D&D 5E Can a Paladin Cure Addiction?

[doctorbadwolf]

Assume, for the purpose of this discussion, that addiction is not just a failure of character, or a personal weakness, or whatever other anti-junky argument one might think to make, and instead that addiction is some manner of affliction upon a person.

If it's a disease, by any definition, can a paladin simply cure it?

If so, if a Paladin can cure a disease that is at least partly psychological, can they cure disorders that we don't define as diseases, in the modern world? Can they cure ADHD? What about Anti-Social Personality Disorder (Psychopathy/Sociopathy), or Schizophrenia?

Now, these things aren't diseases in the modern definition, and it's dangerous to classify them as such, because of how humans have treated eachother when mental disorders and the like are defined as diseases, curses, or the like, but I think there's a decent argument that since we know that mental health is physical health, meaning a mental disorder is a physical disorder whose symptoms effect the operation of the mind, and since some mental health issues can be gained due to environmental and experiential factors, such as Borderline Personality Disorder and PTSD, we can conclude that Lay On Hands should be capable of genuinely curing these disorders.

Or, would you argue that it can't even cure chronic diseases that are unambiguously physical?

Secondary consideration, what can or cannot be detected by Detect Poison and Disease?

 

[generic]

Well, it depends on whether the intended target of the Paladin's ability is strictly physical disease, but, as you said, addiction is physical in many ways. This gets into the origin of consciousness, the soul, and a whole slew of other things.

In a world with souls that are known to exist, if addiction is still a directly physical ailment, not merely relying on the brain and hormone release, then yes, I would rule that the Paladin can cure addiction. In the standard D&D world, it really all comes down to whether consciousness is purely physical. Or, perhaps it doesn't matter even if consciousness is absolutely known to be both physical and incorporeal, or even just incorporeal.

As long as addiction affects the body, which it does, I would rule that, yes, it is possible to cure addiction using a Paladin's abilities.

Edit: I say this only in that it applies to addiction, not other mental afflictions. I consider addiction to be more a physical ailment in many cases, but diatribes have been had on this subject.

 

[Prakriti]

Personally, I'd rule that Cure/Detect Disease only works on diseases caused by germs (bacteria, viruses, etc.). I don't think it was ever meant to work on mental illnesses or addiction. What sort of world would result if it did? I can't even imagine it. You just might end up with a world without art and artists.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[generic]

Can a god make a rock so heavy she cannot lift it?

By definition, the desire to be a Paladin is a disease; an addiction to smug.

So, can a Paladin cure themselves of the ability to be ... a Paladin?

Physician, heal thyself!

Rubbing Gnome-foot-oil on your head increases its size, a prerequisite to becoming a Paladin.

 

[Tonguez]

Its divine magic so
- is addiction and other forms of insanity caused by evil spirits? And is the Paladin using divine.radiant energy to drive the spirits out? (What happens to the spirits when they are out - do they attach themselves to swine?)

- is disease caused by tiny Oozes* inside the body that slowly cause damage and release toxins into the blood? The Paladins heal disease works by targetting these Oozes and cleansing the body.

* I assume IMC that Oozes are gigantic microbial colonies, and that bacteria etc are understood as tiny oozes

 

[MarkB]

I'd consider this to be more in the capabilities of Greater Restoration rather than Lay On Hands.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Well, it depends on whether the intended target of the Paladin's ability is strictly physical disease, but, as you said, addiction is physical in many ways. This gets into the origin of consciousness, the soul, and a whole slew of other things.

In a world with souls that are known to exist, if addiction is still a directly physical ailment, not merely relying on the brain and hormone release, then yes, I would rule that the Paladin can cure addiction. In the standard D&D world, it really all comes down to whether consciousness is purely physical. Or, perhaps it doesn't matter even if consciousness is absolutely known to be both physical and incorporeal, or even just incorporeal.

As long as addiction affects the body, which it does, I would rule that, yes, it is possible to cure addiction using a Paladin's abilities.

Edit: I say this only in that it applies to addiction, not other mental afflictions. I consider addiction to be more a physical ailment in many cases, but diatribes have been had on this subject.

Interesting. The question remains, though, why not "mental" ailments which physical markers, like those which cause or are caused by chemical imbalances, hormonal imbalances, etc. These are all physical things. If the mind is partly physical, if we assume that animal bodies work largely as they do in the real world, unless magic has to step in to make sense of something, then all real world ailments are physical, even if there is a soul, with "real world ailment" being a phrase which here means, an ailment which exists in the real world, just to avoid confusion.

So, addiction is a real world ailment, and thus functions like it does IRL, unless a rule, DM decision, Player decision, or other factor relevant to the game, says otherwise. Can we agree on that?

You just might end up with a world without art and artists.

No.

This is an offensive, ignorant, and dangerous, misunderstanding of how creativity works, and the effects of mental illness on creatives. It leads to many, many, artists not getting needed treatment, sometimes for their entire lives, for fear of losing something. Vanishingly few actually find that their art suffers at all if/when they do get treatment, however.

The myth that creativity, genius, inspiration, or any related phenomenon, require hardship, mental illness, or anything similar, is dangerous nonsense.

I'd consider this to be more in the capabilities of Greater Restoration rather than Lay On Hands.

Interesting. Why is that? Do you consider it a curse or something similar, in a dnd world?

from ddb, GR does the following;
You imbue a creature you touch with positive energy to undo a debilitating effect. You can reduce the target's exhaustion level by one, or end one of the following effects on the target:

• One effect that charmed or petrified the target
• One curse, including the target's attunement to a cursed magic item
• Any reduction to one of the target's ability scores
• One effect reducing the target's hit point maximum

I can't see where addiction could fall within that.

Lesser Restoration at least ends diseases, but if that works then so should Lay On Hands.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

from ddb, GR does the following;
You imbue a creature you touch with positive energy to undo a debilitating effect. You can reduce the target's exhaustion level by one, or end one of the following effects on the target:

• One effect that charmed or petrified the target
• One curse, including the target's attunement to a cursed magic item
• Any reduction to one of the target's ability scores
• One effect reducing the target's hit point maximum

I can't see where addiction could fall within that.

Lesser Restoration at least ends diseases, but if that works then so should Lay On Hands.

Perhaps if you consider an addiction to be an affliction that makes a person do (or not do) something they don't (or do) want to do, then that seems to fall in line with something like charm, petrify or curse.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Perhaps if you consider an addiction to be an affliction that makes a person do (or not do) something they don't (or do) want to do, then that seems to fall in line with something like charm, petrify or curse.

That's a decent point. Hadn't thought of that.