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18 Diseases and Ailments for your enjoyment Credits Project Leader: Scott Stokes
Authors: Scott Stokes Craig Tidwell Joe Blosch Megan Robertson Patrick & Marie Ciriello
Interior Art: Megan Stewart Cover Art: Craig Tidwell
Editing: Scott Stokes Steve Creech
Special Thanks: Steve Creech and the whole d20 Magazine Rack community for giving us this opportunity!
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Table of Contents Bone Rot Disease 3 Muck-Blood 13 Dung Beetle Virus 4 Philanderer’s Punishment 14 Dragon’s Feet 5 Psychic Malaise 15 Ethereal Fever 6 Snake Blood Sickness 15 Fairy’s Angst 8 Stone Golem Syndrome 17 Fiery Ant Fever 9 Topaz Pneumonia 17 Hell Gout 10 Warrior’s Wrack 18 Lilith’s Lament 11 Winter Seed Ague 19 Mind Spikes 12 Zombie Plague 20 ©2007 Dragon Wing Games. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. d20 Magazine Rack, DragonWing Games, and the d20 Magazine Rack logo are trademarks of DragonWing Games. All rights reserved. All character s, names, places, items, art, and text herein are copyrighted by DragonWing Games. Dungeons & Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast® are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, and are used in accordance with the Open Game License contained in the Legal Appendix. “d20 System” and the d20 System logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used under the terms of the d20 Trademark License. All rights reserved. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
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Bone Rot Disease Description: This disease is also called Brittle Bone disease. It causes your bones to rot from the marrow out, literally destroying you from within. As the interior of the bone rots away they are still hard on the outer layers but have none of the Strength of a solid bone and therefore tend to break easily. Source: Bone Rot was accidentally created by the cleric Sestrin while mixing some natural healing herbs in conjunction with a raise dead spell. The spell fumbled with the herbs being affected. The resulting mixture formed something completely new and terrible with Sestrin never realizing what had happened until it was too late. The disease struck the small village where he resided. It was only after a three week period and the deaths of 15 people that a paladin was able to heal the last of the diseased persons. The disease still appears on occasion. Although no one has found the source, it is believed that either someone who was infected left the town before the disease was realized or that perhaps an animal became infected and serves only as a carrier. It is believed that creatures who do not possess a skeletal structure may also serve as carriers. Contraction: Since the carrier source is unknown, no one is certain. However, the paladin involved in curing the first outbreak in Sestrin’s village did note that all of the infected people had some form of physical contact with another at some point before coming down with the disease. It seems that to contract this disease one needs only to touch the infected person. Effects: Upon making physical contact with a carrier, the individual must make a Fortitude save (DC 19) to avoid being infected. If the save is successful, a new save does not need to be made from contact by the carrier for 24 hours. However, if touched by a different carrier, a new save must be made. If the saving throw is failed, the infected person begins to feel tired after about 2 hours and suffers 1d6 temporary Con damage. At this point, she becomes completely exhausted and must rest. She must then make a second Fortitude save (DC 19) with failure resulting in the infected person remaining in an exhausted condition. After 1d4 days the person’s suffers 2d6 temporary points of Strength damage reducing her strength (minimum score of 3). Combined with her already exhausted state, the weakness makes it impossible for her bones to continue to support her body’s mass and weight. For every three hours that the infected individual does not remain in a fully resting position, there is a 25% cumulative probability of a bone breaking. Any bone that does break will inflict 1d6 points of piercing damage to the victim plus 1d4 points of nonlethal damage from the pain of the bone breakage. Any attempts to move the patient must be done with great care. A successful Heal check (DC 25) will allow the caregiver to reduce the probability of additional bone breakage to 15%. The probability does remain cumulative, however. If fashioning a litter
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from tree limbs or such, then 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (nature) or Survival will grant a +2 synergy bonus to a Heal check in this circumstance. Unless treated by heal or remove disease (cast at 10th level), the infected individual does not regain lost Constitution and Strength points as normal. After 1d4 additional days, the marrow inside the patient’s bones has effectively rotted away and the bones grow very brittle. Movement is restricted to only the smallest of motions and performing those requires a Fortitude save (DC 15) to withstand the pain or fall unconscious. The probability of bone breakage rises to 50% with each action the patient attempts. Due to the level of pain and brittleness of the bones and teeth, eating becomes virtually impossible. At this stage of the disease’s progression, the patient will die from starvation unless a wish, miracle or similar powerful effect is cast that will restore the bones to their former state. Cure: Once infected, a Heal check (DC 30) or a remove disease spell within the first two hours of contraction will cure the affliction. In the next 22 hours a remove disease (cast at 10th level) or heal spell is needed. After that, only a wish or miracle or similar power will bring back the afflicted to his former form. Magic theoretically may be used to sustain a person until help could be found. Form-altering spells or special abilities such as polymorph, wild shape or lycanthropy will change the physical form but the affected condition still remains and affects the bones of the new form as well. A victim can not survive this disease with out care.
Dung Beetle Virus Description: Said to be a condition of the poor by the wealthy, this disease causes the individual to have chills, turn pale in color, and become nauseated. Airborne, its ability to rapidly spread among the traditionally poor, densely populated city districts where sanitation barely exists lends to its name. Source: The Dung Beetle Virus’ origins are a mystery but the first recorded outbreak dates back to 100 years ago in kobold lore. The lore suggests the birth of the virus within the realms of the deep earth. Kobold belief is that the Dung Beetle Virus serves as a divine punishment for kobolds associating with surface dwellers. Though, the truth is unknown about its original source the real source is likely more terrestrial in nature. Contraction: This is an airborne virus that spreads quickly. The onset time is 1d4 days after exposure. Individuals coming into close proximity (less than 5 foot) to someone that has been infected must make a Fortitude save (DC 12) or become infected. If an infected person’s blood should come into contact with an open wound or be consumed, the Fortitude save is increased to a (DC 15). Those who fail the save suffer 1d3 points of temporary Constitution damage and become nauseated.
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Effects: The victim becomes nauseated and takes on a very pale complexion after the onset time. They take 1d6 temporary constitution damage. 1d4 days later, the character suffers an additional 1d6 loss of temporary Strength damage due to high fever and chills. After this time the disease ends. Additionally the victim acts as a carrier of the virus for the duration of the infection. Cure: Remove disease cures the victim completely but does not restore ability damage. This must be recovered through rest or divine magic. Also the victim of the Dung Beetle Virus gains a +4 bonus to his Fortitude save if he encounters the virus again within the next 6 months. Treat Disease is allowable to help with the saves but not generally needed.
Dragon's Feet Description: Generally easy to spot, Dragon's Feet is a blood condition that develops from contact with juvenile draconic blood or a creature that serves as a carrier. It causes the skin on hands, feet and other extremities to harden and crack in scale-like patterns until it flakes off in small sections revealing oozing and infected tissue underneath. The blood vessels of those who contract the disease become inflamed and swollen which causes the skin to crack. Source: The primary outbreak of this infection can be traced back to a conflict between an adventuring party and a young green dragon. The adventurers contracted the disease as a result of having wounds that came into contact with the dragon’s blood and the adventurers soon fell ill. As symptoms emerged and oozing sores formed on their skin, the disease quickly passed from caregivers to the general community as a mild plague. Travelers then carried it to the far shores with great speed. Eventually the spread of the disease was halted through a concerted effort by priests of many faiths. In some regions, it eventually found its way into the annals of history as a mere footnote of bad spell results. Still, rumors from the shorelines held that the disease itself survived the purge in the shallow bays and reefs of the shoreline waters as a fish-borne plague of lethal nature, after the locals dumped the remains of several old people that died from Dragon's Feet.
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Contraction: The most common form of contracting this condition is the consumption of food containing the parasite itself. So far, only fish and certain types of birds have been demonstrated to carry the parasite. It is also naturally occurring in the blood of juvenile dragons much like the common parasites that exist in newborn puppies. Sages who study such matters have yet to determine why the parasites only exist in juvenile dragons but suspect it may be tied to their innate magical abilities. Contact with an infected area on a diseased creature or person will cause infection. Coming into contact with blood, puss, sores or flaked skin of an infected individual will facilitate the need for a Fortitude save (DC 14). If an open wound comes into direct contact with the diseased area or infected blood, the Fortitude save is (DC 18). Failure of a saving throw sends the disease into its incubation period of 2d6 days before symptoms emerge. Effects: After 1 hour, those individuals who contract Dragon’s Feet suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to all Dexterity based skills and a -1 circumstance penalty to Reflex saving throws due to the pain of the wounds as they erupt on the extremities. Additionally, they suffer a -1 reaction penalty to Charisma due to the visible presence of the infection and seeping wounds. Until cured, all physical signs and symptoms of the disease remain. Cure: Casting remove disease will cure the victim of the parasites. The visible sores disappear 1d4 days after the spell is cast, negating the penalties imposed by the disease. Treat Disease has no affect on this disease.
Ethereal Fever Description: This is not a fever in the typical sense. The first sign of the disease is a feeling of begin lightheaded and of euphoria. The victim’s temperature is elevated at this time but the euphoria gives the victim such a good feeling that they don’t usually notice the fever until it is too late. The next stage; the victim experiences a lightness in her step as if a load has been lifted from them physically. Finally the victim becomes ethereal.
