Best way to make a hate plague

[etrpgb]

Hate Plague (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HatePlague).

I would like to make a temple with a Hate Plague inside, however to be interesting it must affects the characters in some ways...

What do you think is the best or most fun way to make the characters snappish and disagreeable to each other?

[JellyPooga]

What do you think is the best or most fun way to make the characters snappish and disagreeable to each other?

Out of Character.

This isn't going to work without player buy-in. No way, no how. Get their approval first, then spit-ball some ideas with those involved.

You might get away with letting one or two players "in on it", keeping the other players in the dark, but I personally would recommend making this an open subject to avoid unneccesary confusion and/or misinterpration.

[KorvinStarmast]

What do you think is the best or most fun way to make the characters snappish and disagreeable to each other? With four players, have only three magic items as loot. :smallbiggrin:

The DMG has a bunch of material on insanity/madness. I'd suggest you use that to build your hate plague.

[Droodicus]

Hit them with the BLAMETHROWER! The finest non lethal weaponry

[Oerlaf]

Hate Plague (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HatePlague).

I would like to make a temple with a Hate Plague inside, however to be interesting it must affects the characters in some ways...

What do you think is the best or most fun way to make the characters snappish and disagreeable to each other?

Symbol of Discord. Each target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a target bickers and argues with other creatures for 1 minute. During this time, it is incapable of meaningful communication and has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

[Oerlaf]

Symbol of Discord. Each target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a target bickers and argues with other creatures for 1 minute. During this time, it is incapable of meaningful communication and has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

Here is the spell's description: https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells?filter-class=0&filter-search=symbol&filter-verbal=&filter-somatic=&filter-material=&filter-concentration=&filter-ritual=&filter-sub-class=

[Ganymede]

Give the players exposed to it the flaw "I am easily irritable and I perceive slights where there are none."


If you're looking for inspiration, both Ghostbusters 2's negatively charged slime and Supernatural's Croatoan Virus would be good places to look.

[ImproperJustice]

Are we talking a 28 days later sort of thing, or a more Earthbound/Undertale sort of thing?

[Amdy_vill]

your best bet for any story is to get the players well invested in the world and there characters and then start messing with them.

[Vogie]

If you want to use the concept behind Men Against Fire (Black Mirror episode), you could break up the party, and have them encounter a nameless monster one-on-one, but with two players fighting at a time. Fake your dice rolls, make note of the attacks each player uses, and relay them to the other player as the "monster's attacks". You could decide whether you can hope the players figure it out and stop fighting, or actually have ability checks to determine if they realize what's going on.

[Battlebooze]

A temple of Discord?

Well, this really doesn't sound like fun but it might be interesting with a good group. Sadly, it's pretty easy for in character bickering to turn into out of game bickering. If you can, make sure the effects as in game as possible so the players are well aware that this is an effect caused by the plague.

[bc56]

Use the disease rules in the DMG to write it. For a good effect, there's Enemies Abound, a fun spell in XGTE.

[Nifft]

Give the players exposed to it the flaw "I am easily irritable and I perceive slights where there are none."

This.

Give a temporary mechanical reward ("gain Inspiration") for role-playing into the disease, and don't worry about it if someone decides to not opt-in.

[Kane0]

When they come in contact with the plague source they make a Cha saving throw. Make it a charm effect so elves get advantage and whatnot.

If they fail, nothing happens immediately. Roll 2d4, this is the number of days the effect is transmissible to anybody they come in contact with. After this 2d4 day period they get a new Cha save or develop a new character flaw: "Quick to anger". Any spell or effect that fixes a disease or charm ends the effect, but does not render you immune to further infections.

So they go to the temple, clear it out and when they go to town to sell their loot or relax they infect everyone they come across. By the time the place starts getting angry the adventurers are long gone and any of the infected populace that traveled before the symptoms show have unknowingly spread the hate plague.

[Finback]

Hate Plague (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HatePlague).

My favourite hate plague is http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Hate_plague

But as others note, you will need to discuss this OOC with your players. Approach each individually if you can, to discuss how their PC might act when irritated or angry.