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Message: <blockquote data-quote="touc" data-source="post: 7374748" data-attributes="member: 19270">I'm not sure where the ambiguity is. D&D's Sage Advice "is a monthly column that gives official clarifications of D&D rules." An official clarification has been given that Contagion is supposed to kick in effects after 3 failed saves, despite how it ended up in print.History of Contagion & ErrataIn June 2016, D&D puts out an <a href="http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/rules-answers-june-2016" target="_blank">official rules clarification</a>:  Question: Do contagion effects kick in immediately, or do they kick in when the target fails the three saving throws? Answer: The effects of the contagion spell's disease are meant to activate after three failed saving throws.In 2014, Mike Mearls through <a href="https://www.sageadvice.eu/2014/10/06/contagion/" target="_blank">Sage Advice</a> says he'd interpret the spell to incubate a disease after 3 failed saves. In 2015, added to that same thread, Jeremy Crawford admits the design intent was for the disease to kick in after 3 failed saves. He says this slipped through the final print because play testers were playing the spell as intended, so it didn't make the list of changes.In 4th edition, Contagion was used to slowly spread disease to the masses (10 min cast time, 5 minute proximity to spread disease to others).<a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/contagion.htm" target="_blank">In 3rd edition</a>, Contagion incubated you with a disease upon a Hit and Failed Save. All diseases then had a minimum 1 day period before another save would come into play, including Slimy Doom.In 2nd edition, Contagion immediately inflicted a debilitating disease that reduced Str, Con, Cha, and attack rolls until the disease was cured by magic or weeks of rest. If not cured, the DM could make it worse.It's an official rules clarification that is in line with prior editions of the spell, which has always been intended to inflict the target with a slow-acting effect and not turn a mid-level spell into something ridiculous. If you don't believe this spell is useful to you anymore in combat, then pick something else.</blockquote>

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