Diseases

With the relative prevalence of magical healing and cleansing, mundane diseases are fortunately rare in the larger cities. The most dangerous diseases are either mundane diseases which have developed a resistance to magical cleansing, or magical diseases which are often more dangerous and fast-acting than any ordinary illness.

Special Terms

Incubation: Period during which the disease is present and ramping up, but is not currently in effect.

Duration: Period during which the disease and its effects are active.

Transmission: How the disease may be passed to others, if applicable.

Common methods of transmission:
*Contact: Physical contact with an infected target.
*Consumption: Consuming food or water contaminated with the infectious agent.
*Airborne: Spending >15 minutes within 3 yards of an infected creature.
*Bloodborne: Blood transfusion or consumption of infected tissues.

Mundane Diseases

Biological in nature, mundane diseases can be contracted through any number of methods. When faced with a mundane disease, the target makes an initial Disease Resistance roll vs. the disease's Potency to avoid becoming ill. Mundane Diseases may be treated with the Medicine Skill to reduce or diminish their effects at the discretion of the Storyteller, or removed by magic spells such as Cleanse or Banish Contagion.

Rank 1

Parasitic Anemia

A long-term infestation of lice, fleas, or other parasites causing fatigue and weakness.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
8d10	1 day	14 days	Noncommunicable	-1 Fatigue Penalty.

Wicked Warts

Diffuse warts contracted through touching other people. Social stigma attributes this to wickedness, sinning.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
8d10	5 days	7 days	Contact	-1 to all social skills except Intimidate.

Lizard Rot

An infection commonly carried carried by reptilian creatures, Lizard Rot can be transferred to and between mortals. It's commonly accompanied by nausea and malaise.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
8d10	1 day	3 days	Contact	-1 Fatigue Penalty. Every 3 days, attempt a new Physical Resistance roll vs Potency. If failed, the disease persists for another 3 days.

Rank 2

Fenbane

Improperly handled food can cause gastric upset, nausea, which leads to dehydration and fatigue.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
9d10	1 day	3 days	Consumption	-2 fatigue penalty. Vigor recovers at ½ speed.

Spring Blight

Illness commonly contracted in Spring. Constant fevers, clouding of sensorium, and inability to concentrate are its main symptoms.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
9d10	7 days	10 days	Airborne	-1 to INT-based skill checks. Concentration may not be maintained for more than 5 rounds.

Queenskin

Infection/inflammation renders skin dry, itchy and tough, causing discomfort and impairing movement.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
9d10	5 days	10 days	Contact	-1 to DEX-based skill checks.

Rank 3

Forest Fever

Forest Fever leaves its victims with body aches, stomach cramping, and stomach upset (diarrhea, vomiting). This leaves its victims unable to heal properly.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
10d10	1 day	4 days	Consumption	The target cannot passively recover vigor. Vigor is only recovered after a long rest or with magical healing.

Kingseye

Inflammation and irritation of the eyes causes tearing, discharge, and obstructed vision.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
10d10	5 days	7 days	Contact	-2 penalty to vision-based skill checks.

Rank 4

Creeping Cold

A silent killer, the long incubation period of this illness hides plenty of damage being dealt to the body, which becomes readily apparent when the target is suddenly overcome with fever and weakness.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
11d10	12 days	3 days	Airborne	Each day while incubating, roll 1d10. On failure, add 1 point to a pool of accruing lethal damage. When the illness becomes active, the target is rendered insensate (unconscious) for one day, and takes ½ of all accumulated damage as well as a -4 penalty to skills. Any remaining damage is split evenly between days 2 and 3.

Necrotic Warts

Small, raised areas of white begin to appear on the palms of the hands, they enlarge within a day or so of appearing, and spread across the anterior surface of the hands. They can be spread to the mouth/throat and often leave scars.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
11d10	5 days	14 days	Contact	-2 to skill checks. Damage requires twice as many points of healing to cure wounds. Magical healing still functions as normal.

Rank 5

Mortem Manducare

Those who consume the flesh or blood of infected creatures (often other mortals or sometimes infected livestock) run the risk of contracting this prion disease, which eventually renders them insensate and has a high rate of death.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
12d10	1 days	12 days	Consumption/Bloodborne	Each day while active, the target makes a new Resistance roll vs. Potency. If failed, the target’s max HP, INT, and WILL are reduced by 1. INT and WILL may not be reduced below 1, however, if the Max HP reaches 0, the target dies. Penalties to INT, WILL, and HP remain unless the target is magically cleansed of the disease’s effects.

