Help! Explain to me the Disease Track, please?

[kiznit]

So we ran into this in our session today (Filth Fever from a Dire Rat) and while everyone in our group really likes the new mechanics of the disease track we were unable to figure out clarification from the rules as to exactly how it works.

Generally, are the disease effects cumulative, and how long do they last? What happens at the end of the encounter, do you keep making saves, or are you "stuck" at what ever disease state you ended up in until you can make that heal check after the extended rest?

More specifically, order of events-wise:

• We have our Ranger infected by Filth Fever (immediate effect: lose a healing surge) on the monster's turn.
• On the end of his turn, he fails his saving throw (moves up to taking a -2 penalty to AC, Fort & Reflex defense).
• Then, on our Warlord's turn, she uses a power that let's him make another save with a bonus.
• He makes it (Initially we were like, Oh good, he's cured; but closer analysis to the disease chapter in the DMG reveals he just moves back down the disease track. So does he keep the Defense penalties or are those specific effects now cured? Does he lose another healing surge for going back to the initial effect state?)
• Then combat ends, I allow him to make another saving throw. He fails, which means he's "stuck" at the initial state, I guess, doomed to wait until an extended rest to be able to make the saving throw to be cured completely (or get worse again)?

Just realized while writing this that we should have checked options under the Heal skill as well. Anyway, what are people's takes on this?

 

[JohnBiles]

So we ran into this in our session today (Filth Fever from a Dire Rat) and while everyone in our group really likes the new mechanics of the disease track we were unable to figure out clarification from the rules as to exactly how it works.

Generally, are the disease effects cumulative, and how long do they last? What happens at the end of the encounter, do you keep making saves, or are you "stuck" at what ever disease state you ended up in until you can make that heal check after the extended rest?

When a monster that spreads disease hits you, you make a save at the end of the encounter. If you fail, you are now at the Initial Effect stage.

So the ranger should have made his save at the end of the encounter, and having failed it, he would then suffer Filth Fever's initial effect: The target loses 1 healing surge.

The disease does not progress until the end of your next extended rest. At that point, the infected one rolls Endurance. There are two target numbers. The easier one is to remain stable at the current stage. The higher one is to move left, towards a better stage.

So after the first extended rest, the Ranger should roll Endurance. For Filth Fever, you need an Endurance result of 16 to stay stable, 21 to improve. If you rolled 15 or less, you get worse.

If someone in the party has heal, they can roll Heal during the extended rest. If the result is higher than the infected's Endurance roll, it can substitute for the Endurance roll in seeing if you stay stable or get better or worse.

and you only suffer the effects of the stage you are at.

 

[Traken]

Here's how it works.

1. Ranger gets bit. At end of encounter, roll a Saving Throw. If you fail, you contract the disease. The immediate effect is losing one healing surge.
2. After an extended rest, make an Endurance check. If you make the Improve check, you're healed. If you make the Maintain check, you're okay (still at -1 healing surge). If you fail both checks, you go down on the track once.
3. Repeat after every extended rest.

Options to heal:
1. A character can use another character's heal check in place of their Endurance check.
2. Remove Disease ritual.
3. Death.

Couple of notes:
1. You're doing diseases all wrong. These are long-term effects that have no effect on the intial battle. I'd suggest reading DMG 49-50.
2. Once you get to the Final Effect, you're done. You no longer make Endurance/Heal checks. The only option is the Remove Disease ritual which has the potential to kill the patient.
3. You MUST obey the rule of three... this does not pertain to diseases.

Edit: I just realized how deadly Filth Fever is if you let it get to the Final Effect. No regaining hit points means a very good chance at killing the character during Remove Disease.

 

[kiznit]

Holy cow, did we ever get this wrong!

Thanks for the straightening me out, I've no idea how I missed the End of the Encounter bit. That's a bit of a forehead slapper.

And not to come off as a total-fail 4e DM, but what's the rule of three? Repeating after every extended rest, or something else from the rules?

 

[Traken]

Holy cow, did we ever get this wrong!

Thanks for the straightening me out, I've no idea how I missed the End of the Encounter bit. That's a bit of a forehead slapper.

And not to come off as a total-fail 4e DM, but what's the rule of three? Repeating after every extended rest, or something else from the rules?

I don't know. I just realized that everything in my post had three items. I'm sure there's a Rule of Three somewhere in the world

Ah, here we go.

The rule of three is a principle in English writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things.

 

[kiznit]

Ah, got it.

I thought one of the design goals for 4e was to get rid of unnecessary symmetry.