Rules Question: How many diseases would a Cure Disease spell negate upon the victim?
For instance, say a person has contracted two, or three, illnesses/diseases, and a cleric (or paladin) places a Cure Disease spell on the victim, does this spell remove ALL of the strains, or merely one of them?
I have always played it as one casting one disease. I think the spell name is not plural and so the effect is so. The discription in the Player's Handbook would probably mention it if it could cure several (which it doesn't) so again one spell one disease would be proper. Now that I'm thinking about it I would probably allow a couple of lesser diseases (not lycanthropy) if cast by a high level priest or cast in a sacred shrine or something or perhaps if cast by a priest of a more curative god (like Pelor for example) in a holy place.
One is fine. Generous DMs could allow more than one natural disease to be cured with one casting of cure disease, similar to cure wounds spells that heal not just one wound but multiple wound up to the total rolled healing amount, but require a single dedicated casting of cure disease to get rid of unnatural diseases, like lycanthropy and mummy rot. Just for comparison, a purify good & drink spell kills everything harmful in the food and drink, whether there is just one disease or literally hundreds of them, and that is just a 1st level spell. So, I might be inclined to be generous, as in the above example. Totally up the DM though. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
Good counter, Ceb, though I might remind you that mummy rot and lycanthropy are considered curses and require the appropriate spell to negate their effects.
Hmmmm, now I've gotta decide which stance to take.
Good counter, Ceb, though I might remind you that mummy rot and lycanthropy are considered curses and require the appropriate spell to negate their effects.
Lycanthropy, regardless of its classification, can be cured by a cure disease spell. It just takes a 12th+ level caster to do so, and the spell must be cast within 3 days of the infection. After 3 days, the only remedy is a remove curse spell cast by a 12th+ level cleric.
As to mummy rot, the monster entry for the Mummy tells us:
Quote:
The disease (mummy rot) can be cured only with a cure disease spell.
The caster can be of any level in the case of mummy rot. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
Ceb, there seems to be grand inconsistency from one source to another as to whether mummy rot and lycanthropy is a disease or curse, and as to which spell is needed to remove the effects.
Yes, there are differences in the monster entry and the cure disease spell entry. The cure disease spell entry says that it can cure lycanthropy, within the specified limitations, while the Lycanthrope monster entry says that only a remove curse can get rid of the affliction. Basically, choose which one you like. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
Ghoul fever also comes to mind here.... though it is unclear if the clawed attack also can cause the affliction(I've always ruled it does since the bite seems to cause paralysis as well) and "ghoul fever" is not truely fleshed out (sorry for the pun hehe) until 3.x
Although, 1e and the 2e monster compendium, both make mention of fallen characters becoming ghouls, though not "how" nor "when" the affliction is contracted (pre or post mortum).
Lastly, I agree with GreyMous, the spell is not plural, so neither should the effect.
Found this in an old Wizards thread and have reposted it below thanks to bone_naga on those boards.
