Afflictions
Afflictions are things that make life harder for your character in some ways. They introduce flavor and intrigue into how a character is. These can be taken at any time willingly by a player unless specified in the description. Afflictions can also be bestowed on a character either through massive damage, curses, or other means through the course of a campaign. Most of these effects are permanent unless removed with a break-enchantment spell, in the case of magically induced ones; or a Cure Affliction spell/effect. Temporary effects often turn into a permanent effect. You will see mention of conditions in other pages, those are similar to afflictions but always self correct and last for very limited amounts of time.
| Name | Applicable Cure Method |
|---|---|
| Curse | Remove Curse, Break Enchantment, and/or Wish |
| Injury | Remove Injury, Restoration, Heal, and/or Heal Skill Check (See entry), and/or Wish |
| Genetic | Wish |
| Disease | Remove Disease, Greater Restoration, Panacea, and/or Wish |
| Wound | Medicinal Mending, Heal Skill Check (See Entry), and/or Wish |
Types
There are several types of afflictions and their chances which can be cured, how, or if they can even be cured at all. All afflictions can be applied from a spell, in which case their type because Curse. Refer to the list below for more information
Curse
These are bestowed with the "Bestow Curse" Spell any non-wound affliction can be applied to a target with this spell. No matter which is applied, the curse curing methods can be used. A good example of a famous curse would be Lycanthropy.
Disease
Any affliction caused by pathogens, magical or otherwise, fall into this category. This does not include diseases that stem from a person's own body. When a disease is given, pick the appropriate disease based afflictions and apply them all. A good example of a disease would be Influenza (which would fall under Sickly - Respiratory)
Genetic
These are taken at character creation, and cannot be cured with anything less than a wish spell. A Genetic affliction is part of the character's design. These typically would take the form of auto-immune disease, genetic disorders, and other things that the body does poorly. When a Genetic affliction is chosen, pick the appropriate afflictions and apply them all. A good example would be Sarcoidosis (All three “Sickly” afflictions and Bad Joints).
Injury
When a wound becomes permanent it is an injury. Some things bypass the wound category and go straight into injury. Injuries require time to recover but can be healed with non-magical means. A good example is a broken leg that was set wrong. Heal Skill DCs are specific to the injury, some require surgery.
Wound
Whenever a creature is critically hit there is a 50% chance they are threatened with a wound. If they creature loses the 50% chance they must roll a fortitude save against their wound DC (12 + HD - Con Mod) on a failure they will be bestowed a wound that fits the situation best.
Curse
While any affliction can be applied as a curse, below are the afflictions that are exclusively curses.
Lycanthropy
Your character has a trigger that turns them into an especially vicious animal.
Effect: Allows the use of Lycanthropy abilities. These abilities are usable regardless of remaining uses per day, during the full moon. Gain 5/silver damage reduction; this increases to 10/silver at level 12. If damaged with a silver weapon, the damage dice from the silver weapon is doubled. Without training and time to adapt, your character will attack all living creatures on sight during a triggering event. E.g. a Full Moon, Noon-Time Sun, and many other potential triggers. Fire spells that affect the lycanthrope panic them for 5 rounds. After the panic wears off, fire spells will not cause panic again for 24 hours. All lycanthropes become carnivore obligates. Failure to eat regularly can drive them to attack randomly, allies included.
Special: This must be bestowed by the DM or taken as a secondary definition at character creation. Cannot be cured with anything less than a Wish.
Vampirism
Your character has been afflicted with vampire. They have died and risen again as blood-thirsty undead.
Effect: Gain the monstrous definition of "Undead." Your character will gain +2 Strength and +4 Charisma. They will gain a gaze attack that automatically charms anyone who makes eye contact. DC is Charisma-based. A Vampire will take 40d6 fire damage (this already figured in their weakness to fire, do not increase damage dice) per round if its skin comes into direct contact with sunlight. It is not possible for a vampire to have fire immunity or resistance. If there is sufficient cover available a reflex save can be made to get under cover. A vampire cannot enter any private structure without the expressed permission of the owner, it is not possible. The scent of garlic will cause a vampire to be nauseated if within 10 feet of it.
