Curse

Level: 9

Attack: +19

Will DC: 25

Onset: 1 night

Symptoms: The afflicted begins having vivid nightmares that drain their strength and resolve. As the disease progresses, the nightmares blur into reality, causing the afflicted to experience hallucinations and paranoia even while awake.

• Stage 1: The afflicted’s sleep is plagued by nightmares, leaving them fatigued when they wake. They must succeed at a Will save each morning or become frightened 1 for the rest of the day. (1 day)

• Stage 2: The nightmares worsen, and the afflicted begins to experience waking hallucinations, seeing shadowy figures and hearing unsettling sounds. They suffer a -2 status penalty to Perception checks and Will saves against mental effects. (1 day)

• Stage 3: The afflicted can no longer distinguish between dreams and reality. They are always fatigued and must roll a DC 25 Will save whenever they attempt a Perception check, attack roll, or skill check. On a failure, they hallucinate and take no meaningful action for that round. (1 day)

Cure: 3 consecutive saves; rituals involving dream magic, such as remove curse (6th-level) or hero’s feast can disrupt the rot, providing temporary relief and a +2 bonus to subsequent saves.

Special: Dream Rot often infects those who delve too deep into cursed or forbidden knowledge. Scholars who seek to decipher ancient texts or uncover lost secrets are especially vulnerable.