Five Debilitating Afflictions (Comp. Wizard's Handbook)

Five Debilitating Afflictions

Following are several afflictions that affect only wizards. These afflictions can occur as a result of a curse, a side-effect of magical research, or a penalty from a wish. Assume that an affliction can strike at any time--short of a wish, there is no way a wizard can inoculate himself to prevent the onset of these afflictions.

Unlike some organic diseases, suffering from one of these afflictions does not render a caster immune to future bouts with one of these conditions. A spell caster who survives one of these diseases is equally as likely to suffer the disease again in the future as a caster who has never contracted the disease.

The DM can use these afflictions to temporarily handicap a powerful PC wizard or to liven up a dreary stretch of a campaign. Unless indicated otherwise, all afflictions can be cured by cure disease or a similar spell. Unless the DM decides that a particular affliction was a result of a magical attack or effect, dispel magic will not help.

1. Bertrek's Amnesia

Description: The wizard afflicted with Bertrek's Amnesia has trouble remembering all of the details of his memorized spells. Just as he attempts to cast the spell, he suddenly forgets a crucial element of its formula, and the spell fails to work. The onset of Bertrek's Amnesia is usually preceded by a day or two of mild headaches. The mild headaches persist as long as the wizard is afflicted with this condition.

Susceptibility: Bertrek's Amnesia can strike any wizard, but it seems to affect wizards with Intelligence scores of 14 or less.

Prognosis: A full day of bed rest usually cures this condition, presuming the wizard refrains from casting spells, studying texts, or engaging in other strenuous mental activities. Without rest, the affliction can persist indefinitely.

DM's Notes: When a wizard is afflicted with Bertrek's Amnesia, he must make an Intelligence Check when attempting to cast a spell. If the check is successful, the spell is cast normally. If he fails the check, the spell is lost in a fizzle of useless energy and is wiped clean from the memory of the caster until it can be rememorized.

After every full day of rest, the DM rolls 1d20 to see if the wizard is cured; if the roll is less than or equal to the wizard's Intelligence score, the wizard is cured. Otherwise, the wizard is automatically cured after he has been afflicted for 2-8 (2d4) days

2. Chronic Incandescence

Description: The wizard afflicted with chronic incandescence continually radiates light from his body. The glow is bright enough to penetrate any thickness of clothing and extends to a radius of 20 feet. The glow persists regardless of whether the wizard is resting, casting spells, or performing other actions.

The onset of chronic incandescence is usually preceded by a day or two of sporadic glowing, particularly while the wizard is asleep.

Susceptibility: Chronic incandescence can strike any wizard.

Prognosis: Darkness cast on the afflicted wizard sometimes cancels this condition. Dispel magic has also been known to work. Otherwise, the affliction usually passes within a few days.

DM's Notes: A wizard with this affliction glows as if affected by a 1st-level light spell. This does not affect his ability to cast spells, but he will find it difficult to hide from enemies. Cure disease and similar spells have no effect on chronic incandescence. If darkness, 15' radius is cast on the afflicted wizard, he can make a save vs. magic; if he fails the check, his condition is negated. Likewise, if he fails a check against dispel magic, his condition is cancelled. These spells can only be attempted once each on an afflicted wizard. The afflicted wizard cannot cast these spells on himself. If these spells are unavailable, or if he successfully saves in both cases, the condition disappears in 1-4 days

3. Conjuritis

Description: A wizard afflicted with conjuritis produces bizarre and unexpected effects when attempting to cast any conjuration or summoning spell. Usually, there is no warning of the onset of this affliction.

Susceptibility: Conjurers are the most likely wizards to be affected, but any wizard who knows one or more conjuration/summoning spells can be stricken with conjuritis.

Prognosis: Conjuritis is difficult to treat. Dispel magic has no effect on conjuritis, nor does cure disease or similar spells. Fortunately, conjuritis eventually clears up after running its course.

DM's Notes: When a wizard afflicted with conjuritis attempts to cast any conjuration/summoning spell, the DM rolls 1d20 and consults Table 18 for the result of the spell

Table 18: Conjuritis Results

d20

Result of

Roll

Conj. /Summ. Spell

1

The immediate area is filled with the sounds of thunder, while lightning flashes overhead. The thunder and lightning persist for 1-4 rounds, but have no effects on the characters or their abilities.

2

A plush toy animal 10-40 feet high appears in an area in front of the caster. The toy animal can be a rabbit, a dragon, a cow, or any creature of the DM's choice. The toy animal crumbles to dust immediately if it is touched or disturbed in any way.