Special - This has to either be bestowed on a character by the DM during a campaign or taken as a secondary definition. This curse can also only be cured with a Wish.
Diseases
Addiction
Your character has become dependent on a chemical substance.
Effect: Once addicted you no longer get any positive effects from that substance, only the negative effects. If you do not get a dose of the substance within 24 hours your character will take a -1 to all rolls, this penalty will increase by one every day for 5 days. The maximum penalty will remain until they get a dose of the substance or are cured of their addiction.
Special: Addictions can go away on their own, but it takes 30 days of not using the substance.
Infection
Your character has a cut or open wound that has become infected
Effect: Every day the creature must roll a fortitude save against their Wound DC. Three successes in a row and the infection will go away. Every failure deals 1 constitution damage to the afflicted creature. Three failures in a row and the wound becomes gangrenous and the disease turns into Sepsis.
Heal Skill: A heal DC of 22 is required to treat an infection. Treating an infection will remove the effect of a failed save and offer the afflicted creature a +5 circumstance bonus on their next roll.
Sepsis
A creature with sepsis has developed an infection of their whole body causing immense pain and difficulties for the afflicted creature.
Effect: Septic creatures suffer 1 con damage every hour while afflicted with this disease. On top of this constitution damage, the afflicted creature will not be able to move and will collapse and remain barely conscious.
Heal Skill: Amputating a limb if the source of the sepsis is a heal DC of 24. Curing the sepsis required an elite healing kit and has a DC of 40.
General
This contains afflictions that fit in multiple categories. There will be a short list under the name of the affliction to know where they would apply.
Bad Joints
(Injury, Genetic, or Disease)
Your character's joints are stiff causing pain, discomfort, and a lack of mobility.
Effect: Your character takes a -2 inherent penalty on Reflex saves, Acrobatics, Balance, Escape Artist, Move Silently, and Sleight of Hand
Heal Skill: A bad joint caused by an injury can be healed with a DC 22 heal check and a week of recovery.
Blindness
Through one method or another, your character's eyes have been damaged rendering your character unable to see.
Effect: Your character cannot see, without blind-sight or tremor-sense they will be completely flat-footed to all foes. If they know what square an opponent is in there is always a 50% miss chance. Spot checks are impossible. Investigate checks gain a -8 circumstance penalty.
Special: the spell Cure Blindness, or a potion of it, are the only ways to cure Blindness.
Sickly - Circulatory
(Genetic or Disease)
Your Character has trouble with their heart, blood flow, and other issues that might make them tired or anemic from time to time.
Effect: Your character's constitution modifier cannot be higher than +2 while sick in this manner. They also get a -2 inherent penalty on saves related to any bleed effect.
Sickly - Poor-Immunity
(Genetic or Disease)
Your character has trouble with their immune system. This is either due to auto-immune disease or one that just doesn't work well.
Effect: Your character's constitution modifier cannot be higher than +2 while sick in this manner. They also get a -2 inherent penalty on saves related to disease and poison.
Sickly - Respiratory
(Genetic or Disease)
Your character is constantly coughing, wheezing, having trouble breathing in one way or another.
Effect: Your character cannot move at a rushed pace on a long journey. During combat if your character uses the Run action for 2 rounds in a row, or more they will become fatigued for 10 minutes, this also applies to any strenuous activity. E.g. lifting a boulder. If any strenuous activity is done within this 10 minute period they will become exhausted for an hour. All movement speeds are reduced by 10 ft.
Sterility
(Injury, Genetic, or Disease)
Your character has been rendered, one way or another, unable to breed.
Effect: No specific effects to the character's rolls are incurred. It can affect social or political responsibilities.
