Diseases, Viruses and Plagues (Oh My!)

[LordErebus12]

i was planning on having a magical plague outbreak within a city, something that functions like tuberculosis on a good day or kills you on a bad day. no idea how it will work exactly or what would it affect.

Figured it would be a waterborne or inhaled pathogen; meaning coughing and sneezing, as well as blood and saliva would carry it.

this got me thinking... does anyone else have experience with making diseases or coming up with ideas for plagues in their games. the more detailed the better, i've always said. so, id like to see what everyone else has to say on the subject. anything would be helpful, really.

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Rough Draft of 'Sporelung'

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[Debihuman]

Take a look at this: http://www.freewebs.com/grimgrin4488/Pandemic_d20.pdf

Debby

[LordErebus12]

Take a look at this: http://www.freewebs.com/grimgrin4488/Pandemic_d20.pdf

Debby

thank you, this got my mind working. its a neat entry, but the only thing useful in my case is the following. I need to stat up a Consumption-like disease.


Epidemic Disease
Disease periodically sweeps through all populations. It strikes swiftly and will little warning. Often there is little one can do to protect yourself from infection. A campaign based on plague can take place in the early stages of the spread of the disease, at the height of the epidemic, or in the aftermath of the plague.

• Phase One:
In the early stages of the plague people will attempt to control the spread of the disease. People will clog the highways and byways attempting to flee the disease. Others will attempt to quarantine their homes or communities from the disease. People will hoard food, fuel, and any other resource they need in order to wait out the disease. The poor are the first to suffer the effects of the disease since they lack the wealth and health to combat infection.

• Phase Two:
As quarantines fail and people deplete their available resources, mass panic will ensue. Healthy people will arm themselves to protect their own property or to steal what they need from others. In feudal communities, the death of the serf class forces the lords to farm their own lands or invade the lands of others to sustain themselves. Medical, Political, and Religious authorities will be overwhelmed with the needs of the sick. The ineffectiveness of local authorities is likely to spur rebellion and lawlessness in the population. Only isolated pockets of people will be willing and able to work together to survive. For the rest it is survival at any cost.

• Phase Three:
In the aftermath of the epidemic, the authority of both religion and civil leaders will be weakened. During the disaster many individuals had to rely on their own abilities or the support of foreign powers. Many will question their old faiths and their former leaders. Labor will be in high demand and land will be cheap and plentiful. Living with death as a daily occurrence may make the leave the population jaded and emotionally scarred. As communities struggle to rebuild themselves few will return to their old ways of thought and belief. This change is can be both a blessing and a curse.

[Fako]

What system is the disease for? Considering your prior posts are for 3.5e, I'm going to run with that assumption for this post, and I'll be referencing this from the d20 SRD.

Diseases in 3.5e are pretty flat things. They have a transmission method, a DC, an incubation period, and a damage that they deal. Sometimes they have other effects that can happen (based on high die rolls or the like), but the first four are the vital thing.

For transmission, you have Contact, Inhalation, and Ingestion listed in your first post. Nice and easy.

For DC, the question is how fatal it is expected to be. The diseases in the SRD start at 12 (Filth fever, Mindfire) and go up to 20 (Mummy Rot). Consider that a level 1 Commoner will be assumed to have a 0 or a -1 to Fortitude, so a DC 15 will only be passed 25% of the time, if that.

Incubation can be an interesting thing. Depending on the length, it could allow someone who has been infected to pass by barriers undetected, only to start the infection in a new area. This is entirely up to you on how long you want to set the clock.

And finally, damage. CON is appropriate for someone wasting away, and makes the Fortitude saves to resist the disease more difficult as the infection progresses. Once again, adjust to taste, but consider that the highest damage in the SRD is 1d8 and that's Shakes - Mummy Rot clocks in at 1d6. Also, the fact that creatures heal 1 ability damage per day will still apply, so keep that in mind when deciding damage.

