Chapter 18: Status Effects

The realms of Demayth are filled with myriad dangers that can affect a Demigod in ways beyond simple damage. Potent spells, insidious poisons, environmental hazards, and terrifying creatures can all inflict Conditions or Status Effects that alter a character's capabilities. Understanding these conditions is crucial for survival.

A condition can last for a short period or remain for the rest of your character’s life. They can often be countered by performing a specific action, using the correct type of magic (often Restoration or Reprisal), or drinking the right potion.

Stacking: If a creature is affected by the same condition from multiple sources, the effects generally do not get worse (stack) unless the condition's description says otherwise. However, each instance may have its own separate duration.

Status Effects

Alteration: Size Reduction

• Effect: A creature is forcibly shrunk. For each size category they are reduced, their maximum HP is decreased by 10, their Strength attribute decreases by 3, and their Fortitude saving throw is penalized by 1. A creature cannot be reduced below 1 HP by this effect. When the effect ends, the creature returns to their original size, and all lost stats and HP are restored.

Bleeding

• Effect: The creature is suffering from a persistent wound. At the start of each of its turns, the creature takes 1d6 Biological damage. This damage bypasses Armor and Magic Shields. Each additional instance of Bleeding on the same creature adds another 1d6 damage per turn.
• Resolution: The bleeding stops if the creature regains at least 1 HP or anyone succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Heal) check to bandage the wound.

Blinded

• Effect: The creature cannot see. They automatically fail any ability check that requires sight. Attacks against the creature have advantage, and the creature's attacks have disadvantage.

Charmed

• Effect: The creature is magically charmed by another (the charmer). The charmed creature cannot attack or take harmful actions against the charmer. The charmer has advantage on any Charisma-based skill check to interact socially with the charmed creature. The charm ends if the charmer or their companions do anything harmful to the charmed creature.

Confused

• Effect: The creature is disoriented and perceives all other creatures as enemies. It will attack the nearest creature on its turn. The creature has disadvantage on all Will saving throws and Intelligence-based skill checks.

Deafened

• Effect: The creature cannot hear and automatically fails any ability check that requires hearing. They may be unable to cast spells with Verbal components.

Decay and Corrosion

• Decay (Organic): Affects living creatures. The creature takes Biological damage equal to 10% of its maximum HP every 2 rotations (12 seconds). The creature has disadvantage on saving throws related to an affected body part. Cured with healing/dispelling magic.
• Corrosion (Inorganic): Affects constructs and objects. The target takes damage equal to 10% of its Durability Points every 2 rotations (12 seconds). This damage cannot be mitigated. If a creature's armor or weapon is targeted, it also takes this damage. Cured by dispelling or repairing.

Diseased

• Effect: A creature suffering from a disease experiences various negative effects depending on the ailment. All diseased creatures have disadvantage on Fortitude saving throws. (See "Common Diseases in Demayth" below for examples).

Exhaustion (Demayth Fatigue)

• Effect: A cumulative condition with seven levels of severity. Recovery typically requires a long rest to remove one level.
  • Level 1: Disadvantage on all checks and saving throws.
  • Level 2: Movement speed is halved.
  • Level 3: Attack and Defense values from cards are halved.
  • Level 4: Movement speed reduced to 10 feet (2 spaces); disadvantage on all saving throws.
  • Level 5: Maximum HP reduced to 3.
  • Level 6: Unable to use Demayth powers, abilities, or perks.
  • Level 7: Death.

Frightened / Feared

• Effect: The creature is overwhelmed by terror from a specific source. The creature cannot willingly move closer to the source of its fear. It has disadvantage on ability checks and attack actions while the source of its fear is within line of sight. Attacks made against the source of fear have their final damage halved.

Frostbite

• Effect: A cumulative condition tracked in "ticks" from exposure to extreme cold. Each tick reduces movement speed by 5 feet and imposes disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws. At 20 ticks, the creature is frozen solid (Petrified in ice). Creatures immune to freezing become Petrified; those not immune are Destroyed.

