Would a Detect Disease spell be good for D&D 3.5?

[Noumenon]

I know there is a Detect Disease spell in the Wizard's Handbook. What I'm asking is why it isn't in the PHB. Would it short circuit too many plots or traps if clerics could detect lycanthropy or other diseases?

Sorry if this is a wrong forum but the 3.5 forums are just for "rules" and "house rules," and this is more of a design question.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Would it short circuit too many plots or traps if clerics could detect lycanthropy or other diseases?

That would certanily be an amusing reason not to include a spell in D&D, all things considered.

I guess it just didn't make the cut / jive with tradition (or designer preferences, perhaps.)

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

That would certanily be an amusing reason not to include a spell in D&D, all things considered.

I guess it just didn't make the cut / jive with tradition (or designer preferences, perhaps.)

I think it might be simply that it just never came up. Diseases in 3E happen very rarely, even less often then Poison (and how often did you need Detect Poison?!)

 

[Aus_Snow]

Diseases in 3E happen very rarely, even less often then Poison (and how often did you need Detect Poison?!)

Er, in one campaign. . . quite often! There was a lot of that going on. However, not your 'typical' campaign, whatever that beast resembles, or resembled (might be rather different now.)

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Er, in one campaign. . . quite often! There was a lot of that going on. However, not your 'typical' campaign, whatever that beast resembles, or resembled (might be rather different now.)

There's _always_ a special snow flake that can disprove everything I say! Damn it!

 

[Aus_Snow]

There's _always_ a special snow flake that can disprove everything I say! Damn it!

I know, isn't it irritating?

Er.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I know, isn't it irritating?

Er.

Only to be opened by Aus_Snow[sblock][/sblock]

 

[Noumenon]

Thanks everybody. I am going to let the cleric have it then. We are playing the old 1st edition module "White Plume Mountain," where you can get blinding sickness.

I also think it has fun implications with regard to prostitutes, screening the retinue of beggars the party cleric likes to charitably invite to social functions, and setting up drama like "you have a disease, and you'll become a zombie without the cure! And the full moon is tomorrow!" I was just afraid it made plots like "identify the werewolf" way too easy.

 

[GreatLemur]

I know there is a Detect Disease spell in the Wizard's Handbook. What I'm asking is why it isn't in the PHB. Would it short circuit too many plots or traps if clerics could detect lycanthropy or other diseases?

Certainly, if there's one thing the PHB list avoids, it's spells that could short-circuit plots...

 

[Toras]

Heh, diseases. I think there was that one time in a planescape we accidentally turned Sigil into hot zone. Having the detect disease spell is just begging for morgan freeman moments. Let them have it and make it pay.