Heal Skill: In cases where the person's genitals aren't destroyed by an injury, a heal DC 30 can be attempted to perform the necessary surgery to repair their anatomy.
Genetic
Albinism/Leucism
Your character's body does not produce the correct skin pigmentation to protect the skin and eyes from sunlight.
Effect: Your character takes a -1 penalty to ranged attacks and a -2 penalty to spot checks in sunlight. This can be mitigated with light-reducing glasses/goggles. If a character with Albinism/Leucism isn't sufficiently covered up in the sunlight, they will become sickened after an hour for 24 hours.
Special: This can only be taken at character creation, or bestowed as a curse.
Injury
Amnesia
Permanent memory loss.
Effect: Your character loses some memories of their past, and some of their skills. It takes time for them to discover everything they were good at. For 1 week they take a -2 to all rolls. After this, the penalty goes away, but their memories will not come back.
Special: If cure with a break-enchantment, cure affliction, or through a wish the user will have a rush of memories that will leave them elated. This will give them a +2 to all rolls for 1 week. This may only occur once in a character's life.
Heal Skill: Heal skill cannot be used to cure Amnesia.
Crippled, Arm
An old injury has made the afflicted creature's arm stiff, painful, sluggish, or otherwise less effective than it normally would be.
Effect: With this injury the creature will suffer a -1 penalty if the weapon arm is crippled, a -1 AC to shield bonus if the shield arm is effective, and grant a constant 5% chance to fail a spell with somatic components.
Crippled, Leg
An old injury has made the afflicted creature's leg stiff, painful, sluggish or otherwise less effective thant it normally would be.
Effect: With this injury the creature will suffer a -5 ft. penalty to to their movement and a -1 circumstance penalty to reflex saves.
Disfigured
In one way or another an aspect of the creature has been disfigured from an injury or disease.
Effect: Disfiguring makes a character more distinguished for better or for worse. Creatures with disfigured usually have a -2 circumstance penalty to diplomacy and disguise and a +2 circumstance bonus to intimidate. Other configurations are possible, always have a -4 circumstance penalty to skills and, if it makes sense, a +2 circumstance bonus to saves.
Hamstrung
A severed Achilles tendon
Effect: Your character's movement speed is reduced by 15 ft per round, so long as they have a crutch. Your character cannot run, jump, climb, swim, or do anything that would typically require both legs.
Paranoia
Your Character has is deeply suspicious, specifically to the point of creating their own enemies or being their own worst enemy.
Effect: When using Discern Intent you will sometimes get a false negative or positive regardless of the result and your own thoughts and illusions will become what you fervently believe is real. Sometimes, around 20% of the time, noises and sounds you hear will trigger fear responses causing your character to become shaken. Your character takes a -5 penalty to will saves against Illusions spells.
Wound
Whenever a creature is critically hit there is a 50% chance they are threatened with a wound. If they creature loses the 50% chance they must roll a fortitude save against their wound DC (12 + HD - Con Mod) on a failure they will be bestowed a wound that fits the situation best.
Broken Bone, Arm
A fracture on an arm or shoulder
Effect: That arm cannot be used effectively. A shield's effectiveness in that arm has a -5 Penalty but cannot drop the shield bonus below 0. Any Weapon swung with a broken arm suffers a -5 penalty to attack. Any spell requiring somatic components have a 25% chance to fail and waste the spell slot.
Special: Broken bones always happen when dropped to -1 hp with a bludgeoning weapon. The broken arm will heal automatically in 2 weeks. A Heal check DC 15 can be done to reduce t his time to one week and prevent an injury.
Broken Bone, Leg
A fracture on any part of the legs and hips.
Effect: The leg becomes extremely painful to put pressure on this reduces the character's land speed to 10 ft. They cannot run while they have a broken leg. The affected takes a -2 to reflex saves.
Special: Broken bones always happen when dropped to -1 hp with a bludgeoning weapon. The broken leg will heal automatically in 2 weeks. A Heal check DC 15 can be done to reduce this time to one week and prevent an injury.
