Terminal Afflictions (disease)

These are afflictions that inevitably end in death. In terms of effects, they possess the same structure as severe afflictions - the only difference is that for whatever reason the body simply surrenders, develops a complication and dies. In the case of some diseases, such as those affecting the hormonal organs or the muscles, where the symptoms are less rigorous, the complication that is developed will be a terminal case of another disease (roll randomly). The new affliction will quickly come into effect within a day or two before the terminal moment determined by the original disease, rapidly killing the creature.

In other cases, it will be a matter of the sufferer just not getting better - this is why in terminal cases the time period is longer. Note, however, that in some cases, where ability stats and hit points are lowered past the zero point, a non-terminal disease may yet be terminal and the afflicted of a terminal disease may die long before the number of weeks originally rolled. In such cases, the specific described effects of the disease take precedence - presume the original roll for terminal death on the Time Period chart under Diseases is an outside limit to life and not a guarantee for survival.

See Disease

Severe Afflictions (disease)

Upon onset of a severe infection, over a period of 3-12 hours, ALL character ability stats will be reduced by 25% (this can be calculated as a progressive reduction as necessary). In turn, the character will lose one level of effective experience per day, until levels are reduced to one half of the total. Note that a 3rd level character would not be reduced to less than 2nd, a 5th level character would not be reduced to less than 3rd and so on. All level loss incurs an equal loss in hit points and other abilities.

These losses are to be combined with additional reductions that are listed below, so that further losses to ability stats occur AFTER being reduced by 25%. As well, if any character suffering from any severe infection is reduced to less than zero hit points by any effect other than the infection itself, a strength check must be made or the character will die. All checks must be made against the stat as it has been modified by other effects!

Following the second week of the disease, the character will regain one level per week that the infection remains; all remaining lost levels will be restored in the last week of infection.

In every moment of suffering from a severe infection (following the first 3-12 hours), the character will be totally disabled, unable to take part in any action, including walking or even eating. Therefore, the character must be fed by another. Moving the character physically will result in 1-4 damage per round. If the character is teleported or otherwise shifted by magic, 1-4 damage will occur one time only. If the character is levitated, the character will suffer 1 damage every 5-20 rounds (whether or not the character is manipulated), due to the body tensing up and the effects of stress.

A breakdown for the effects of mild infections are listed below:

• bladder: the character will likely suffer considerable pain due to retention; any movement will cause an additional 1-8 damage over and above other considerations. 1-4 damage will be experienced per day.
• blood (hemorrhagic): reduce both strength & constitution 0-2 (d3 -1) more points per week; death will occur if either is reduced to zero.
• brain & nerves: reduce intelligence & wisdom by 1-6 points each; if either is reduced to 2 points or less, there is a 20% chance of losing 1 point from that stat permanently.
• breathing: character will be subject to 0-3 (d4 -1) coughing fits per day. For each, roll a constitution check; failure indicates the character suffers 1-3 damage.
• ears: all hearing is reduced in either one (90% chance, either ear) or both ears (10% chance) for the duration of the infection, making the character deaf.
• eyes: all sight is reduced in either one (40% chance, either ear) or both ears (60% chance) for the duration of the infection, making the character blind.
• heart: reduce both strength & constitution 0-2 (d3 -1) more points per week. Once per week the character must make a strength check; failure indicates the character suffers 2-20 damage from a seizure.
• hormonal organs: a rash will emerge due to infection, causing an additional 1d4 damage over and above other considerations. there is a 20% chance that the character will be rendered permanently sterile.
• joints & tendons: roll a dexterity check once per week; failure will reduce dexterity by 1 point for a period of three months (it would require 18 months to regain a loss of 6 dexterity points).
• muscles: following the first week of the disease, roll checks against both strength & constitution; failure indicates a permanent loss of 1 point.
• nose, throat & sinuses: roll a constitution check once per week - failure indicates that the character has caught an acute breathinginfection; roll degree of infection.
• skeletal: reduce both strength & constitution 0-2 (d3 -1) more points per week; death will occur if either is reduced to zero.
• skin: reduce charisma by 0-4 points (d5 -1) for each week of the disease, to a minimum of 3. Make a constitution check; failure indicates a permanent loss of 0-3 charisma (d4-1).
• stomach & colon: reduce strength & constitution by 2-8 points each; death will occur if either is reduced to zero. A skin rash will occur from diarrhea if the character is not assigned a permanent nurse, causing 1-4 damage per day.

See Also,
Disease
Terminal Afflictions

Mild Afflictions (disease)

These will cause the character to experience considerable strain from exercise of any kind. This will not mean that the character cannot physically exert themselves; only that there will be heavy consequences for doing so. For every round of combat or for every 10 minutes of exertion, the character's constitution should be temporarily reduced from 0-2 points (d3 -1). This penalty should be increased (an extra die rolled) for every 6 lbs. of weight the character carries above 10 lbs. (a total of 15 lbs. would not incur the penalty). Take note that memorizing of spells is considered strain and will have likewise effect.

If disabled, the character will not be able to take part in any other action, including walking or even eating.

Each of these constitution points may be retained by 1 hour of total rest, in which the character does nothing at all. Note, however, that in many cases the disease itself is also reducing the constitution of the character, in which case rest will only return the character's constitution to the disease level.

