Disease

For my world at this time, the subject of disease only arises when transmitted by certain monsters during combat or from areas where putrescence has become excessive. For suggestions on how I might change this in the future, randomly determining the chances of a player getting a disease from an unspecified source, see Tao's blog: Buggies.

Diseases can be quite dire in temperament and can result in death, either from the disease itself or from circumstances arising from being unable to defend oneself or flee while suffering from a disease. During a disease, the body cannot heal from rest. A sufferer may not attempt to aid others to gain hit points through rest either; though some duties can be done if the infection is a mild form of the disease (this would be considered a physical action). Note that interaction may promote transmission.

When a disease is contracted, the DM must roll a d100 to learn which part of the body the disease attacks - this will alter the potential danger and effects of the disease.

Once this is made clear, the DM should roll a d8 to determine the disease's Nature: whether the disease is acute (occurs one time only) or if it is chronic (the disease exhibits itself as an acute attack, but after subsiding the disease lies dormant in the body until flaring up again). Technically, the player should not be made aware which it is, as in both cases the initial onset will be indistinguishable.

Once the nature has been determined, the DM should again roll a d8 to determine the Degree of infection: whether the disease is mild, severe or terminal. A description for each is given below.

Results for these three rolls should be compared with the table below:

Each disease will run a certain course of time, depending upon the part of the body affected and the degree of infection. If the disease contracted is chronic, there is a random time period that must be rolled between flare ups. See the table below to identify the time periods over which diseases will last:

Note that some diseases may take hold very quickly while others, even terminal cases, will endure for very long periods of time. Note also that in some cases, repeated experiences with a chronic disease may be suffered as little as a week apart.

See the following links for a break down of the specific effects of each disease, depending upon the degree of infection:

Mild Afflictions
Severe Afflictions
Terminal Afflictions

Transmission

For game purposes, treat most diseases as potentially contagious, though most will not be in usual circumstances. There are four levels of transmission: sexual, physical, pestilential and airborne.

• Sexual transmission can occur through sexual acts.
• Physical transmission can occur by physical contact, specifically through aiding rest, acting as a medicant or a physician, casting a spell healing an ill person (there is a magical feedback created), bearing such a person over a long time period or similar contact.
• Pestilential transmission allows for a parasite or other creature to bridge the gap of physical transmission, so that simply being in the company of an ill person can result in spreading infection.
• Airborne transmission allows the disease to spread via water molecules that remain suspended in air, so that merely passing an ill-person on the street can result in spreading infection.

The table below indicates what form of transmission the disease possesses:

For the present, the actual chance for transmission (presuming the circumstances exist for transmission to occur) will be judged by a simple constitution check per day, regardless of the number of specific instances of possible transmission occurring that day.

See Medicine