From curses to poisons to diseases, there are a number of afflictions that can affect a creature. While each of these afflictions has a different effect, they all function using the same basic system. All afflictions grant a saving throw when they are contracted. If successful, the creature does not suffer from the affliction and does not need to make any further rolls. If the saving throw is a failure, the creature falls victim to the affliction and must deal with its effects.

Afflictions require a creature to make a saving throw after a period of time to avoid taking certain penalties. With most afflictions, if a number of saving throws are made consecutively, the affliction is removed and no further saves are necessary. Some afflictions, usually supernatural ones, cannot be cured through saving throws alone and require the aid of powerful magic to remove. Each affliction is presented as a short block of information to help you better adjudicate its results.

Name: This is the name of the affliction.

Type: This is the type of the affliction, such as curse, disease, or poison. It might also include the means by which it is contracted, such as contact, ingestion, inhalation, injury, spell, or trap.

Save: This gives the type of save necessary to avoid contracting the affliction, as well as the DC of that save. Unless otherwise noted, this is also the save to avoid the affliction's effects once it is contracted, as well as the DC of any caster level checks needed to end the affliction through magic, such as remove curse or neutralize poison.

Onset: Some afflictions have a variable amount of time before they set in. Creatures that come in contact with an affliction with an onset time must make a saving throw immediately. Success means that the affliction is avoided and no further saving throws must be made. Failure means that the creature has contracted the affliction and must begin making additional saves after the onset period has elapsed. The affliction's effect does not occur until after the onset period has elapsed and then only if further saving throws are failed.

Frequency: This is how often the periodic saving throw must be attempted after the affliction has been contracted (after the onset time, if the affliction has any). While some afflictions last until they are cured, others end prematurely, even if the character is not cured through other means. If an affliction ends after a set amount of time, it will be noted in the frequency. For example, a disease with a frequency of "1/day" lasts until cured, but a poison with a frequency of "1/round for 6 rounds" ends after 6 rounds have passed.

Afflictions without a frequency occur only once, immediately upon contraction (or after the onset time if one is listed).

Effect: This is the effect that the character suffers each time if he fails his saving throw against the affliction. Most afflictions cause ability damage or hit point damage. These effects are cumulative, but they can be cured normally. Other afflictions cause the creature to take penalties or other effects. These effects are sometimes cumulative, with the rest only affecting the creature if it failed its most recent save. Some afflictions have different effects after the first save is failed. These afflictions have an initial effect, which occurs when the first save is failed, and a secondary effect, when additional saves are failed, as noted in the text. Hit point and ability score damage caused by an affliction cannot be healed naturally while the affliction persists.

Cure: This tells you how the affliction is cured. Commonly, this is a number of saving throws that must be made consecutively. Even if the affliction has a limited frequency, it might be cured prematurely if enough saving throws are made. Hit point damage and ability score damage is not removed when an affliction is cured. Such damage must be healed normally. Afflictions without a cure entry can only be cured through powerful spells, such as neutralize poison and remove curse. No matter how many saving throws are made, these afflictions continue to affect the target.

No other affliction is so prevalent as poison. From the fangs of a viper to the ichor-stained assassin's blade, poison is a constant threat. Poisons can be cured by successful saving throws and spells such as neutralize poison.

Contact poisons are contracted the moment someone touches the poison with his bare skin. Such poisons can be used as injury poisons. Contact poisons usually have an onset time of 1 minute and a frequency of 1 minute. Ingested poisons are contracted when a creature eats or drinks the poison. Ingested poisons usually have an onset time of 10 minutes and a frequency of 1 minute. Injury poisons are primarily contracted through the attacks of certain creatures and through weapons coated in the toxin. Injury poisons do not usually have an onset time and have a frequency of 1 round. Inhaled poisons are contracted the moment a creature enters an area containing such poisons. Most inhaled poisons fill a volume equal to a 10-foot cube per dose. Creatures can attempt to hold their breaths while inside to avoid inhaling the toxin. Creatures holding their breaths receive a 50% chance of not having to make a Fortitude save each round. See the rules for holding your breath and suffocation in Environment. Note that a character that would normally suffocate while attempting to hold its breath instead begins to breathe normally again.

Unlike other afflictions, multiple doses of the same poison stack. Poisons delivered by injury and contact cannot inflict more than one dose of poison at a time, but inhaled and ingested poisons can inflict multiple doses at once. Each additional dose extends the total duration of the poison (as noted under frequency) by half its total duration. In addition, each dose of poison increases the DC to resist the poison by +2. This increase is cumulative. Multiple doses do not alter the cure conditions of the poison, and meeting these conditions ends the affliction for all the doses. For example, a character is bit three times in the same round by a trio of Medium monstrous spiders, injecting him with three doses of Medium spider venom. The unfortunate character must make a DC 18 Fortitude save for the next 8 rounds. Fortunately, just one successful save cures the character of all three doses of the poison.

