Can Clerics Cure Cancer?

[STARP_Social_Officer]

This discussion has gone past the Point of No Relevance...

 

[Sejs]

This discussion has gone past the Point of No Relevance...

That's what happens when paladins enter into the discussion. Heh, it's just One Of Those Things.

 

[saucercrab]

That's what happens when paladins enter into the discussion. Heh, it's just One Of Those Things.

So, in this thread, paladins are a cancer? Because they've functioned as a corruption, a contagion, of the original subject? Weird. Or ironic. :\

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Didn't notice this came up because of necrospamming. No point in leaving a response.

 

[Tony Vargas]

spam reported

Looks like a spam-bot necro'd the thread

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Kind of ironic...”Raise Thread” here.

 

[haakon1]

I asked Gary Gygax on here if it's possible to cure being development disabled with a spell. He said only Wish-type magic, not healing magic.

That said, I think Cure Disease should cure cancer . . . or certainly that Heal should work.

And Keoghtom's Ointment absolutely can in my game. It was named after a friend of Gary's who died young -- Tom Keogh, who Keoland in Greyhawk is also named after, according to Gary's bio -- so it definitely cures any fatal disease, in my game at least, in tribute to game's creator and his friend.

 

[Eltab]

You don't 'catch' cancer like you catch a cold - it develops pretty much on its own, though it can be stimulated by environment. I would have the same view about Alzheimers, or Parkinson's, or similar mental conditions.

Casting Cure disease might put cancer &c into remission. Over generations the clergy has learned what you have to do / avoid, to make it less likely that the cancer will come back. Or make circumstances very unfavorable for the cancer so the symptoms come back slowly and fainter.
This makes the spell an opportunity to get out of a pit but not a guaranteed result.

P.S. By coincidence, as I type this, the ad along the right-hand column on my screen says "We're not just fighting cancer. We're outsmarting it."

 

[Shasarak]

Considering exactly what Cleric spells can do the answer must be: Confirmed Clerics Can Cure Cancer.

 

[steeldragons]

Cancer is a disease. The spell is Cure Disease. Yes it cures cancer.

Additionally, it's 3rd level spell. There's aren't necessarily 5th or higher level casters running around making sure there's no disease anywhere on the planet. And, as noted in your original reasoning, cancer just kind of happens when/where it wants...so it's not like, even if you HAD 5th+ level casters everywhere in every community, keeping every single person disease free at all times...it's still going to occur and require healing.