Malady Checks

Table

Malady Table

Roll (d200)	Result
01-05	Allergic reaction causes character to sneeze uncontrollably and suffer 1 damage every hour, until removed from present vegetative environment or antidote given.
06-08	Beehive or wasp's nest is unintentionally disturbed, resulting in multiple stings for one or more members of the party (2-8 for the character, 1-3 for any others within 20 ft.).
09-13	Blisters and sore feet result from inadequate or worn out footwear; reduce maximum movement to stride-3.
14-27	Burn self on a cooking pot or while reaching into the fire at dinner time; suffer 1d4 damage.
28	Catch random affliction without the source or reason being known; perhaps someone who was met, or from handling an object, or simply brewing the disease from within. Determine area of infection, nature and degree randomly.
29-31	Contact with a poisonous plant causes an intensive skin irritation, rash and itching that continues for 3-12 days without relent, unless an antidote is applied; denying restful sleep unless mildly intoxicated (or some other means of dulling the senses); the character suffers a 10% possibility of spell failure due to itching.
32-36	Cut self deeply while being foolishly distracted, while employing a blade, stake or similar-shaped object; suffer 1d6 damage.
37-58	Cut self lightly while rearranging gear or performing general work in camp; suffer 1 damage.
59-60	Falling rock either closely misses (1-7) or strikes (8) character from above. If hit, the character suffers 1-10 damage.
61-63	Gear lost or left behind, requiring either its abandonment or searching back along the way the players came, requiring 2-5 hours; success requires the party's wisest person to make a wisdom check.
64-76	Get lost and lose all orientation for 20 to 30 minutes; rangers with orientation or pathfinding skill are confused for only 5 to 8 minutes.
77-90	Insect sting produces a mild rash that denies the character a restful sleep that night, before subsiding.
91-98	Mis-step into shallow water causes the character to soak their footwear and stockings from the ankle down; irritating and causes -1 charisma until dried.
99-101	Mis-step into adjacent pond or stream causes the player to become soaked from the waist or the shoulders down (50/50 chance); -2 charisma until clothes and gear are dried.
102-110	Not enough gathered wood for the fire becomes apparent in the middle of the night; as the embers darken, something must be done.
111-123	Rip tent while setting up; needs repair.
124-126	Roll to break random non-magical item in the player's possession.
127-128	Route travelled is blocked or washed out; nature of the obstruction is left up to the DM.
129-142	Slip and fall results in a forward tumble that causes 1-4 damage; if slip occurs in a small boat or along a cliff, the character must make dexterity check or go over the side.
143-150	Sunburn causes discomfort and peeling that lasts for several days, denying restful sleep unless mildly intoxicated (or some other means of dulling the senses).
151-163	Trip and stumble results in a hard bruise that lasts from 2-4 days; movement during that time cannot exceed stride-1; there's a 50% chance the character cannot ride.
164-172	Twisted ankle (1-4) or wrist (5-6) causes 1 point of injury; character cannot rely on that body part until the injury is healed.
173-193	Walk into a branch, lightly cutting face or neck; character suffers 1 damage.
194-197	Walk into an overhanging limb, knocking the character flat; character suffers 1-3 damage per level.
198	Weather change on an unpredictable micro-level (even with regards to spells/abilities) produces a 4-point increase in wind or a brief rainshower that last 5-20 minutes.
199-200	Wildfire of a natural origin can be smelt or seen from a distance, but offers a threat to the players well-being depending on the wind direction.

Malady Checks are an unpleasant part of every individual's life, as the word "malady" is used in-game as a blanket term for mishaps, illnesses, setbacks, inconveniences and such like. No character is exempt from these rolls, regardless of their prestige or ability — because anyone might, at any time, have a bad day.

Checks are made randomly, once per game session, or whenever characters find themselves in especially dangerous circumstances. Some are dire and potentially fatal, while others merely create problems. As time passes, expect more and more possibilities to be added to the list.

The chance of a wholly random malady occurring is 1 in 20. It's suggested that every member of the party rolls a d20 and calls out their number; the DM also throws a d20, or rolls one using a cup without revealing it until the players have rolled. Any player's roll that matches that of the DM suffers a malady.

False Results

In many cases, the circumstances of the malady indicated won't fit with the present circumstances; for example, walking into a tree branch wouldn't be possible in a land without trees. On the other hand, this could be re-imagined as knocking one's head on an outcropping or a beam emerging from the side of a house, in a small hamlet which the characters happened to pass through that day. If re-imagining seems unlikely, then either discount the malady from having occurred at all, or roll again, as seems best in the moment.

Unforeseen Consequences

Some results that seem fairly benign can take on new meaning in special circumstances; for example, a mis-step into an adjacent pond or stream may cause only a dunking, but if getting this result while aboard a rowboat, perhaps in a storm, the result could be life threatening. Likewise if the character has been predetermined to be allergic to bee stings, or rips a tent when it's vitally needed, or the character cuts his or herself lightly just after having emerged from a cesspit. The DM should pay close attention to how any malady might have alternate, unexpected effects.

Nonetheless, the malady table isn't generally intended to drive the campaign narrative. Examples should be seen as distractions for the most part, and only rarely a beginning to something much worse.

See The Adventure