Diseases

A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not necessarily due to any immediate external injury.

(Original disease information comes from here and here, and some are modified.)

• Anthrax

Type: Infection; Save Fortitude DC: 22 (Inhalation)

Onset: 1-3 days; Frequency 1/day

Effect: Nauseated or ability damage (1d6 Con), possible unconsciousness or death (2 weeks); Cure 2 consecutive saves

This is the pneumatic version of anthrax, not the subcutaneous. Anthrax has been around for many years, and was known as Woolpicker's disease or Ragpicker's disease (due to the prevalence of the illness coming from sheep's wool). Anthrax causes flu-like symptoms, then sudden respiratory collapse; it can also cause stomach ache and vomiting of blood, and bloody diarrhea. If the PC fails the check by more than 5 points, s/he suffers the ability damage mentioned (1d6 Con) and falls unconscious. If the PC fails the check by more than 10 points, s/he dies.

• Bog Rot

Type disease, contact; Save Fortitude DC 16

Onset 1 day; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1d6 Str, Dex, Con, or Cha (determine randomly using 1d4) damage; Cure –

Creatures afflicted with bog rot do not heal naturally and gain only one-half benefit from magical healing until the disease is cured. Unlike normal diseases, bog rot continues until the victim reaches Constitution 0 (and dies) or receives a remove disease spell or similar magic. The save DC is Charisma-based. A character with bog rot will develop 3d6 green pustules all over that last for the length of the infection, and there is a 10% chance per day that one of these pustules will naturally rupture (they can be intentionally ruptured with a pinprick). Anyone coming in contact with the puss after a rupture risks infection.

• Brainworms

Type disease (parasite), contact or injury; Save Fortitude DC 14

Onset 1 day; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1d3 Wis damage and 1d3 Int damage, if damaged in combat, target must make a second Fort save or gain the confused condition for the duration of the encounter; Cure 2 consecutive saves

Individually, these tiny parasites are almost invisible to the naked eye, yet en masse they’re capable of taking down even the strongest animals. Entering the body through contact with an infected host or corpse (especially through open wounds), these thin worms quickly migrate to the brain and begin reproducing. The infestation is typically evidenced by a dulling of the senses and intellect and by erratic bouts of irrational rage toward other creatures during which the worms attempt to spread to other hosts through combat and injury. Examining the brain of a late-stage victim reveals a living carpet of thousands of tiny parasites.

• Bubonic Plague

Type disease, injury or inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 17

Onset 1 day; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1d4 Con damage and 1 Cha damage and target is fatigued; Cure 2 consecutive saves

Infected vermin and parasites spread this disease, also known as Daemon’s Touch or the Black Death, through their bites. Once contracted, the disease spreads quickly, polluting the victim’s body with toxins. As the disease reaches the lymph nodes, the victim suffers extreme inflammation of glands, and his skin might take on a black pallor. Symptoms include fever, headaches, nausea, fatigue, and swelling of the lymph nodes (called buboes) on the neck, underarms, and inner thigh areas, and eventually bleeding beneath the skin. A victim who takes any Constitution damage from the disease must immediately make a successful Fortitude save or become fatigued until all his Constitution damage is healed. Each time a victim takes 2 points of Constitution damage from Black Death, he also takes 1 point of Charisma damage.

• Cholera

Type disease (injury); Save Fortitude DC 13

Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1d2 Con damage; as long as a character suffers Con damage from Cholera, he is fatigued; Cure 2 consecutive saves

This is an infectious and often fatal bacterial disease of the small intestine, typically contracted from infected water supplies and causing severe vomiting and diarrhea.

• Dysentery

Type disease (parasite), contact or injury; Save Fortitude DC 16

Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1d6 nonlethal damage and target is fatigued and staggered; Cure 2 consecutive saves

A broad family of intestinal afflictions caused by everything from bacteria to viruses to parasitic worms, dysentery is characterized by explosive and sometimes bloody diarrhea, leading to dehydration and occasionally death.

• Leprosy

Type disease, contact, inhaled, or injury; Save Fortitude DC 12 negates, Fortitude DC 20 to avoid effects

Onset 2d4 weeks; Frequency 1/week

Effect 1d4 Cha damage; Cure 3 consecutive saves

Leprosy is spread by victims of the disease through direct, even casual, contact. Leprosy results in skin lesions, extreme nasal congestion, and wounds that do not heal. A highly visible malady, leprosy can permanently disfigure those who don’t receive magical aid. If left untreated, the victim develops sores and becomes easily fatigued. While leprosy can prove difficult to contract, few overcome the disease once infected. When exposed to leprosy, a character must make a DC 12 Fortitude save to resist the disease. If he fails, once the affliction’s incubation time passes and symptoms begin showing, the save to recover from the malady increases to DC 20. Suffering from a slow deterioration, particularly hardy lepers can remain quite active for years after first exhibiting signs of the disease.

• Malaria

Type disease, injury; Save Fortitude DC 18

Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1d3 Str damage and 1d3 Con damage and target is fatigued; Cure 2 consecutive saves

A classic traveler’s nightmare, malaria is transmitted by the bites of mosquitoes and leads to fever, vomiting, shivering, and convulsions, and sometimes even severe brain damage, particularly in children.

