Diseases of Ravenloft

[Pizza]

Are there any known diseases in Ravenloft?

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Yes there are several natural diseases but also magical you can find them here:
https://fraternityofshadows.com/wiki/Category:Disease

[The Lesser Evil]

Perhaps among the deadliest of plagues to spread in Ravenloft or at least Darkon is the Crimson Death epidemic of autumn 688 BC to the spring of 689 BC, killing an estimate 1 out of every 5 Darkonians. It was a vicious infection that ate away at Strength and Constitution, eventually causing victims to cough up blood, oozing sores, and bleeding soft tissues. Considering the disease was spread through contact with infected bodily fluids, this made the situation even worse. Though the disease is largely wiped out today, there could be another outbreak through grave-robbing adventurers raiding the tombs of the sick. Among the casualties was Dr. Van Richten's great aunt Helga, which may have been a driving factor in driving the young Van Richten to begin seeking a medical degree soon after.

Another infamous but seemingly domain focused plague is the Ashen Fever of Sithicus, sometimes mistranslated from Elven as White Fever and confused with the Valachani White Fever, that began spreading among the elderly sometime post 720 BC. At first the deaths were thought to come from normal aging, but as time when on it claimed increasing numbers of younger victims in the thousands after 20+ years had passed, culminating in 743 BC before finally dying out due to unknown circumstances- though it remains unknown when it will return. It is a long-lasting disease which causes pustules and sores in its second stage followed by bulging eyes, paling skin/hair, and bodily stooping in subsequent stages. In game effects, after its lengthy incubation period, it causes premature rapid aging over a long period of time that can be reversed through recovery from the disease.

The previously mentioned White Fever of Valachan is said to be caused by mosquito bites, but is in fact (or at least, in Dread Possibility) a hoax designed to conceal the shallow feeding of Von Kharkov and his nosferatu spawn.

Other diseases include Vicar's Curse (of unknown origins but spread by the Cult of Vecna in Tovag), Burning Blood (inflicted by the attacks of burning bones), Ferryman's Rot (caused by the claws of mist ferrymen), Raineater Toadstool Disease (caused the spores of said Forfarian fungi), Lung-Eater Puffball Disease (ditto), and Red Worm Mushroom Disease (caused by being poisoned by the Forfarian red worm mushrooms). The Rot is a vicious wasting disease that afflicted the communities of Leland and Fortuna, mostly in decline but still may be afflicted by the undead inhabiting the plague pits.

Numerous diseases from real world earth and other D&D settings (or at least the 3e canon) are also known in Ravenloft. Particularly in Falkovnia, where bubonic plague, cholera, leprosy, typhoid fever, dysentery, tuberculosis, blinding sickness, cackle fever, filth, fever, the shakes, and red ache are all known. Pneumonia, scarlet fever, and especially cholera account for a notable percentage of infant mortality rates in Barovia. Lycanthropy is of special note in Ravenloft, being harder to resist and remove. Removing lycanthropy requires the death of the natural/true lycanthrope that originated an infectious line of the disease.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Lycanthropy is of special note in Ravenloft, being harder to resist and remove. Removing lycanthropy requires the death of the natural/true lycanthrope that originated an infectious line of the disease.

Lycanthropy is a curse not a disease...

[Mistmaster]

Not exactly, in 3.5 it was considered a supernatural disesase.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Not exactly, in 3.5 it was considered a supernatural disesase.

Is it?

Curse of Lycanthropy (Su)
Any humanoid or giant hit by a natural lycanthrope’s bite attack in animal or hybrid form must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or contract lycanthropy. If the victim’s size is not within one size category of the lycanthrope the victim cannot contract lycanthropy from that lycanthrope. Afflicted lycanthropes cannot pass on the curse of lycanthropy.

[Mistmaster]

It was cured with remove disease too, though.So I think it was both.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

It was cured with remove disease too, though.So I think it was both.

This is a Pathfinder rule not a D&D 3.5

A remove disease or heal spell cast by a cleric of 12th level or higher cures the affliction, provided the character receives the spell within 3 days of the infecting lycanthrope’s attack. Alternatively, consuming a dose of wolfsbane gives an afflicted lycanthrope a new Fortitude save to recover from lycanthropy.

So I guess it depends on how different people play their game.

[KingCorn]

There are also the 6 viruses of Phagius, an Invidian mage who concocted these plagues and spread them to his own children to act as plague vectors to spite them and the world after they murdered him.

These viruses are the Combustion Virus, the Crystal Virus, the Petrification Virus, the Psionic Virus, the Phobia Virus, and the Shadow Virus.

[Mistmaster]

It was cured with remove disease too, though.So I think it was both.

This is a Pathfinder rule not a D&D 3.5

A remove disease or heal spell cast by a cleric of 12th level or higher cures the affliction, provided the character receives the spell within 3 days of the infecting lycanthrope’s attack. Alternatively, consuming a dose of wolfsbane gives an afflicted lycanthrope a new Fortitude save to recover from lycanthropy.

So I guess it depends on how different people play their game.

The quote about cure Disease and heal is from 3.5 Monster Manual pag 178, and repeated verbatim in Pathfinder Bestiary pag 196.