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Message: <blockquote data-quote="krupintupple" data-source="post: 5759626" data-attributes="member: 58300">Actually, in a pseudo-medieval society, even a single point of ability damage could do serious damage: if you're in bed, you're not tending to the cattle, prospecting the nearby hills, fording the animals into town to be slaughtered or sheared, bartering with your neighbours, etc. The average commoner is going to have an 11 for his Strength, so when he gets hit by the flu and ignores it for a few days, that could easily wither down to 8, meaning that it's impairing his ability to work properly, and he'll loose some time, resources, and income lounging around in bed while the rest of the family prepares for crops, tends animals, etc.Yes, it's not "blow up the village" power, and really, giving a charging snarling orc whooping cough isn't really going to turn the tide of the battle, but I've never really figured contagion to be a "mid-battle" spell, more of a "soften them up before," or "screw with their resources way before" kinda thing.I think the single point of ability damage is fine, because it lasts until it's gotten rid of. Think of it this way: if you fall victim to sleep, or ray of enfeeblement, they have a fairly set duration but then wear off; whereas here, an ill person is going to get dinged for at least 24 hours, plus however long they need to recuperate. It the right, albeit patient hands, it could be pretty potent.Besides, a regular but unlucky individual actually *dying* from diarrhea in four days is beyond cruel ...but funny. But cruel.</blockquote>

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