Diseases are hazards that can leave an adventurer weak and damaged, typically by depleting ability scores. When a character first comes into contact with a disease, a fortitude saving throw is required. If this is successful then the disease is resisted; otherwise it begins to incubate within the character. After a specified number of game hours (a single hour for all standard diseases) or the character's next rest, the disease progresses and the victim must begin making fortitude saving throws to resist the negative effects of the disease. The first such save is at the end of the incubation period, with additional saves made at each subsequent rest or when 24 game hours have passed since the last save. Most diseases inflict ability damage upon a failed save, but some diseases have other, nasty results that are applied if certain saves are failed. (Specifically, some of these special results apply if the save at the end of the incubation period is failed, while others apply for failing any subsequent saving throw.)
A disease is removed if the victim successfully makes two saving throws against it (not counting any extra saves that might be required by the special results). Diseases can also be removed with healer's kits, which requires a successful heal skill check against the disease DC (the same DC used for the saving throws), or with the spells remove disease or greater restoration. A creature under the influence of a disease is immune to further application of disease for the duration of the disease.
All diseases and their associated ability score losses are supernatural effects.
The standard diseases defined by the game are the following, listed with their end of incubation and 24 hour damages inflicted and the DC of the saving throws.
| Disease | End of incubation effects |
End of 24 hour effects |
Save DC |
|---|---|---|---|
| blinding sickness | 1d4 strength | blind (40% chance) 1d4 strength |
16 |
| burrow maggots | 1d4 intelligence 1d4 wisdom |
1d4 intelligence 1d4 wisdom |
17 |
| cackle fever | 1d6 wisdom | 1d6 wisdom | 16 |
| demon fever | 1d6 constitution | 1 constitution (DC 18) 1d6 constitution |
18 |
| devil chills | 1d4 strength | 1d4 strength | 14 |
| dread blisters | 1d4 constitution 1d4 charisma |
1d4 constitution 1d4 charisma |
13 |
| filth fever | 1d3 intelligence 1d3 constitution |
1d3 intelligence 1d3 constitution |
12 |
| ghoul rot | 1d6 constitution 1d6 strength |
1d6 constitution 1d6 strength |
18 |
| mindfire | 1d4 intelligence | 1d4 intelligence | 12 |
| mummy rot | 1d6 constitution | 1d6 constitution | 20 |
| red ache | 1d6 strength | 1d6 strength | 16 |
| red slaad eggs | red slaad 4d6 magical damage prone 2 rounds 2d6 dexterity 2d6 strength 2d6 constitution |
2d6 dexterity 2d6 strength 2d6 constitution |
17 |
| shakes | 1d6 strength | 1d6 strength | 13 |
| slimy doom | 1d4 dexterity | 1d4 dexterity | 14 |
| soldier shakes | none | 1 random ability | 25 |
| vermin madness | 1 intelligence 1 wisdom 1 charisma |
1 intelligence 1 wisdom 1 charisma |
13 |
| zombie creep | 1d4 dexterity 1d4 constitution |
1d4 dexterity 1d4 constitution |
15 |
Custom content notes[]
The scripts implementing the special results are only executed if the associated saving throw fails, but they are executed before the standard ability damage is dealt. In addition, if the associated saving throw is rolled because of the character resting, the execution is just before the rest ends, so any hit point damage dealt will be immediately healed (by the rest cycle).
See also[]
- Category:Diseases
- DISEASE_* constants (for scripters)