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Source: This fever is brought on by exposure to Ghost Weed. Ghost weed is a rare plant found growing near the grave site of a person who has become a ghost. The plant actually simultaneously exists on the prime and ethereal planes. However, this fact is not readily apparent unless a person has the capability to see into the ethereal plane. The plant is a gray/green color and has a thin white film of fibrous fuzz on the leaves. The plant grows slowly and lives as any normal plant does. Contraction: An individual only has to breathe in the fuzz to contract the disease. Thankfully, the fuzz is not as easy to blow as dandelion fuzz. Individuals that work around graveyards can come into contract with the fuzz from digging and maintaining the graveyard. Anyone inhaling the fuzz must make a Fortitude save (DC 17) or become infected. Effects: Once infected it is very hard to cure naturally. The first effects appear after 48 hours. The victim begins to feel light headed and euphoric. Nothing to worry about yet! The individual’s movement becomes easier after another day and any limitations due to equipment and carried weight are gone, as well as any physical impediment such as a lame leg. The victim will realize the weight and impediment are still there but their effects are gone. The full effect will finally come to being on the next new moon. The individual wakes from a frightful sleep, cold and clammy and very pale, his body is slipping into the ethereal plane and a Will save (DC 22) will allow the victim to keep himself partially on the plane of origin. A failed save and the victim slips into the ethereal plane completely. The Will save must be made every hour during the night of the new moon. The victim keeps his native plane status and alignment. A victim who makes his save can see into the prime but can only touch items with a hardness of 5 or better. The victim passes through everything else as an ethereal creature would. The victim can affect things on the ethereal plane as an ethereal creature could and they can of course interact with him. This dual status only exists during the night of a new moon. When the new moon has passed the person becomes corporeal again. Those who see the victim at night, while the victim is in their dual status, see her with a gossamer glow surrounding them. The victim seems to glide more then walk, although they are walking. This of course only lasts while the person can hold themselves on the prime. Obviously anyone witnessing this will be naturally fearful. A victim if killed in this dual status will become a ghost unless some intervention is done. Cure: Remove disease from a paladin or cleric of 15th-level or higher will cure the disease. Treat Disease is allowable to help with the saves, this consists of 30 consecutive days of bed rest and on each day a Fortitude save (DC 25) must be made. If the creature goes ethereal during that time all long term healing effects are lost and you will need to start over.
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Fairy’s Angst Description: This magical disease resembles the special power of some faerie creatures to confound their enemies. Spell casters (Divine and Arcane) are the only individuals that can be affected by this disease. Source: A malicious wizard in an attempt to block magical travel into his mountain top stronghold, created this enchanted bacteria. Soon after its creation the bacterium quickly replicated and the wizard lost control of it. The wizard’s stronghold is now abandoned and the bacterium has spread to the Astral, Ethereal, and Shadow planes. Spell casters using magic to travel to these areas can become infected. Contraction: Each time an individual uses magic to travel (i.e. dimension door, teleport, plane shift, etc.), there is a 2% chance they attract the magical bacteria that causes this disease. If the traveling spell caster rolls a 1 or 2 on percentile dice he must then make a Fortitude save (DC 14) or suffer the effects. SR is applicable; the Bacterium is treated as a 10th level caster. Effects: There are no initial ill affects from contracting this disease. This makes the disease very hard to detect. Any time an infected spell caster attempts to cast a spell she must make a Will save against his own spell DC to cast the spell. If this save is failed, roll on the following chart to determine what effect actually happens instead of the desired spell. Effects are on a random creature (possibly even the caster). If the Spellcraft roll is successful then the spell goes off normally. d8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Effect Confusion Invisibility Detect thoughts Dispel magic Sleep Irresistible dance Memory loss Roll for two effects
Confusion: As lesser confusion spell cast by a 1st level bard. Invisibility: As the spell cast by a 3rd-level sorcerer. Detect thoughts: As the spell cast by a 3rd-level sorcerer. Dispel magic: This is a targeted dispel as cast by a 5th-level sorcerer. Sleep: As the spell as cast by a 1st-level sorcerer, with a random creature as the center of the 10 ft. burst.
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Irresistible dance: As the spell cast by a 12th-level Bard. Memory loss: Victim must succeed a Will save DC 15 or lose all memory. The subject retains skills, languages, and class abilities but forgets people, places and things until he or she receives a heal spell or memory restoration with limited wish, wish, or miracle. Once the specific effect is determined, randomly determine one creature within the effect’s area to receive the disease’s effect. Cure: Remove disease and a Spellcraft check (DC 18) will remove the disease. Until the victim has the diseased removed, she will suffer the effects of this spell. This disease cannot be cured by Treat Disease.
