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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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Curses | Tempting Curses | Diseases | Item Curses

Diseases

Source GM Core pg. 88 2.0
Exposure to disease can be a hazard, such as when PCs come into contact with a plague-ridden corpse; such hazards grant XP as a simple hazard of the disease’s level. When a disease gives a sickened condition that can’t be reduced until it runs its course, that typically means the disease has symptoms such as a difficulty swallowing, loss of appetite, or nausea that make eating and drinking difficult but not impossible. Despite the condition’s prohibition on eating or drinking, a creature can slowly and carefully eat and drink as long as they aren’t in an encounter.

Click here for the full rules on Diseases.

AddictionDisease Level Varies

Legacy Content

Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 120
Track the maximum stage you reach with each drug’s addiction. This maximum stage is separate from your current addiction stage for the drug. The maximum stage can’t be reduced, even if you fully remove the disease. When you take the drug, two things happen: you attempt a saving throw against addiction, and you suppress the effects of addiction for 1 day. Failing a save against addiction caused by taking the drug causes you to go to 1 stage higher than the maximum stage you had previously reached (2 stages higher on a critical failure). If you’re currently suffering from addiction when you attempt a save from taking the drug, you can’t improve your stage; if you succeed at the save, the stage remains the same as it was.

When you attempt your save against addiction each week, the stage you are currently at can’t get worse—it can only stay the same or improve. The conditions from addiction can’t be removed while you are affected by the addiction, and suppressing addiction by taking the drug only avoids the effects—it doesn’t remove the disease.

Saving Throw Fortitude (DC equals that of the drug); Onset 1 day; Stage 1 fatigued (1 week); Stage 2 fatigued and sickened 1 (1 week); Stage 3 fatigued, drained 1, and sickened 1 (1 week); Stage 4 fatigued, drained 2, sickened 2, and stupefied 2 (1 week)

Bog RotDisease 0

Legacy Content

Disease 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 118
Sometimes called bog foot, bog rot is caused by having waterlogged feet for an extended period of time. In addition to the usual cures for an affliction, bog rot can be cured through amputation of the affected appendages.

Saving Throw DC 13 Fortitude; Onset 1 day; Stage 1 clumsy 1 (1 day); Stage 2 clumsy 1 and a –5-foot status penalty to Speed (1 day); Stage 3 clumsy 2 and a –10-foot status penalty to Speed (1 day)

Fly PoxDisease 1

Legacy Content

Source Bestiary 2 pg. 120 2.0
A giant fly could carry any disease, but most transmit a virulent but not fatal infection called Fly Pox with their bite

Saving Throw DC 16 Fortitude; Onset 1 day; Stage 1 enfeebled 1 (1 day); Stage 2 as stage 1 (1 day); Stage 3 enfeebled 2 (1 day); Stage 4 as stage 3; Stage 5 enfeebled 2 and fatigued (1 day)

Scarlet FeverDisease 1

Legacy Content

Disease 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 118
The relatively simple sore throat caused by this disease leads many victims to initially dismiss it as a mild illness, but scarlet fever can be deadly if left untreated. You can’t reduce your sickened condition while affected with scarlet fever.

Saving Throw DC 13 Fortitude; Onset 2 days; Stage 1 sickened 1 (1 day); Stage 2 sickened 2 (1 day); Stage 3 sickened 3 and can’t speak (1 day); Stage 4 death

TetanusDisease 1

Legacy Content

Disease 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 118
An infection introduced through open wounds, tetanus can produce stiffness, muscle spasms strong enough to break bones, and ultimately death.

Saving Throw DC 14 Fortitude; Onset 10 days; Stage 1 clumsy 1 (1 week); Stage 2 clumsy 2 and can’t speak (1 day); Stage 3 paralyzed with spasms (1 day); Stage 4 death

TuberculosisDisease 1

Legacy Content

Disease 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 118
An extended respiratory disease, tuberculosis can pose particular challenges to spellcasters and some performers due to the intense coughing fits it produces.

