What makes Diseases so frightening? Unlike external threats, a Disease affects its host from the inside and cannot be avoided once the character is infected. (Pg 183)

Name

First Name

Last Name

Player #

Submission Type

Name of Disease

The name of a Disease often provides a hint as to what it does or at least what it affects. (pg 183)

Transmission Vectors

A Disease spreads throughout the wasteland on several transmission vectors such as bodily fluids, water, and touch - these allow the Disease to go from host to host, infecting groups of Survivors. (pg 183)

Description

The Disease description tells both players and Guides just what the Disease does. It does not include mechanical effects but instead describes the symptoms players should role-play once infected with the Disease, includes where the Disease comes from, how well-known it is, where it might have originated and several helpful role-playing hints to give players some way to ground their own play experience while still being infected. The description may also include the basics of how medical professionals can study the illness to create a course of treatment. (pg 183)

Stages of Illness

Each illness has five stages, categorizing the way the Disease affects the character over time. The description of each stage should explain not only the illness's physical or psychological results, but what steps the medical professionals treating the illness will need to take. (pg 183)

Duration Between Stages

The stages of a Disease must have clear durations so that medical professionals, the infected, and Guides can know when the Disease has progressed to its next stage. This is important because Diseases usually have a mechanical impact on the infected character outside of the role-play consequences. (pg 183)

Mechanical Impact

Diseases may over time impact a character's Mind or Body points or the way in which they utilize certain skills. Each Disease's mechanical impact is different based on its construction, however, and it should be clear for the infected character's player and Guide to understand as soon as the Disease goes into play. The mechanical impact usually becomes worse as the Disease progresses from stage to stage, which is another reason the mechanical effects over time must be spelled out clearly. (pgs 183-184)

Resolution to Disease

The resolution carefully outlines what happens if a Disease is treated at different stages of its progression, whether it will go into remission for extended treatment, and how (if possible) it can be cured. Additionally, it lays out what happens if the illness cannot be cured past a certain point (e.g., if it reaches Stage 5). Should a Disease be incurable after a certain point, this section will give helpful role-play hints about the last stages of the Disease, how they can be played out, and what the character will be like in the time before their death. (pg 184)