I can tell you why, you youngins don't have any real experience with it. I've been through mumps and measles and even a mild case of smallpox (thanks to the live virus vaccine). I even had polio at three months of age. Then there was the massive, localized, and spreading staph infection I had when I was seven years old. I know what it's like to be deathly ill.

Then there was my officially minor, trasient, ischemic event stroke (doc-speak for, "Fuck, we sure gave him some good shit there.") where for a few hours my right side was completely out of commission.

It is true such things can be a damn pain. Not because it takes the character out of the game, but because most GMs don't krnow what to do with a character in such a state.

The solution is very simple, involve the character.

How? I hear you ask.

A hint for you. Unless the PC is unconscious or delirious he can hear, see, feel, taste, and smell what's going on around him. Even if he is unable to speak he can still communicate in some manner. Keep the player informed, and solicit his feedback. Have the party communicate with his PC. Have the MCs interact with him.

Goblin: Severed spinal cord I see. That sucks. I hear it takes a Cure Serious to get it to knit back together. BTW, you have a bad habit of jerking up a bit when you thrust with your weapon. That let me duck under the attack, get around behind you, and strike at your back.

My point is, just because a character is ill or injured does not mean his player cannot participate in the adventure. He just can't participate as much as he had before.

Quote from: mythusmageI can tell you why, you youngins don't have any real experience with it. I've been through mumps and measles and even a mild case of smallpox (thanks to the live virus vaccine). I even had polio at three months of age. Then there was the massive, localized, and spreading staph infection I had when I was seven years old. I know what it's like to be deathly ill.

Then there was my officially minor, trasient, ischemic event stroke (doc-speak for, "Fuck, we sure gave him some good shit there.") where for a few hours my right side was completely out of commission.

It is true such things can be a damn pain. Not because it takes the character out of the game, but because most GMs don't krnow what to do with a character in such a state.

The solution is very simple, involve the character.

How? I hear you ask.

A hint for you. Unless the PC is unconscious or delirious he can hear, see, feel, taste, and smell what's going on around him. Even if he is unable to speak he can still communicate in some manner. Keep the player informed, and solicit his feedback. Have the party communicate with his PC. Have the MCs interact with him.

Goblin: Severed spinal cord I see. That sucks. I hear it takes a Cure Serious to get it to knit back together. BTW, you have a bad habit of jerking up a bit when you thrust with your weapon. That let me duck under the attack, get around behind you, and strike at your back.

My point is, just because a character is ill or injured does not mean his player cannot participate in the adventure. He just can't participate as much as he had before.

I don't know so much about the disease bit, but I am loving that bit of goblin dialogue.

(Also, I may be young but I have been sick. Including Lyme's disease twice and Tuberculosis.)

Jesus christ how is it that the chronic pipe-smoking heavy-drinking heavy-eating barely-exercising dude who did way too many drugs in his youth is the healthiest person here??

I've never had anything worse than mono.

RPGPundit

Some gurps 3e books had fairly detailed and realistic portrayals of real diseases, like tetanus and rabies.

The funny thing was a while after I read a 3e book that said rabies was ALWAYS fatal untreated a girls somehwere in america survived untreated rabies in a medical fluke.

Harnmaster. Play em sick or don't play at all.

obviously you've never played WHFRP with a healthy dose of Nurgle's Rot!

Being sick is dull

Now having the PCs trying to sort out a community that's got a bad dose of crypto in it's water supply that's fun - plus there's all sorts of opportunity for toilet humour

Or for extra evilness, a long running modern campaign set in a close-knit community.  Perhaps run troupe-style, with each player running several characters a la Ars Magica.  Then have a minor NPC go down with something that looks like leukemia until they run a blood test.  Cue frantic scrabbling as each character checks their sexual history and tries to figure out who's slept with who

Edit: Dammit, I'm spending entirely too much time in Tim's mad universe.  I can't even use normal words like "community" or "settlement" any more

Quote from: Hastur T. FannonPerhaps run troupe-style, with each player running several characters a la Ars Magica.

That reminds me: I played a leper in Ars Magica once...

I never got into disease in D&D because Gary's rules in the DMG were dull as dirt.  Now, had I possessed the charts from Supplement II: Blackmoor I would have used that stuff.  What self-respecting DM would pass on a chance to give his PCs "creeping crud"?

Quote from: jrientsWhat self-respecting DM would pass on a chance to give his PCs "creeping crud"?

What GM would pass up the chance to give his PC's "Yaws"?

You guys should read Aquelarre, really.

As Hastur said - slowly getting more debilitated through disease can be pretty dull.  But dealing with it in society could be exciting.  Maybe I ought to include a little more in the future.

Mental note: Curse a PC with syphilis.

Quote from: MaddmanMental note: Curse a PC with syphilis.

I read in a tabloid once the AIDS was a big issue for vampires since they have the equivalent of blood transfusions almost daily - they don't die but waste away.  The same would hold for hepatitis and anything else that can be transmitted through blood.  

An infected monster would infect whoever they bit but didn't kill.  It could be the source of an outbreak.  "Sorry Dave, that werewolf gave you a bit more than transforming ability."

Mummy rot is an old time favorite, isn`t it?
I bet it`s the most played-out RPG disease ever!

Quote from: MaddmanMental note: Curse a PC with syphilis.

Syph's great.  As soon as you really start to worry about the initial cancre it goes away.  And then you get a rash, but that goes away as well

And by then it's too late :devil:

Edit: will someone please ask me about "yaws"?