Saving Throw DC 15 Fortitude; Onset 1 week; Stage 1 carrier with no effects (1 week); Stage 2 coughing requires you to succeed at a DC 5 flat check to Cast a Spell with a verbal component or Activate an Item with a command component (1 week); Stage 3 fatigued, can’t recover from the fatigued condition, and coughing requires a successful DC 15 flat check to Cast a Spell with a verbal component or Activate an Item with a command component (1 week); Stage 4 unconscious (1 week); Stage 5 death

Void DeathDisease 1

Legacy Content

Source Bestiary 2 pg. 13 2.0
An akata implants its parasitic larval young into any creature it bites, but only Medium or Small humanoids make suitable hosts; all other creatures are immune to this disease

Saving Throw DC 17 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect 1 (1 day); Stage 2 drained 1 (1 day); Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day); Stage 4 drained 2 and fatigued (1 day); Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day); Stage 6 dead and corpse rises as a void zombie (page 288) in 2d4 hours

MalariaDisease 2

Legacy Content

Disease 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 118
A pernicious disease spread by bloodsucking insects, malaria sometimes enters long periods of dormancy. If you succumb to malaria, you may continue to be periodically affected by the disease, even if you’re cured. You can’t reduce your sickened condition while affected with malaria.

Saving Throw DC 16 Fortitude; Onset 10 days; Stage 1 sickened 1 (1 day); Stage 2 sickened 2 (1 day); Stage 3 sickened 2, and disease recurs every 1d4 months even if cured (1 day); Stage 4 unconscious (1 day); Stage 5 death

Rust CreepDisease 2

This Disease may contain spoilers from the Rusthenge Adventure

Legacy Content

Rare Disease Divine Transmutation 
Source Rusthenge pg. 19
Those afflicted by rust creep develop uncomfortable rust-colored bruises on their flesh and endure full-body aches like those one might experience after a long workout. As the affliction progresses, their bodies—as well as the clothing and items they wear or carry—increasingly break down until a painful death occurs. If a character successfully resists contracting rust creep, or recovers from a case of rust creep, they are temporarily immune to future rust creep infections for 24 hours.

Saving Throw DC 15 Fortitude; Stage 1 –1 status penalty to Athletics checks (1 day); Stage 2 as stage 1 (1 day); Stage 3 enfeebled 1 (1 day); Stage 4 enfeebled 1 and stupefied 1, plus any armor, clothing and items you carry and that are of a level equal to or less than the disease become broken as the decay spreads to them (1 day; broken items remain broken); Stage 5 unconscious (1 day); Stage 6 unconscious (1 day); Stage 7 death

Bubonic PlagueDisease 3

Legacy Content

Disease 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 118
This widespread illness can sweep through entire communities, leaving few unaffected. The first indication of the disease is a telltale swelling of glands. In some cases, the disease can move into your lungs (pneumonic plague) or blood (septicemic plague), which is even more fatal. If you have bubonic plague, you can’t remove the fatigued condition while affected.

Saving Throw DC 17 Fortitude; Onset 1 day; Stage 1 fatigued (1 day); Stage 2 enfeebled 2 and fatigued (1 day); Stage 3 enfeebled 3, fatigued, and take 1d6 persistent bleed damage every 1d20 minutes (1 day)

Cocytan FilthDisease 3

Legacy Content

Source Bestiary 2 pg. 72 2.0
Nethys Note: no description was provided for this disease.

Saving Throw DC 18 Fortitude; Onset 1d4 days; Stage 1 enfeebled 1 (1 day); Stage 2 enfeebled 2 (1 day); Stage 3 enfeebled 3 (1 day)

Scarlet LeprosyDisease 4

Legacy Content

Disease Virulent 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 118
Scarlet leprosy is widely feared for its devastating effects, crushing bones and organs while making recovery nearly impossible. Damage taken from scarlet leprosy can’t be healed until the disease is cured.

Saving Throw DC 19 Fortitude; Onset 1 day; Stage 1 2d6 bludgeoning damage (1 day); Stage 2 2d6 bludgeoning damage, and whenever you gain the wounded condition, increase the condition value by 1 (1 day); Stage 3 4d6 bludgeoning damage and can’t heal any Hit Point damage (1 day)

BonechillDisease 5

Legacy Content

Disease Necromancy Primal 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 118
If you are wounded and exposed to persistent cold, you might contract bonechill.