Grappled

• Effect: The creature's speed is 0. All of their attack values are halved. They cannot use defensive abilities or defenses, but the attacker cannot defend against the grappler. The creature can use its SAP to attempt to escape by making a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the grappler, or a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to slip out of the creature’s grasp. If they fail 3 escape attempts, they become Restrained. The condition ends if the grappler is incapacitated or if the creature can get away.

Invisible

• Effect: An invisible creature cannot be seen without magic or special senses. Attacks against them have disadvantage, and their attacks have advantage. Greater Invisibility can only be pierced by True Sight. The effect ends if the creature attacks or casts a spell.

Leech

• Effect: A magical link between a master and a minion. All damage that would be inflicted on the minion is transferred to their master instead.

Paralyzed

• Effect: The creature is incapacitated, cannot move or speak, and automatically fails all checks and saving throws.

Petrified

• Effect: The creature is transformed into a solid, inanimate substance (usually stone or ice). They are incapacitated and automatically fail all checks. They gain resistance to all damage. Specific rules apply for breaking free depending on the material (see school descriptions or BM notes).

Phase / Phasing

• Effect: The creature is in an ethereal state. It is immune to physical damage and can move through solid objects and creatures. It remains vulnerable to True Damage and Divine Damage. Ending the phase inside a solid object deals 1d6 True damage to both.

Poisoned

• Effect: A poisoned creature has disadvantage on all skill checks and saving throws. Depending on the poison's strength (Weak, Strong, Powerful), they take escalating amounts of Biological damage at the start of each turn and cannot benefit from most healing. They can attempt a Fortitude save each turn to reduce the damage.
  • Weak: 1D4 Biological damage.
  • Strong: 2D6 Biological damage.
  • Powerful: 4D8 Biological damage.

Polymorphed

• Effect: A creature is transformed into another creature. Its game statistics are replaced by those of the new form, though it retains its alignment and personality. It cannot use spells or perks from its original form. The effect ends if reduced to 0 HP, reverting to its original form and HP.

Potion Sickness

• Effect: Caused by consuming too many potions (10 + CON mod in 24 hours). The creature's HP is reduced to 3 and they suffer the 6th level of Exhaustion. The effects persist until cured or after 3 full days of rest.

Prone

• Effect: The creature is lying on the ground. Their only movement option is to crawl at half speed. They have disadvantage on their melee attacks. Melee attacks made against them are doubled, while ranged attacks against them are unaffected. Standing up costs a Quick/Movement action.

Rage / Enraged

• Effect: A state of uncontrollable fury. The creature's melee attacks deal double damage. They are immune to pain (ignoring disadvantage from it while making fortitude saves) and will attack the nearest creature, friend or foe. The condition ends after a set duration or if the creature is knocked unconscious.

Restrained

• Effect: The creature's speed is 0. They cannot attack or defend. They have disadvantage on Dexterity checks and Reflex saving throws. They can use their action to attempt a Strength (Athletics) check to break free against a DC set by the restraint.

Shapeshift

• Effect: A voluntary transformation. The creature's stats are replaced by the new form, but they retain their alignment, personality, and can often choose to keep certain items equipped or use perks from their original form if the new form is compatible. Reverts at 0 HP.

Silenced

• Effect: The creature cannot speak or use abilities with verbal components. All Demayth abilities are suppressed related to their spell rite. They lose any bonuses to their Will saving throws.

Slowed

• Effect: The creature's movement speed is halved (minimum of 1 space). They lose any bonuses to their Reflex saving throw.

Soul Link / Bond

• Effect: A magical link between two creatures. Any damage one linked creature receives is transferred to the other. If one dies, the other suffers a backlash of damage.

Stunned

• Effect: The creature is incapacitated (cannot take actions or reactions). They automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws. Attacks against them have advantages.

Teleportation Sickness

• Effect: Affects first-time or excessive teleporters. Causes 6th-level Exhaustion and disadvantage on all checks and saves until the next long rest.

