Curses & Diseases
Curses and Diseases are long-term conditions that impair characters. Curses are spiritual in nature, while diseases are physical in nature. These conditions can affect both monsters and humans, but there are very few curses or diseases that affect both in the same way, and these tend to be the most dangerous of them all. Characters should be wary of prolonged travel in the wilderness and always know where a nearby doctor lives.
Exposure
There are many vectors for infection: Monsters, people, and Kami all have the capacity of transmitting ailments of a colorful variety. By default, creatures exposed to a disease must make an Athletics check at the end of the Scene - a failure causes the target to contract the disease; the same applies to curses, except the target must make a Focus check instead to overcome it. If the target is exposed to the disease or curse more than once in a given scene, the check is made only once.
Affliction
When the creature is afflicted by a curse or disease, it is usually at one of four stages:- Stage 0 - The creature is unaffected. The disease is cured and the curse is dispelled.
- Stage 1 - The initial effect of the curse or disease.
- Stage 2 - A more severe effect.
- Stage 3 - Usually the final stage, which cannot be overcome without assistance.
An affliction normally (but not always) starts at stage one. If the affliction enters a new stage, the effects of the new stage normally replace the effects of the old one unless mentioned otherwise.
Progression
The affliction attempts to progress at the end of each adventuring day when the party rests, or after 24 hours have passed, whichever comes first. At the end of the time period, the afflicted character usually makes an Athletics check for diseases and a Focus check for curses. If it is above the DC range, the affliction stage is reduced by 1. If it is below the DC range, the affliction stage is increased by 1. During the check, another character can attempt to treat a curse with Occult Education or a disease with Medicine Education, where the afflicted character can use the better of the Athletics/Focus or Education checks against the affliction.
When the affliction reaches the final stage (usually stage 3), skill checks may no longer be used for the affliction, and may only be overcome through special means, such as a purification ritual or surgery.
List of Curses & Diseases
Gutrot (Disease)Gutrot (Disease)
Gutrot causes massive digestive failure that can prove hazardous to one's health. Those who die from it live their last days in excruciating pain and delirium, afflicted with madness that corrodes the mind and body while uselessly trying to expunge the toxins.
Infection: It is typically caught by ingesting rotting food, or through exposure to fecal matter that carry the disease.
Stage 1: The target is Slowed and Vulnerable (1.05) or Flinched (1.05 Errata).
Stage 2: The target is Slowed and Vulnerable (1.05) or Flinched (1.05 Errata). They begin to hallucinate and cannot consume Food.
Stage 3: The target cannot move or eat at all and violently hallucinates.
Stage 4: The target dies from septic shock.
Save DC Range: 8-12
Cure: Mushroom monsters are extremely poisonous, but if prepared properly, they can instantly cleanse the body from a variety of toxins, including Gutrot.
Infection: It is typically caught by ingesting rotting food, or through exposure to fecal matter that carry the disease.
Stage 1: The target is Slowed and Vulnerable (1.05) or Flinched (1.05 Errata).
Stage 2: The target is Slowed and Vulnerable (1.05) or Flinched (1.05 Errata). They begin to hallucinate and cannot consume Food.
Stage 3: The target cannot move or eat at all and violently hallucinates.
Stage 4: The target dies from septic shock.
Save DC Range: 8-12
Cure: Mushroom monsters are extremely poisonous, but if prepared properly, they can instantly cleanse the body from a variety of toxins, including Gutrot.
Purple Lung (Disease)
Purple Lung (Disease)
Koffings and Weezings are nasty monsters for a reason - their toxins are an ever-evolving nuisance to healers all around Zamzara, as their exact composition changes with the monster's diet. Their effects, unfortunately, remain consistent. Given that these same toxins are what allow the beast to move, it is generally recommend to avoid contact with them and exhibit extreme caution if a trainer insists on catching one.
Infection: Fortunately, the toxins of a Koffing are lighter than air and rise quickly once they leave the body, but they are still very potent when doing so. A character becomes infected with Purple Lung if they come within 1 meter of Koffing or Weezing, assuming they need to breathe. Treat this as a status attack (AC: 5, Range: Burst 1). A character can hold their breath while in melee range, but the strain causes a -2 Accuracy to all attacks.
Stage 1: The character comes down with a bad case of the sniffles and a rough cough, plus their eyes water easily in bright areas. The character gets -1 rank in Athletics and Acrobatics and have -1 Accuracy due to runny eyes.
Stage 2: The character's cough grows worse and their eyes grow even more painful and begin to crust due to lack of moisture. The character gets -1 to all Movement capabilities, -1 CS to Speed, -2 ranks in Athletics and Acrobatics, and -2 Accuracy.
Stage 3: The character's lungs become inflamed and even regular breathing becomes difficult as fatigue sets into the body. The character gets all of their Movement capabilities cut in half, -3 CS to Speed, -3 ranks in Athletics and Acrobatics, and -2 Accuracy. All gaseous Poison moves that deal damage (Clear Smog, Poison Gas, Smog, and Venoshock) are one step more Effective. Gaseous Poison status moves (Poison Powder, Toxic) cannot miss.
Stage 4: Gained only through long-term exposure to Koffing fumes, fibrosis takes hold in the character's lungs as they grow the unfortunate purple which named the disease. The character is Poisoned, gets all of their Movement capabilities cut in half, -6 CS to Speed, -6 ranks in Athletics and Acrobatics, and -3 Accuracy. All gaseous Poison moves that deal damage (Clear Smog, Poison Gas, Smog, and Venoshock) are two steps more Effective. Gaseous Poison status moves (Poison Powder, Toxic) cannot miss.
Save DC Range: N/A
Cure: The best cure is prevention - just stay away from them. In the past there used to be no cure for Purple Lung, but advances in modern medicine and the study of healing waves have allowed for treatments that pass right through a subject's body to destroy the toxins collecting on their lungs - but the process can take days or even weeks, and it is painful both physically and financially.
Extra: Perhaps the only upside to the disease is that it does not worsen on its own - one can only advance to the next rank by breathing in more and more fumes.
Infection: Fortunately, the toxins of a Koffing are lighter than air and rise quickly once they leave the body, but they are still very potent when doing so. A character becomes infected with Purple Lung if they come within 1 meter of Koffing or Weezing, assuming they need to breathe. Treat this as a status attack (AC: 5, Range: Burst 1). A character can hold their breath while in melee range, but the strain causes a -2 Accuracy to all attacks.
Stage 1: The character comes down with a bad case of the sniffles and a rough cough, plus their eyes water easily in bright areas. The character gets -1 rank in Athletics and Acrobatics and have -1 Accuracy due to runny eyes.
Stage 2: The character's cough grows worse and their eyes grow even more painful and begin to crust due to lack of moisture. The character gets -1 to all Movement capabilities, -1 CS to Speed, -2 ranks in Athletics and Acrobatics, and -2 Accuracy.
Stage 3: The character's lungs become inflamed and even regular breathing becomes difficult as fatigue sets into the body. The character gets all of their Movement capabilities cut in half, -3 CS to Speed, -3 ranks in Athletics and Acrobatics, and -2 Accuracy. All gaseous Poison moves that deal damage (Clear Smog, Poison Gas, Smog, and Venoshock) are one step more Effective. Gaseous Poison status moves (Poison Powder, Toxic) cannot miss.
Stage 4: Gained only through long-term exposure to Koffing fumes, fibrosis takes hold in the character's lungs as they grow the unfortunate purple which named the disease. The character is Poisoned, gets all of their Movement capabilities cut in half, -6 CS to Speed, -6 ranks in Athletics and Acrobatics, and -3 Accuracy. All gaseous Poison moves that deal damage (Clear Smog, Poison Gas, Smog, and Venoshock) are two steps more Effective. Gaseous Poison status moves (Poison Powder, Toxic) cannot miss.
Save DC Range: N/A
Cure: The best cure is prevention - just stay away from them. In the past there used to be no cure for Purple Lung, but advances in modern medicine and the study of healing waves have allowed for treatments that pass right through a subject's body to destroy the toxins collecting on their lungs - but the process can take days or even weeks, and it is painful both physically and financially.
Extra: Perhaps the only upside to the disease is that it does not worsen on its own - one can only advance to the next rank by breathing in more and more fumes.
Soul Decay (Disease)
Soul Decay (Disease)
A Preta is a wretched creature whose soul has been rent asunder by nefarious happenstance. The leftover soulspark animates the cadaver, spurring it to consume the living in an attempt to regain a whole soul. Sufferers of Soul Decay can slowly feel their life being sapped away from them.
Infection: This can only be caught by humans when they are attacked by a Preta and blood is drawn, or if their fluids enter an open wound.
Stage 1: The target is Vulnerable (1.05) or Flinched (1.05 Errata) and cannot gain any temporary HP.
Stage 2: The target is Vulnerable (1.05) or Flinched (1.05 Errata) and cannot gain any temporary HP, plus the target’s attacks are all Resisted one step further.
Stage 3: The target dies and rises in 1d6 rounds as a Preta.
Save DC Range: 6-10
Cure: There is no known cure for Soul Decay, as it becomes dormant if the initial infection is survived. If the target dies for any reason while suffering from Soul Decay (dormant or not), they rise 1d6 rounds after death as a Preta. The only theory on reversing Soul Decay posits that reuniting one's soul to completion can cause it to fully pass on upon death, but this theory has yet to be proven correct. Any person whom is known to be infected should be immolated within a minute after dying, lest they rise again to spread their disease.
Infection: This can only be caught by humans when they are attacked by a Preta and blood is drawn, or if their fluids enter an open wound.
Stage 1: The target is Vulnerable (1.05) or Flinched (1.05 Errata) and cannot gain any temporary HP.
Stage 2: The target is Vulnerable (1.05) or Flinched (1.05 Errata) and cannot gain any temporary HP, plus the target’s attacks are all Resisted one step further.
Stage 3: The target dies and rises in 1d6 rounds as a Preta.
Save DC Range: 6-10
Cure: There is no known cure for Soul Decay, as it becomes dormant if the initial infection is survived. If the target dies for any reason while suffering from Soul Decay (dormant or not), they rise 1d6 rounds after death as a Preta. The only theory on reversing Soul Decay posits that reuniting one's soul to completion can cause it to fully pass on upon death, but this theory has yet to be proven correct. Any person whom is known to be infected should be immolated within a minute after dying, lest they rise again to spread their disease.
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