Applying poison to a weapon or single piece of ammunition is a standard action. Whenever a character applies or readies a poison for use there is a 5% chance that he exposes himself to the poison and must save against the poison as normal. This does not consume the dose of poison. Whenever a character attacks with a poisoned weapon, if the attack roll results in a natural 1, he exposes himself to the poison. This consumes the poison on the weapon. Characters with the poison use class feature do not risk accidentally poisoning themselves.

Poisons can be made using Craft (alchemy). The DC to make a poison is equal to its Fortitude save DC. Rolling a natural 1 on a Craft skill check while making a poison exposes the crafter to the poison. Crafters with the poison use class feature do not risk poisoning themselves when using Craft to make poison.

The following samples represent just some of the possibilities when creating poisons.

Table: Sample Poisons

Name	Type	Fort DC	Onset	Frequency	Effect	Cure	Cost
Arsenic	ingested	13	10 min.	1/min. for 4 min.	1d2 Con	1 save	120 gp
Belladonna	ingested	14	10 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	1d2 Str, see text	1 save	100 gp
Black adder venom	injury	11	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1d2 Con	1 save	120 gp
Black lotus extract	contact	20	1 min.	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1d6 Con	2 saves	4,500 gp
Bloodroot	injury	12	1 rd.	1/rd. for 4 rds.	1 Con and 1 Wis	1 save	100 gp
Blue whinnis	injury	14	—	1/rd. for 2 rds	1 Con/unconscious 1d3 hours	1 save	120 gp
Burnt othur fumes	inhaled	18	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1 Con drain/1d3 Con	2 saves	2,100 gp
Dark reaver power	ingested	18	10 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	1d3 Con and 1 Str	2 saves	800 gp
Deathblade	injury	20	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1d3 Con	2 saves	1,800 gp
Dragon bile	contact	26	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1d3 Str	—	1,500 gp
Drow poison	injury	13	—	1/min. for 2 min.	unconscious 1 min./2d4 hours	1 save	75 gp
Giant wasp poison	injury	18	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1d2 Dex	1 save	210 gp
Greenblood oil	injury	13	—	1/rd. for 4 rds.	1 Con	1 save	100 gp
Green prismatic poison	spell	varies	—	1/rd.	for 6 rds. Death/1 Con	2 saves	—
Hemlock	ingested	18	10 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	1d6 Dex, see text	2 saves	2,500 gp
Id moss	ingested	14	10 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	1d3 Int	1 save	125 gp
Insanity mist	inhaled	15	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1d3 Wis	1 save	1,500 gp
King's sleep	ingested	19	1 day	1/day	1 Con drain	2 saves	5,000 gp
Large scorpion venom	injury	17	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1d2 Str	1 save	200 gp
Lich dust	ingested	17	10 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	1d3 Str	2 saves	400 gp
Malyass root paste	contact	16	1 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	1d2 Dex	1 save	250 gp
Medium spider venom	injury	14	—	1/rd. for 4 rds.	1d2 Str	1 save	150 gp
Nightmare vapor	inhaled	20	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1 Wis and confused 1 round	2 saves	1,800 gp
Nitharit	contact	13	1 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	1d3 Con	1 save	650 gp
Oil of taggit	ingested	15	min.	—	unconscious 1d3 hours	1 save	90 gp
Purple worm poison	injury	24	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1d3 Str	2 saves	700 gp
Sassone leaf residue	contact	16	1 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	2d12 hp/1 Con	1 save	300 gp
Shadow essence	injury	17	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1 Str drain/1d2 Str	1 save	250 gp
Small centipede poison	injury	11	—	1/rd. for 4 rds.	1 Dex	save	90 gp
Striped toadstool	ingested	11	10 min.	1/min. for 4 min.	1d3 Wis and 1 Int	1 save	180 gp
Tears of death	contact	22	1 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	1d6 Con and paralyzed 1 min.	—	6,500 gp
Terinav root	contact	16	1 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	1d3 Dex	1 save	400 gp
Ungol dust	inhaled	15	—	1/rd. for 4 rds.	1 Cha drain/1d2 Cha	1 save	1,000 gp
Wolfsbane	ingested	16	10 min.	1/min. for 6 min.	1d3 Con	1 save	500 gp
Wyvern poison	injury	17	—	1/rd. for 6 rds.	1d4 Con	2 saves	3,000 gp