Fiery Ant Fever Description: An individual infected by the fever is affected immediately by physical weakness and chills that lasts for 72 hours. Your skin may also display bright red patches, this happens about 80% of the time. Source: This Fever was born during a small civil war in an eastern forest region, long ago. The fever was first noticed when urban clerics attempted to cure advanced poisons used against their people in the war. The fever spread from the war camps to the cities and quickly ended the war as both sides watched their armies falter under its effects. Modern cases of Fiery Ant Fever have been reported by adventuring groups opening old tombs or disturbing long forgotten battlefields. The Fever spreads quickly but modern clerics are aware of its signs and can stop the fever before it turns into an epidemic. Contraction: Fire Ant Fever spreads through simple skin-to-skin contact. If a Detect magic is cast on the victim while you are infected the taint of this foul magic glows with an un-healthy green glow. When anyone comes into contact with an infected person, they must immediately make a Fortitude save (DC 18) or they become infected with the fever. It can not be spread through ranged touch attacks. Onset time is immediate with sudden feelings of weakness. Effects: Anyone that contracts this disease suffers 4 points of Strength and Constitution damage. This lasts for the next 72 hours. These affects stack with other losses. Cure: This disease confounds lesser magic and can only be cured by a heal spell or other more powerful magic. The disease ends by itself, though at the end of the 72 hours. Victims that suffer through this illness are immune to its effects after it passes. Generally, people will survive this illness even without care. Treat Disease has not affect on this disease.
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Hell Gout Description: When an individual first contracts Hell Gout is a foot condition. It begins with extreme itching, and then you develop red burning blisters. Left untreated these blisters fester and the victim’s feet develop bleeding wounds. These wounds will bleed and puss up until cured. Long term care is required to control the bleeding and thus stop you form dieing from the blood loss. Source: Hell Gout permeates the 9 layers of hell. It is in the dirt and water of every layer. It leaves a residue on anything it touches. Holy water is the only thing known to be able to remove the residue. The residue mixes with your sweat and gets into your skin. Natives of hell seemed to be immune. Contraction: An individual only needs to use any of the natural elements to clean your armor, weapons, or them selves to contract Hell Gout. As an individual sweats and the residue mixes with that sweat they must succeed a Fortitude save (DC 17) or the individual will contracted the disease. As an individual goes deeper into the layers of hell the DC increases by 1 per layer. Effects: The first day after contracting Hell Gout, your feet begin to blister. The pain is bad enough that the victim is no longer able to run. The second day the victim’s normal movement is halved. By the third day the victim’s feet and ankles are causing so much pain that the victim can only hobble along at ¼ their normal land based movement and all terrain is considered rough terrain. A Heal check (DC 17) is needed daily to stop the bleeding. On any day the bleeding is not stopped the victim will take one point of Constitution damage. The losses are cumulative. When the individuals Constitution reaches 0 the victim dies. Cure: Thankfully, curing this horrible gout is fairly simple. To stop the disease from spreading, cleaning the infected areas of the infected person with holy water will stop the progress of the disease. A remove disease will then cure victim of the infection. Any items not properly cleaned can still re-infect a person, but if they are washed with holy water thoroughly they can be worn again. To properly clean such items a wisdom check (DC 15) might be in order.
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Lilith’s Lament Description: Lilith’s Lament is a disease that only affects a few creature types. Those being: Giants, Trolls and Goblinoids. This disease goes unaddressed by the good peoples of the realms, and encouraged by others. This disease initially causes a sort of docile effect, this lasts about 48 hours. This 1st stage is quiet and non-threatening. The 2nd stage lasts 3 days and is quite the opposite of the 1st stage. The victim becomes violent, and enraged. The creature will attack anyone near him and do so in a most violent way. They will flee if attacked. Source: The virus is naturally occurring virus, much like the flu. Contraction: An individual contracts Lilith’s Lament by eating any contaminated food or water. It is also able to be contracted by blood to blood contact, but contraction in this manner occurs less often. Effects: Once an individual has eaten any contaminated food or water a Fortitude save (DC 18) must be made. The individual if they succeed the save is immune for 24 hours no matter how much of the foul food or water they consume. Eight hours after the victim has contracted the disease she will have an extremely submissive and & indulgent attitude toward everything, this lasts 48 hours. They are calm and refuse to engage in combat, as they don’t really care, and they run if threatened. The next 72 hours is very violent. The victim looses all control, they are not be effected by morale effects and can not be reasoned with. Their Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution each receive a +2 circumstance bonus, and their Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma are all 10, all of this lasts for the entire 3 days. The victim will not eat or sleep during the 3 days. They receive a +4 circumstance bonus vs. all charm, compulsions spells and even if they are affected by the spell the duration of such spells is halved or 1 round per level which ever is less. The victim at the end of the 3 days collapses into a coma-like state. They victim is exhausted and her Strength & Constitution score are 3. The disease has now passed and normal healing and curing can be used to help the victim to recover. The deadly part of this contagion is surviving those around the victim during the 2nd stage. They are not going to let a raving lunatic run around killing everyone. Cure: A remove disease will work if caught before the violent stage sets in. Once the violent stage sets in, a heal, limited wish, miracle or wish is needed. The only option using Longterm care would be to restrain the victim and let the disease run its course.
