Diseases

Diseases often spread from person to person, or are caught through some other unfortunate circumstance (such as food poisoning coming from rotten food, or other diseases being hereditary).

If exposed, characters receive an attack to their Bodily Defense. This attack is determined by the disease, and increases if an individual would be exposed repeatedly in a short period of time. For each additional time a character would be exposed to a disease, increase its attack bonus by 2.

Starting attack bonuses for diseases are measured by their Mortality Rate. Low Mortality Rate diseases have an attack bonus of +4, Moderate have an attack bonus of +8, High have an attack bonus of +12, and Severe have an attack bonus of +18.

Bubonic Plague

Method of Exposure: Bitten by a plague-carrying flea, or through contact with a bubonic plague bearer

Duration: 6 (+1d6) days

Mortality Rate: Severe (+18 vs. Bodily Defense)

Description: If a character would come into contact with another individual afflicted with the bubonic plague, or are bitten by a plague-carrying flea, the Bubonic Plague ravages their body and causes inflammation across the body and swelling of the lymph nodes. These swollen lymph nodes are referred to as "buboes" and appear on the area of initial infection as well as under the arms, on the neck, and on the groin. Characters afflicted by the bubonic plague suffer from Severe Intensity Illness, Severe Intensity Pain, take 1d6 points of Hit Point damage per day, and the character cannot heal damage except through magical means while this disease is afflicting them.

Cholera

Method of Exposure: Drinking or eating infected substances (food, water, potions, and so on)

Duration: 2 (+1d4) days

Mortality Rate: Moderate (+8 vs. Bodily Defense)

Description: Cholera causes severe dehydration in sufferers, as well as sunken eyes, cold skin, and wrinkling of the hands and feed. Afflicted characters suffer from Moderate Intensity Illness, and take 1d3 points of Hit Point damage per day. In addition characters suffer the effects of thirst unless given at least 2 days worth of water rations per day.

Dysentery

Method of Exposure: Drinking infected water or substances infected with the parasite

Duration: 4 (+1d4) days

Mortality Rate: Low (+4 vs. Bodily Defense)

Description: Dysentery is characterized by explosive (and sometimes bloody) diarrhea. Though it rarely leads to death on its own, the effects of dehydration must be tended to. Characters suffer from Moderate Intensity Illness unless and thirst unless given at least 2 days worth of water rations per day. Every 4 hours the infected character must use the bathroom in order to relieve their diarrhea else they take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage and immediately are afflicted with Severe Intensity Illness and Moderate Intensity Pain until they relieve themselves.

Leprosy

Method of Exposure: Coming in contact with the breath of a diseased person

Duration: 2 (+1d6) weeks

Mortality Rate: Low (+4 vs. Bodily Defense)

Description: A harrowing but not particularly damning disease - leprosy involves lesions, numbness, and can lead to permanent skin, nerve, and eye damage. Characters afflicted with leprosy suffer from a -5 penalty to all Dexterity and Charisma sub-attribute checks (including skill checks, attack rolls, and spellcasting checks which rely on any affected stats), and are immune to the Pain status effect. When asleep in certain environments there is a 20% chance rats and other vermin may attempt to bite and chew on numb sections of skin. If this occurs, the penalties are increased by 5 each time and there is a 50% chance while this occurs that fingers or toes can be lost.

If the leprosy had only lasted 3 to 5 weeks, the penalties disappear completely. If it lasted 6 weeks or longer, the penalties last for an additional 1 month before completely disappearing.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse