Diseases
There are many perils a character will face throughout their lifetime—some more slow and insidious. When a character encounters a source of infection, they must roll a Save to avoid contracting a Disease. If they fail, they become infected.
Once a character has been infected by a Disease, it will enter gestation. Each Disease has a different gestation length, ranging from several days to several weeks, at the end of which the infected character must repeat the Save. Depending on their roll, the Disease may worsen or recover. The severity of a Disease is measured in stages. Each stage comes with intensifying debuffs and symptoms.
The Disease progresses based on the Save result:
- Catastrophic (below DC by 5 or more; disease progresses two stages)
- Failure (below DC; disease progresses one stage)
- Success (equal, or above DC; disease does not progress)
- Breakthrough (above DC by 5 or more; character is cured)
A player can avoid rolling their Save by undertaking a Recovery Project and using Medicine (#) equal to the Disease’s stage. At the end of the Recovery , they are automatically cured.
Some examples of common Diseases are:
Rashes
Transmission: Bacterial infection, contact with poison, contact with the infected.
Save: Might (DC 11)
Gestation: 3 days; appearance of itchy, inflamed rashes across body.
- Stage Increase (1+ week): Above symptom worsens.
- The infected counts as having 1 less DR.
Digestive Issues
Transmission: Consuming rotten or uncooked food, drinking unclean water.
Save: Might (DC 14)
Gestation: 3 days; stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, spasm of the entrails.
- Stage Increase (1+ week): The symptoms worsen.
- The infected restores 1 less Fatigue when resting.
Infected Wound
Transmission: Leaving Minor, Moderate, or Major wounds untreated; resting with wounds.
Save: Might (DC 14)
Gestation: 3 days; pus, reddening around wound, intensifying pain, darkening veins.
- Stage Increase (3+ days): The symptoms worsen.
- The infected wound deepens. If the wound is Major, its Overkill increases by 1 stage.