Contagion victim can pass disease on?

[Tatsukun]

So I’m making mid to long-term evil plans for my campaign (I’m Dm).

So, if someone casts “contagion” on someone, the initial DC is the normal DC for that level of spell, and the secondary DC is the one listed in the PHB.

Here’s the question, can the victim then pass the disease to others? If so, what is the DC, and how much contact is required to force a save? One round? One day?

I bet you can all see where I’m going with this, but please don’t just tell me to hand wave it. I know I can do that, but I’m wondering if there is any RAW about this.

Thanks all!

-Tatsu

 

[Hypersmurf]

Here’s the question, can the victim then pass the disease to others?

Bizarre - I haven't even thought about disease rules in months, and I've never really looked at the Contagion spell.

And yet earlier this afternoon, I was trying to figure out if someone infected by a disease via Contagion could pass it on to others!

My initial thought was that unless it's a 'contact' or 'inhalation' disease, probably not - injury-type disease doesn't sound contagious, and ingested-type is probably only transmittable if you have an infected person preparing food...

-Hyp.

 

[Kelleris]

Bizarre - I haven't even thought about disease rules in months, and I've never really looked at the Contagion spell.

And yet earlier this afternoon, I was trying to figure out if someone infected by a disease via Contagion could pass it on to others!

My initial thought was that unless it's a 'contact' or 'inhalation' disease, probably not - injury-type disease doesn't sound contagious, and ingested-type is probably only transmittable if you have an infected person preparing food...

But nothing in the nature of the spell per se renders the inflicted disease noncontagious, right?

 

[Hypersmurf]

But nothing in the nature of the spell per se renders the inflicted disease noncontagious, right?

No, not at all. It's an instantaneous spell; they are 'a person with cackle fever' (or whatever). It behaves like cackle fever normally does - if the disease is normally contagious, it's contagious.

I'd be inclined to say that the save DC is as normal for the disease for anyone who is subsequently infected, though, since they aren't the target of the spell.

-Hyp.

 

[Orm]

Don´t forget the incubation period for subsequent infections. Time enough to search some healing.

Orm

 

[Tarangil]

So I’m making mid to long-term evil plans for my campaign (I’m Dm).

Here’s the question, can the victim then pass the disease to others? If so, what is the DC, and how much contact is required to force a save? One round? One day?

-Tatsu

Contagion wouldn't be much of a Contagion if it couldn't be spread eh?

I'd say Hypersmurf nailed that one there.

 

[Tatsukun]

Sounds good, but how long does NPC-A have to be in contact with NPC-B to have to make a save? One round within 30'? One minute of close (5') contact?

Is there a rule somewhere I'm missing?

-Tatsu

P.S> I'm strangly honored to have been pondering teh same rule as Hyp ! Hmm, maybe I need to go out more... ;-)

 

[dcollins]

SRD says this:

When a character is injured by a contaminated attack, touches an item smeared with diseased matter, or consumes disease-tainted food or drink, he must make an immediate Fortitude saving throw.

Now, just hanging around with a diseased person doesn't actually count for any of these criteria.

My instinct would be that if you'd need to be around a diseased person for at least a day to encounter a signficant chance of getting infected. (Mostly springing off the 1st Ed. rule here.)

 

[frankthedm]

1. Caster touches them as part of the spell or after holding the charge.
2. Vitim fails save, suffers effect of disease [skipping incubation time] and becomes as contagious as the disease's victim would normally be.


The victim of a disease is certainly diseased matter after incubation. Slimey doom is D&D's Dire Ebola & Mummy rot is everything leprosy was feared to be and more. Someone infected with a contact disease is a danger to king and country and if characters treat diseases as blase' as they do normal injuries they deserve to spread a plague.

DISEASE

When a character is injured by a contaminated attack touches an item smeared with diseased matter, or consumes disease-tainted food or drink, he must make an immediate Fortitude saving throw. If he succeeds, the disease has no effect—his immune system fought off the infection. If he fails, he takes damage after an incubation period. Once per day afterward, he must make a successful Fortitude saving throw to avoid repeated damage. Two successful saving throws in a row indicate that he has fought off the disease and recovers, taking no more damage.

These Fortitude saving throws can be rolled secretly so that the player doesn’t know whether the disease has taken hold. see below
Disease Descriptions

Diseases have various symptoms and are spread through a number of vectors. The characteristics of several typical diseases are summarized on Table: Diseases and defined below.

Disease: Diseases whose names are printed in italic in the table are supernatural in nature. The others are extraordinary.

Infection: The disease’s method of delivery—ingested, inhaled, via injury, or contact. Keep in mind that some injury diseases may be transmitted by as small an injury as a flea bite and that most inhaled diseases can also be ingested (and vice versa).

