Disease and Poison

DISEASES

Most heroic characters don’t need to worry about catching ordinary illnesses like the cold or flu — they live in a world with modern over-the-counter medicines, urgentcare centers, and hospitals, after all. Supernatural blights and magically inflicted diseases require a Knack or Boon to apply and are inflicted as Complications, which last until the target character as accrued enough successes via Stamina + Resolve or Survival rolls to buy off the Complication or until the character has received medical care from a trained practitioner. Unlike other Complications, a healer’s successes on Medicine + Intellect or Dexterity rolls may apply to buying down a Disease Complication. Some Knacks or Boons may grant a character the ability to remove these automatically.

POISONS

Typically applied via an attack (such as an poisoned arrow or blade), poisons, venoms, or toxins all inflict the Poisoned Condition once they inflict an Injury Condition.

POISONED

Effect: This Condition lasts a number of rounds equal to the number of successes that inflicted it (equal to the successes over the target’s Defense). For each round it persists, it deals damage to the target as though the Inflict Damage Stunt had been applied to the target until the target dedicates a simple action to overcoming the poison via a Resolve or Survival + Stamina roll. Armor does nothing to resist the Injuries that poison might cause.

Some poisons are soporifics, or may paralyze their target, or deal any number of other unusual effects rather than damage. Administer the poison as you would normally. In the event that a character is poisoning another’s food or drink, make opposed rolls: Subterfuge + Dexterity or Manipulation vs. an applicable perception roll. Ties favor the defender. Instead of dealing damage that persists, this inflicts whichever kind of effect it would supply otherwise, resolving itself as listed above.

Momentum: Every time the sufferer takes damage.

Resolution: Overcome the poison or be the recipient of healing magic.