skin.”
I have a feeling that this is going to be decided by the hosting DM. No one is going to like the results.
and finally
Something between 1 and 3 is what I’ve always thought of it.
Gordon B
Stoneskin makes skin look like stone (but it’s still flesh) and Barkskin sits on top of the skin like bark (because that is what bark does on a tree.) There isn’t an actual reference for stone being integrated into skin with the ability to still make it flexible. But looking at the actual verbage in Pathfinder (or any version of DnD) there is nothing that refers to a change in skin.
No official Dungeons & Dragons rulebook text for the Stoneskin spell has ever stated that it literally turns a character’s skin or appearance into stone; [1, 2]
instead, official descriptions across editions (from AD&D to 5th Edition) specify that it makes the flesh as hard as stone. [1, 2]
If I had to pick one I guess I’d go for 3 because I like the visual of that one-a coating or mixing of hard minerals that is integrated into the skin making it tougher.
Or maybe keep Stone skin and Barkskin similar and make them both a coating of stone or bark that sits on top of the skin… Making it a coating would lead to issues in the real world–imagine trying to hold a sword in a hand coated with stone 🙂 And what would it do to clothing/armor-you’d have to wear stretchy stuff…