3

Dozens of mushrooms of various sizes suddenly pop up everywhere within a 10-40 foot radius of the caster (this occurs even if the caster is indoors). Each mushroom has an image of the caster's smiling face on its cap. As soon as any of the mushrooms are touched, all of them crumble into dust.

4

The area within a 10-40 foot radius of the caster fills with multi-colored soap bubbles. On the side of each bubble is an image of the caster's smiling face.

5

The temperature within a 10-40 foot radius of the caster suddenly rises or drops (DM's choice) 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The change persists for 1-4 rounds, then the area reverts to its previous temperature.

6

The immediate area fills with the sounds of human shrieks and screams. There is no apparent source of the sounds. The screams persist for 1-4 rounds, then fade away.

7

The caster's flesh turns purple (or green or blue or any other color or combination of the DM's choice). The effect persists for 1-4 rounds, then the caster's flesh reverts to its normal color.

8

The area within a 50-foot radius of the caster is filled with a thin mist, light green in color (or light purple or light orange, or any other color of the DM's choice). The mist smells of cinnamon (or mint or rotten fish or any other aroma of the DM's choice). The mist dissipates in 1-4 rounds.

9

The area within a 50-foot radius of the caster abruptly turns pitch black, as if it were affected by a darkness spell. If the area was already dark, it abruptly becomes bright, as if affected by a light spell. This effect persists for 1-4 rounds.

10

An image of whatever the caster was attempting to conjure appears 10 feet in front of the caster, hovers in mid-air for a few seconds, then disappears. If the caster was attempting a spell that did not conjure or summon an item or creature, the hovering image is of the caster.

11-20

The caster's spell works normally.

A wizard probably will not know that he has conjuritis until he first experiences an unexpected result from a conjuration/summoning spell; (that is, when he first receives one of the results numbered 1-10 on Table 18.) After he experiences this first unexpected result, there are two ways he can be cured.

1. As soon as the wizard casts two consecutive conjuration/summoning spells with normal results (that is, the DM rolls 11-20 on Table 18), he is cured of the affliction.

2. As soon the wizard casts four normal conjuration/summoning spells (a result of 11-20 on Table 18), he is cured of the affliction; these spells need not be consecutive

4. Barlow's Blacksickness

Description: An extremely dangerous disease, blacksickness causes the afflicted wizard to weaken every time he attempts to cast a necromancy spell. In extreme cases, afflicted wizards have died from this disease. The affliction is accompanied by stomach cramps, blurred vision, and nightmares. Its onset is usually preceded by several days of nausea.

Susceptibility: Barlow's blacksickness primarily affects necromancers. It can also strike any wizard who knows and uses necromancy spells.

Prognosis: This is a difficult affliction to treat. Strangely, the very act of casting the spells associated with the disease also seems to help cure it. Otherwise, the affliction can linger anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

DM's Notes: A wizard afflicted with blacksickness risks suffering damage whenever he casts a necromancy spell. When an afflicted wizard casts a necromancy spell, he must make a Constitution Check, with the level of the spell used as a negative modifier. (For instance, if the wizard has a Constitution of 13 and casts a 4th-level necromancy spell, he adds 4 to his 1d20 roll when he makes his Constitution Check. ) If he passes the check, there are no ill effects. If he fails the check, he suffers 1-4 hit points of damage. Regardless of whether he fails his Constitution Check, the spell is cast normally.

There are two additional side-effects of blacksickness.

1. If the afflicted wizard suffers 6-10 hit points of damage in the same day as a result of failing Constitution Checks required for casting necromancy spells, he will experience wracking nightmares when he sleeps that night. Throughout the following day, he will experience blurred vision and stomach cramps, and will make all attack rolls at a -2 penalty. Cure disease or similar spells have no effect on this condition.

2. If the afflicted wizard suffers 11 or more hit points of damage in the same day as a result of failing Constitution Checks required for casting necromancy spells, he will immediately collapse. He will be unable to cast spells, engage in combat, or undertake any other strenuous activities for the next 24 hours. (He can still walk without assistance, but his movement rate is halved.)

Cure disease, dispel magic, and similar spells have no effect on blacksickness. Aside from a wish, there are two known cures.

1. The DM secretly rolls 2d6. This is the number of necromancy spells the afflicted wizard must cast in order to purge his system of the blacksickness. The necromancy spells can be of any level; for instance, if the wizard needs to cast four spells, they could all be 1st-level spells, they could all be 9th-level spells, or they could be any combination of necromancy spells from any level. Each time a necromancy spell is cast, the afflicted wizard must still make a Constitution Check and suffer the effects as described above. (Obviously, the wizard's health is safer if he refrains from casting more than one or two necromancy spells in the same day.)