• Mononucleosis 

Type disease, infection; Save Fortitude DC 20

Onset: 3-6 weeks; Frequency 1/day

Effect: Sore Throat, fatigue, headache, insomnia (see text); Cure 2 consecutive saves

This disease is spread from anyone who has the disease, and it is spread through the mildest contact, including handshakes. Anyone who contracts this disease feels the symptoms 3-6 weeks later, and the symptoms last for 1-3 weeks. Anyone who contracts this disease is contagious, and can therefore spread it to their party, so often they are left behind for the duration (though they are not contagious until the symptoms appear). Those who contract this disease feel the following symptoms:

Fatigue: A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted.

Headache: A character with a headache cannot concentrate as well as normal. This causes a -6 penalty to Concentration checks.

Insomnia: A character with insomnia cannot sleep very well. Any time the character attempts to fall asleep, and every hour that they remain sleeping, they must succeed a fortitude save (DC 15) or wake up, not being able to fall asleep again for 6d4 minutes. If a character of a race that does not sleep (such as elves) has insomnia, treat his form of sleep (such as meditation) as sleep for the purposes of this symptom.

Sore Throat: Any time the character attempts to speak, he must succeed a fortitude save (DC 15) or take 1 Voice damage. This damage is permanent, unless treated specifically with a healing spell (the voice has its own HP, so a healing spell must target the voice specifically, rather than the body). If the character's voice HP is reduced to 0, the damage cannot be healed. Voice damage is shown below.

Voice Damage: All characters have 10 Voice HP. Whenever a character attempts to speak, he must roll a d10. If the result of the d10 is greater than the character's current voice HP, he fails to say what he was attempting to, and cannot speak for one full round. (ex. If a character has taken 2 Voice Damage, and therefore has 8 VHP remaining, he must roll a d10. If the result is 9 or 10, he fails to speak. This VHP is used for all characters, regardless of whether or not they have the disease; it just isn't thought of, since at 10 VHP, it is impossible to fail the speech.) If a character's Voice Damage isn't healed within 2 weeks of its initial occurrence, the damage is completely permanent. Some DMs may allow permanent Voice Damage as a character flaw upon creation.

• Pneumonia

Type disease, infection; Save Fortitude DC 24 (after long illness only, see description)

Onset: 1-4 weeks; Frequency 1/day

Effect: Sick or nauseated, exhausted or fatigued, possibly confused or prone, possibly staggered or unconscious; Cure 2 consecutive saves

Pneumonia is no laughing matter. It is most definitely fatal in long-term illnesses. Pneumonia is generally a complication of other diseases (though it can be caught by it's lonesome) and causes coughing (with or without blood), chest pain, fever, shaking, chills, headaches, sweaty skin, fatigue, blueish skin, nausea, joint pains and muscle aches.

If the PC fails their check by more than 5 points, s/he becomes nauseated instead of sick, and fatigued instead of exhausted.

If the PC fails by more than 10 points, s/he becomes confused and staggered in addition to nauseated and fatigued.

If the PC rolls a natural 1 or fails by more than 15 points, s/he becomes prone and unconscious (effectively helpless) until some Good Samaritan drags him or her off to be healed.

• Rabies

Type disease, injury; Save Fortitude DC 14

Onset 2d6 weeks; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1 Con damage plus 1d3 Wis damage (minimum reduction to 1 Wis); Cure 3 consecutive saves

Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, violent movements, uncontrolled excitement, fear of water, an inability to move parts of the body, confusion, and loss of consciousness. Once symptoms appear, the result is virtually always death.

• Smallpox

Type: disease, contact, inhalation; Save Fortitude DC 18

Onset 1-4 days; Frequency 1/day

Effect: Nauseated or exhausted, possible ability damage;  Cure 3 consecutive saves

Smallpox may have been eradicated in our world, but during the Middle Ages it was an unrepentant killer. Known as alastrim, cotton pox, white pox, and milk pox, it was common throughout the history of the world. It causes fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, and vomiting; within 12-15 days small white lesions appear in and around the mouth, these will grow and rupture. The white lesions may spread across the body and then stop. If the PC fails the check by more than 5 points, s/he becomes exhausted instead of fatigued. If the PC fails the check by more than 10 points, s/he suffers 1d6 Con damage.

• Tetanus

Type disease, injury; Save Fortitude DC 14

Onset 1d6 days; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1d4 Dex damage and 50% chance stiffened jaw muscles prevent speech for the next 24 hours; Cure 2 consecutive saves

Tetanus is an infection caused by bacteria called Clostridium tetani. When the bacteria invade the body, they produce a poison (toxin) that causes painful muscle contractions. Another name for tetanus is “lockjaw”. It often causes a person's neck and jaw muscles to lock, making it hard to open the mouth or swallow.

• Tuberculosis

Type disease, inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 18

Onset 1d4 days; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1d4 Str damage and 1d4 Con Damage; Cure 3 consecutive saves

This disease flourishes in unsanitary conditions, places of stale air, and many humanoid cities. Symptoms include chest pain and a productive, prolonged, bloody cough. If left untreated, the disease quickly progresses, leading to high fever, chills, night sweats, appetite loss, pallor, fatigue and eventually death.

• Typhoid Fever

Type disease, injury; Save Fortitude DC 15

Onset 5d6 days; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1d6 Str damage and 50% chance of 1 Con Damage; Cure 2 consecutive saves

Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by salmonella serotype typhi bacteria. Symptoms may vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several days. This is commonly accompanied by weakness, abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, and mild vomiting. Some people develop a skin rash with rose colored spots. In severe cases, people may experience confusion. Without treatment, symptoms may last weeks or months. Diarrhea is uncommon. Other people may carry the bacterium without being affected, but they are still able to spread the disease to others. The risk of death may be as high as 20% without treatment.