Ravages and Afflictions
Poison and disease are generally the tools of evil monsters and characters, implements of corruption and destruction. If snakes and vermin are associated with evil, as they are in many cultures, it is usually because of their venom that they are viewed in such a negative light despite their neutral alignment. Using poison that deals ability damage is an evil act because it causes undue suffering in the process of incapacitating or killing an opponent. Of the poisons described in the Dungeon Masters Guide, only one is acceptable for good characters to use: oil of taggit, which deals no damage but causes unconsciousness. Ironically, the poison favored by the evil drow, which causes unconsciousness as its initial damage, is also not inherently evil to use.
Besides the curative abilities of clerics and paladins, the powers of good have their own answer to poison and disease: ravages and afflictions, magical traumas that turn the moral corruption of evil creatures into physical corruption that wracks their bodies. Ravages and afflictions affect only evil creatures, and are particularly debilitating to evil outsiders - despite the immunity to poison that is common among such creatures.
Ravages function in a manner similar to poisons, dealing ability damage or even ability drain when the target is exposed to them through inhalation, injury, or ingestion, and additional damage or other effects 1 minute after the initial exposure. Afflictions work more like diseases, dealing their ability damage after a certain incubation period and on an ongoing basis until the victim is cured.
In contrast to most diseases and poisons, all ravages and afflictions are supernatural.
| Ravage | Type | Initial Damage | Secondary Damage | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celestial lightsblood | Ingested DC 20 | 1d4 Dex | 1d4 Con | 2,500 gp |
| Golden Ice | Contact DC 14 | 1d6 Dex | 2d6 Dex | 1,200 gp |
| Jade Water | Injury DC 14 | |||
| Purified couatl venom | Injury DC 16 | 2d4 Str | 4d4 Str | 3,000 gp |
| Unicorn blood | Injury DC 17 | 1d3 Str | 1d4 Str | 500 gp |
| Affliction | Infection | DC | Incubation | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eternal torpor | Contact | 14 | 1 day | 1d6 Dex |
| Consuming passion | Contact | 17 | 1d3 days | 1d4 Int |
| Depraved decadence | Ingested | 18 | 1d6 days | 1d4 Str |
| Pride in vain | Ingested | 20 | 1 day | 1d6 Cha |
| Raging desire | Inhaled | 15 | 1 day | 1d3 Con |
| Haunting conscience | Inhaled | 16 | 1d3 days | 1d4 Wis |
Ravages can be crafted or purchased, just like poisons. Afflictions can be brought upon an evil creature through the use of the Affliction spell and particularly holy sites or relics might afflict evil creatures that enter or touch them. Spells that negate poison and disease function against ravages and afflictions, but they require the caster to make a caster level check against the save DC of the ravage or affliction in order to successfully negate it.
Ravages and afflictions deal damage only to evil creatures. Any evil creature takes damage equal to that listed on either the Ravage Table or the Affliction Table, plus its Charisma bonus. An evil elemental or evil undead takes an extra 1 point of damage, and an evil outsider or an evil cleric of an evil deity takes an extra 2 points of damage. If more than one kind of damage is listed, the creature's Charisma modifier and additional damage are added to each kind of damage.
Ravage and Affliction Descriptions
Celestial Lightsblood: This rare substance is as ethereal as pure alcohol, though it is not intoxicating. A pure silvery color, it first slows and then sickens creatures it affects.
Consuming Passion: Consuming passion causes a creature to become covetous and paranoid as the affliction runs its course.
Depraved Decadence: This affliction causes ravenous hunger and causes the victim to grow progressively weaker from hunger.
Eternal Torpor: Creatures afflicted with eternal torpor are constantly drowsy and cannot charge or run.
Golden Ice: This crystalline substance is cold to the touch, though it doesn't melt except at infernally high temperatures. Evil creatures subjected to it feel its cold spreading throughout their bodies.
Haunting Conscience: This affliction causes a creature to dwell on its evil deeds, becoming guilt-wracked and violently angry.
Jade Water: Jade is a potent substance, noted for its effects on certain kinds of evil supernatural creatures. Jade water is simply holy water with a suspension of jade crystals that takes on unusual potency as a ravage.
Pride In Vain: Creatures afflicted with pride in vain obsess about their status and appearance, eventually withdrawing to the point of staring incessantly into a mirror
Purified Couatl Venom: The venom of a couatl, when milked from the creature and purified, becomes a potent ravage that severely weakens the victim.
Raging Desire: This affliction causes insatiable sexual desire while preventing any possible fulfillment of that desire.
Unicorn Blood: Drawn from a willing living unicorn, uni¬corn blood retains its potency as a ravage only as long as the unicorn that donated the blood remains alive.