A breakdown for the effects of mild infections are listed below:

• bladder: 4-8 times during a 24-hour period, character will be disabled for an hour after painful urination, during which time their constitution will drop by 1 point; this lost point will be restored after another hour.
• blood (hemorrhagic): reduce strength & constitution by 1-3 points each; any weapon hit upon the character will cause a wound.
• brain & nerves: reduce intelligence & wisdom by 1-6 points each.
• breathing: reduce strength, constitution & dexterity by 1 point each.
• ears: reduce hearing range to 5-40 feet; instructions or sounds from beyond that distance will be ignored.
• eyes: reduce visual range to 5-40 feet; study of spells or other materials will require twice as long to accomplish.
• heart: reduce strength & constitution by 1-3 points each; if the character is knocked unconscious, the character must make a strength check (against modified stat, affected also from being in negative hit points); failure indicates the character suffers 2-20 damage from a seizure.
• hormonal organs: character will be rendered impotent; there is a 50% chance that a rash will emerge during infection, reducing dexterity by 2-5 if armor is worn.
• joints & tendons: reduce dexterity by 1-3 points.
• muscles: reduce strength & constitution by 1 points each.
• nose, throat & sinuses: reduce constitution by 1 point.
• skeletal: reduce strength & constitution by 1-4 points each; any wound suffered has a 1 in 10 chance of breaking a bone.
• skin: reduce charisma by 0-3 points (d4 -1) for each of the first three weeks of the disease, to a minimum of 3. If charisma is reduced by more than 5 points, there is a 10% chance that the character will permanently lose 1 point of charisma. One point of charisma will be regained each week after the third week; all remaining lost charisma will be restored in the last week of infection. Reduce dexterity by 1 point.
• stomach & colon: reduce strength & constitution by 1-6 points each to a minimum of 3 points. 3-5 times per day, character will be disabled for two hours after painful diarrhea.

See Disease

Addiction (malady)

Addiction in my game describes the compulsion that characters possess for hard drink or for stimulants and hallucinogens (such as tobacco, opium or qat), the dependency upon which can require a character to daily partake, at some expense, or to become stressed and less effective when these substances are not available.

Most often, a character will acquire an addiction through the character background generator, due to a negative roll against a middle to low wisdom. Addictions are reckoned as a measurement of material that must be drunk, eaten or smoked within the space of a day or a week. When addicted characters fail to obtain their dose, they can temporarily lose ability points or combat ability until such time as they can acquire a 'fix.'

Kicking an Addiction

To get rid of an addiction, a character must make a wisdom check each day to abstain from use of the substance. Success at this roll will not, in the short term, suspend the negative consequences of failing to partake, it is the only path that will, in the long run, end the dependency. The character must, initially, succeed at a wisdom check for seven days running. All wisdom checks are presumed to have been made at sunrise of a particular day. For each successful string of seven days, a character will receive a +1 bonus to all further wisdom checks with regards to their addiction, provided they do not fail to make a wisdom check and attempt to relapse. In relapsing, the character will immediately take steps to acquire the substance they need and use it. If this occurs, the character has lost all ground gained and must begin their resistance anew.

It should be obvious that this makes it almost impossible for a character to become free from an addiction on their own. It is so easy to relapse that, if the substance they need is available, they will certainly fail again and again to kick their addiction. There are, therefore, only two real paths to kicking their addiction:

• The first is for others to take steps, often combative steps, to ensure that the character cannot relapse even if the character attempts to do so. If it happens that the character, failing to make a wisdom check, is kept from relapsing until sunrise the following day, they will be entitled to another wisdom check. If this succeeds, the character will not attempt to relapse that day, the crisis will be past and the character's forward accumulation of days is not compromised.
• Secondly, the character can put themselves under the care of a physician able to aid in detoxification. This will give a +3 bonus to all wisdom checks made under the physician's care, in addition to bonuses gained by repeated weeks of success.

Thus, the path of success will mean that the character, with the help of friends and a physician, will steadily improve their bonuses week by week until it is impossible for them to fail a wisdom check.

Further Issues

Note, however, that friends must be vigilant in keeping a watch on an addicted character, as the character will give no sign of intending to relapse. As well, the player, having spent multiple sessions with a character of lowered strength, dexterity or other ability statistic will likely want to quit their treatment, returning to their use of whatever substance. These negative consequences, difficult as they are, do not go away until characters have truly freed themselves of the dependency.

Finally, a character can be compelled to fight other characters (though I do not support player-vs-player, this is a special case) from a sort of madness, if physical restraint is applied against a character's will. In cases where a character is in a town, where these substances are easily available, this may be necessary.

To determine a character's success at obtaining a substance in a town or city (where anyone might possess the substance), the character should make an intelligence check; success would indicate that the character has somehow met an individual willing to pass the substance quietly into the character's possession (addicted persons help each other). One other random character in the party, keeping watch on the addicted character, should make a wisdom check to see if this exchange is observed. If it is not, consider this:

The character may obtain this substance on a day when they have not failed their wisdom check - just in case they may want it later. Therefore, the character may already be ready to use the substance with a wisdom check is failed . . . potentially within minutes of sunrise. Thus, a failed wisdom check by the party will mean the relapse has occurred, even in the wilderness. Occasionally subjecting the addicted character to a search could prevent this, but any such searches that occur when the character is actually in possession (make the intelligence check to know) should result in a player-vs.-player conflict. Suffice to say that choice of weapons is left up to the characters.

Last, it must be noted that each time a character wants to relapse and fails to do so, the character should make a system shock survival roll (see Player's Handbook). Failure to succeed at this roll will mean the character will fall to a random disease of random nature and degree.

See Campaign