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Mind Spikes Description: Normal people suffer with headaches every day. Some suffer with severe headaches such as migraines. A victim who suffers the debilitating affect of a mind spike would gladly trade with either of them. Most victims describe this affliction as having an invisible dagger thrust into their eye, or into the back of the head. Source: The disease is a mystery to everyone. Some have postulated that the victim has wandered into some kind of magical turbulence. Others believe it is elemental in nature, spawning from rifts in the barriers between the various planes. Still others believe it is somewhat geological in nature, and point to the few instances where crystalline growths were found in the brains of those who died while suffering the affects of the disease. Contraction: Again, the experts disagree. Some believe it has to do with areas of ‘dead’ or ‘wild’ magic, and that by simply passing through such an area can cause the affliction to strike. Others believe that the use of various means of magical transportation, especially if they involve inter-planar travel, can cause the occurrence. Still others believe that it is a product of the environment, that it is somehow contained in the soil, or the air, and that the simple act of breathing, eating, or drinking is all it takes. Despite the common missconception that this disease only strikes spell casters, it is found equally among all professions and adventuring classes. Every character has a 1% chance per adventuring level of contracting it after being exposed. The check is made at the time a new character level is gained. Additional checks are made any time a character utilizes any sort of planar travel to one of the elemental planes. Effects: There is a base 5% chance to suffer an attack each day. Anytime a victim engages in difficult activities it increases the chance and the initiates a need to make an immediate save. The activities usually involve one of three things: Making a concentration check, using a skill with a negative circumstance modifier or using a feat in a difficult circumstance such as combat. These affects stack with each other. When the disease strikes, the victim must make a Concentration check (DC 25). If they fail they are stunned for the round, otherwise they are just dazed. Each subsequent round, the DC for the Concentration check is reduced by 5, until the attack is over, 5 rounds later. Failing the check during the first round of the attack results in the character being stunned, otherwise he is dazed. If they make the save by more then 5 then they are only sickened. This new calculated percentage of an attack lasts until all the affects of all failed concentration checks are gone.
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Cure: There malady has no known cure. In reality, the disease is really a psychic disorder that has caused a physical weakness in the victim’s brain. There are treatments that can mitigate the frequency of the attacks, but they are costly. Some of the treatments that seem to work the best are listed below. We suggest that a cure become available or perhaps be the subject of a quest. Under the effect of a Bless spell Subject of any Cure spell Subject of a Heal spell
Chance of Attack Decreases by 2% Chance of Attack Resets to 5% Chance of Attack drops to and remains 2 for 1 month. Will Remove the condition Chance of Attack drops to and remains 1%.
Subject of a Wish or Miracle spell Psychic Chirurgery
Effects of treatments are not cumulative; only the best one remains in effect.
Muck-Blood Description: This disease lasts for 3 weeks. It causes a victim's blood to thicken, causing blood clots that often kill them. Source: Muck-Blood is a naturally occurring virus that attacks the red blood cells. It causes the blood cells to reproduce in massive quantities, thereby thickening the victim’s blood. Contraction: The virus that causes Muck-Blood is a naturally occurring waterborne virus found only in tropical swamps, but thankfully it is extremely rare even in these environments. A person in most cases must be exposed to the virus for more than 24 hours before contracting the disease. Muck-blood is non-communicable, and cannot be transmitted from one host to another by touching, kissing of any other similar activities. But, the disease lives in the waste of a victim for 4 hours. Any contact by someone with that waste would be subject to the disease and need to make a save. In either case a Fortitude save (DC 21) will resist this exposure to the disease. Effects: The victim’s first symptoms begin 2 days after contraction. They symptoms are a reddish complexion, a burning sensation, numbness, and/or tingling in the arms, legs, toes, or fingers causing a penalty of -2 to Dexterity. As the disease progresses the victim begins to experience a rapid weight loss, -2% total body weight loss each day. This lasts till their body reaches ½ his weight at the time of contraction. During this time the victim is weak and dizzy causing -2 penalty to Constitution and an additionally -2 to Dexterity. When the victim’s weight has reached the ½ way point there is a 50% chance the victim will have a stroke. This increases each day by 5%. Each stroke causes the victim to make
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a Fortitude save (DC 28). A failed save results to a -1 to a random ability score. If the save is failed by more then 5 the loss is doubled. If the save is failed by more then 10 the loss is tripled. A successful save means there is no stroke that day. Treat disease can be used to aid the victim with the fortitude saves. Cure: A remove disease spell kills the virus, ending any further effects. Alternatively, a separate and successful Heal check (DC 28) will effectively halve the effects of the disease, including reducing the chance for a stroke to 25% and reducing the save to a (DC 14). Treat Disease is able to help a victim with his fortitude saves.
