Urist Ironblood
2009-08-19, 12:35 PM
I wanted to create a disease that was nasty enough to scare my PCs but significantly different from Filth Fever (which they are also likely to encounter in this dungeon). The party is level 1 and I expect that at least two characters will get bitten by the crocodile before they kill it. Is this disease too harsh? Too easy to recover from? Is the progression of symptoms too steep? One of my players grew up in Lousiana and she'll know right away that gator-bites are Bad News, so I expect her to take some kind of countermeasures (hence the clean water / alcohol rulings in advance).
Gatorbite Fever
Vibrio Vulnificus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrio_vulnificus)
Infection is via a bite from a visejaw crocodile or other creature with the Reptile keyword, especially when the wound is exposed to sewage or stagnant water.
Attack:+6 vs. Fortitude (+4 vs. FORT if wound is flushed with clean water immediately after combat, +2 vs. FORT if wound is flushed with alcohol, and infection fails if the patient voluntarily takes fire or acid damage directly to the site of the wound)
Improve: DC 18
Worsen: DC 11
Incubation: Make an Endurance check after each extended rest or combat, excluding the combat in which the player was injured.
Progression
Cured - the patient makes a full recovery during an extended rest.
Initial infection - "Not feeling very well." - Victim loses a healing surge and take a -2 penalty to REFLEX and FORTITUDE.
Feverish - "Feeling like death warmed over." - Victim is weakened and cannot recover hit points, and takes 1d8 necrotic damage for worsening into or maintaining this state. Improving into this state does not provoke a damage roll. Roll 1d4 each round of combat for a victim in this state. On a roll of 1, victim is seized by cramps and vomiting, and is immobilized, dazed, and weakened.
Unconscious - "It looks like his arm is going to fall off." - Victim falls unconscious but can be stabilized to 0hp or healed to a maximum of 1hp (and conscious victim is weakened). Maintaining this state on an Endurance check causes the victim to take 1d4 necrotic damage. The overpowering stench from the necrotizing wounds creates an aura of radius 2 which imposes a -2 penalty to skill checks.
Gatorbite Fever
Vibrio Vulnificus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrio_vulnificus)
Infection is via a bite from a visejaw crocodile or other creature with the Reptile keyword, especially when the wound is exposed to sewage or stagnant water.
Attack:+6 vs. Fortitude (+4 vs. FORT if wound is flushed with clean water immediately after combat, +2 vs. FORT if wound is flushed with alcohol, and infection fails if the patient voluntarily takes fire or acid damage directly to the site of the wound)
Improve: DC 18
Worsen: DC 11
Incubation: Make an Endurance check after each extended rest or combat, excluding the combat in which the player was injured.
Progression
Cured - the patient makes a full recovery during an extended rest.
Initial infection - "Not feeling very well." - Victim loses a healing surge and take a -2 penalty to REFLEX and FORTITUDE.
Feverish - "Feeling like death warmed over." - Victim is weakened and cannot recover hit points, and takes 1d8 necrotic damage for worsening into or maintaining this state. Improving into this state does not provoke a damage roll. Roll 1d4 each round of combat for a victim in this state. On a roll of 1, victim is seized by cramps and vomiting, and is immobilized, dazed, and weakened.
Unconscious - "It looks like his arm is going to fall off." - Victim falls unconscious but can be stabilized to 0hp or healed to a maximum of 1hp (and conscious victim is weakened). Maintaining this state on an Endurance check causes the victim to take 1d4 necrotic damage. The overpowering stench from the necrotizing wounds creates an aura of radius 2 which imposes a -2 penalty to skill checks.