Malady Codex IV Malady Codex IV Diseases of

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by Jason Bakos & Themis Paraskevas Diseases of Icewind Dale Malady Codex IV

To all scholars and medical scientists; Introduction This manual is a catalog of the most fantastical This supplement is written by medical students with a love diseases I have encountered over the years for tabletop roleplaying games. Inspired by a wide array in my travels. I have met tyrants, conversed of ailments, and the medieval myths that once surrounded them, we embarked on a mission: to enrich other worlds with madmen, and barely escaped with my with fantastic diseases. life from rather precarious situations, all for the sake of knowledge. The experiences I Herein are presented a plethora of diseases, varying from magical to microbiological in origin. This time, they all have gained cannot be simply captured by my feature themes related to the frozen lands of Icewind Dale humble writing skills, so in hopes of leaving and are inspired by the diseases that trouble those who behind something truly worth reading, I'll just travel the coldest, harshest environments. do what I can best: describe the maladies I've We feel that every disease is something to be feared. Deep encountered. in each civilization’s roots, there are myths, remedies, I am Acesius, a man who has spent his life and folklore, all revolving around the ailments that affect its people. This supplement will hopefully become a vital studying the humanoid body. I am a cleric of weapon in the arsenal of dungeon masters inspired by the Apollo, one who has met gods and, in my grim, epic, or mundane conditions of the human body and prime, helped bring one down. As I settle mind. down, too tired from old age to continue with Do not underestimate diseases. Part of the dungeon my adventuring habits, I write this to present master’s art is to be able to stir feelings up in their players, a portfolio of the most common magical and there are few human conditions that could accomplish diseases that sailors might encounter in their that better than illness. Used as a way to advance a travels. It is my belief that every reader who storyline, to expand a character arc, or to incite conflict, the following stories can serve you well, but be warned! is interested in the more... fantastical of the Use them too much, and they might lose their value. ailments that trouble us all should be aware of 2 Also bear in mind that these diseases are not simply them. This is the reason I continue to write this a way to add mechanical complexity to your game. A Codex of Maladies. paladin, a monk, and a cleric will have powers to overcome these maladies, but can one cleric heal a whole country plagued by a dragon’s toxic fumes? Try to focus on the worldbuilding and roleplaying elements that a disease can How to Handle Diseases bring to the table. Imagine describing a town plagued by a Contrary to the heading, this is not a guide for medical wave of sickness; bring to life a dragonborn whose scales professionals. Here, we offer a few insights on how to are falling out one by one. Those evocative scenes are handle the maladies presented in this codex. They were what we hope this book can provide.As for the locations designed to be storytelling tools. Feel free to modify them described in this supplement, bear in mind that they are as you wish, adapting them to fit your style and your intentionally generic and intended to be placed as your worlds. To fulfil their duty as story tools, however, they needs require. have to have a mechanical aspect to them, as this is a game after all. This element is also highly adaptable. While we This is a toolset for the dungeon master. There is no need offer recommendations on how to infect creatures, on the to limit the utility of the tools we provide, so we kept them symptoms they present with, and on how to cure diseases, open ended and without boundaries. Explore the ideas we insist that you take these with a grain of salt. The presented here; include them in your own words, alter biggest change you should think about making depends on existing locations of known settings, or just use them for your players. If you have paladins, clerics, or monks in your one-shots! The possibilities are endless, and that is part of party, don’t forget that their classes have been designed why we play this game. We hope you enjoy. to give them an edge against all kinds of ailments. Don’t take this away from them; encourage them. There are few things more satisfactory to a player than to suddenly realize that their high-level monk is immune to a disease, Samplesaving them and proving how thefile long hours the character has spent perfecting their art was worth it.

