D&D 5E Keoghtoms Ointment VS Aboleth Disease

[Hatox]

Im planning to have a fight against an Aboleth for my (currently lvl 7, might be 8 till they meet him) party of 5.
Once I read about the disease he inflicts upon getting hit I wondered what my party could do to heal somebody. The disease says that it can only be removed by "heal" or another disease curing spell of lvl 6 or higher, which my players still wont get for some time, but they DO have a Keoghtoms Ointment. I know the disease says it can only be removed through spells, but the ointment says that it cures "any disease".

What would you say, would my PCs be able to heal it with the ointment or would they have to look somewhere else for help?

I would be fine with both, since one of them would feel like "wow were so lucky that we found this" (we roll items randomly) while the other one could result in a nice quest to find someone who is able to cure them.

So, what do you think?

 

[Satyrn]

I would be fine with both . . .

So, what do you think?

While you're fine with both, I think you should go with what you'd prefer.

But I have one question you should consider: Have you described the ointment in a way so that they would totally expect it will work?

 

[Azzy]

Im planning to have a fight against an Aboleth for my (currently lvl 7, might be 8 till they meet him) party of 5.
Once I read about the disease he inflicts upon getting hit I wondered what my party could do to heal somebody. The disease says that it can only be removed by "heal" or another disease curing spell of lvl 6 or higher, which my players still wont get for some time, but they DO have a Keoghtoms Ointment. I know the disease says it can only be removed through spells, but the ointment says that it cures "any disease".

What would you say, would my PCs be able to heal it with the ointment or would they have to look somewhere else for help?

I would be fine with both, since one of them would feel like "wow were so lucky that we found this" (we roll items randomly) while the other one could result in a nice quest to find someone who is able to cure them.

So, what do you think?

I'd let it cure it—it may not be a spell, but it is a magic item. Besides, it does say "any disease".

 

[Hatox]

It´s been quite a while since they found it, but I think I told them what it says in the book. So if they tried it and it wouldn´t work I probably would have to tell them (maybe make a roll what they know about aboleths) that the disease of the aboleth is too strong to be cured by anything but high level magic.

I don´t prefer anything, I like both so I would want to go with how it was intended.

 

[jgsugden]

My golden rule for rule ambiguities: Go with whatever rule sounds like more fun. There is no real reason the PCs have to know whether it will work before they try it. If they decide to experiment, it might be more fun for your group if it works, if it doesn't work.... or if it only partially works.... Find the answer that seems the most fun in the moment and tell a great story around it.

 

[Satyrn]

I don´t prefer anything, I like both so I would want to go with how it was intended.

Okay. I think it's intended that the ointment would work. The aboleth's description isn't trying to be comprehensive, just provide a basic idea of how strong the disease is - and it's only talking about spells since spells are a resource that pretty much all groups will have so it makes sense to talk about them.

Then the ointment is a specific item with it's own special rule - it says it cures all disease.

And besides that - that quest for a cure you mention? It makes sense that the ointment would be the goal of that very quest.

 

[jaelis]

Using ointment to cure a skin disease kind of makes sense to me.

 

[Hatox]

Thanks for all the replies, probably gonna let them use the ointment then (if they remember they have it... they have the habit of forgetting items they dont use for some time^^)