The DM does not reveal to the wizard the total number of spells he needs to cast to cure himself--instead, the DM should tell the wizard that he's gradually getting better after he casts each necromancy spell. The DM can tell the wizard that he is cured after he has cast the last required spell, then has cast one subsequent necromancy spell that gives him no ill effects.

2. Blacksickness persists for 4-32 (4d8) days. The DM should determine the length of the affliction at its outset, but not reveal the information to the wizard. If the wizard has not yet cured himself, the affliction is over at the end of this period.

5. Immaterialism

Description: The wizard afflicted with immaterialism gradually fades away until his body is transparent, making him appear as if he were made of glass. In this condition, he is unable to fight, cast spells, or perform any other ordinary actions. The onset of immaterialism is preceded by a gradual lightening of the victim's skin color.

Susceptibility: Immaterialism usually strikes illusionists, but any wizard who knows or uses illusionist spells can be a victim.

Prognosis: If treated early, immaterialism can usually be cured with cure disease or a similar spell. However, the condition becomes harder to treat as it progresses. Untreated, immaterialism can last for several weeks.

DM's Notes: Immaterialism progresses over three distinct stages, each with different symptoms. The affliction can be cured at any stage.

1. In Stage One, the afflicted wizard's skin turns white, as if it had been bleached. He suffers a -1 penalty to his Charisma, but there are no other ill effects. At this stage, immaterialism can be cured with cure disease or a similar spell; no saving throw is required. Otherwise, Stage One persists for 2-8 (2d4) days.

2. In Stage Two, the afflicted wizard's skin remains white, but his body has the consistency of firm gelatin. He continues to suffer the -1 penalty to his Charisma. His natural Armor Class is also increased to 7. Because of this improved AC, some afflicted wizards allow their condition to advance to Stage Two before attempting a cure. At this stage, immaterialism can be cured with cure disease, but the afflicted wizard must make a saving throw vs. spells; if the wizard succeeds in his saving throw, he resists cure disease and remains afflicted with immaterialism. Untreated, Stage Two persists for 2-8 (2d4) days.

3. In Stage Three, the wizard and all of his gear become insubstantial; he appears as if he were made of glass, but he has no substance. The afflicted wizard cannot cast spells, engage in combat, or take any other action aside from moving and speaking. He has a -4 penalty to his Charisma. However, the wizard is affected only by magical or special attacks, including weapons of +1 or better (such attacks are made against the wizard's normal AC). The afflicted wizard is able to pass through small holes or other narrow openings as long as Stage Three persists. At this stage, immaterialism cannot be cured with cure disease or any other spell short of a wish. Stage Three persists for 2-8 (2d4) days

Table of Contents

d20	Result of
Roll	Conj. /Summ. Spell

1	The immediate area is filled with the sounds of thunder, while lightning flashes overhead. The thunder and lightning persist for 1-4 rounds, but have no effects on the characters or their abilities.

2	A plush toy animal 10-40 feet high appears in an area in front of the caster. The toy animal can be a rabbit, a dragon, a cow, or any creature of the DM's choice. The toy animal crumbles to dust immediately if it is touched or disturbed in any way.

3	Dozens of mushrooms of various sizes suddenly pop up everywhere within a 10-40 foot radius of the caster (this occurs even if the caster is indoors). Each mushroom has an image of the caster's smiling face on its cap. As soon as any of the mushrooms are touched, all of them crumble into dust.

4	The area within a 10-40 foot radius of the caster fills with multi-colored soap bubbles. On the side of each bubble is an image of the caster's smiling face.

5	The temperature within a 10-40 foot radius of the caster suddenly rises or drops (DM's choice) 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The change persists for 1-4 rounds, then the area reverts to its previous temperature.

6	The immediate area fills with the sounds of human shrieks and screams. There is no apparent source of the sounds. The screams persist for 1-4 rounds, then fade away.

7	The caster's flesh turns purple (or green or blue or any other color or combination of the DM's choice). The effect persists for 1-4 rounds, then the caster's flesh reverts to its normal color.

8	The area within a 50-foot radius of the caster is filled with a thin mist, light green in color (or light purple or light orange, or any other color of the DM's choice). The mist smells of cinnamon (or mint or rotten fish or any other aroma of the DM's choice). The mist dissipates in 1-4 rounds.

9	The area within a 50-foot radius of the caster abruptly turns pitch black, as if it were affected by a darkness spell. If the area was already dark, it abruptly becomes bright, as if affected by a light spell. This effect persists for 1-4 rounds.

10	An image of whatever the caster was attempting to conjure appears 10 feet in front of the caster, hovers in mid-air for a few seconds, then disappears. If the caster was attempting a spell that did not conjure or summon an item or creature, the hovering image is of the caster.

11-20	The caster's spell works normally.