Aboleths and paladins

[mgshamster]

The aboleth's disease says it can only be healed by a Heal spell or another disease-curing spell of 6th level or higher.

The paladin's lay on hands ability says it can cure any disease for 5 points.

How do these two interact? Does LoH always/never work? Does it only work above a certain level?

[Gastronomie]

This is a DM interpretation problem and not something that can be easily solved by RAW.

I would rule it costs 15 points or something, since it's harder to heal than the average disease, but that it can still be cured.

Otherwise, the Paladin has no way to cure the Aboleth disease. Which may have been the concept in the first place, but I don't like it when my players have absoltely no way to solve a problem.

[DracoKnight]

Let's look at the text, shall we?


The disease has no effect for 1 minute and can be removed by any magic that cures disease. After 1 minute, the diseased creature's skin becomes translucent and slimy, the creature can't regain hit points unless it is underwater, and the disease can be removed only by heal or another disease-curing spell of 6th level or higher. When the creature is outside a body of water, it takes 6 (1d12) acid damage every 10 minutes unless moisture is applied to the skin before 10 minutes have passed.

Emphasis mine.

At my table, 5 points of Lay On Hands will cure it before your minute is up. After that minute, it is very clear about what can remove the aboleth's disease. 1 minute is very generous in D&D, especially in combat. Lay On Hands works, up to a point, and after that you better get to a cleric with heal, or other high-level healing magics.

[Atalas]

Let's look at the text, shall we?



Emphasis mine.

At my table, 5 points of Lay On Hands will cure it before you minute is up. After that minute, it is very clear about what can remove the aboleth's disease. 1 minute is very generous in D&D, especially in combat. Lay On Hands works, up to a point, and after that you better get to a cleric with heal, or other high-level healing magics.

sorta like taking a shot of cold medicine when you first start feeling sick to try and ward it off. Might work, might be too late.

[DracoKnight]

sorta like taking a shot of cold medicine when you first start feeling sick to try and ward it off. Might work, might be too late.

Basically. :smallbiggrin:

[mgshamster]

Thanks guys!

[Malifice]

The aboleth's disease says it can only be healed by a Heal spell or another disease-curing spell of 6th level or higher.

The paladin's lay on hands ability says it can cure any disease for 5 points.

How do these two interact? Does LoH always/never work? Does it only work above a certain level?

Specific trumps general. The Aboleths disease is resistant to LoH.

[Grey Watcher]

Let's look at the text, shall we?



Emphasis mine.

At my table, 5 points of Lay On Hands will cure it before your minute is up. After that minute, it is very clear about what can remove the aboleth's disease. 1 minute is very generous in D&D, especially in combat. Lay On Hands works, up to a point, and after that you better get to a cleric with heal, or other high-level healing magics.

Well, to play Slaad's Advocate, the arguable wiggle room is that Remove Disease cast using a 6th+ level slot could still be argued to work (I'd be inclined to say not, but I can see where you could make a case for it). Still, if I remember correctly, Paladin's can't emulate a higher level slot by dumping more points into it anyway, so, for the purposes of answering the OP's question, the above line of speculation is irrelevant. Extra double secret irrelevant: I checked the text of Lay on Hands, it doesn't emulate a spell, just removes one poison or disease at the cost of 5 HP worth of healing.

Yes, it would appear the the Cure Disease functionality in Lay on Hands heals the Wet Willies only if the Paladin gets to the victim within that first minute.

[NNescio]

The aboleth's disease says it can only be healed by a Heal spell or another disease-curing spell of 6th level or higher.

The paladin's lay on hands ability says it can cure any disease for 5 points.

How do these two interact? Does LoH always/never work? Does it only work above a certain level?

Specific vs. general, Aboleth's disease after 1 minute is more specific (since it trumps even Lesser Restoration cast from anything less than a 6th level slot), so Lay on Hands wouldn't work.