D&D 5E (2014) Why do disases feal so pointless?

[Lefi2017]

Did you ever have a pc level 3 or higher die from a not thrid party or home brew disease?

how to you make disease threatening for PC NPC and civilizations?
how fast do disease spreads in a city like waterdeep per day?
or in a places phandalin?

 

[Don Durito]

They're useless because the Paladin can just heal them with lay on hands.

If you don't assume there's a large amount of Paladins or 3rd level clerics in the setting then they could certainly ravage a city. Not much threat to a PC party with a Paladin or Lesser Restoration however. How fast they spread depends on the disease.

If you want them to matter to the party take away the Paladin's abiltiy to cure it, and make it take at least Greater Restoration.

 

[Tonguez]

They're useless because the Paladin can just heal them with lay on hands.

If you don't assume there's a large amount of Paladins or 3rd level clerics in the setting then they could certainly ravage a city. Not much threat to a PC party with a Paladin or Lesser Restoration however. How fast they spread depends on the disease.

If you want them to matter to the party take away the Paladin's abiltiy to cure it, and make it take at least Greater Restoration.

Yeah I’ve decreed that Heal only heals HP damage, it doesnt reset bones, stop blood loss, or remove infections* - those things still require first aid

* yes I know heal specifically mentions diseases thats why I went for a technicality. Heal removes the disease (harm caused by infection) but the infection causing organism (tiny little oozes) will still remain unless specifically purged (eg by bleeding the humours :O)

Besides the standard zombie plague and Mummi rots, I’ve used diseases twice in game -
1 as a background plot point where PCs had to fetch the cure and bring it to an isolated village and
2 a deliberation infection of the towns children by a fungal growth which took over their dreams

The only way to make disease threatening is by DM fiat or by making them magical

 

[Dragonsbane]

I solved this in my games. With diseases poisons and curses. Give the poison or curse a level (easily found by using HD of creature - say its a 4 HD snake, so 2nd level poison, pretending the poison is a spell and the creature's HD determnes level, or pick a level between 1 and 9).
Then this:


Lesser Restoration
2nd-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a 50gp gem, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous

You touch a creature and can end either one disease or one condition afflicting it. The condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. For each condition or disease, make an ability check using your your spellcasting ability score +1 per level of the spell slot expended VS a DC that equals 10 + the spell or effect level + the caster’s spellcasting / ability score modifier.

Remove Curse
3rd-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a 200gp opal, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous

At your touch, one curse affecting one creature or object end. If the object is a cursed magic item, its curse remains, but the spell breaks its owner's attunement to the object so it can be removed or discarded. For each curse, make an ability check using your your spellcasting ability score +1 per level of the spell slot expended VS a DC that equals 10 + the spell or effect level + the caster’s spellcasting ability score modifier.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, your ability check bonus increases (see above). When cast at 6th level, the material component is a 1000gp opal, and at 9th level the material component is a 5000gp diamond.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

A fun idea is a virus that spreads through Lay on Hands.

 

[Shiroiken]

Disease is no longer any real threat to a PC's life, although sometimes it might inhibit them for a little while. As for civilizations, a disease with a long onset time can spread pretty rapidly, as during the onset time the carrier is still contagious. For times, I'd suggest checking on the CDC and WHO statistics to get an idea of the infection spread of various diseases in 3rd world areas. Unless your setting is extraordinarily high magic, there won't be enough magical cures to keep it in check after a week or two.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Paladins. That's why.

Clerics also have a role in this, but it's mostly paladins.

 

[Charlaquin]

Paladins. That's why.

Clerics also have a role in this, but it's mostly paladins.

On the other hand, Paladins are also kind of the reason diseases are still even a thing mechanically. Like, I probably wouldn’t even think about making the players roll to resist catching sewer plague or whatever, but for the fact that I don’t want Paladin players to feel like all their anti-disease class features are worthless.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

On the other hand, Paladins are also kind of the reason diseases are still even a thing mechanically. Like, I probably wouldn’t even think about making the players roll to resist catching sewer plague or whatever, but for the fact that I don’t want Paladin players to feel like all their anti-disease class features are worthless.

But, if diseases aren't used by the DM because they think that they're useless because of the paladin, doesn't that also make the paladin feel like their anti-disease features are useless?

 

[Tonguez]

On the other hand, Paladins are also kind of the reason diseases are still even a thing mechanically. Like, I probably wouldn’t even think about making the players roll to resist catching sewer plague or whatever, but for the fact that I don’t want Paladin players to feel like all their anti-disease class features are worthless.

Really? How many players actually look at their PHB and say oh cool at third level I get immunity to disease, I really love that!!! Now I have to be a Paladin suckers!