Diseases of Icewind Dale Malady Codex IV

Apply a similar line of thought to healing. In this edition of A disclaimer is, of course, mandatory here. We do not the game, we feel that the rules have been intentionally left assume that every party will metagame. We do not also vague regarding the relationship between healing magic condemn it, as it is a valuable part of the game in some and lasting diseases. Below, we present a short list of tools ways. We are just trying to help DMs who may find that can be used to cure a disease, and, when describing themselves in a situation where, for any reason, meta- each one, we suggest a way to get rid of it. Ultimately, it is gaming could hinder the experience they are trying to up to you as the DM to decide whether or not a paladin’s provide through the use of a disease. It is also worth noting Lay on Hands works, or if the disease is so powerful that it that sometimes it ist within the bounds of reason and can only be dealt with using a special remedy. gaming etiquette for the player to assume they have been infected. Just imagine the typical scene of a nurse or a doctor in real life, accidentally getting themselves pierced How to Handle Infection by a needle that was used to draw blood from a patient. We must now discuss an unfortunate truth: players At that point, it’s not metagaming. It’s common sense to metagame. When one of the player characters is injured or assume you have been infected. comes in contact with an infectious source, the DM must ask for a corresponding saving throw. Once they fail it, it’s no tall task for the player to put two and two together and How to Live with Infection figure out that their character may have been infected with A sailor’s life is tough. Each and every day, mariners might a disease. At that point, the players will do everything in find themselves in life-or-death situations, and they have their power to cure the disease, casting spells and calling to prove themselves worthy of being on board. This makes in favors from paladins who can lay their hands on them disease a minor but cumulative aspect of a sailor’s life. and rid them of their ailment. This presents a problem They have accept the danger and learned to live with it. both for the DM, who wants to use the disease, but also This should not mean that chronic diseases such as those for the narrative, as it gets disrupted by this instance we are describing do not impact the whole ship. Ships of metagaming. We have gathered a few ideas that we make perfect environments for epidemics due to the close believe can help you deal with this phenomenon. It’s also contact of people, and poor hygiene. An outbreak could noteworthy that these could help you in other aspects of kill half of the crew and leave the other half unable to the game where the players could be prone to act on meta command the vessel, leading them to certain death. Thus, knowledge. each ship has at least one qualified medic. One would 3 1. Ask the players to make a Perception check. If they fail, argue that a ship without a captain could end its journey, roll a Constitution saving throw for them, as they didn’t but the lack of a physician would surely doom the voyage. notice the source of infection. This usually works for Realism is an important part of the Malady series. Keep smaller things, such as the bite of an insect. (We advise in mind that even if diseases have never before been that you write the incident down and keep the folded implemented at your table, they have existed in your note somewhere visible, so as to avoid any confusion fantasy world since the beginning of time. Both PCs and that might arise 5 sessions later.) Similarly, have them NPCs have seen their relatives die from maladies. A roll a Medicine check to see if they know of the disease. character might begin their journey already infected with 2. Do not inform them about the outcome of the said a disease that is slowly killing them, and they’re trying saving throw. to hide it from their companions until they finish their quest. Your medieval society might be cruel and define a 3. Do not let them heal a disease their character would person by a disease they are carrying. A character might be not be suspicious of. deemed useless if they break their leg, and be left to die on 4. Use different spells to cure different diseases. Lesser a mountain. But, as always, we have added a more light- Restoration just might not be enough. hearted malady that would be suitable for any table. 5. Have every player with the potential to be exposed to the disease in this session roll a saving throw at a different time, such as the beginning. Write down the results and explain that this is to not give away the preciseSample moment of “an event”. file

