Pneumonia
Common Disease
Lethality: Low
Transmissibility: High
Infection: An infectious cough that leads to fluid in the lungs, more common in colder climates and colder months but often seen in every crowded city. Many infections are long lasting, but clear up without ill effects given rest and proper treatment. Untreated cases risk the infected character succumbing to a systemic infection or inability to breathe if the infected character has a weak constitution.
Outbreak: A character with an infectious cough from Pneumonia will infect 2d10 people when in a crowd.
Symptoms: After infection, the infection has a latent period lasting 2d4 days. At this point, the infected character develops a deep chest cough. The character makes a daily END check to determine whether their symptoms persist, worsen, or improve.
| END Check | Result |
| 8 or less | High fever, difficulty breathing, chest pain, cough with phlegm. Gain Fatigue. -2 to END checks for symptoms. |
| 9-12 | Nausea, hacking cough, moderate fever. Gain Fatigue. -1 to END checks for symptoms. |
| 13-16 | Mild fever, shortness of breath, hacking cough. Staggered. |
| 17-20 | Sore throat, runny nose, hacking cough, general malaise. Chilled. |
| 21-24 | Intermittent cough, headache, irritated throat. Demoralized. +1 to END checks for symptoms. |
| 25+ | Asymptomatic. +2 to END check for symptoms. |
Every day, the symptoms from the table replace the previous day’s symptoms with the exception of the END bonus. Any bonuses or penalties to END checks for Pneumonia symptoms are cumulative. The character will add or subtract the total of all bonuses or penalties accrued from all days whenever they make their daily END check.
If an END check has a result of -10 due to penalties, the character will die of complications from the infection. If the character is asymptomatic for 5 days in a row, the infection is cured.
Treatment: A character can diagnose Pneumonia with an INT/Medicine check of DC 10. Regular treatment for Pneumonia requires fluids and bed rest. A person may also receive magical or medical treatment once per day, one potion per day, and arcane aids to assist with breathing. The following provide bonuses to the patient’s daily END check for symptoms. These bonuses are not cumulative.
They apply only to the day on which they occur:
- +2 for 16 hours rest and at least 1⁄2 gallon of water consumed.
- +2 for an INT/Medicine treatment check of DC 10. For every 5 points that this check exceeds 10, the bonus is an additional +1.
- +2 for one herbal potion or healing vial.
- +4 for one healing potion or magical healing that would restore 10-20 HP.
- +8 for one healing elixir or magical healing that would restore 21-40 HP.
- +16 for one greater healing elixir or magical healing worth up to 41 or more HP.
All doctors treating Pneumonia will recommend using an Air Bauble if one is available. This is a magical item imbued with a durable form of the arcane spell Air Bubble, which allows the patient to breathe normally while wearing the item no matter their condition. This will not itself provide any bonuses to the patient’s daily END roll for symptoms, but a patient using an Air Bauble will not accrue any penalties listed on the symptom chart, and will not die no matter how their condition degrades. Using an Air Bauble negates penalties already incurred.
Most cities will have a shop that sells Air Baubles attached to either bracelets or necklaces for 500 sc. The spell, once activated, remains in effect for up to two weeks.