Maladies

While medical advances make many common health hazards inconsequential, some maladies still present a threat to voidrunners who are unlucky enough to suffer them.

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Treating a diseased creature over the course of a short rest with a successful Medicine check (tier 1: DC 10, tier 2: DC 14, tier 3: DC 18, tier 4: DC 22) grants advantage on its next saving throw against the disease.

Severe diseases. The diseases below are presented in their most common form. Sometimes a more severe version of a disease is encountered. These diseases are considered one tier higher, and all saving throws made against the disease are made at disadvantage .

Mental stress effects. Some maladies inflict a short or long-term mental stress effect (see Appendix A of the Adventurer’s Guide). The duration of these effects is noted in the malady’s description.

Fatigue and strife. Some maladies either inflict levels of fatigue or strife , or they prevent the victim from recovering levels of fatigue or strife, even if they are able to rest at a haven.

Recovery. Each malady describes the ways in which a victim might recover. Typically this requires three successful consecutive saving throws.

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Apoplectic Psychosis (Tier 2)

This disorder affects the emotional regulation of the brain, resulting in extreme anger and aggression. Victims are provoked to outburst of rage by insignificant triggers, often resulting in violence.

A creature which contracts apoplectic psychosis gains the enraged condition. Additionally, they suffer from the enraged mental stress effect.

Recovery. The victim makes a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw after each long rest. After three consecutive successful saving throws, the victim recovers.

Brainpox (Tier 3)

This virus affects the brain and nerve centers of its victim. It is often caught via physical contact, especially via the eyes or nose. The victim begins to lose their senses of sight and hearing, with paralysis being the end result.

At the end of each week, the victim must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw . After the first failure, the victim gains the blinded condition. After the second failure, they gain the deafened condition. After the third failure, the victim gains the paralyzed condition and stops making weekly saving throws.

Recovery. On a successful weekly saving throw, the victim loses the most recent of those three conditions which it gained via this malady. Once they have made a successful saving throw while not suffering from one of the conditions, they recover.

Victims which have reached the paralysis stage of this malady do not recover naturally. However, a DC 21 Medicine check performed by a practitioner who keeps the victim under their care for a full week removes the paralyzed condition and allows the victim to resume making weekly saving throws.

Cellular Shingles (Tier 2)

This painful viral infection, affects the victim at a cellular level. While it is not life-threatening, it is intensely painful. The victim develops rashes and blisters all over their body, and becomes very sensitive to bright lights.

A creature which has contracted cellular shingles gains the agonized condition.

Recovery. The victim makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw after each long rest. After three consecutive successful Constitution saving throws, the victim recovers.

Orman’s Syndrome (Tier 2)

This illness attacks the neural structures of the brain, gradually causing memory loss. By the time it reaches its conclusion, the victim loses all sense of identity and all long-term memories. The victim will not recognize close friends or family members, or recall their own name, career, or skills.

At the end of each long rest, the victim must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw . On a failure, their Wisdom score is reduced by 1 point and they spend that day suffering from the amnesiac condition.

A creature whose Wisdom is reduced to zero suffers complete, permanent amnesia.

Recovery. After three consecutive successful Wisdom saving throws, the victim recovers and their Wisdom score returns to its normal value.

Macrovirus (Tier 1)

This airborne illness is particularly dangerous because it reduces the victim’s desire to actually do anything about it. The illness causes extreme lethargy, worsening to the point where the victim will not eat, and simply wastes away.

A creature which has contracted macrovirus cannot recover fatigue during a long rest, even if they are in a haven.

Recovery. Creatures with macrovirus do not recover on their own. However, it can be treated with daily DC 12 Medicine checks, with the victim recovering after three consecutive successful checks.

Psionic Evervation Syndrome (Tier 2)

This malady only affects creatures with psionic ability. After every long rest, the creature makes a DC 15 saving throw using its psionic ability score. On a failed saving throw, the creature’s maximum psionic points are reduced by 1 point.