Diseases of Icewind Dale Malady Codex IV

I pity the fool who underestimates the sheer Example power of the cold. Nature is harsh and The following should serve as a template for the disease unforgiving. Do not forget that in your travels. you are about to read. Acesius’ Note Introduction to the disease Real life reference Frostbite Frostbite is the archetypical ailment that plagues the travelers of icy landscapes and frozen wastelands. It is the rigins easiest way to be defeated by these elements, and it is the O one disease all travelers know and fear. How it came to be. What caused this specific disease to become a threat? There isn’t much need for an explanation on this malady. Just like its real life counterpart, frostbite is sneaky and dangerous. If travelers aren’t careful with protective auses measures against the cold, they could easily lose C extremities, limbs, or even their lives. We think this should How does it spread from one creature to another? be true for most worlds, both in fantasy and reality. How does one become infected? ymptoms Origins S Frostbite is a disease known to all civilizations, but those What does it look like? inhabiting the Great North have been fighting against its What does a patient experience? grasp since the beginning of time. A fool’s disease, ready to claim the arms and legs of those who do not respect the 4 power of the tundra. The tribes inhabiting the Great North Diagnosis have learned to live with the fear of being frostbitten and How do you detect that someone is infected with this? protect themselves. Nevertheless, frostbite has been their defense against southern invaders plenty of times. Cure How is a patient cured of this disease? Causes What can others do to help? Creatures affected by the extreme cold rule (see DMG, chapter 5, Wilderness Survival) are automatically frostbitten. Whenever the temperature is at or below 0 Plot Hooks degrees Fahrenheit, a creature exposed to the cold must How is this disease best used by the DM? succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically succeed on the saving throw, as do creatures wearing Credits cold weather gear (thick coats, gloves, and the like) and creatures naturally adapted to cold climates. Authors: Jason Bakos, Themis Paraskevas Editor: John Parker Layout Artist: Anja Svare Cover Artist: Daemmon Arts InteriorSample Art: Dean Spencer. Fil Kearney file