Past that, you can add whatever you would like. Standard infection requires a failed save to catch, and then waits for incubation before requiring once per day Fort saves against taking stat damage. Two successful saves in a row means that the character has fought off the infection (unless you choose otherwise).

[LordErebus12]

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What system is the disease for? Considering your prior posts are for 3.5e, I'm going to run with that assumption for this post, and I'll be referencing this from the d20 SRD.

Diseases in 3.5e are pretty flat things. They have a transmission method, a DC, an incubation period, and a damage that they deal. Sometimes they have other effects that can happen (based on high die rolls or the like), but the first four are the vital thing.

For transmission, you have Contact, Inhalation, and Ingestion listed in your first post. Nice and easy.

For DC, the question is how fatal it is expected to be. The diseases in the SRD start at 12 (Filth fever, Mindfire) and go up to 20 (Mummy Rot). Consider that a level 1 Commoner will be assumed to have a 0 or a -1 to Fortitude, so a DC 15 will only be passed 25% of the time, if that.

Incubation can be an interesting thing. Depending on the length, it could allow someone who has been infected to pass by barriers undetected, only to start the infection in a new area. This is entirely up to you on how long you want to set the clock.

And finally, damage. CON is appropriate for someone wasting away, and makes the Fortitude saves to resist the disease more difficult as the infection progresses. Once again, adjust to taste, but consider that the highest damage in the SRD is 1d8 and that's Shakes - Mummy Rot clocks in at 1d6. Also, the fact that creatures heal 1 ability damage per day will still apply, so keep that in mind when deciding damage.

Past that, you can add whatever you would like. Standard infection requires a failed save to catch, and then waits for incubation before requiring once per day Fort saves against taking stat damage. Two successful saves in a row means that the character has fought off the infection (unless you choose otherwise).

nothing i didn't know, but good to refresh it all in my mind. yes, the system is 3.5.

Inhalation would be the closest choice for transmission.

[Fako]

Forgive the refresher course - I wasn't sure if you were asking for how to make custom diseases, or if you simply wanted us to post our own. As such, here is a simple one to start:

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Weeping Boils
A magical disease of unknown origin, this violently infectious disease threatens an epidemic wherever a trace of it spreads. Due to its numerous methods of infection, the only way to stay safe is to run as far and fast as you can.
Infection: Inhaled or Contact (See Special)
Incubation: 1d4 days
Save: DC 16 Fortitude
Ability Damage: 2d3 Con
Special: Weeping Boils creates sacs filled with blood and puss all over the body of anyone infected. These can be concealed with clothing, but the sacs rupture easily, quickly soaking the cloth. Coming into contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual provides a -2 penalty on the initial save to avoid infection, and forces a new roll against catching the disease.
Treatment: This disease has been designed with Remove Disease in mind, and using it on a victim forces them to make a save against damage instantly as the disease surges through the body. Remove Curse followed immediately by Remove Disease will allow the infection to be purged as normal. Heal, Limited Wish, Wish, or Miracle can all purge the disease instantly.

EDIT: Or, if you're looking for a disease that will weaponize a town of commoners in under a day or so, you can take a look at the Skin Crawl disease I posted (with the enemy it creates) here.

[Debihuman]

If you want real world diseases, I recommend this: http://www.guildcompanion.com/scroll...espartone.html

The Burning Plague disease came from Rite Publishing and is OGC:

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The Burning Plague
The burning plague was first witnessed in the Protectorate of Questhaven and the ruined town of Ardencourse. On the 14th day of the 8th month of the 3rd year of First Hero Arsina's rule, the town of Ardencourse was mysteriously consumed by flame. Initial investigations by the Questor's Society discovered a town overrun with burning undead that explode violently when destroyed. Fortunately for the Questor's Society, their company the West Guard had come with clerics and holy water at the ready to successfully dispatch the undead. The guard lost many members to the undead and two of their own to the burning plague. The plague infected two members when they consumed water from Ardencourse’s well. They burned to death from the inside at their base at Ninestar Keep and almost burned the barracks to the ground as they shambled after other guardsmen.