Philanderer’s Punishment Description: This disease causes you to suffer an embarrassing and painful, but otherwise harmless, skin condition. Source: The original source for this virus is unknown. As far as anyone knows, it has always been around, much like the common cold. Most cases, however, are reported by prostitutes (or their clients—hence the name). Contraction: Philanderer’s Punishment can only be contracted through fluid exchange with an infected person. Effects: The virus attacks the inside of the victims thighs after a 1 week incubation period, causing them to become red, scaly, and itchy causing a -4 penalty to Dexterity and -6 circumstance penalty to Concentration checks). This condition persists for 3 weeks adjusted by your Con modifier, with a minimum of 1 week. At the end of that time, the virus goes into remission for 1d3 weeks. Once the remission is over, the victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 25) or suffer another flare up. After 3 flare ups whether the saves were made or not there are no more saves allowed to stop a flare up. The virus has built up so much inside your body that no Fortitude save will stop the flare up. Cure: The penalties bestowed during a flare up can be halved by a successful Heal check (DC 18). The virus can be force into remission by a successful Heal check (DC 24). The only way to be rid of the virus completely is to receive a remove disease, heal, miracle, limited wish, or wish spell.
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Psychic Malaise Description: Psychic Malaise is a disease that seems to only affect Psychic and Psionic creatures. The disease is manifest not in the infected Psi user, but in those around her. Any time a Psi user manifests a power (spends Power Points) a person or creatures nearby is struck by a severe headache. The pain is excruciating and quite debilitating. The Psi users mind is so disciplined that it won’t let the infection hurt his own mind so the Id actually sends the pain away from the Psi user to protect itself. The effected individual is random. Source: Some believe this is a curse against Psi users. This is of course absurd. The root cause is generally organic. Any contact with a hallucinogenic substance has a chance of infecting a Psi users mind. Contraction: Obviously only Psi users and potential Psi users can contract Psychic Malaise. It is contracted through the consumption of certain hallucinogens. The Psi user must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) to avoid the contraction each time he inhales or otherwise partakes of a hallucinogenic. The DC increases to 18 or even higher by particularly strong hallucinogens. Effects: Any use of a victim’s psi power will cause this effect to manifest itself. The effect of Psychic Malaise is a sudden pain in the brain of a random creature within 50’ of the infected Psi user. The effect is a severe head ache that the person it affects is dazzled for 2 rounds. Any spellcaster that gets affected by the headache must make Concentration check to cast or maintain any spell. The concentration DC is 10+ the power points used to manifest the Psi power that caused the head ache. If they fail this check the spell is lost. Cure: An infected Psi user is cured by a Remove disease from a cleric or paladin of 12t-level or higher. A heal spell will work also. Treat Disease has no affect. The only way to naturally overcome Psychic Malaise is to stop using Psi abilities for 2 weeks. If the infected Psi user also casts spells they must refrain from casting for those 2 weeks as well. Any use even to defend your self will negate any time you have devoted into resting your mind. The victim will have to start over at the beginning and rest their mind for an entire 2 weeks again.
Snake Blood Sickness Description: The Snake Blood Sickness is something that came about when the Snake People started taking on the mortal races as slaves. It is a sickness that only manifests itself in cold weather and then it causes your metabolism to slow down. This is very debilitating and
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will kill an individual if left untreated. The only visible sign is a lethargic and drowsy feeling when the victim should otherwise be awake and alert. Source: This sickness was first noted after the rescue of slaves held by the Snake People. The carriers are never affected, but those exposed to the blood, or other bodily fluids of a former slave (Carrier) can become infected and they are now carriers as well. This sickness was a purposeful creation on the part of the Snake People’s Imperial Alchemists to insure that no slave that escaped would do so without a cost. Normally after a rescue people go home and thereby infecting the ones they loved. Contraction: Contraction is through any type of bodily fluid contact. All four Snake People breeds are immune to this. If you ingest a tainted liquid you must make a Fortitude save (DC 21) any other contraction type requires a fortitude save (DC 15). Effects: Early on the victim will become very lethargic any time the temperature drops below 75°. See the table below. 75° - 70° the victim becomes tired and unable to react quickly. This results in a -4 to spot and listen skills, and a -1 to Reflex saves. 69° - 65° you become very tired you have a hard time staying awake and in addition to the above effects your movement is ½ and you Dexterity and Strength are at a -4 penalty. 64° - 60° the victim becomes is basically in out of a light sleep. You can be awoken for short times and even move with help. But that is all. You can’t cast spells or do combat. The only skills you can use are those that take little time, concentration and effort to accomplish. 59° and below the victim becomes comatose and begins to die as their metabolism is moving so slow that it can’t move the nutrients and oxygen throughout the body effectively. After 3 days in this state the toes and fingers die and begin to rot away, after 1 week hands and feet and after 2 weeks legs and arms and at the end of the 3rd week the victim dies a horrible and agonizing death. If the victim is warmed back up the effects don’t progress and recovery is normal until the weather turns cold again, at which time the effects will begin again, stacking with any previously unhealed effects suffered. Cure: After contraction, Treat Disease is affectively keeping your patient warm. The best way to keep things from getting worse is to keep the victim warm. To cure the victim she must have a remove poison and remove disease cast on her within 1 minute of each other. If just one is cast the victim will stabilize for the next 24 hours no matter what the temperature but then after that any cold condition will trigger the effects again.
