Plague and Disease

Expansion of Hârnmaster Disease Rules

Written By: John P. McDonald
Edited By: N.Robin Crossby (minor editing only)

Note: This file contains minor, but potentially significant differences from the system that I (N. Robin Crossby) am using and may eventually publish. This may or may not be important to you. As publication of "official" disease rules if not anticipated in the near future, we are releasing this file as it may be useful to those who need disease rules.

Disease

Plagues are common to the medieval environment and Hârn has had its share. Hârnmaster describes diseases in terms of a contagion index (1-7) and a healing rate (1-5). The rules also state that the disease may render the character non-functional. While almost all physicians agree, characters suffering from disease should remain in bed, sometimes this is not possible. Exposure should be followed by up to four distinct phases:

[1] Contagion [2] COurse [3] DIagnosis & Treatmnent [4] Recovery

[1] Contagion

Diseases are transmitted in a wide variety of ways. The diseases listed in the table below are transmitted according to the letter codes under the CARRY column. [A] Airborne Particles; [C] Direct Contact; [F] Contaminated Food; [P] Pests, fleas, lice, etc. and [W] Contaminated Water. When exposed to a disease, a character rolls d100 against CI x End (max. 95). This EML should be adjusted by starvation and dehydration injury, weather modifiers (-10 if the weather is hot or rainy) and any other factors the GM deems appropriate. If the roll exceeds this EML, the character catches the disease.

[2] Course

Following an incubation period (listed on the table in days under the INC column), the character will begin to show symptoms of the disease. Symptoms will manifest as injury, special penalties and fatigue. Each symptom should be entered into the appropriate area(s) on the injuries/penalties section(s). Symptoms will continue throughout the duration of the disease (listed in d6 days on the table under the D column) or until treatment is given.

[P] Pain will always apply as injury. The extent of pain varies for each disease, and will range from d10 to 20+d10 IP. A special penalty of d10 should be applied to movement and initiative for abdominal pain [AP] or chest pain [CP], mental skills for a headache [HP], and movement, mobility and any skill using the arms for joint pain [JP].

[B] Bleeding or Hemorrhage will accumulate d10 injury points to bloodloss. While bloodloss is continual, it is very slow, and after accumulating these IPs, the afflicted individual maintains a low blood volume.

[C] Coughing is a very fatiguing activity, and will accumulate d10 fatigue points within the first few hours. Following this period, the cough prevents recovery of any fatigue by resting.

[E] Blindness sometimes results from diseases. EYE should suffer a significant penalty, or be reduced to zero if completely blind.

[F] Fever accompanies many diseases. A dangerously high fever can be as deadly the disease. When a character has a fever, he should enter fever into the injury section of the combat profile, along with a healing rate of H4. The character must make a fever roll daily (using the shock recovery table on COMBAT 28). If a physician is treating the patient, he may add 50% of his ML to the daily roll. Regardless of the result of the fever roll, healing rate will not exceed H6, and the fever rolls must be made until the disease has run its course, or treatment has been given, and H6 has been reached.

[I] Brain damage is a highly variable effect. Most diseases will reduce INT, AUR or WIL. Some will cause the manifestation of mental disorders.

[L] Lethargy results from a number of diseases. If fatigue or injury exceeds the WIL of a lethargic character, he will lapse into a state of sleep/unconsciousness. The character can be aroused, but must check against WIL each minute to remain conscious. Use 3d6 the first minute, 4d6 the next, etc.

[R] Lesions or a Rash irritate the character's skin. Typically a d10 injury penalty will apply, but the GM may incorporate additional effects depending on the location.

[S] Swelling of the lymphnodes accompanies several diseases. No additional injury penalty or special penalty applies unless the GM feels that it is necessary to increase the effects of the disease.

[Note] It is possible that the diseases listed in the injury table cause provide very few points toward physical penalty. If this is the case, the GM should remember that most diseases are VERY tiring. The GM should feel free to assess between 10 to 50 fatigue points to address any disparity created by the dice.

[3] Diagnosis & Treatment

Each disease should be diagnosed before proper treatment is given. The GM should roll against the physician's ML adjusted by the disease diagnosis modifier (+/-). MS/CS will result in a correct diagnosis. On MF, the physician is unable to diagnose the ailment. On CF, the physician has misdiagnosed the disease. When applying treatment, a d100 success roll should be made against the EML listed, plus 50% of Physician EML. The treatment result is given under the columns CF, MF, MS, CS.

Treatments

[B] Berelik is often used as a local anesthetic. This will often reduce injury resulting from pain or rash. For more information, refer to HERBLORE 2.

[F] Fresh Provisions do wonders for victims of the scurvy, but the treatment is unknown to most physicians on Lythia.

[Q] Quessel is an antibiotic that is useful in fighting several diseases. Yulpris can be substituted for Quessel at a penalty of 10 to 20 to the treatment roll. Quessel cannot however be used in the place of Yulpris.

[R] Many diseases symptoms are the result of dehydration. Replacing fluids is an effective treatment for some diseases.

[Y] Yulpris is one of the most versatile herbs on Lythia. It is useful against a variety of diseases, poisons, and even some addictive drugs.

Symptomatic Treatment

It is possible for the physician to treat symptoms along with the disease. Medicines may be available for pain, fever and cough relief. The effects of these medicines are left to GM discretion, but generally they temporarily reduce the effects of the symptoms. They do not in and of themselves allow the character to begin recovery from the disease.

[4] Recovery

After the disease has lasted its duration, or when treatment is given, the character enters the recovery stage of the disease. Each day the character rolls on the infection table (COMBAT 28). At H0, the patient dies; at H6, he recovers from the disease. Any symptom effects remaining after recovery, will continue to heal at H6.

Disease Table

Contagion Course Diagnosis & Treatment

Disease        CI  Cry  Inc  Symptoms  D Dia T EML NT CF MF MS CS
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Anoth Plague    3  AC  5-10  L E I     3 -30 Q  20 I2 I2 H2 H3 H4
Breakbone Fever 1  P     1   JP HP R   3  10 B  35 H4 H3 H4 H5 H6
Bubonic Plague  3  P    1-6  AP F S    4   5 Y  20 H1 DD H1 H2 H3
Cholera         2  FW    1   D AP F    2 -10 Y  20 H3 H2 H3 H4 H5
Dysentery       1  FW   1-3  D AP      1   0 R  30 H5 H3 H4 H5 H6
Food Poisoning  3  F     1   AP F      1   0 Q  30 H5 H3 H4 H5 H6
Minor Disease   1  AC    1   Var       1 var Y  40 H5 H3 H4 H5 H6
Pneumonia       2  AC   1-6  C F CP    4   0 Q  30 H4 H2 H3 H5 H6
Pneumonic Plg.  2  AC   1-6  AP F S C  3   0 Y  30 H1 DD H1 H2 H3
Red Death       3  P     1   F HP R    2  10 Q  30 H2 DD H2 H3 H4
Scurvy          1  F    1-6  L B      10  10 F  60 DD H4 H5 H6 EE
Tular Fever     2  P     1   F L       3  10 Q  35 H3 H3 H3 H4 H5
Typhoid         3  CFW  1-3  F P C     4 -15 Y  20 H2 H2 H2 H3 H4
Yellow Jack     3  AC   1-6  F JP B    4 -10 Q  25 H4 H2 H3 H4 H5
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[CI] Contagion Index               [Cry] Vector (how transmitted)
[Inc] Incubation period            [D]   Duration  (Average days)
[Dia] Diagnosis Modifier           [T]   Treatment  (Recommended)
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