Dragonpox

A highly deadly and communicable illness, Dragonpox causes red, painful pustules to appear over the entire body that eventually scab and fall off, oftentimes taking surrounding tissue with them. This can lead to significant scarring and loss of limbs, if the victim manages to survive at all.

Potency	Incubation	Duration	Transmission	Effect
12d10	5 days	12 days	Contact	Each day while active, the target makes a new resistance roll vs. Potency. If failed, the target’s max HP, STR, and DEX are reduced by 1. STR and DEX may not be reduced below, 1, however, if the Max HP reaches 0, the target dies. Penalties to STR, DEX, and HP remain unless the target is magically cleansed of the disease’s effects.

Magical Diseases

Magical diseases do not have a natural Potency, as this is determined by the power of the caster's roll. They also do not have an incubation period, and go into effect the round after being cast when the target fails its Magical Resistance roll. Just as with Mundane Diseases, the effects of a Magical Disease may be ended by spells such as Cleanse or Banish Contagion, however, a successful Dispel may also end their effects as the magic fueling the disease fails.

Rank 1

Fading Fever

The target’s body is progressively weakened by corruptive magic, slowing their reaction times.

Duration	Transmission	Effect
14 days	Contact	Target assumes a -1 Penalty to Initiative. Each subsequent time the target enters combat that day, the penalty increases by 1. The penalty resets each morning.

Rank 2

Frailty

Magic weakens a target significantly.

Duration	Transmission	Effect
12 days	Noncommunicable	Target suffers a -1 penalty to Strength. This penalty increases to -2 at Rank 3, and -3 at Rank 5. The target's Strength may not be reduced below 1.

Night Terror

Those afflicted with Night Terror often experience confusion, delirium, and nightmares, preventing their bodies from healing well naturally.

Duration	Transmission	Effect
10 days	Special	Each time the target attempts a long rest, make a Magical Resistance roll vs. Casting. On failure, the target is unable to rest soundly, takes Rank psychic damage, and suffers a -2 Fatigue penalty for the next 24 hours. Anyone sleeping within Rank x 5 yards of the target while suffering from Night Terror must succeed on a Magical Resistance roll vs. Casting, or become afflicted as well.

Rank 3

Compulsive Cannibalism

The target is overcome with a desire to consume flesh.

Duration	Transmission	Effect
7 days	Noncommunicable	In the presence of raw meat (including corpses), the target must succeed on a Magical Resistance roll or be forced to consume it.

Faerie Flu

Targets become irresistably attractive to those that view them, for better or for worse.

Duration	Transmission	Effect
7 days	Noncommunicable	Creatures viewing the target must attempt a Magic Resistance roll vs. the Casting roll or become obsessed with the target. Their Disposition immediately jumps to Ally or Hostile, and they act according to their obsession.

Mana Sickness

The target's control over their mana is impaired.

Duration	Transmission	Effect
7 days	Noncommunicable	Casting spells requires 1 more Mana than usual.

Rank 4

Brittle Chill

The target suffers a constant chill, and finds their bones breaking all too easily.

Duration	Transmission	Effect
7 days	Noncommunicable	Target retains 1 Frost stack, and takes all non-lethal damage as lethal damage instead.

Screaming Death

The target's nervous system is gradually overcome with pain from the magic attacking it.

Duration	Transmission	Effect
5 days	Special	Target suffers a -2 penalty to all skills, increasing by a further -2 each day as the target's body is further wracked with pain. This penalty caps at -6. On the final day, make a Magical Resistance roll vs. Casting. On failure, the difference between the two rolls is dealt to the target as lethal damage. If the target dies while Screaming Death is active, a wave of magic bursts from their body with a dying scream. All those within hearing range must succeed on a Magic Resistance roll vs. Casting or contract Screaming Death themselves.

Rank 5

Gorgoniasis

The target is encased in corruptive magic that paralyzes any who look upon them.

Duration	Transmission	Effect
10 days	Noncommunicable	Creatures viewing the target (carrier) must succeed on a Magical Resistance roll vs. Casting or succumb to a progressive slowing effect (-3 speed/Round). When the viewing creatures’ speed hits 0, they are rendered flat-footed and unable to move until the spell is cleansed, ends, or the original target leaves sight for 1 hour Creatures with active spells that allow them to view magical auras (Mage Sight, Magelight, etc.) take a -2 penalty to their resistance roll. Successfully resisting allows a viewer to remain immune to the effects of Gorgoniasis for 1 hour.

Wicked Paranoia

The target's perceptions of their allies worsen.

Duration	Transmission	Effect
14 days	Noncommunicable	Each day, make a Magic Resistance roll vs. casting. On failure, the target's perception of their allies (Disposition) is reduced by 1 step per day until they are Hostile toward their former allies.