True Death

• Effect: The creature cannot be healed. If they die while under this effect, they cannot be resurrected by any means short of a Divine Wish or direct divine intervention.

True Sight

• Effect: A creature with True Sight can see through illusions, perceive invisible creatures, and detect hidden magical objects.

Unconscious

• Effect: The creature is incapacitated, unaware, and drops all held items. They automatically fail most checks and saving throws. All damage inflicted on them is doubled. Regaining any HP awakens them.

Diseases of Demayth

Beyond temporary curses and conditions, the realms are afflicted with various diseases that can have debilitating and long-lasting effects. These ailments can be mundane or magical in origin, but all pose a significant threat to an unprepared adventurer. A creature suffering from any disease typically has disadvantage on all Fortitude saving throws, making them more vulnerable to further afflictions.

Common Diseases

The following are some of the more common diseases a Demigod might encounter in their travels.

Disease Name	Transmission	Onset	Symptoms & Effects
Aetheric Consumption	Inhaling airborne spores from infected creatures.	Gradual (Weeks)	Persistent cough, fever, weight loss; progresses to organ failure and death. -1 CON per week, DC 15 Fort save weekly to avoid Exhaustion.
Wyrmrot	Prolonged contact with infected individuals.	Slow (Months)	Numbness, skin lesions, muscle atrophy, death. Disadvantage on DEX/STR checks, then -1 to attributes weekly. DC 18 Fort save weekly to avoid.
Shadowpox	Contact with infected bodily fluids.	Rapid (Days)	High fever, pustules, internal bleeding, delirium. High fever (Disadvantage on all rolls), then 1d6 Necrotic damage/day. DC 15 Fort save daily to recover.
Soulblight	Bites from infected blood-sucking insects.	Cyclical (3 days)	Cyclical fever and weakness (Disadvantage on all rolls for 24 hours every 3 days). DC 13 Fort saves daily to reduce fever duration.
Mindrot	Unknown, psychic trauma. (Affects Voidlings)	Gradual (Years)	Memory loss, confusion, personality changes, complete mental breakdown. -1 INT/WIS/CHA every 6 months. DC 16 INT save monthly to slow.
Bloodfire	Contact with infected bodily fluids.	Rapid (Days)	High fever, internal/external bleeding, shock, rapid death. 1d8 Bleeding damage per round. Highly contagious (DC 15 Fort save if exposed).
Soulfire	Exchange of bodily fluids.	Gradual (Years)	Weakened immune system, fatigue, susceptibility to other infections. -1 to all attributes every year, disadvantage on all saves vs. disease.
Hellish Fever	Contracted from Demons or Devils.	Rapid (Days)	High fever, aches. 3d6 Biological damage/hour, 1 Exhaustion level/day, disadvantage on STR/DEX checks. Daily Will save vs Madness ticks.
Corpse Rot	Contact with Undead.	Rapid (Days)	Fever, cough. -1d8 penalty to Perception, 1 Biological damage/minute during activity, disadvantage on STR/DEX checks, eventual blindness/deafness. Cannot be healed naturally.

(Note: While a Cure Disease spell or Neutralize Disease potion can often cure these ailments, the Battle Master may rule that specific components or a more powerful ritual is needed for advanced stages of a disease.)

Unique and Divine Afflictions

Beyond common sicknesses, there exist rare and terrifying maladies that are less diseases and more divine curses or fundamental breakdowns of reality.

Buta's Plague (Divine Disease)

• Source: Contracted through Buta's direct influence, powerful necromantic curses, or contact with their most powerful servants like Tormentor Demons.
• Onset: Immediate and aggressive.
• Symptoms & Effects: The victim is immediately wracked with extreme pain, madness, and sensory failure (blindness, deafness). They suffer disadvantage on all saving throws and skill checks. After one minute, the aggressive phase begins, inflicting 2d6 Biological damage every 6 seconds (each round) and one level of exhaustion per hour. The victim must make a Will save (DC 10 + their character level) every 10 minutes to resist gaining Madness ticks, which leads to indiscriminate, berserk attacks until death.
• Treatment: There is no known mundane or magical cure. It is rumored that consuming raw Demayth Nectar within 5 minutes of infection may halt the disease, but this is incredibly dangerous. A Restoration spell of Rank 10 or higher might only temporarily suppress the progression.