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Stone Golem Syndrome Description: This affliction causes a victims skin to take on a grayish color, thicken, and harden. While it makes you resistant to damage, it also slows you down. Source: A sorceress, while creating stone golems for use to guard her tower, inadvertently created one that carried a strange disease. Not long afterwards, The Sorceress’ skin began to get thicker, making it harder for her to cast spells. The sorceress spent many long hours of study, experimentation, and numerous used many remove disease potions (due to re-infection). She finally realized that it was her stone golem that kept giving her this sickness. Rather than lament at her mistake in creating this mutated guardian, she capitalized on it, creating several more just like it. Contraction: Any stone golem has a 5% chance of carrying this disease. Any person that comes with in 10’ of infected stone golem must make a Fortitude save (DC 18) each hour you remain within range. The disease will begin to manifest itself immediately, with a thickening and graying of your skin. The disease completely takes hold after 24 hours. Effects: The victim’s skin grays and hardens. Then after 24 hours after infection the victim suffers all of the effects. This disease grants the victim a +2 natural armor bonus. The victim also has their movement reduced by one-half and receives a -4 to their dexterity (minimum of 3) and a -2 to their Charisma (minimum of 3). Additionally a spell caster will suffer a 10% spell failure while under the affect of Stone Golem Syndrome; this penalty stacks with any normal armor worn. Cure: Strange as it may sound, the main cure for this syndrome is a tea made from the ground up remains of an actual stone golem, infected or not. However, a Heal check (DC 14) or another Profession (herbalist) skill check DC 16 is required to properly brew the tea. Alternatively, a remove disease spell will also do the trick.
Topaz Pneumonia Description: Topaz Pneumonia is a respiratory ailment. It first manifests itself as a cough that worsens over a 24 hour period. After the first 24 hours you start to show jagged yellow stripes on your chest and neck. The second 24 hours the cough tapers off a bit but breathing becomes painful and strained, any physical activity is very difficult. After another day the victim’s pupils turn yellow and the victim’s life begins to ebb away over the next two days.
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Source: This disease comes from certain types of lichen in underground caverns. Usually it is ingested but, if someone is working in areas where this lichen is living it can become airborne and infection can be contracted through breathing in the spores. Contraction: Anyone eating this tasty topaz color lichen needs to succeed a Fortitude save (DC 19) or become infected. If an individual makes either save they are immune for the next 72 hours. If they breathe in the spores they must succeed a Fortitude save (DC 21). If they make their save they are immune to this disease. Effects: The victim begins to show the first signs after one hour with a mild cough and the cough progressively gets worse for the next 24 hours tiring the victim, they are fatigued. On the third day the victim begins to show yellow stripping on his chest and neck. The victim becomes incapacitated at -1 Hit Point by the end of the 3rd day. Now the victim will begin to loose 1 hit point per day until dead. Cure: The victim can be kept alive and cured with treat disease. To keep the disease from getting worse the Heal DC is (DC 19) and the victim will not loose the 1 hit point. If this heal check succeeds 3 days in a row, the victim is cured and will regain lost hit points normally. Alternatively a remove disease by a 10th-level cleric or Paladin will cure the victim.
Warrior’s Wrack Description: This strange disease was actually manufactured. There is no known cure to it, yet, but clerics are hopeful. This disease causes the victim to have a violent reaction to any ferrous metal left against her skin for more then 10 minutes. Your skin seems to leach the ferrous elements out of the metal and leave the metal brittle and worthless. The ferrous elements being introduced into the blood stream cause sever mental distress, resulting in a loss of the victims will. Source: The actual source of this disease was a witch from long ago. The witch’s greatest secret was let out by one of her their own. The witches have a weakness when ferrous metals are placed around them, such as a ring, armor or even an arm band. The witch devised a curse of sorts that infected ferrous metal ores. The infection spread into some of the veins in the earth. Anyone coming in contact with this metal is subject to the awful effects.
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Contraction: Anyone wearing, holding or touching the effected metal for more then 10 minutes will activate the malicious affliction. The actual break down begins to take place if contact is maintained for more then 10 minutes. The amount of metal does not matter only the contact time with the metal affects the course of this disease. Effects: There are no noticeable effects during the first 10 minutes, but after that any skin in contact with the metal becomes noticeably cooler. After 1 hour the ferrous element has leached out of the metal completely, its hardness is reduced to 1, with 1 hit point. The coolness will subside as well. The victim will need to make a Will save (DC 14) or loose one wisdom point. This repeats each hour until the victim’s wisdom is reduced to 3. Owl’s wisdom only has half the effect on a person infected with this disease. After the Wisdom reaches 3 the disease has run its course and the infected person can be healed normally. They still have the disease though. So if they wear or contact any ferrous metal again the process starts over again. Cure: A remove disease will cause the disease to go dormant for 24 hours. A remove disease by a paladin or cleric of 18th level or greater can eradicate the disease. Treat disease has no effect on the course of the disease, but can aid in the Will save as normal. DM ONLY: A mundane cure, while unknown, is to grind up a 1-pound magnet and consume it slowly over a 24 hour period. This will remove the disease.