When infection first occurs, the victim will actually run a bit of a fever for the first day. The fever is never severe enough to warrant true medical attention and it disappears the day after initial infection. A person who has had experience with the burning plague may make a Heal check (DC 15) to identify its symptoms before it is too late. The exact nature of the disease is unknown, some suspect that it is a magical disease that was created and tested on the citizens of Foghaven while others suspect it is a natural pathogen spread by fire-based magical beasts such as the pyrolisk.

Burning Plague
Type disease, ingested; Save Fortitude DC 16
Onset 1 week; Frequency 1/round
Effect 1d2 Con and 1d6 fire. If the target is killed by the burning plague, he will rise as burning skeleton in 1d4 rounds; Cure 2 consecutive saves.

Debby

[LordErebus12]

Tuberculosis "TB"

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Transmission: Inhalation; DC 18; Incubation 1d6 weeks; Effect: 1d6 Con

Tuberculosis typically attacks the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. It is spread through the air when people who have an active TB infection cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air. If left untreated, kills more than 50% of those so infected.

The classic symptoms of active TB infection are a chronic cough with blood-tinged sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss (the latter giving rise to the formerly prevalent term "consumption").

Now... how to alter it a bit.

[Lord of Shadows]

Saw this thread and had to mention an entire campaign that was under development here on GitP a few years ago that was based on a plague. Luckily before the material disappeared I was able to mash it up into a more-or-less complete campaign setting. Feel free to steal/borrow/modify anything that strikes your fancy. In the playtest here, the disease has kind of a supernatural angle to it.

Although the material touches on it briefly, the actual mechanics of the disease are mostly left up to DM's. It is more of a setting element than a stat-line. The setting is primarily about the world after the plague (seems to have) ended.

Enjoy.

Tears of Blood Campaign Setting

[LordErebus12]

Saw this thread and had to mention an entire campaign that was under development here on GitP a few years ago that was based on a plague. Luckily before the material disappeared I was able to mash it up into a more-or-less complete campaign setting. Feel free to steal/borrow/modify anything that strikes your fancy. In the playtest here, the disease has kind of a supernatural angle to it.

Although the material touches on it briefly, the actual mechanics of the disease are mostly left up to DM's. It is more of a setting element than a stat-line. The setting is primarily about the world after the plague (seems to have) ended.

Enjoy.

Tears of Blood Campaign Setting

very neat.

[TuggyNE]

Tuberculosis "TB"

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Transmission: Inhalation; DC 18; Incubation 1d6 weeks; Effect: 1d6 Con

Tuberculosis typically attacks the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. It is spread through the air when people who have an active TB infection cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air. If left untreated, kills more than 50% of those so infected.

The classic symptoms of active TB infection are a chronic cough with blood-tinged sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss (the latter giving rise to the formerly prevalent term "consumption").

That frankly seems way too strong for historical TB, which could take months or years to kill a more or less ordinary person. The way I'd peg it is a fairly low save, something like DC 13, and require three saves in a row to avoid. Con damage would be more like 1d3. That way, Fort+0 commoners would have an initial 40% chance of negating damage, but only a 6.4% chance of fighting it off from full health once it got a hold, and a 5.3% or less chance of recovering points of Con damage (minimum roll on damage, pass save, pass save).

[Lord of Shadows]

That frankly seems way too strong for historical TB, which could take months or years to kill a more or less ordinary person.

Yea, that is pretty stout. I guess it depends on how "plagued" the setting is going to be. When the Tears of Blood setting I mentioned earlier was under construction, one of the hot-points was just how high a mortality rate should it have... They were going for a more post-apocalyptic feel, I think, and so the death rate was recommended to be kinda high.

Also, a DM can use something that is quick-acting to put pressure on the characters/players to react to it. Either they flee, or try to find a solution, or whatever. Makes for some interesting moral dilemmas.