Ok, here is everything I could find for inflicting specific diseases
PHB
-Irritation spell
-Contagion spell
-Cause Disease (reverse of Cure Disease) spell
-Eyebite (sicken function) spell
-Harm spell infects with a disease but does not describe the disease
DMG
-Lycanthropy
-Other Diseases doesn't describe actual diseases, just makes mention of the difference between normal and magical disease
-Periapt of Foul Rotting
MM
-Pit Fiend inflicts disease but no details are provided
-Large Bat details rabies
-Kasharin Beholder mentions a rotting disease but no details (mummy rot could substitute)
-Death Dog details another rotting disease
-Violet Fungi have a very fast acting rotting disease
-Phycomid Fungi details their spore disease
-Gas Spore details another spore disease
-Ettins are mentioned as often having diseases, no other details provided
-Gloomwing Moth details their egg implant disease
-Goblins are mentioned as having filthy lairs that breed diseases, no details
-Heacuva details a debilitating disease
-Ear Seeker details their egg implant disease
-Giant Tick details a fatal disease
-Giant Leech also details a fatal disease
-Lycanthropes details the lyconthropy disease/curse, and there is some variation among the individual lycanthropes
-Russet Mold has a spore disease and the mold itself can be killed by cure disease
-Yellow Mold also has a spore disease
-Mold Men have yet another spore disease
-Mummy inflicts mummy rot, which is explained
-Greater Mummy has an improved version of mummy rot
-Myconid explains the potion of decay, which inflicts a fungus disease
-Olive Slime has a sort of parasitic disease and the slime can be killed by cure disease
-Green Slime doesn't pass on any other diseases but is killed by cure disease
-Otyughs have a chance to inflict either a debilitating or fatal disease, but these diseases are not explained
-Rats inflict disease, but no details are provided
-Giant Rats inflict debilitating disease, but again no details are provided
-Blue Slaad inflict a rotting disease, but the details of this disease are not provided
-Boalisk inflicts mummy rot
-Rot Grubs are treated as a disease when they burrow into the victim's flesh
-Zombie Lords inflict a number of diseases, which are explained except when they replicate a spell (contagion or cause disease)
-Sea Zombies (Drowned Ones) inflict a serious disease, but no details are provided
Complete Book of Elves
-Briefly describes some elven-specific diseases
-Winged Elves can go insane from claustrophobia
Complete Paladin's Handbook
-Great length about curing disease and vaguely mentions a variety of possible diseases without detailing the rules for them
Complete Wizard's Handbook
-Mummy Rot spell
-Bertrek's Amnesia and Immaterialism detail wizard-only diseases
-Chronic Incandescence, Conjuritis, and Barlow's Blacksickness are wizard-only afflictions not affected by cure disease
Complete Druid's Handbook
-Some generic livestock diseases mentioned, moreso as plot points without much in the way of rules beyond being affected by cure disease or farmers with the healing NWP
Complete Book of Necromancers
-Contains a generic blurb about necromancers opening themselves up to diseases as a side effect of their powers
-Scabrous Touch grants the power to inflict diseases and refers the reader to Chapter 3 and gives some basic rules for the power
-Bodily Affliction explains a disease that may afflict necromancers
-Insanity or Madness explains mental affliction that are not treated as diseases
-Gives rules for Disease Checks
-Bone Blight spell
-Death Ward spell can inflict disease but refers the reader to the Cause Disease spell
-Priest of Pestilence can inflict fatal diseases as a power but refers the reader to the Cause Disease spell
-Plague Curse spell refers the reader to Cause Disease, but then details a few of its own rules for time and effect of the disease
-Scourge spell
-Hades Hand item explains that they are often enchanted with Cause Disease
-Plague Bolts item inflicts a fatal disease
-Scourge of Thasmudyan is a plot point detailing a widespread plague
Legends and Lore
-Centeotl's avatar inflicts disease
-Apollo can inflict disease, but no details provided
-Rudra's avatar inflicts a rotting disease
-Hel inflicts disease
Monster Mythology
-Falazure inflicts disease
-Demogorgon inflicts disease
-Psilofyr inflicts disease but no details provided
-Luthic inflicts a wasting disease
-Yurtrus inflicts a rotting disease
-Juiblex causes disease as per the spell
-Breath of Death spell (reverse of Breath of Life) inflicts a fatal nonmagical disease
DM Option: High Level Campaigns
-Legendary Monsters can have a Cause Disease power, of which a variety of possible effects are described
-Cleric Smite power includes a plague effect that is a slightly modified form of Cause Disease
In the second edition definition it refers to removing the affliction not afflictions. However, it also states the person receiving the Cure Disease can recover in as little as one turn to 10 days. In parenthesis it mentions the DM must adjudicate these conditions.
I for one can say this is how I would rule it debilitating diseases are cured in one turn per disease. Fatal diseases are cured one day per disease. While magical diseases mummy rot, devil chills what have you take a full three days to recover from per disease.
I would allow for one spell to cure what ails you. But require the benefactor to require more recovery time.
On a side note in 3.5 edition the replacement for Cure Disease = Remove Disease., will remove all diseases instantaneously. That's how I would rule it. Now it up to you! How would you adjudicate the spell. Its 3rd level which means it contains power similar to Dispel Magic , Feign Death, and Speak with Dead. I would not limit it to one Disease in general. I never have. Though the delay in recovery is better then the alternative.
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