Diseases and Curses
aka Afflictions
What are Afflictions?
Afflictions are a category of negative, persistent effects that a Player Character may accrue. These effects reflect the various hazards and ailments that one may encounter in the World Beyond the Fall.
Because of their exhausting and detrimental natures, Afflictions occupy an Attunement and must be written down on a Character’s Attunements by the Player or by a Staff member. Multiple instances of the same Affliction will only occupy the same Attunement unless specifically stated otherwise.
Similarly, when an Affliction is Cured, it remains as an Attunement until the end of the Event but prevents the Player from receiving the same Affliction within the same month. When an Affliction is cured, a Staff member signs off on the Attunement slot and labels it as “Cured”.
If a Character does not have any empty Attunement slots, the Affliction will nullify a beneficial Attunement instead and replace it. The Player may choose which Attunement is replaced in this way, although it can never replace another Affliction. If all of a Character’s Attunements are filled with Afflictions, then they can continue to accrue Afflictions.
What are Diseases?
Diseases are detrimental effects upon a character’s body, specifically, ongoing effects until they are Cured. They mechanically represent fevers, physical trauma, bubonic plagues and even parasitic infections.
They can be inflicted by monsters or by traps. Sometimes environmental effects or corrupted items can inflict these upon the entire town.
What are Curses?
Curses are detrimental effects upon a character’s mind and spirit, specifically, ongoing effects until they are Cured. They are analogous to Diseases and follow much of the same mechanics except that effects that Cure Curses do not necessarily Cure Diseases and vice versa, unless they explicitly say so.
What are Mutations?
Mutations are special Afflictions that both hinder and enhance characters that have them. They usually endow a character with additional abilities while inflicting various problems upon them.
You can gain a Mutation via the “Suffer a Mutation” Interim Action -- this cures most of the Diseases and Curses that you possess (except Greater, Anathemic and Incurable diseases).
What are Hauntings?
Hauntings are when an individual is influenced or possessed by an entity or a spirit. This can range from a ghost’s influence upon a person, to an Abyssal monstrosity’s machinations upon an unwitting individual.
Curing Afflictions
Simply put, Afflictions can be removed by the appropriate “Cure” effect or by the “Rest and Recovery” Interim Action. For instance, most Diseases can be cured by a “Cure Disease” effect such as from the Medicine Maker skill or the Restore Harmony spell.
The Rest and Recovery Interim Action cures all Afflictions except those of the Greater, Incurable and Anathemic variety.
Distill Disease and similar effects:
If a Craft-Ritual action and the appropriate Skill is used to Cure most Diseases or Curses, the Skill User draws the impurities out of their patient and is rewarded by a component after delivering the Affliction Tag to a Staff member. This component is usually of the Abyssal, Death or Shadow variety and represents the distilled essence of the Disease or Curse, rendering into a usable and relatively inert form.
Greater and Anathemic Afflictions:
Some Afflictions are Greater Afflictions or Anathemic Afflictions. These require the expenditure of components to Cure. These Afflictions, along with those of the Incurable and the Infectious-type, never grant components when Cured. Mutations and Hauntings are special Afflictions that always count as Anathemic.
Example Curses
Abyssal Delirium (Incurable Curse)
This affliction often affects those with prolonged contact with certain Eldritch Horrors or their haunts. It opens their mind to madness and terror.
Effect 1: Your maximum HP may not exceed 7 HP.
Effect 2: You may not resist or negate any Dominate or Frenzy effects upon you. These may be cured from you as normal.
Dispirited Languor (Greater Curse)
A powerful languor assaults your mind rendering all motivation useless to you and slowing your actions.
Effect 1: Hobble Affliction — You cannot move faster than a slow or stumble walk, nor can you use the Dodge defense, Escape/Pursue effects, or any other Skills that require mobility.
Effect 2: +5 to all Concentration/Targeting counts. Maximum 3 Focus.