[LordErebus12]

That frankly seems way too strong for historical TB, which could take months or years to kill a more or less ordinary person. The way I'd peg it is a fairly low save, something like DC 13, and require three saves in a row to avoid. Con damage would be more like 1d3. That way, Fort+0 commoners would have an initial 40% chance of negating damage, but only a 6.4% chance of fighting it off from full health once it got a hold, and a 5.3% or less chance of recovering points of Con damage (minimum roll on damage, pass save, pass save).

Yea, that is pretty stout. I guess it depends on how "plagued" the setting is going to be. When the Tears of Blood setting I mentioned earlier was under construction, one of the hot-points was just how high a mortality rate should it have... They were going for a more post-apocalyptic feel, I think, and so the death rate was recommended to be kinda high.

Also, a DM can use something that is quick-acting to put pressure on the characters/players to react to it. Either they flee, or try to find a solution, or whatever. Makes for some interesting moral dilemmas.

that's true. I also feel that both the DC and the damage is too high. Also, what would the frequency be?

[TuggyNE]

that's true. I also feel that both the DC and the damage is too high. Also, what would the frequency be?

Daily is conventional for diseases, and I made my preliminary suggestion based on that. You could slow it down, but then you have the odd case where someone recovers steadily for a while and then gets hit hard by the new Con damage, or goes from "sick, but hanging in there mostly OK" (Con 8, say) to "dead dead dead" in the course of a single day, after days or weeks of doing slightly better. Basically, too swingy for a wasting disease.

If you like, you could make it something like twice a day for 1d3-1 Con damage (minimum 0), DC 11, four saves end. Kinda weird but whatever.

[LordErebus12]

Sporelung
Transmission: Inhalation
Fortitude DC: 12
Incubation: 1 week
Frequency: Daily
Effect: 1d4-1 Con damage (min 0)
Cure: Special (See Text)

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Once only a magical disease encountered while in the Mushspore Forest, when microscopic spores were inhaled from several variety of giant mushrooms found nowhere else in Belladonis. Carriers of the disease found it mutating with all of the radiation that is present within the wastes to the south of the Mushspore Forest. Now more volatile and widespread, it quickly grows new spores within the bronchi tubes of the lungs, choking the airways that carry oxygen to the bloodstream.

While breathing the spores are not initially a problem, once the spores set in and begin to grow, it feeds off of the body's constitution and slowly cuts off the body's ability to absorb oxygen properly. This does not actually completely suffocate the infected, the growing spores are porous enough to allow some air to pass through so they can continue to feed on the infected host.



When someone who has inhaled the spores becomes infectious, the classic symptoms are a chronic cough with blood-tinged sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Once they become infectious, typically after a week of incubation after exposure, they can spread it through the air by coughing, sneezing, or by otherwise transmitting respiratory fluids through the air.

If left uncured, it typically kills the infected creature slowly and painfully. The only way to cure an infected host is through a successful wish or miracle spell or else through a successful break enchantment spell in conjunction with a heal spell.



About a day after the infected host dies, dark mushrooms (covered in spores) slowly sprout from within the body, allowing the spores to spread through the air in a cloud whenever a strong gust of wind passes over the body. Spores have been known to travel miles on air currents, so prevention/destruction is extremely important at this stage. The only foolproof way of killing the spores at that stage is completely burning the mushrooms, as well as the body, until nothing remains but ash. Typically its better to bury the ash without inhaling any, as the spores could still be active.

Those infected that become corporeal non-skeletal undead (such as zombies, wights or vampires) through any means continue to carry the disease. Although they no longer suffer any ill effects, some of these undead still wheeze or cough at times and some still sprout mushrooms. These 'Spore-carrier' undead often spread the disease everywhere and become a serious problem. Skeletal or incorporeal undead (such as skeletons or wraiths) do not continue to carry the disease once the flesh rots away completely.