Saving Throw DC 20 Fortitude; Onset 1 day; Stage 1 clumsy 1 (1 day); Stage 2 clumsy 2 and can’t heal cold damage until this disease is cured (1 day); Stage 3 clumsy 3 and all cold temperature effects are one step more severe for the victim (1 day); Stage 4 paralyzed and all cold temperature effects are one step more severe for the victim (1 day)

Choking DeathDisease 6

Legacy Content

Disease 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 118
This disease is capable of wiping out nations or even entire continents. A few pockets of the disease still remain in Iobaria, keeping that region’s population sparse.

Saving Throw DC 22 Fortitude; Onset 1 day; Stage 1 hoarse voice but no other symptoms (1 day); Stage 2 drained 1 (1 day); Stage 3 drained 2 and can’t speak (1 day); Stage 4 death

Swamp GutsDisease 6

This Disease may contain spoilers from the Strength of Thousands Adventure Path

Legacy Content

Uncommon Disease Virulent 
Source Pathfinder #170: Spoken on the Song Wind pg. 47
Exposure to the swampy sewage produces extreme nausea and weakness for several days.

Saving Throw DC 22 Fortitude; Onset 1 hour; Stage 1 sickened 1 (1 day); Stage 2 enfeebled 1 and fatigued (1 day); Stage 3 enfeebled 2 and fatigued (1 day); Stage 4 enfeebled 4 and fatigued (1 day)

Blinding SicknessDisease 7

Legacy Content

Disease 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 119
Endemic to jungles of the Mwangi Expanse, blinding sickness is transmitted by dirty water or the bites of certain creatures.

Saving Throw DC 23 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no effects (1 day); Stage 2 enfeebled 1 (1 day); Stage 3 enfeebled 2 (1 day); Stage 4 enfeebled 2 and permanently blinded (1 day); Stage 5 enfeebled 4 (1 day); Stage 6 unconscious (1 day); Stage 7 death

Sewer HazeDisease 7

Legacy Content

Disease Virulent 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 119
Many healers and alchemists suspect that sewer haze has a supernatural origin, given its association with particularly strong otyughs.

Saving Throw DC 23 Fortitude; Onset 2 days; Stage 1 stupefied 2 (1 day); Stage 2 drained 2 and stupefied 2 (1 day); Stage 3 drained 3 and stupefied 3 (1 day)

Nightmare FeverDisease 8

Legacy Content

Disease Necromancy Occult 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 119
Thought to be caused by a night hag’s curse, nightmare fever inflicts you with terrible nightmares, and you awaken with the wounds you received in your dreams. Some versions cause you to dream of being wounded by bludgeoning or piercing weapons, in which case you take that type of damage instead. Damage and the fatigued condition caused by the disease can’t be healed until the disease is removed.

Saving Throw DC 25 Will; Stage 1 2d6 slashing damage and fatigued (1 day); Stage 2 4d6 slashing damage and fatigued (1 day); Stage 3 4d6 slashing damage, fatigued, and whenever you take slashing damage, you must succeed at a Will save against the disease’s DC or become frightened 2 (1 day); Stage 4 6d6 slashing damage, fatigued, and whenever you take slashing damage, you must succeed at a Will save against the disease’s DC or become paralyzed for 1 round (1 day); Stage 5 6d6 slashing damage and unconscious

FleshgoutDisease 10

Legacy Content

Source Bestiary 2 pg. 119 2.0
A ghonhatine’s vomit carries an awful disease that, over time, can cause a suffering creature’s flesh to develop painful boils that eventually slough away, leaving gaping wounds

Saving Throw DC 28 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1d4 hours); Stage 2 enfeebled 1 and drained 1 (1 day); Stage 3 enfeebled 2 and drained 2 (1 day); Stage 4 enfeebled 2 and drained 3 (1 day); Stage 5 drained 4, enfeebled 2, and unconscious (1 day); Stage 6 dead

Brain WormsDisease 11

Legacy Content

Disease Virulent 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 119
Scholars suspect these brain parasites have an otherworldly or extraplanar origin. Though transmitted by the bites of infected targets, the disease remains relatively rare—most hosts are killed by the effects before they can pass it on. While infected, whenever you attack due to confusion, you bite your target (if you don’t have a jaws or fangs attack, you deal piercing damage as an unarmed attack with damage equal to your lowest unarmed attack).

