Need ideas for a disease-based scenario

[Tonguez]

IMC I had a disease scenario in which the Erl-King made an attempt to take over the realm of Faerie (which is comprised of 'Phantasm' - the stuff of dreams) He thus infected a batch of toffees at the local confectionary store. This 'desease' (actually a psionic fungus) infected the brains of its victims (many of them children) allowing the Erl-King to possess their dreams and thus gain power of the 'Phantasm'.

Anyway the PCs (one of whom was the son of a Leshye, and another who was a 'brick troll') were put to work by Fat Sally the Tooth Fairy (retired) tracking down the source of the disease, whilst she (she was also local midwife) set about healing those infected.

During their adventure they met Rotten Eddy the Ghoul Stalker (who was a plague bearer) and his goblin gang (each with toxic bite), the Bogeyman and Mother Goose
before doing battle with the Erl-King and his minions (including the manifestation of the disease (a psionic gibbering mouther)) in the realm of dreams.

Another idea (already mentioned) is that of the unwitting diseasebearer in the movie the advocate it is a Knight returned from the Crusades who brings the plague. Now what if the unwitting Diseasebearer in your game was a Paladin! (yes he's immune but the disease might still linger in the perfect host!)

 

[Myth]

Another idea (already mentioned) is that of the unwitting diseasebearer in the movie the advocate it is a Knight returned from the Crusades who brings the plague. Now what if the unwitting Diseasebearer in your game was a Paladin! (yes he's immune but the disease might still linger in the perfect host!)

I like the idea of a plague-carrier, and one that's not evil. Perhaps a sympathetic NPC has prayed to Morgion for a cure to his disease, and Morgion has made him immune, without curing the disease?

Be a nice twist if their friendly bard or sage also turns out to be Typhoid Larry.

 

[Turanil]

There are many interesting ideas for a different kind of adventure in this thread. I am going to copypaste all of this for my own use...

 

[Eremite]

(snip some good stuff)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.

All-round great post and the idea of creating "worshippers" is brilliant. Perhaps it could even be a ritual that follows the incantations rules for Unearthed Arcana and requiring fairl ysimply Int checks to remember the words and ingredients.

 

[arscott]

Why not play with the party's expectations:

Even if there are no viruses on Krynn, there's no reason your diseases can't act like viruses, Including the way they respond to medication.

Three years ago, a small town was stricken with a nasty case of red rot. Fortunately, a devoted follower of mishakal arrived to help. Though he himself nearly died of the disease, he managed to wipe out the infestation using a tonic made from jennis-leaf and hornroot.

But that's not the whole story. The tonic did indeed cure many of the disease, but the healer had gone to long in the presence of the sick. For his selfless deeds, he would be doomed to die. Save that on the eve of his death, Morgion appeared. The dark god could grant immunity from the deadly illness, and all he needed in exchange was the healer's loyalty.

Recently, the town has had another epidemic: Sirrion's pox. Like red rot, Sirrion's pox consists of red rashes and fever. Unlike red rot, it is otherwise harmless. Unless the diseased is exposed to too much jennis. Just like the last time, the healer is distributing his jennis-leaf and hornroot cure. But people are still dying from the disease.

To make things just a bit more complicated, a sinister looking hermit has recently arrived in the town, he's well versed in diseases and their cures. And he's telling the townsfolk not to take their medicine.

 

[Mighty Halfling]

Another suggestion, make one of the character races completely immune to the disease, but don't tell them they are.
I don't know if there are any half-orcs in Dragonlance, but that would be my pick. You gotta throw a bone to that OrcBlood feature every once in a while!

 

[Turanil]

I don't know if there are any half-orcs in Dragonlance.

There are no half-orcs in Dragonlance, but I suppose that renaming it Half-hobgoblin would do the trick and permit to allow it in a DL campaign.

 

[philreed]

These may prove useful.

DISEASE RESISTANCE
You have a natural resistance to diseases.
Prerequisite: Con 13+.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all checks to resist or overcome the effects of any disease.

PLAGUE CARRIER
Though you have a natural resistance to disease, you also have a tendency of spreading diseases that you come into contact with.
Prerequisite: Disease resistance, Con 15+.
Benefit: Any time you must make a Fortitude check due to a disease, even if you succeed that check, you become a carrier of that disease. Any disease, no matter its normal means of infection, becomes a contact disease once you have encountered it.
Anyone coming into contact with you for as long as the disease remains in your system (see below) must make a successful Fortitude save – DC = to one-half the disease’s normal DC, rounded down – or suffer the effects of the disease.
You carry a disease for a number of days equal to one-half the disease’s DC (rounded down).

 

[Dr Simon]

Thanks all!

Some good ideas there, perhaps almost enough to make a mini-campaign in itself!

As for immune races, that's certainly plausible. The PC group currently consists of two humans, a dwarf, a minotaur and two gnomes (!). I've already got "Gremlins" as a disease specific to gnomes (other races can catch it/them, but not as severely). Reversing the favour seems like a good idea.

I like the idea about the disease being brought initially either by infected goods "borrowed" from somewhere, or by a good guy (a Knight of Solamnia who's been fighting Morgion cultists, for example) as that adds a nice dimension of tragedy to the situation, which is ideal for a Dragonlance campaign! I'm thinking that this could be a deliberate ploy by the Disease cultists, followed up by tricking the hapless victims into worshipping the Plague God. Hmm, perhaps add in the healer who's making things worse by mistake, too....

Cheers all!

 

[Eremite]

(snip) DISEASE RESISTANCE
You have a natural resistance to diseases.
Prerequisite: Con 13+.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all checks to resist or overcome the effects of any disease. (snip)

Isn't that a little underpowered in that Great Fortitude provides a +2 bonus to all Fort saves? FWIW, the WotC version of this feat provides a +4 bonus.