Topic: Epidemic!

[RickInVA]

The thing with such as measles is that you have gone through the disease properly. Magical cures short circuit the normal mechanisms. People magically cured may not have the antibodies.

Certainly possible. 

I like for my magic to be magical, so if I was GMing this situation this divinity provided cure would confer immunity from further infection.

A Lay Healer version might not.

[Terry K. Amthor]

The thing with such as measles is that you have gone through the disease properly. Magical cures short circuit the normal mechanisms. People magically cured may not have the antibodies.

IMHO, I'd think a 14th level spell would be powerful enough that it cures you and you have been effectively 'vaccinated' against that particular disease. Certainly not a 1st level spell tho.

[egdcltd]

The thing with such as measles is that you have gone through the disease properly. Magical cures short circuit the normal mechanisms. People magically cured may not have the antibodies.

IMHO, I'd think a 14th level spell would be powerful enough that it cures you and you have been effectively 'vaccinated' against that particular disease. Certainly not a 1st level spell tho.

I think past a certain point it depends on how big a threat you want a disease to be. If magic is rare and there aren't many people able to cast a level 14 spell, then a disease is still an enormous threat, because the people who can cure and vaccinate it simply can't make much of a dent. If, however, magic is common, and you want to make the disease more of a risk, the spell probably shouldn't prevent repeat infection.

[markc]

I can see the 1st level spell being cast by priests on their flock and then the flock goes home and gets infected again, thus having to repeat the cycle until the source can be found and cured.
MDC

[EWSice2015]

If this is based in Shadow World, you should consider a few things, some have been hinted at.

The features of the desiease could be mapped out like any other opponent. What its nature, how it spreads, can it re-occur? How fast does it mutate? Once mutated, are previous victims immune or not? How long does it take to show symptoms. What are the phases. When is it fatal? Does it impact the young and old or all or perhaps only fatal to those with a certain racial inheratince, etc. how about are there a set of people immune but are carriers? Do animals or insects spread it?

is magic a large part of your game of Shadow World. Thus disease itself may have magical elements. I would suggest this is represented not as a level but as a base % resistance to being forcibly cured by any spell, potion etc. even a small percent of 5% - at which point the spell to be tried again must be done by a more powerful caster, item etc, would still statistically impact a large portion of the population.

In a world like Shadow World, any moderate successful government knows it needs a plan. Especially considering how many different disasters are waiting for the unprepared. Especially the Sky City and others. They will have plans to deal with an epedimic. Need to figure out how it works and what it is.

Last I always feel that game spell systems are long on combat n action spells and totally ignore that in a magic rich world, other day to day and craft magic will exist. Spells in Spell law are the magic of the combat casters. There should be more. I dislike a city with 1% of the population being involved in religion and all of them being the class cleric. Does not make sense. Of course it takes a bit of work. It also answers questions of how a smaller farmer population can feed a larger cities, in a magical world.  It also opens up possibilities.

Imposing our medical history on a world and not changing things, as technology changed things for everyone misses opportunity.

Sorry for any off topic
Cheers

[Neee-Wom]

Thanks for all the advices and comments.

I agree that several religious groups could have some problems if they start to give healing spells for free, but in the long term it would have sense and even groups like Sanctity of Moralis could do something to gain recognition and bring people to their congregation.

It could be really interesting to have an issue when a merchant wants to pay for her daughter to be healed and the Sisters of Eissa refuse because she is tainted by the Fourth Blood's rituals.

But this time is about an epidemic, and I want fear, paranoia and suffering as it's the kind of situation I want to explore with the PC's. So I will go with option 3, the Level 1 spell is permanent, but the channelling user must know the sickness is treating to cast it, a First Aid roll should be enough. If the healer/cleric/etc. knows the sick still could spread the infection, they could send them to a quarantine area for 10-20 days, or more, until they think they will be free of the infection.

Of course if a new strain appears, they could be infected again, but it should not happen really fast unless there is some magical aid.

Some rich people could be healed as in the 14th level spell, and will be immune to new strains.

[markc]

To expand on this a bit:
1) How would you track down such an epidemic?
2) Would temples provide such a service for free?
3) Do temples scan for such things upon their worshipers when they enter?
4) Would your temple just cast the spell as part of the service with or without telling the parishioners?
5) I could see some benefit to magic items that expand the number of targets for low level spells but I would be very hesitant to allow it for any type of attack spell. So maybe you have to agree to have the spell cast on you then if you are in said area you get the benefit of the spells effect. ie if you have a group of people suffering from X disease then they all can get the spell cast on them vs a group of plague zombies who use the disease as animation and or offense.


MDC 

[Neee-Wom]

To expand on this a bit:
1) How would you track down such an epidemic?

I generated a random sequence to help me with the growth of the illness.

2) Would temples provide such a service for free?

I would say yes, the risk in a city is so high that the authorities would have to order temples to help or be banned from the city.

3) Do temples scan for such things upon their worshipers when they enter?

They would check visible characteristics, and maybe a First Aid roll would help, but nothing magical. PP are required for actual healing.

4) Would your temple just cast the spell as part of the service with or without telling the parishioners?

I would say no, they want everybody to know how much are they doing for the congregation.

5) I could see some benefit to magic items that expand the number of targets for low level spells but I would be very hesitant to allow it for any type of attack spell. So maybe you have to agree to have the spell cast on you then if you are in said area you get the benefit of the spells effect. ie if you have a group of people suffering from X disease then they all can get the spell cast on them vs a group of plague zombies who use the disease as animation and or offense.

I would use some effect in the spells so everybody within the columns that make the sanctuary receive the benefits.

[jdale]

Affecting all of the congregants in the temple is the sort of thing I would use ritual magic for. Designing a ritual into a religious service seems like a natural fit.

[Neee-Wom]

You're right, I will have to consider a ritual done in the temples to affect everybody there.