DC: The Difficulty Class for the Fortitude saving throws to prevent infection (if the character has been infected), to prevent each instance of repeated damage, and to recover from the disease.

Incubation Period: The time before damage begins.

Damage: The ability damage the character takes after incubation and each day afterward.

Types of Diseases: Typical diseases include the following:

Blinding Sickness: Spread in tainted water.

Cackle Fever: Symptoms include high fever, disorientation, and frequent bouts of hideous laughter. Also known as “the shrieks.”

Demon Fever: Night hags spread it. Can cause permanent ability drain.

Devil Chills: Barbazu and pit fiends spread it. It takes three, not two, successful saves in a row to recover from devil chills.

Filth Fever: Dire rats and otyughs spread it. Those injured while in filthy surroundings might also catch it.

Mindfire: Feels like your brain is burning. Causes stupor.

Mummy Rot: Spread by mummies. Successful saving throws do not allow the character to recover (though they do prevent damage normally).

Red Ache: Skin turns red, bloated, and warm to the touch.

The Shakes: Causes involuntary twitches, tremors, and fits.

Slimy Doom: Victim turns into infectious goo from the inside out. Can cause permanent ability drain.

Table: Diseases
Disease Infection DC Incubation Damage
Blinding sickness Ingested 16 1d3 days 1d4 Str1
Cackle fever Inhaled 16 1 day 1d6 Wis
Demon fever Injury 18 1 day 1d6 Con2
Devil chills3 Injury 14 1d4 days 1d4 Str
Filth fever Injury 12 1d3 days 1d3 Dex, 1d3 Con
Mindfire Inhaled 12 1 day 1d4 Int
Mummy rot4 Contact 20 1 day 1d6 Con
Red ache Injury 15 1d3 days 1d6 Str
Shakes Contact 13 1 day 1d8 Dex
Slimy doom Contact 14 1 day 1d4 Con2
1 Each time the victim takes 2 or more damage from the disease, he must make another Fortitude save or be permanently blinded.
2 When damaged, character must succeed on another saving throw or 1 point of damage is permanent drain instead.
3 The victim must make three successful Fortitude saving throws in a row to recover from devil chills.
4 Successful saves do not allow the character to recover. Only magical healing can save the character.
Healing a Disease

Use of the Heal skill can help a diseased character. Every time a diseased character makes a saving throw against disease effects, the healer makes a check. The diseased character can use the healer’s result in place of his saving throw if the Heal check result is higher. The diseased character must be in the healer’s care and must have spent the previous 8 hours resting.

Characters recover points lost to ability score damage at a rate of 1 per day per ability damaged, and this rule applies even while a disease is in progress. That means that a character with a minor disease might be able to withstand it without accumulating any damage.


To prevent charaters from acting on information they don't have, but to allow them to roll thier own saves so they don't feel cheated i recommend

1. Note the character's bonus to fort saves at moment of disease exposure
2. Note the number of times of exposure
3. Roll the incubation periods
4. Have the PC roll the fort save for #1 / 2 when the incubation delay is up.

This way the disease still sneaks up on the PC, but they know for a fact the roll was not "fudged" behind the screen.

Contagion

Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Clr 3, Destruction 3, Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 4 Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 standard actionRange: Touch Target: Living creature touched Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Fortitude negates Spell Resistance: Yes

The subject contracts a disease selected from the table below, which strikes immediately (no incubation period). The DC noted is for the subsequent saves (use contagion’s normal save DC for the initial saving throw).
Disease DC Damage
Blinding sickness 16 1d4 Str1
Cackle fever 16 1d6 Wis
Filth fever 12 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con
Mindfire 12 1d4 Int
Red ache 15 1d6 Str
Shakes 13 1d8 Dex
Slimy doom 14 1d4 Con
1 Each time a victim takes 2 or more points of Strength damage from blinding sickness, he or she must make another Fortitude save (using the disease’s save DC) or be permanently blinded.


Remove Disease

Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 3, Drd 3, Rgr 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Remove disease cures all diseases that the subject is suffering from. The spell also kills parasites, including green slime and others. Certain special diseases may not be countered by this spell or may be countered only by a caster of a certain level or higher.

Note: Since the spell’s duration is instantaneous, it does not prevent reinfection after a new exposure to the same disease at a later date.

The noun date has 8 meanings:

Meaning #1: the specified day of the month
Synonym: day of the month

Meaning #2: a particular day specified as the time something will happen

Meaning #3: a meeting arranged in advance
Synonyms: appointment, engagement

Meaning #4: a particular but unspecified point in time

Meaning #5: the present

Meaning #6: a participant in a date
Synonym: escort

Meaning #7: the particular year (usually according to the Gregorian calendar) that an event occurred

Meaning #8: sweet edible fruit of the date palm with a single long woody seed