Poison, Magical Diseases, Swiftly Lethal Parasites

[septembervirgin]

Anyone who has browsed the Dungeon Master's Guide has noticed not only the most unrealistic summation of mental disease given in a popular role-playing game but also lists of poisons, diseases, and parasites that prove useful to any DM. Now, the problem with diseases is that many are very contagious and there's really no good provision in any computer role-playing game for contagious disease that's not a central part of the game story under very controlled circumstances (except in Everquest 2 and City of Heroes, but those were considered unwanted emergent behaviors). So only blood-bourne diseases and magically transmitted diseases (perhaps in most cases souls themselves are diseased and are responsible for all mortal qualms and sorrows, but I wouldn't want to support that concept outside a game setting lest I owe a certain awful cult money).

 

Poisons are an important portion of many role-playing games and also an important portion of a Lady Gaga music video. I only mention the Lady Gaga music video because she seems remarkably charming and informative. In video games, poisons are usually the type one coats a weapon with and are rarely outright lethal, but also are very fast in effect. Slower effect poisons are unknown because most video games with stronger simulation qualities are also intended for the young, and we don't want to be seen as encouraging the young to dose their siblings with rare Stygian venoms. Quite the contrary, use of toxins on weapons in computer role-playing games could be seen as cautionary (and randomly occurring cautionary notes might appear on use of a toxin). The danger of using a poison should be included: an unskilled practitioner might sample an unknown bottle and suffer miserably, while clumsy applications of toxic substances may somehow induce poisoning in themselves or a friend.

 

Parasites, such as the ever-so popular D&D rot grub, are deadly within minutes and have a strangely extensive life-span away from living human hosts. To infest the undead with such parasites is one way of saying, "We're really serious.", an accessible way to communicate gravitas. One might think of various slimes and carnivorous fungi as parasites too, as some of these can grow on the human body. All very amusing content to add into a computer game. And Temple of Elemental Evil is one game that did right with green slime, bless the designers. I'd shake their hand if mine hadn't been dissolved by research (I type with my nose). You must admit that the potential appeal of carnivorous oozes and fungi is immense!

 

All in all, I think Project Eternity is a great power for education and through a well-made and considerate game, we might further our education and cautious civil conduct.

[septembervirgin]

What, no one likes poison, magical diseases, and swiftly lethal parasites sufficiently to make small mention? Give these things your love! After all, where would we be without fleas, ticks, lice, magical leprosy, and neurotoxins?

[Valorian]

I'd love monsters to have various on-hit properties and cause different "status effects", some of which you mentioned: poison, disease.. as well as stun, fear, lifesteal, a specific stat decrease and so on, unless the character rolls a successful resistance check.