How would you stat up rabies?

[Slit518]

How would you handle a player character having rabies in your game?

I created a Tabaxi Bard, I am wondering how to handle rabies.

So if any of you folks out there can help, I would appreciate some rabies tips.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I've heard that rabies may have inspired the werewolf legends, so stat it up as lycanthopy - way funner.

 

[Shadowdweller00]

Sure: Once bitten by a rabid creature, the DM makes secretly makes a Con save on behalf of the PC. If the save is failed, the disease has an incubation period of 2d20 + 18 days. If the save is failed by 5 or more, the incubation period is either 1d6 days or 1d6 years at the DM's discretion. During the incubation period, the disease may be cured through normal magical means. Once the disease progresses beyond incubation, the disease becomes incurable and the PC suffers a horrible, agonizing, unavoidable death. For 1d10 days after onset, the PC gains the frightened condition. For 1d6 days after this period progresses, the victim suffers confusion, convulsions, inability to swallow, and hypersalivation interspersed with lucid episodes. After this latter period expires, the victim lapses into a coma, stops breathing, and dies.

Follow these only if stout of heart and mind (Seriously: Mindscar warning):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-moG6JDmJdc&t=114s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBn385Mun6A&t=136s

 

[Satyrn]

I've heard that rabies may have inspired the werewolf legends, so stat it up as lycanthopy - way funner.

I was gonna say that!

 

[Seramus]

Shadowdweller is on the money. Rabies is frightening.

 

[Ganymede81]

Pick the disease in the DMG that most closely matches Rabies.

This is not that hard, people.

 

[Eltab]

If you take ShadowDweller's route, have a side talk with the player and explain that the disease will be fatal to the character. Then help him out as he brainstorms ways to find a cure.

Given magical healing exists in the game world, rabies may not be AS scary as in IRL. It's just getting the sick guy to go see a capital-C Cleric after the doctor explains what's going on ...

 

[aco175]

I always liked the foaming at the mouth part. That alone must be disadvantage to charisma checks.

 

[Horwath]

I've heard that rabies may have inspired the werewolf legends, so stat it up as lycanthopy - way funner.

didn't it start the vampire legends?

 

[iamntbatman]

Rabies is the most lethal disease known to mankind. It is essentially 100% fatal once it becomes symptomatic. I'm only aware of one ever case of someone becoming symptomatic and surviving, and that's with all the wonders of modern medicine. In D&D, I'd say that there's not likely to be any rabies vaccine or similar that exists, so medicine checks and regular doctoring won't help at all. Serious magical healing is needed, or it's the dirt nap. Shadowdweller above has a good schedule of symptoms.