Winter Seed Ague Description: This disease in the first 24 hours appears like any common flu and the victim’s skin is very cold to the touch as the disease progresses. After the first 24 hours the victim begins having spasms from being extremely cold. It becomes very difficult to undertake any activity involving fine motor skills. This continues for until the victim is warmed up or cured. Source: The source of this ailment is the seed of a popular cold climate fruit, the Winter Flame. This decorative flowering plant has large, spectacular scarlet flowers that bloom in midwinter, and is used to brighten up many homes during the winter months. Its seeds are produced as spring approaches (indeed, the plant seeding is a harbinger of the end of winter). The fruit produces a single crunchy seed. Contraction: An individual contracts winter seed ague by ingesting the seed. The seed’s affects are known by the communities where the fruit is plentiful. The disease usually gets started when a strangers to the area eats the fruit & Seed and occasionally by small children who
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don’t know better. The fruit is apple size and has a sweet honeydew type taste. Assassins have used the seed (ground up) and places in sweet foods. Effects: During the 1st 24 hours the victim is considered nauseated. After the initial 24 hours the victim is so cold that they receive -4 to their Dexterity and a -2 to Intelligence. This disease seems to cloud the mind of its victims for some reason that is yet unexplained. The victim also suffers an additional -2 modifier to any cold-based hazards from weather, spells, and magical effects. Cure: Eating the peel of the fruit is an effective cure. Of course, as the winter flame only grows in cold climates and only seeds but once a year, this can prove quite an eventful search. A Fortitude save (DC 20) for 5 consecutive days will cause the disease to go into remission. Treat disease must include keeping the victim warm (above 70 degrees) during this time as they have no body heat to do this. If the victim is exposed to cold weather below freezing there after, there is a chance of a relapse. They must succeed a Fortitude DC (20) or the process begins again. A Cure Disease will also cure the condition.
Zombie Plague Description: Zombie’s being what they are; it is no surprise that a plague would be named after them. The first hour after contraction itchy sores appear around the victims eyes. Rubbing her eyes spreads the infection onto the victim’s hands and from there even a hand shake will spread the plague. After about 12 hours the victim gets head aches, fever, and her right arm and leg go numb. This causes the victim to walk with a limp favoring left side. Your right arm hangs limp at your side. Source: This plague is an insidious disease and is spread to the living from the festering corpse of a zombie. As if the smell was not bad enough! It seems to be in the creation of the zombie that they become carriers. About 25% of zombies carry this plague. Alchemists have not been able to tell what exactly causes certain zombies to carry this plague, but just about any contact from a plague carrying zombie can infect someone. The disease is easy to fight off in its initial stages. If left untreated though, it can kill. Contraction: A victim contracts this plague by coming in contact with any excretion from an infected zombie (or any carrier of the disease). There are many entry points; being wounded by the zombie’s bite, rubbing your eyes, mouth, nose, coughing/sneezing on someone or on their food, or if the zombie gets some of its puss on a wound of an individual, that is all it takes. All of these instances allow a reflex save DC 10 + the HD of the zombie to avoid contracting the disease. Knowledge of the potential infection is not necessary.
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Effects: The first effects, itchy sores around the eyes, appear after 1 hour. Then there is redness to the eyes themselves and a swelling. The entry point, no matter where it is, becomes irritated also and will begin to fester. Treat Disease will save most people at this point. After about 12 hours the victim becomes fatigued, and starts to have head aches, fever, and their right arm and leg go numb. This causes you to move slower by 25% and you can not run. You walk with a limp favoring your left side. Your right arm hangs limp at your side. The disease will last for 2 days. The person either will live or die depending on other factors. The infected creature remains contagious the whole time. Simple sanitary precautions are enough to stop the spread of the disease. It is not an airborne contagion. Cure: This disease can be cured with a remove disease, or Treat Disease. Treat Disease requires complete bed rest for the victim. The fortitude save is (DC 19) and must be successful for 2 consecutive days. The victim awakes after that 2nd check fatigued and is no longer contagious. Any failed save results in the constitution of the victim dropping by 3 points. This will continue until the victim recovers or dies.
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18 Diseases and Ailments for your enjoyment Copyright 2007, d20 Magazine Rack.; Authors Scott Stokes, Craig Tidwell, Joseph Blosch, Megan C Robertson, and Patrick & Marie Ciriello END OF LICENSE
Cover Artist: Craig Tidwell Interior Artwork: Megan Stewart.
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