Cure Disease will KILL YOU TO DEATH!

[hong]

I guess so. More and more these days.

Oh well, I guess I shouldn't fret. If a diseased character gets killed by a botched Heal check, he can always be raised from the dead without the need for a single dice roll. Because, you know, reviving someone who has been decomposing for a month clearly requires less skill than treating a living person's disease. And it is only 350gp more expensive at that.

Well, I guess you could always institute a Heal check so that if your raise dead attempt fails, the victim dies.

 

[Boarstorm]

Well, I guess you could always institute a Heal check so that if your raise dead attempt fails, the victim dies.

Or better yet, the caster.

 

[Korgoth]

Well, I guess you could always institute a Heal check so that if your raise dead attempt fails, the victim dies.

Well, if you raise a diseased guy maybe he still has the disease. Actually, by the wording of the ritual in the excerpt that appears to be how it works anyway. You keep all permanent conditions, and it is as if you took an extended rest.

So he's back to life, but he still has Fantavirus.

 

[hong]

"This time, for sure!"
?

 

[AZRogue]

I liked the change because it added an element of risk (note that, as has been said, the chances of anyone dying from the ritual are amazingly rare) AND because it relied on the character's Heal check. It gives someone with a good Heal skill the satisfaction of using it while also causing those affected by Disease to cringe a little bit as they imagine worst case scenarios. All good things, IMO.

 

[MindWanderer]

Not only do I love, love, love the notion that Cure Disease can prove dangerous, I'm thinking of adding similar rules to some rituals that don't have it already.

It's a great way of adding a little bit of dangerous unpredictability back into magic--one thing that D&D has never done well--without nerfing the casters' combat abilities.

Back to the days when Teleport could end up fusing you with the ground again? Or just dropping you from 100 feet up?

 

[jdrakeh]

It made all diseases trivial once the party had access to a 5th-level cleric.

Bingo. It also made the existence of any kind of far reaching plague or curse via disease totally unbelievable (for many players) as a result.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Or better yet, the caster.

But I think that might be going to far... We don't want to derail the story too much...

 

[AZRogue]

Bleh. When the PCs want to Raise Dead I'm just going to force them to GO GET HIM in the Shadowfell. Before his soul fades away or is lost. I have maps drawn up (well, smallish map ideas mostly) for the first 3 deaths, as well as some encounter ideas. Make them go get the sucker.

After that gets old they'll make a contact in the Shadowfell, an ally, who will guide the dead soul back for them. When the ritual and everything else with it gets stale and we're working on other stuff and want to just gloss over it.

 

[Ipissimus]

Mouse, Hong and a bunch of others have hit the nail on the head here.

The other problem is that having Cure Disease as a Ritual takes the old '5th level clerics cure the Black Death' problem and squares it. I mean, even if you used the recommended population of 5th level Clerics and gave them a high enough wisdom to cast 3rd level spells, the plague can infect people faster than they can cope with it.

Ok, now take that spell and make it a ritual without any risk to anyone. Suddenly, EVERYONE in a city, castle or one-horse town has the potential to wipe out disease. Forget plagues, no-one would have the common cold.

Right now, I'm planning for my character to carry live leeches for use with his restorative rituals.