Demayth Decay (Magic Splitting Disease)

• Source: A rare affliction affecting only Demigods, caused by extreme exposure to conflicting Demayth energies (e.g., a powerful magical duel, a core explosion, pushing their powers far beyond their limits).
• Onset: Immediate and incredibly rapid.
• Symptoms & Effects: The Demigod's own Demayth energy turns on them, consuming their body from within. This causes rapid, painful disintegration, leading to death in under a minute.
• Treatment: Can be temporarily halted by powerful Restoration magic. It can only be truly cured by an Intent God with mastery over Restoration or a legendary Divine Potion of Restoration.

Core Sickness (Technological Affliction)

• Source: Affects primarily non-Demigods (like humans) from exposure to the raw, manufactured magical energy of Omnitech or Cryotech power cores. Severity depends on exposure time and intensity.
• Symptoms & Progression:
  • Phase 1 (Partial Exposure): Nausea, vomiting, headache, fever. Imposes 3rd-level exhaustion.
  • Phase 2 (Full Exposure): Dizziness, disorientation, weakness, hair loss. Imposes 4th-level exhaustion, damage taken is doubled, all saving throws are reduced to 1.
  • Phase 3 (Fatal Exposure): Internal bleeding, infections, low blood pressure, death. Imposes 6th-level exhaustion, 1d6 biological damage per hour.
• Treatment: Omni-meds or Cryo-meds can treat the first two phases. There is no known cure for the third phase. Victims can be resurrected, but their bodies often remain fragile. (Demigods are highly resistant but can be affected by extreme exposure, like a core explosion).

Mental Disorders

Beyond immediate magical curses or physical ailments, the unrelenting stress, trauma, and exposure to otherworldly forces on an adventurer's journey can inflict deep, lasting wounds upon the mind and soul. These mental disorders are complex conditions that cannot be cured by a simple spell and often require significant downtime, personal quests, or dedicated care to overcome.

Wanderer's Fatigue

• Description: This is a deep, soul-level burnout that comes from constant travel, unrelenting stress, and a lack of true safety or rest. The adventurer loses their passion for the journey. The thrill of discovery is gone, replaced by a monotonous sense of obligation. They become lethargic, apathetic, and find it difficult to muster the energy for new challenges, often responding with sighs and weary resignation.
• Mechanical Effect:
  • The character suffers a -5 penalty to their Initiative rolls.
  • They have disadvantage on saving throws to resist effects that would cause Exhaustion.
  • When they complete a Long Rest, they regain only half of their spent resources (e.g., half HP, half Demayth Points, rounded down).
• How to Cure: This cannot be fixed by a single spell. The cure is prolonged, genuine rest. The character must spend a significant period of downtime (at least one full week, possibly more) in a place of true safety and comfort (like a fine home in a peaceful city or a consecrated temple). During this time, they cannot engage in any training, crafting, or adventuring.

Shadow Sickness

• Description: After being ambushed in too many dark corridors, betrayed by a trusted ally, or seeing monsters emerge from every shadow, the adventurer develops a deep-seated paranoia. They believe threats are everywhere and constant. They compulsively check doorways, second-guess their allies' motives, and are unable to relax.
• Mechanical Effect:
  • The character cannot be Surprised.
  • The character has disadvantage on saving throws against being Frightened.
  • The character cannot willingly be the target of an action that would receive assistance from an ally or another creature, as they subconsciously distrust the aid.
  • They must succeed on a Will saving throw to consume any food or potion given to them by an NPC or creature.
• How to Cure: This requires rebuilding trust. It can be cured through dedicated care from a trusted companion (requiring a series of successful Diplomacy checks over downtime) or through a powerful magical ritual of calming, such as one performed by a high-ranking priest of Komora.