Saving Throw DC 28 Fortitude; Onset 1 day; Stage 1 stupefied 2 (1 day); Stage 2 stupefied 2, and whenever you take damage, you must succeed at a Will save against the disease’s DC or become confused for 1 round (1 day); Stage 3 stupefied 3, and whenever you take damage, you must succeed at a Will save against the disease’s DC or become confused for 1 minute (1 day); Stage 4 stupefied 4 and confused, damage does not end the confused condition (1 day); Stage 5 unconscious (1 day); Stage 6 death

Daemonic FamineDisease 11

Legacy Content

Source Bestiary 2 pg. 59 2.0
Nethys Note: no description was provided for this disease.

Saving Throw DC 29 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier (1 day); Stage 2 enfeebled 1 (1 day); Stage 3 enfeebled 2 (1 day); Stage 4 as stage 3; Stage 5 enfeebled 3 (1 week); Stage 6 dead

Addictive ExhaustionDisease 15

Legacy Content

Unique Disease 
Source Monsters of Myth pg. 65
Addictive exhaustion results from exposure to Kuworsys's spores, through close proximity with the monster or in fungus-filled pits throughout Kuworsys's lair. At the onset, afflicted creatures find themselves gradually becoming disinterested in life. As the disease worsens, they become hyper-focused on a single activity. As the disease reaches its final stages, sustenance and rest provide no relief for them.

Saving Throw Fortitude; creatures with addictive exhaustion can't reduce their sickened condition from addictive exhaustion while they have the disease; Stage 1 The creature is sickened 1. One skill of the creature's choice doesn't suffer the status penalty from this sickened condition to its skill checks (1 day); Stage 2 As Stage 1, but the creature is sickened 2 and is fatigued (5 days); Stage 3 As Stage 2, but the creature is sickened 3 and has incurable hunger and thirst, in addition to being fatigued (1 day)

Blightburn SicknessDisease 15

This Disease may contain spoilers from the Extinction Curse Adventure Path

Legacy Content

Uncommon Disease 
Source Pathfinder #155: Lord of the Black Sands pg. 73
The ceiling of the vault of the Black Desert is studded with deadly crystals that glimmer like stars above the dark sands. These crystals are radioactive and flood the vault with lethal energy. Creatures other than those native to the vault or who have survived there for a long time develop a disease called blightburn sickness.

Creatures native to the Black Desert are immune, as are creatures who are affected by blightburn sickness but recover from it. The target can't recover from the disease's drained or sickened condition except by magic.

The surest way to avoid contracting blightburn sickness is by wearing a blightburn ward, a piece of protective jewelry often found among urdefhans' gear or for sale in Shraen.

Saving Throw DC 32 Fortitude; Onset 1d4 days; Stage 1 drained 1 (1 day); Stage 2 drained 1 and sickened 1 (1 day); Stage 3 drained 2 and sickened 2 (1 week); Stage 4 drained 3 and sickened 3 (1 month); Stage 5 increase drained condition by 1 (1 year)

Blightburn Sickness Disease 15

Legacy Content

Source Treasure Vault pg. 45 1.1
Caused by exposure to blightburn crystal, blightburn sickness burns and dissolves the afflicted creature from within. The target can't recover from the disease's drained or sickened condition except by magic. It's typically a 15th-level affliction (DC 32 Fortitude), but exposure to other forms of blightburn can change it.

Saving Throw DC 32 Fortitude; Onset 1d4 days; Stage 1 drained 1 (1 day); Stage 2 drained 1 and sickened 1 (1 day); Stage 3 drained 2 and sickened 2 (1 week); Stage 4 drained 3 and sickened 3 (1 month); Stage 5 increase drained condition by 1 (1 year)

Crimson OozeDisease 15

Legacy Content

Disease Virulent 
Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 119
This devastating fungus infects your hand and can be cured by amputating the limb before you reach stage 4.

Saving Throw DC 34 Fortitude; Stage 1 clumsy 1 (1 day); Stage 2 clumsy 2, and using the infected hand deals 3d6 persistent bleed damage (1 day); Stage 3 clumsy 2, stupefied 2, and the infected hand is unusable (1 day); Stage 4 clumsy 3, stupefied 3, and infected hand is permanently unusable (1 day); Stage 5 confused, and damage does not end the confused condition (1 day); Stage 6 death