Recovery. After three consecutive successful saving throws, the victim recovers. Their psionic pool recovers by 1 point per long rest until it has been restored to its normal value.

Psychic Melancholia (Tier 2)

This malady plunges the victim into a rapid, increasing spiral of depression. After each long rest, the victim must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw . On a failed save, the victim gains one level of strife .

A creature which has contracted psychic melancholia cannot recover strife during a long rest, even if they are in a haven.

Recovery. After three consecutive successful Wisdom saving throws, the victim recovers.

Radiation Sickness (Tier 2)

Radiation is deadly, and those exposed to it risk contracting radiation sickness. Symptoms include vomiting, intestinal pain, bleeding, hair loss, and fever.

A creature with radiation sickness is poisoned . Additionally, at the end of each long rest, the creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or their hit die maximum is reduced by 1 die. A creature whose hit die maximum is reduced to zero hit dice dies.

Recovery. Left alone, radiation sickness will result in death. However, it can be treated with daily DC 15 Medicine checks, with the victim recovering after three consecutive successful checks. The checks are made at advantage if anti-rad drugs are available (see Chapter 3: Equipment).

RAR-1 (Tier 3)

This frightening malady, Rapid Aging Retrovirus, causes its victims to age rapidly. It is believed that this malady is an artificially created bioweapon, but its specific origins are unknown.

A creature which has contracted RAR-1 ages one year during each long rest. For every 5 years in which the creature ages in this manner, its Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution ability scores are reduced by 1 point. When any of these scores reaches zero, the victim dies of old age.

Recovery. Creatures with RAR-1 do not recover on their own. However, it can be treated with weekly DC 21 Medicine checks, curing the victim after three successful checks. However, the victim does not recover the lost years, and remains at the biological age it reaches before it was cured. The victim recovers half (round up) of any lost ability score points.

 

Rigellian Fever (Tier 1)

This powerful virus causes extreme fever, sweating, and nausea, eventually resulting in the victim’s death. At the end of each long rest, the victim must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or suffer a level of fatigue .

Recovery. After three consecutive successful Constitution saving throws, the victim recovers.

Salt Plague (Tier 1)

This unpleasant disease feeds on the victim’s salt levels. The victim eventually loses their humanity as their salt cravings become so intense that they become violent, seeking the salty blood of other victims. This malady has many things in common with legends of vampirism.

A creature which has contracted salt plague suffers intense fatigue if it does not consume sufficient salt. It can draw salt from the blood of other living creatures, making an unarmed attack roll, and dealing 1d4 piercing damage on a hit. Each day, the creature must successfully drain salt three times from one or more living creatures or gain one level of fatigue .

Normal salt deposits, or even table salt, can help to alleviate the cravings. A creature with salt plague which consumes regular salt can make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a success that dose of salt counts as one of their three required doses per day. On a failure, the salt has no effect. A creature can only attempt to alleviate cravings in this way three times per day.

Recovery. The only cure for salt plague is isolation. After 7 days with no intake of salt, the victim is cured of the malady–if they survive the process.

Space Dementia (Tier 1)

Space dementia affects a small number of space travelers when they first encounter FTL speeds. It can be treated, but left alone it will result in hallucinations, and madness.

After each long rest , the victim must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw . On a failed saving throw, the victim suffers a randomly determined short-term mental stress effect (see Trials & Treasures) until their next long rest.

Recovery. Space dementia is usually temporary. The victim recovers after a single successful Wisdom saving throw.

Space Ennui (Tier 1)

The void affects different people in different ways. Space ennui degrades the victim’s emotional centers, causing depression, weariness, and apathy. The victim simply stops caring about things, including their own interests, hobbies, friends, family, and even food.

At the end of each long rest , the victim must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw . On a failure, they spend that day suffering from the placid condition. Medical treatment cannot assist with these saving throws, and the victim does not make the saving throws at advantage as normal when under medical care.

A creature which has contracted space ennui cannot recover strife during a long rest, even if they are in a haven.

Recovery. After three consecutive successful Wisdom saving throws, the victim recovers.