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, , , , the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2019 by Jason Bakos & Themis Paraskevas and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. Diseases of Icewind Dale Malady Codex IV Symptoms Diagnosis This disease is a ticking clock, a race against time. Once Diagnosis of this disease is easy for creatures inhabiting a creature becomes frostbitten, it manifests additional cold environments. Any such creature with proficiency in symptoms every 4 hours, according to the progression Medicine or Survival automatically understands the nature stages presented below. The most exposed part or parts of the disease and the way to cure it. If these criteria are of the body are affected. That is usually either the leg, the not met, a creature must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom hand, or the fingers. (Medicine or Survival) check. Stage 1 The affected skin becomes cold and red, and the creature Cure feels a prickling sensation. The treatment for this disease is different for each stage and only creatures proficient in Medicine or Survival know Stage 2 about the whitebloom and debridement treatments. The skin becomes pale and a numbing sensation kicks in. If a leg is affected, the creature’s speed becomes 15 feet. Rewarming: (stages 1 - 2) If a hand is affected, the creature has disadvantage on Properly rewarming the affected extremity and protecting weapon attacks using that hand. it with cloths stops the progression of the disease at its current stage. The symptoms remain for 2 days and Stage 3 blisters appear. After that, the symptoms go away. The skin becomes white and covered with ice. The creature can barely move the affected extremity and any Whitebloom: (stages 1 - 3) movement causes pain. If a leg is affected, the creature’s The nectar of this flower increases blood flow and slows speed becomes 5 feet, and for every 100 feet it walks, it progression of the disease. Instead of progressing every takes 5 piercing damage. If a hand is affected, the creature 4 hours, 1 dose of whitebloom tea reduces the disease cannot use it to attack or perform somatic components. progress to every 8 hours instead. Debridement: (stage 3) Stage 4 5 The skin becomes black as the flesh dies. The affected Careful removal of dying flesh can reduce the disease to extremity is beyond saving and cannot be controlled by the stage 2, allowing rewarming to work. This operation takes creature. 1 hour and the administering creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom (Medicine) check and have the necessary equipment (scalpels, gauzes, etc.). Whitebloom Tea Preparation. To acquire whitebloom, one must venture into the tundra, where the beautiful flower blooms as it is nurtured from the snow. If a creature explores a frosty terrain in hopes of finding whitebloom flowers, it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check. If you want to make this even harder to find, roll a d10 and only allow the creature to stumble upon the flower on a roll of 3 or below. A dose of whitebloom tea is a simple concoction prepared by steeping five whitebloom flowers in a cup of freshly boiled water. Plot Hooks This disease is the bread and butter of campaigns that take place in cold habitats. Be it the icy wastelands of the Material Plane or the frozen layer of Bator, the cold is merciless, and this malady drives the point home. Use it to remind characters that survival is, well, survival, and not Samplejust a game for adventurers to fileplay. Alternatively, use it as a plot device, introducing NPCs afflicted with the ailment and offering rewards or information in exchange for the whitebloom flower, which they desperately need but can’t find themselves. Diseases of Icewind Dale Malady Codex IV Any mortal creature, even those most suited to the tundra, will eventually succumb to the cold. Stage 1 The creature’s body tries to manage the extreme cold and It is a rule of our very existence that energy is instinctively tries to preserve its head. Its skin becomes needed for heat, and for those who run out of cold, its heart beats faster and its respiratory rate increases energy sources, warmth becomes a luxury. dramatically, meaning it breathes faster and shallower. The most obvious symptom is shivering. Stage 2 The creature’s body can no longer regulate its temperature. Hypothermia The creature’s heart beats slowly and its mental status These rules for hypothermia should complement those for changes. The creature automatically fails all Wisdom extreme cold (see DMG, chapter 5, Wilderness Survival), and Intelligence checks and saving throws as it becomes and together with frostbite, create harsh rules for harsh confused and lethargic, or sleepy. Visual hallucinations environments. Use them wisely and they will treat you well may or may not be present. as storytelling tools. Stage 3 Hypothermia is defined as the lowering of the body’s core temperature below a certain threshold, which starts to affect The creature stops breathing and its heart stops beating. Its bodily functions. It is caused by extreme cold or from a body temperature equalizes to its environment as it dies. dysregulation of the body’s ability to control its temperature. For the purposes of this Codex, we focus on the first cause, but feel free to be inspired by the second as well. Diagnosis Diagnosing hypothermia is relatively easy for most humanoids as it is present even in urban environments. Origins With a successful DC 10 Survival or Medicine check, Hypothermia is the deadliest plague in arctic a creature can learn how to cure the disease as well as environments. Slowly but surely, it steals the heat of a understand its progression and nature. creature’s body and makes it unable to move and think. 6 The latter is the most dangerous as those whose mentality is altered cannot care for themselves or try to find shelter, Cure dooming themselves to a cold death. Rewarming Bringing a creature suffering from hypothermia to a hot environment and covering it with layers of clothes can stop Causes the progression of the disease. The symptoms remain for Hypothermia kicks in when the following two conditions 24 hours as it slowly recovers. are met. First, the creature must suffer from the effects of extreme cold, resulting in at least one level of exhaustion. Hot Chocolate - Tea Second, the creature must have at least 3 levels of exhaustion. Either of these warm beverages or their traditional varieties that can be found in the north help with For each of the following factors a creature meets, the hypothermia. A rewarmed creature that drinks a cup will required exhaustion level is decreased by 1 to a minimum recover in 12 hours instead. of 1. 1) Child or infant. 2) Elderly and/or severely sick. Plot Hooks The cold is unforgiving, as you might have guessed by now 3) Intoxicated (by alcohol or similar substances that alter while reading this book. This disease is another aspect mentation). of the dangers you can use to challenge adventurers who 4) Prolonged exposure in an icy environment without travel the tundra. However, hypothermia can also serve protective gear or clothing. as a reminder of the dangers they face. For example, they discover a frozen band of travelers, whose cold, dead Samplebodies portray a scene of confusionfile and disorientation. Symptoms Imagine the quest that can start as the characters discover The symptoms progress through the following stages each a message or magic item in their cold dead hands. hour or until the creature is treated. The progression is not Remember, it’s ok to use fantasy tropes sometimes. They halted by removing exhaustion points. are cliché because they work. Diseases of Icewind Dale Malady Codex IV

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Diseases of Icewind Dale