Diseases in 4e

[Sploosh]

Hello again,

A friend and I are having a little debate and while I am confident I am correct, being confident doesn't mean you should be confident and human errorr is always lurking in the background.

Reading the disease ability in the DMG states that the first step in a disease is prevent initial infection with a saving throw made to avoid contracting the disease. The problem arises with the actual wording of the monsters. Most of the monsters in MM 1 have "contracts X" where X is the disease. This has led him to deduce that the wordings of "contract" mean you automatically contract, and thus you do not gain a saving throw for the initial effect.

I couldn't find any wording on it, but if that is the case than all the monsters seem a bit stronger with this perception. I checked the first manual and all the monsters that have a disease use that wording. If they were going to make a wording and then make monsters with it, I would assume they'd have at least one follow the "general" rule.


Could anyone give us a verdict?

[dsmiles]

I am fairly certain you get a save, but maybe you should ask the "4e by RAW" thread.

[Sipex]

Yeah, initial saving throw made after the battle I believe. Only if the monster uses an attack which causes the disease though.

[Gillric]

The wording in the new Rules Compendium stats that you are exposed to a disease and get the saving throw unless the power states otherwise, for example a word like contract would be otherwise.

An example of a monster that uses the word exposed in its disease attack is Kiris Hoyt from HS1.

[shadowmage]

From the online compendium.

Monster Attacks: Make a saving throw at the end of the encounter. If the saving throw fails, you are infected.

Other Exposure: For other kinds of exposure (environmental or food), the disease makes an attack roll. If the disease’s attack hits, you are infected.

Prolonged Exposure: If a character spends a long time exposed to disease, the disease makes one attack roll per day of exposure.

[Aron Times]

Note that getting better involves Endurance checks, not saving throws. Each time you take an extended rest while sick, you make an Endurance check. Depending on how high you roll, you move one step to the left on the disease track (lessened symptoms or get cured), stabilize at your current spot, or move to the right (worsen).

Diseases are pretty deadly in 4e because the ritual to get rid of it can kill the patient if the caster rolls low. It takes an exceptionally high roll to avoid even damaging the patient.

[Camelot]

Every time a monster's attack says that the target "contracts" or "is exposed to" a disease, no matter what the wording, you get a saving throw at the end of the encounter. Even if you're exposed to the attack multiple times, you get one saving throw, and success means you didn't contract it.

The way it was originally worded in the Monster Manual and supplements wasn't very good, for this reason, but the rule as intended remains as such.