Need ideas for a disease-based scenario

[Dr Simon]

Okay, so the situation is this:

I'm running a Dragonlance campaign (a re-do of the War of the Lance). At some point, I'd like to insert a small side scenario based around the spread of disease, preferably through the intervention of Morgion, God of Disease. A couple of the characters have ties to Mishakal (healing goddess) and one character is a gnomish apothecary-surgeon by trade, so it would play to some generally unused skills quite nicely.

However, I can't think of any funky way of setting it up. I don't really want to go the simple route of plague cultists terrorising a town - I'd rather something more subtle, like the locals have been tricked into placating Morgion to stop the plague, but this is in reality making it worse. It needs a bit of seasoning to jazz it up, however.

Any ideas?

 

[Turanil]

First thing: I would let players encounter with diseased people before that particular adventure begins. That is, lets say that next session is "Killing the brigands" adventure, then the one after that "Diseased of Morgion" adventure. During "Killing the brigands" adventure the characters encounter two diseased person: one brigand, and one innocent peasant almost to die but begging for their help. Now, there should be something to be gained that would help subsequent curing of those diseased persons (typically some info: the affected brigand was a follower of Morgion). Then, during "Diseased of Morgion" adventure they encounter more and more of thses diseased people, and they must say "Hey! that's exactly as last time, but now we see many more people affected.

As to spread the disease, probably in this world none knowns about viruses. So there is a diseased item or person that many people have been touching lately, and that carries the plague. PCs must find that common denominator (the person or object those people have been touching), then find it, and try to learn where he got the disease he carries. The disease carrier may not be necessarily evil, but on the contrary be a good person who tries to help. When he encountered some strange people in a ruin (Morgion shrine) he unknowingly got rewarded with the disease he is now spreading without realizing it.

 

[Dr Simon]

I think fore-shadowing is a good way to go.

As to spread the disease, probably in this world none knowns about viruses.

I'm of the persuasion that diseases in fantasy worlds have fantasy causes - they are spread by disease spirits, miasma or Baleful Influence (tm), rather than viruses. Of course, disease spirits would spread with the same etiology as a virus, but that's not what's happening.

This gives the PCs an opportunity to affect the influence at the root source (a hidden Morgion shrine would work well), since sitting by sick-beds and boiling water doesn't make for very exciting FRP!

 

[cmanos]

You could always go somewhat witht he plot of Terry Goodkind's Temple of the Winds, where the evil sorceress breaks into the mystical temple and steals the Wind of Pestilence, and starts spreading it around. Only through entering the temple, which exists in the spirit world, and bartering with the spirits, can the plague be stopped.

There's a lot more to the plot, involving romance, betrayal, serial killers, apart from the death, plague and destruction....

 

[CCamfield]

I don't think I can give recommendations on how to structure an adventure about getting rid of a disease, but wanted to put my $0.02 in that running an adventure in which the PCs pursue someone into plague-struck territory (because that is the location of the person's hideout/stronghold) could be quite harrowing. At least it was in a nifty old swashbuckler I read.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

One thing I wanted to do concerning a god of disease is thus:

The God of Disease created a divine disease (that is, a disease that could infect divine beings). One (minor) deity died because of this, and the God of Disease was accused, and destroyed by a consorted effort of all other deities.

Of course, the God of Disease isn't truly dead. He spread himself as the disease, randomly infecting people, animals, monsters, etc (I'd probably make the disease into somekind of template). In order to reform, the God of Disease needs to infect a certain number of people/things, that will travel to a designated place. When enough diseased creatures will assemble, the God of Disease will reform, killing every creature present.

The disease would be very hard to cure (remove disease + remove curse, or something akin to that) and would turn ordinary people in Dawn-of-the-Dead-like monstrosities.

Clerics of the God of Disease would see this as a "blessing" of their god, and would be protected from attacks by the diseased creatures (or you could say that clerics of the God of Disease can rebuke/command theses creatures like evil clerics rebuke/command undead).

That's about it.

AR

 

[Ruined]

You can always have the PCs deal with the flip-side as well: the militant order dedicated to eradicating said disease. Scarred Lands has a great order called the Order of the Morning SKy that worships the healing goddess Madriel. They work to eradicate disease and undead wherever they may lie. If a village is contaminated, these guys are known for cordoning off an area and razing it so that the plague does not spread further. If the location they seek is blocked off by a militant group like this, it could pose quite a problem.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

About a year ago (maybe a little more) Dungeon had an adventure called 'The Stink.' It was set in a town where creatures with horrible diseases were ready to start spreading them. Whereas it may not be exactly what you are looking for, it may be of some help if someone remembers the exact issue number. I dunno, maybe it will give you some ideas.

 

[Andre]

I'm of the persuasion that diseases in fantasy worlds have fantasy causes - they are spread by disease spirits, miasma or Baleful Influence (tm), rather than viruses. Of course, disease spirits would spread with the same etiology as a virus, but that's not what's happening.

One possibility:

There is no insidious plot by evil cultists and such. Instead, a complete innocent is spreading the disease without knowing it. In one campaign, I used a crooked merchant selling cheap flour to small communities. He'd stumbled upon the remnants of a slaughtered caravan. The merchant stored the flour in a series of caves infested with rats. The fleas from the rats would get into the sacks of flour, jumping to animal hosts as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Because the infected fleas didn't just spread the disease to those who bought the flour, but to any convenient warm-blooded creature, identifying the cause of the plague was very difficult.

Using your fantasy disease concept, you could have the merchant (or any itinerant traveler) find a cursed item. The item doesn't harm the owner, but spreads the disease. The item should be something innocuous, so as not to arouse suspicion. If you want to be even more devious, have the item sold once or twice, while the plague is spreading.

The goal for the party is two-fold. Find the cause of the plague. Then figure out how to destroy the item to stop the plague (just carrying it around makes them the plague carriers, and dropping it somewhere will cause that area to become diseased). Maybe it can only be destroyed in a temple to a god of disease, or it has to be bathed in the blood of a paladin, or requires a cure disease spell from a good outsider...something that makes the party work for a solution.

 

[Pyrex]

I'd rather something more subtle, like the locals have been tricked into placating Morgion to stop the plague, but this is in reality making it worse. It needs a bit of seasoning to jazz it up, however.

I really like this idea. First you need a plague that spreads rapidly and is fairly hard to get rid of but not immediately deadly.

If you set the DC in the 14-16 range it'll rapidly infect the town and only a middling percentage will get over it without help (especially as they'll become reinfected through reexposure).

Next, you want it more debilitating than deadly. Say 1d3 STR damage with 1 pt each STR and CON drain when you roll a 1 on your save.

Lastly, you give the townspeople what looks like a way out. Have a wandering cleric teach them a simple prayer to Morgion (possibly entailing a small sacrifice like burning a handful of herbs or foods, remember, you want peasants to be able to do this regularly). Reciting the prayer makes them feel better and grants an Profane bonus to STR & CON equal to the cumulative amount of damage+drain they've taken for 24 hours.

They spread the plague (unwittingly).

They never get better.

They worship Morgion.