Poison dart

"Just a small sting and my enemies will fall."

- Ezio Auditore, after acquiring the poison darts from Leonardo da Vinci

Poison Darts were long-range weapons used by Ezio Auditore da Firenze during his stay in Rome.

Availability
This ability could be purchased from Leonardo da Vinci; he would, in turn, fashion a dart-enabling upgrade for the poison blade. However, ammunition was shared with the poison blade, thus upgrading the pouch at a tailor also increased the number of poison darts the user could carry. Poison could be looted from dead guards, assassination targets, uncounscious civilians, or purchased from Doctors.

Effects
The darts had the same effect as the poison blade, but were fired from distance in the same way as the Hidden Gun, what made them extremely useful for stealth missions. Firing a dart was silent and aiming was almost flawless, similar to the crossbow.

The effects of a poison dart occured immediately after the target was shot:
 * First stage: The target stands at his post or walks alongside his group of guards, though he begins to clutch at his chest and struggles to remain standing as the poison seeps in. None of his fellow guards seem to notice that something is wrong with him. ('Fast Poison' skips this stage)
 * Second stage: The poison begins to have serious effects on the target. He begins to flail helplessly in a circle, striking anyone who comes in reach of him. If he has a weapon, he may draw it and flail it around as well. Civilians and guards alike are drawn to this spectacle, making a perfect distraction.
 * Third stage: The target is overcome completely by the poison. He falls on the ground, still having spasms caused by the poison. After a short time, he dies.

Usage
From a long enough distance, Ezio would not be noticed by guards even if he shot their comrades. However, they would attack him if he were close enough and they noticed him firing the dart. Poisoning guards (especially Seekers) was a good distraction that could hold any nearby guards' attention long enough for sneaking in and assassinating. Firing a dart at your target from a crowd of civilians would not draw attention, easing up a kill of the target while blending.

Trivia

 * Firing a poison dart at a Horseman will not have any effect.
 * There is a minor glitch in Sequence 9 whereas the Viana guards cannot be struck by the darts and seem to pass through them instead.