Broken Bone. Rib
A fracture on the torso, usually the ribs
Effect: A broken rib makes it painful to breathe. This injury is not life-threatening but does prevent the user from running, grappling, shoving, trampling, riding a mount, or swimming.
Special: Broken bones always happen when dropped to -1 hp with a bludgeoning weapon. The broken leg will heal automatically in 2 weeks. There is no treatment for this injury.
Deep Gash
From a slashing or piercing weapon you have been cut far deeper than a flesh wound typical in combat.
Effect: Your character will bleed out 1 hp per round if unconscious and 5 hp per round if conscious.
Details: This always occurs if dropped to -1 hp from slashing or piercing damage. The bleeding will stop after 5 minutes or when any healing spell is applied. The wound can easily reopen due to any violent movements, even if a healing spell was used. Examples of violent movements would be something like falling over, swinging a weapon, grappling, etc... A Heal check DC 15 can be used to bind and stitch the wound preventing it from reopening. If untreated the Deep Gash will heal on its own in 1 week. If it turns into an injury it turns into a disease, typically an infection.
Deep Gash, Severe
From a slashing or piercing weapon a grievously serious wound has been opened on the victim.
Effect: Creatures afflicted with a severe deep gast takes 2d6+5 bleeding damage per round. This is reduced to 2d6 damage per round when unconscious.
Details: This type of injury will not close on its own and needs to be stitched shut with a DC 25 heal check, or a close wound effect. Sufficiently violent or strenuous movements taken while afflicted with a severe deep gash has a 50% chance to reduce the characters to 0 hp and render them unconscious.
Internal Bleeding, Severe
Your character has had something occur that has ruptured blood vessels inside their body with no external wounds.
Effect: The character will continually take 2d6 damage. A Heal check DC 18 is needed to even detect this. Once the character reaches 0 HP they will faint. 5 rounds after this they will die unless Close Wound is cast. These wounds kill too quick for any practical heal check.
Shatter Bone, Arm
The complete mangling of a creature's arm.
Effect: The effected limb of the creature will become completely disabled. They will not be able to use their weapon, shield, or focus if it is being wielded in the shattered arm. Creatures with a shattered arm will become stifled for 1d4 rounds due to the pain of the injury. Spell casting is disabled until the shattered bone is fixed.
Details: An unhealed shattered bone will result in a crippled limb injury. There is no way to heal a shattered limb with a skill, and it must be fixed with close wound. A bone becomes shattered when a previously broken bone is targeted further.
Shatter Bone, Leg
The complete mangling of a creature's leg.
Effect: The effected limb of the creature will become completely disabled. They will move at 5 ft. per round at most and suffer a -5 penalty to reflex saves. Creatures with a shattered leg will become stifled for 1d4 rounds due to the pain of the injury.
Details: An unhealed shattered bone will result in a crippled limb injury. There is no way to heal a shattered limb with a skill, and it must be fixed with close wound. A bone becomes shattered when a previously broken bone is targeted further.
Shatter Bone, Rib
The shattering of multiple ribs or the sternum of a creature.
Effect: The affected creature will receive a life-threatening injury that makes breathing very difficult. They will be reduced to standard or move actions per round. Engaging in any movement or action deemed sufficiently violent or strenuous the subject will take 1 point of constitution damage per round engaged in those activities. These activities also have a 50% chance to cause severe internal bleeding.
Details: Unhealed shattered ribs will result in the crippled torso injury. There is no way to heal shattered ribs with a skill, and it must be fixed with close wound. A bone becomes shattered when a previously broken bone is targeted further.
Traumatized
Your character has been through an extremely stressful situation that has left them mentally scarred.
Effect: Whatever evokes the fear response that throws the character back into their experience will cause them to be panicked. This can be reduced to shaken if a Will save equal to the 10+HD is made.
Special: Only curable through desensitization therapy.