[A to Z April] G is for Gnaw Rot Mouse (creature)

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Members of a barbarian tribe from the secluded Tornbeak Vallely are often seen carrying small bamboo cages on their belts, on straps over their shoulders, or tied to their packs. Outsiders find them especially curious, as they contain small brown mice. Because of this oddity, the tribe is typically referred to as “Mice-men” by others.

These mice are actually a special type of mice bred by the Tornbeak barbarians: Gnaw Rot Mice. They have been raised to take the place in the barbarian culture of poison neutralizing and disease curing spells. One mouse can, if allowed to crawl around a poisoned or diseased creature, either neutralize the poison or cure the disease by nipping and biting at the afflicted creature’s body. They have been bred to crave the taste of disease and poison. Each mouse can cure one creature of up to Medium size. Large size creatures require two mice; Huge require three to be successfully treated. After this one treatment, the mouse will enter throes of ecstasy at finally resolving its craving. Unfortunately, the craving proves fatal to the mouse, who will die from the effects of the poison or disease shortly thereafter.

In game mechanics terms, each mouse can either detoxify any poison (as neutralize poison) with a +4 bonus on the check. If applied instead to a diseased area, it removes the affliction (as remove disease) with a +4 bonus on the check. Some diseases (such as Mummy Rot) require additional treatments to cure (see the disease description). Whether successful or not, each gnaw rot treatment, inflicts 1d6 points of damage on the afflicted creature, as the mouse nips, bites, and consumes the poison and diseased flesh. Almost immediately, the mouse will begin to shake and thrash, squeaking noisily, only to die within 2 minutes of the treatment.

A Tornbeak barbarian can be convinced to sell gnaw rot mice with successful Diplomacy checks, and then for a minimum of 500 gp per mouse. The Tornbeak barbarians believe that the mice require a bamboo cage; no other kind of cage can suffice and up to four mice can live inside the typical cage. Additionally, the mice require daily feeding; each mouse consumes 1 trail ration every two days. In the event that the creature carrying the mice is subjected to substantial damage, each mouse has 1/4 hp.


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Previous "G"s:
2014: G is for Ghostcall, Eroutoa (npc)
2013: G is for Grey Spirit Blade (item)
2012: G is for Green, Mage (item)
2011: G is for Grick

[A to Z April] M is for Marsh Blade (item)

Forged at the behest of the Venerable Tirai Derus II centuries ago, the blade now known as the Marsh Blade was a beautiful scimitar. Its entire surface–hilt and blade–was crusted with engraved designs and precious stones. Needless to say it was purchased for a small fortune.

The blade itself was imbued with magic sufficient enough to be considered a +1 weapon. An error was made at the forge, however, and the magical infusion was never correctly concluded. As a result, when Tirai Derus II was killed in the Ghoulbourn Fen and the newly-forged scimitar sank into the disgusting marsh waters, it began to absorb the qualities of the swamp around it.

Newly re-discovered and dubbed the Marsh Blade, the scimitar is now more deadly than Tirai Derus II ever considered. The centuries of submersion in the marsh has imbued the sword with diseases from the water. When wielded, the sword literally drips with filthy marsh water.

On a successful critical hit, the blade attempts to infect the target with one of six diseases commonly found in the foul waters of Ghoulbourn Fen, as if it was a poisoned blade. On the roll of a natural 1, however, the wielder of the sword is targeted by the possible infection. (Note: despite the infection methods and incubation periods normally associated with these diseases, upon wounding with the Marsh Blade, the target must make a successful save against the disease’s DC. Upon an unsuccessful save, infection and damage occurs immediately.)

Marsh Blade Effects

d6 Roll	Disease
1	Blinding Sickness
2	Cackle Fever
3	Filth Fever
4	Mindfire
5	Shakes
6	Slimy Doom

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Previous "M"s:
2013: M is for Middlemurk Church (map)
2012: M is for Myth Voice (feat)
2011: M is for Maerl Dardar (npc)

Disease Types, Causes, and Other Nasty Stuff

After yesterday's post on Disease Names, I was kinda stuck for a topic for today. Then, this morning, as I was riding our local version of the Mobile Germ Dissemination and Incubation Unit (otherwise known as "public transportation" or "light rail") I was suddenly somehow gifted with inspiration. So, without further ado, I present the expanded set of Disease Tables. Disease Table 1: Disease Names was presented yesterday.

Disease Table 2: Disease Attributes

d12 Roll	Attributes
1	Fatal
2	Near-fatal
3	Maiming
4	Minor
5	Mundane
6	Arcane
7	Divine
8	Curable – Mundane Only
9	Curable – Magical Only
10	Curable – Mundane / Magical
11	Incurable
12	Roll again for two total attributes (re-roll duplicates)

With every disease, you need to know what part of the body is affected, right? Well, there’s a table for that, too. Just roll 1d4 first to find out just how much of the body is affected.

