Diseases due to failed Surgery skill roll?

[flatscan]

Ok, during the last couple of sessions the PCs had been hammered pretty hard by their opposition. One PC started the last game at 3 HP and had already had First Aid done on him (he was in the negatives prior to the Heal check). One of my other players had the Stygia book on him and suggested going to the Mitraeum to see if anyone there could perform the Surgery skill. I didn't see a problem with this so allowed it. However, the first roll was a fail and the skill says that this causes disease. My question is, what diseases and what are the effects of those diseases? Where in the books can I find this information?

 

[Der Rote Baron]

Different take on it (and a matter of tasted): Is ist really necessary to pester a Howardian character/ hero with a "disease due to a failed surgery roll"? I mean, how heroic is that: " And after battling hordes of Stygian wizards, things-men-wasn't-supposed-to-know and legions of soldiers, mercenaries, saveages and cut-throats Cornam the Bloosthirtsy was fatally smiten when he has a broken tooth removed by a skillless barber on the marked-place of Tarantia ..."

Yes, that's a story worth telling. :roll:

 

[flatscan]

Yes, that's a story worth telling. :roll:

I look at it as a risk to having surgery done. It should always be in the player's mind that there is a chance the person performing the surgery will fail the check so the player has to weigh that risk with how badly they want the HP back for their character. I would imagine diseases in this game would work similar to poison. Make Fortitude saves and on a failure get a hit to an ability (of course the PC will already be Fatigued after the surgery and will take a hit to abilities already so this could end up really bad for them). YMMV

 

[Clegane]

Different take on it (and a matter of tasted): Is ist really necessary to pester a Howardian character/ hero with a "disease due to a failed surgery roll"? I mean, how heroic is that: " And after battling hordes of Stygian wizards, things-men-wasn't-supposed-to-know and legions of soldiers, mercenaries, saveages and cut-throats Cornam the Bloosthirtsy was fatally smiten when he has a broken tooth removed by a skillless barber on the marked-place of Tarantia ..."

Yes, that's a story worth telling. :roll:

I find that such risks add to the gritty realism of the style of campaign I like to run. Do you also discount the effects of things like hypothermia, heat stroke, starvation, drowning, and falling damage? None of those are particularly heroic ways to die, either...but they are all tangible risks associated with an adventuring career.

If one of the characters in my game wants to place his life in the hands of some black-hearted Stygian sawbones, he should be aware that such things come with no assurances. Wounds fester, procedures go awry...it isn't as if he's getting a level 12 Cleric of Ilmater to cast a 'Heal' spell on him.

Of course, it tells a grander story to have your characters only risk death in glorious battle, but I find that removing any hint of more mundane risks from the game world takes an extra edge off of things. Last thing I want is my players developing some (true) sense of invulnerability.

 

[Hervé]

The Stygia sourcebook you mention has a fairly complete list of diseases. As it seems you've got an access to the book, why don't you pick a nasty illness that would suit your needs? Gangrene for instance, might well do the trick and give the PC some cold sweat!

 

[flatscan]

The Stygia sourcebook you mention has a fairly complete list of diseases. As it seems you've got an access to the book, why don't you pick a nasty illness that would suit your needs? Gangrene for instance, might well do the trick and give the PC some cold sweat!

Ahh, cool. I'll have to peruse that book. It's sat on my bookshelf since I got it as my current campaign won't be headed to Stygia for a loooooooong time. Thanks Hervé!

 

[Diabolus]

Fail the surgery check and rob them of a point of Con.

Muahahahaha

 

[Csmallo]

Give him the "black clap" and have his male member rot off.

 

[Stygian Devout]

If one of the characters in my game wants to place his life in the hands of some black-hearted Stygian sawbones, he should be aware that such things come with no assurances. Wounds fester, procedures go awry...it isn't as if he's getting a level 12 Cleric of Ilmater to cast a 'Heal' spell on him.

Stygians do make the best healers however, since only they can take the Stygian Physician and consequently Surgery feats.

 

[The King]

The disease list isn't only in the Stygia sourcebook, there is also a short list in the Shem book.
However the type of disease caught in this specific activity is quite limited.

 

[Hervé]

S&P 64 has stuff on Hyrkanian medecine. Maybe you should check it.