Eldritch Efflorescence (Greater Curse)
An agonizing energy suffuses your spirit, wracking your body and unsettling your mind.
Effect 1: Rot Affliction
Effect 2: Unsettling -- Your Bonds do not function, although you still have them.
Jinxed Spirit (Basic Curse)
A fell energy has afflicted your spirit, causing your strikes or spells to falter.
Effect: Weakened -- Cannot inflict damage or healing more than one point. Cannot inflict Strikes or Wounds.
Soul Worms (Anathemic Curse)
Ethereal parasites feed upon your mind and soul, their spiritual venom affecting you in odd ways.
Effect 1: Hobble Affliction
Effect 2: Scrambling: -- +5 to all Concentration/Targeting counts. Maximum of 3 Focus.
Effect 3: Hallucinating -- Cannot use Perception, Inquiry, or any Defenses.
Example Diseases
Brain Broil (Basic Disease)
Your mind is in immense pain, blurring your vision and your ability to think.
Effect: Blind Affliction — You are unable to perform any Ranged Attacks or use Defenses (except Aegis). You are also limited to a stumble or slow walk and cannot use Sense/Inquiry Skills.
Filth Fever (Basic Disease)
Whether delivered through a dirty wound or by a liquid borne pathogen, you are afflicted with shivers that prevent you from moving at your full capacity.
Effect: Hobble Affliction — You cannot move faster than a slow or stumble walk, nor can you use the Dodge defense, Escape/Pursue effects, or any other Skills that require mobility.
Magna-Field Sickness (Incurable Disease)
This is an Affliction caused by continued exposure to a Magnetic Mana field, causing minor hallucinations and dizziness. If the source of the Magna-field is removed, the afflicted easily recovers after one month.
Effect: You are unable to use Sense-type Skills (e.g. Perception) and the Defiance skill.
Mishealed Wound (Greater Disease)
Whether it is a bone badly healed or shrapnel spiking you with pain, you are weakened and unable to strike at full strength.
Effect 1: Hobble Affliction -- You cannot move faster than a slow or stumble walk, nor can you use the Dodge defense, Escape/Pursue effects, or any other Skills that require mobility.
Effect 2: Weakening -- Cannot inflict damage or healing more than one point. Cannot inflict Strikes or Wounds.
Marrow Shivers (Anathemic Disease)
A deadly illness born of Abyssal attack, this Disease rots away at the body and prevents healing.
Effect 1: Hobble Affliction -- You cannot move faster than a slow or stumble walk, nor can you use the Dodge defense, Escape/Pursue effects, or any other Skills that require mobility.
Effect 2: Enervating -- Your maximum HP is lowered to 5 HP if it is more than 5 HP. Your maximum Focus is similarly lowered to 3 FP.
Effect 3: Terminal -- This requires 1 additional ATN every Event it persists. This inflicts 1 Grave-Scar every Event thereafter if it has occupied all ATN.
Example Hauntings
Feral Hunger (Haunting)
You are possessed of a fiendish bloodthirst which unnerves even your allies..
Effect 1: If you successfully perform a Death Blow with at least 10-counts instead of 5, you may invoke and gain Resolve 3 as a Step effect immediately afterward.
Effect 2: Unsettling -- You may not benefit from being Bonded to others nor may they benefit from being Bonded to you. However, any Bond ATN you have remains intact.
Ghostly Physician (Haunting)
A fragment of a spirit has possessed you, that of a helpful Doctor that only wishes to help others.
Effect 1: You may use the Treat Injury skill as though you had it, provided that you have an Herb Kit. Furthermore, the Healing you provide with this skill is improved by one point.
Effect 2: Delirious -- You are unable to negate or cure Frenzy or Dominate effects upon yourself.
Sorcerous Conflux (Haunting)
Eldritch energies course through you, lashing out according to your whim.
Effect 1: You may use the Project Wrath spell as though you had it. Whenever you use this spell, you may choose to Self-Inflict a Pain Strike to turn it into a Wave 2 spell.