The Grey Veil (Siege-Shock)

• Description: A severe form of emotional detachment developed as a coping mechanism for witnessing immense horror and loss. To protect itself from further pain, the mind dampens all strong emotions, both positive and negative. The character remembers events but loses the emotional connection to them. They become cold, ruthlessly logical, and detached.
• Mechanical Effect:
  • The character is immune to being Charmed and effects that rely on joy.
  • The character has advantage on saving throws against being Frightened.
  • The character has disadvantage on all Charisma (Diplomat and Performance) checks.
  • Abilities powered by faith or strong emotion may become unreliable or fail entirely at the BM's discretion.
• How to Cure: This is a spiritual wound. A simple Remove Curse spell is not enough. Curing The Grey Veil requires a significant personal quest to reconnect with the world, such as finding a lost loved one, completing a selfless act that rekindles their empathy, or receiving a direct boon from a deity like Lyate or any of the 3 sisters.

Demayth Resonance Sickness

• Description: This affliction primarily affects powerful magic-users after exposure to a massive, uncontrolled release of Demayth. Their own "divine spark" becomes unstable and resonates discordantly with the world's magic. Their power leaks out in uncontrolled ways.
• Mechanical Effect:
  • The character emits a faint, noticeable magical aura. They have disadvantage on all Stealth checks.
  • Every time the character casts a spell, they must roll a d20. On a 1, a Wild Magic Surge occurs, creating an unpredictable magical effect from a table provided by the BM.
• How to Cure: The cure is to "ground" the character's unstable energy. This can be achieved in two ways:
  • Magical Abstinence: The character must refrain from using any Demayth points or casting any spells for a prolonged period (several weeks), allowing their inner essence to naturally re-stabilize.
  • Ritual of Attunement: The character must travel to a place of immense magical stability (like a pure Demayth Nexus) and have a master of magic guide them through a difficult ritual to realign their soul with the flow of Demayth.

Savior's Burden

• Description: This condition often develops in characters who have witnessed the fall of a comrade or failed to protect someone they felt responsible for. They develop an overwhelming and irrational need to shield everyone else from harm, often to their own detriment. They will recklessly throw themselves in front of attacks meant for others and constantly apologize for injuries they had no control over.
• Mechanical Effect:
  • The character cannot benefit from the Dodge action, as they are always positioning themselves to protect others.
  • If an ally within 5 feet of the character is targeted by an attack, the character can use their Reaction to force the attack to target them instead. They must do this for the first attack that meets these conditions each rotation, if they have a Reaction available.
• How to Cure: This is a wound of guilt that magic alone cannot mend. Curing it requires a significant narrative breakthrough, such as being absolved of their guilt by a figure of authority (like a high priest or the spirit of the one they failed), or by successfully protecting their party through a major crisis, proving to themselves that they are capable without needing to be a martyr.

The Unraveling

• Description: A character's mind becomes "cracked" after prolonged exposure to realms of pure chaos, the maddening non-reality of the Void, or the alien consciousness of a powerful voidling. Their perception of reality has been fractured. They experience sensory hallucinations—seeing alien skies superimposed over the real one, hearing whispers on the wind, or feeling the touch of unseen things.
• Mechanical Effect:
  • The character has disadvantage on all Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Sense Motive) checks, as their senses are unreliable and filled with false input.
  • At the beginning of each of their turns in combat, the character must roll a d20. On a roll of 1, they are overwhelmed by their fractured perceptions and gain the Confused condition for that rotation.
• How to Cure: The mind must be re-anchored to reality. This can be achieved through a powerful Restoration spell of Mastery Rank 10 or higher, or a complex ritual performed by a master of the Psyche school. Alternatively, a quest to find a "Reality Anchor"—an artifact that stabilizes a user's perception—could also cure the condition.