Poison!

Poison is a sneaky and dangerous threat in DnD. Unlike many video games, poison doesn’t usually deal damage over time, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous. Instead, poison weakens adventurers at the worst possible moments.

When a monster’s attack or an adventure’s text mentions the need to make a Saving Throw against poison, the target typically rolls a CONSTITUTION Saving Throw. If your result meets or exceeds the Difficulty Number, you resist the poison. If you fail, you gain the “Poisoned Condition”.

A creature with the Poisoned Condition has Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Ability Checks. That means it’s harder to hit enemies, sneak around, solve puzzles, and generally succeed at anything. Poison is especially dangerous during tense moments.

The text of the adventure or the monster stat block will tell you how often the target can retry their Saving Throw.

The second-level spell, Lesser Restoration or a Potion of Antidote, will also end the Poisoned Condition.