Remove disease

[Pamela]

In my game, we have an NPC who picked up a bad virus during a visit to Nosos three years ago. The disease is like malaria, with recurring bouts. A paladin is about to use her ability to remove disease. Should this completely heal the man of his disease or will it only cure his present bout?

[Nathan of the FoS]

Under ordinary circumstances (i.e., non-Ravenloft) I would just have the PC be entirely healed. Unless the illness is an important plot point, or has its roots in a disease designed or propagaged by Malus Scleris, that's what I'd go with. If either of the latter two cases is true, then I'd probably rule only the current outbreak cured; otherwise, full cure.

[Undead Cabbage]

I agree with Nathan that it depends on how important the Disease is plot wise.

Alternatively, you could pull a fast one on your PCs by giving the disease some sort of vector that the players are frequently in contact with. An example might be that although the Paladin's Remove Disease works, the previously infected character's regular equipment is still contaminated. So simply by using his sword or something he gets the disease again (albeit he wouldn't notice until later). Malaria does this with mosquitos, embedding an Oocyst inside of the Haemocoel (cavity that holds blood in the mosquito) wall.

If you wanted to be trully nasty, you could have the disease eventually adapt a resistance to the Paladin's Remove Disease ability due to over use (as is the cause with many bacterial and protist infections towards antibiotics and vaccines).

[Pamela]

Thank you, both of you, for your advice; I was kinda stuck on this. It's not integral to the plot, so I may as well spare the old guy any unnecessary pain or complications.

[Luke Fleeman]

Remember that sometimes a paladin being a paladin can draw an awful lot of attention to you. His heals might work- but someone might notice, good or bad.

Just something to keep in mind.