Effect 2: Enervating -- Your maximum HP is lowered to 5 HP if it is more than 5 HP. Your maximum Focus is similarly lowered to 3 FP.
Example Mutations
Grotesque Musculature (Mutation)
Your mutation has granted you muscular growth at the cost of some minor hallucinations.
Effect 1: You may use the Strength skill as though you had it. If you already have Strength, then you may use the Great Strength skill as though you had it.
Effect 2: Hallucinating -- You may not use Inquiry effects, Sense effects, or any Defenses.
Hardened Carapace (Mutation)
Some parts of your skin have hardened and your sense of pain has deadened, dampening any blows that strike you. However, you have a difficult time concentrating.
Effect 1: Your Maximum HP is increased by 2 points.
Effect 2: Scrambling -- You add extra 5 counts to all Concentration/Targeting counts. Furthermore, you may not have more than 3 Focus.
Otherworldly Senses (Mutation)
Your hearing and sight sharpens, but your hypersensitivity leads to an inability to strike out an your enemies or heal your allies. You might even grow an additional sensory organ temporarily.
Effect 1: You may use the Keen Perception and Mental Deduction skill as though you had it. If you have either skill already, you may augment their effects as “Greater” effects.
Effect 2: Weakening -- Cannot inflict damage or healing more than one point. Cannot inflict Strikes or Wounds.
Affliction Types
Afflictions have effects based on Sub-type:
Basic — This is the most common type and the easiest to cure.
Greater -- This Affliction usually needs Rare Components to Cure. This never awards Components when cured.
Anathemic -- This Affliction usually needs one or more Pure Components to Cure. This never awards Components when cured.
Curse -- This is a spiritual effect and is harder to cure without magic. Removed by a “Cure Curse” effect.
Disease -- This is a physical effect and is easier to cure. Removed by a “Cure Disease” effect.
Haunting -- This is a spiritual effect that also has a beneficial aspect to it. Removed by a “Cure Curse” effect but is treated as an Anathemic Curse.
Mutation -- This is a physical effect that also has a beneficial aspect to it. Removed by a “Cure Disease” Effect but is treated as an Anathemic Disease
Common Effects of Afflictions
Crystallization -- Unlike other Greater or Anathemic Afflictions, curing this always awards a Minor or Basic Component to those that cure it.
Delirious -- You are unable to negate or cure Frenzy or Dominate effects upon yourself.
Enduring -- Persists across Events. Cannot be cured by the Rest and Recovery Interim Action.
Enervating -- Your maximum HP is lowered to 5 HP if it is more than 5 HP. Your maximum Focus is similarly lowered to 3 FP.
Hallucinating -- You may not use Inquiry effects, Sense effects, or any Defenses.
Incurable -- This Affliction may not be removed unless certain conditions are met. This never awards Components when cured
Infectious -- This Affliction infects others when in close contact. Being within arm’s reach and a step for at least one minute can spread this Affliction. Infectious Afflictions never yield components.
Invasive — This Affliction occupies 2 ATN.
Persistent - Even when cured, this persists until the end of the current Period (or 3 hours, whichever is longer) before finally going away.
Scrambling -- You add extra 5 counts to all Concentration/Targeting counts. Furthermore, you may not have more than 3 Focus.
Terminal -- This requires 1 additional ATN every Event that it persists. If a Character has no more ATN to occupy, this instead inflicts 1 Grave-Scar every Event thereafter. This is always considered to be Enduring and sometimes starts at 2 ATN.
Tummy ache - You cannot benefit from any Elixir or food effects. Your lack of food prevents your Maximum HP from exceeding 5 HP.
Unsettling -- You may not benefit from being Bonded to others nor may they benefit from being Bonded to you. However, any Bond ATN you have remains intact.
Weakening -- You cannot inflict damage or healing more than one point. Similarly, you cannot inflict Strikes or Wounds.