Disease Table 3: Area of Effect

d20 Roll	Area of Effect
1	Eye
2	Ear
3	Nose
4	Mouth
5	Throat
6	Head
7	Face
8	Skin
9	Arm
10	Hand
11	Leg
12	Knee
13	Foot
14	Stomach/Guts
15	Arse
16	Genitals
17	Chest or Back
18	Blood
19	Brain
20	Hair

When your PC slaps his forehead and says, “Fine. Lay it on me. What’s the sickness cause?” you can quickly respond with a side-effect or two (or three) for their gaming and role-playing pleasure.

Disease Table 4: Side-Effects / Presentation

d20 Roll	Area of Effect
1	Swelling
2	Peeling skin
3	Pus / Pustules
4	Scaling
5	Deafness
6	Loss of voice
7	Bleeding
8	Coughing / Suffocation
9	Vomiting
10	Rotting / Liquification
11	Growths / Hump
12	Sweating
13	Chills
14	Dizziness
15	Loss of body part (Roll on Table 3)
16	Uncontrolled blushing
17	Shaking
18	Muscle / Joint Aches
19	Roll again for two total effects (re-roll duplicates and 19-20)
20	Re-roll twice for three total effects (re-roll duplicates and 19-20)

And you’re going to need to know just how long it takes for that first PC to succumb to your deadly little case of the gomboo, right? Never fear. I have you covered.

Disease Table 5: Incubation Period

d10 Roll	Incubation Period
1	1d6 hours
2	1d12 hours
3	1d20 hours
4	2d12 hours
5	1d2 days
6	1d4 days
7	1d6 days
8	2d6 days
9	1d12 days
10	2d12 days

The next thing you know, the sniffle-suffering PC is going to ask just how long this little bug is going to hang around his system slinging snot. At least, under normal circumstances. What are you going to tell him?

Disease Table 6: Duration of Disease

d12 Roll	Length of Illness
1	1d6 hours
2	1d12 hours
3	1d20 hours
4	2d12 hours
5	1d2 days
6	1d4 days
7	1d6 days
8	2d6 days
9	1d12 days
10	2d12 days
11	1d30 days
12	Lifetime

Disease Name Table

I made my first dice purchase of the new year. A d30. I have a handful of d30s in my collection already and Heaven knows I don’t use them often enough to warrant another one. This one, however, caught my eye. It is, perhaps, the ugliest die I’ve seen. Certainly it rivals the ugliest in my collection, at any rate. It was so ugly it called out to me, asking me–nay, begging me–to pick him up and take him home. He was desperate to avoid the lengthy, lingering, rotting death most likely awaiting him in the “random” dice bin ignored and shunned by passers-by for years to come. Lest you think I’m exaggerating, I’ve attached a picture of the poor homely waif.

Now, did I lie?

In his honor I cobbled together a quick d30 table. I say “in his honor”–this is the truth. Based on his nauseating ugliness, the d30 table below is an aid to the sandbox DMs out there for creating disease names on the fly. It was a quickie, and admittedly, will create some fairly ridiculous results at times, but it beats sitting behind the screen resorting to “the Plague” once again when your players ask you what disease afflicts the sickening, deformed NPC on the street in front of them.

Just roll your d30 three times and combine the results. Feel free to share your favorites–or ideas for an expanded table–in the comments below.

Disease Table 1: Disease Name

d30 Roll	Initial Descriptor	Secondary Descriptor	Tertiary Descriptor
1	Serious	Limping	Rot
2	Tender	Oil	Crud
3	Depressed	Tin	Mold
4	Obese	Cracked	Discharge
5	Lethal	Flowering	Pustule
6	Hesitant	Smoky	Cough
7	Creeping	Stretched	Boils
8	Bloody	Hairy	Vomit
9	Full	Soupy	Snot
10	Crouching	Slippery	Sneezing
11	Sharp	Rolling	Slopes
12	Malicious	Grotesque	Scourge
13	Languid	Spotted	Consumption
14	Charming	Sweeping	Scales
15	Hushed	Craven	Death
16	Lush	Pale	Shakes
17	Screeching	Broken	Weights
18	Wretched	Fiery	Crack
19	Moaning	Sticky	Rays
20	Deep	Snotty	Blood
21	Conscious	Tiny	Flesh
22	Mindless	Messy	Jelly
23	Little	Laughing	Stops
24	Rampant	Falling	Obstruction
25	Confused	Red	Pox
26	Fluffy	Weeping	Rolls
27	Steady	Gripping	Weakness
28	Sloppy	Dry	Dysfunction
29	Lazy	Grey	Warts
30	Cloudy	Glistening	Malaise

**Edited to add table name and number.**