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Plagues have afflicted humanity for as long as historical records exist.
They have killed kings, toppled empires, and changed the course of major world events.
The idea of plague is burned so deeply into our collective consciousness that they even feature inDungeons & Dragonscampaigns.
Limbo Madness by Kent Davis
Bring some fresh blood into your D&D campaign.
Thankfully, history and fiction are packed with illustrative examples of how plagues work and how they are fought.
Check with your players to ensure that they’re alright with Plagues as a theme before you introduce it.
Stick Together by Dave Greco
This situation should play out similarly in D&D.
Be prepared for your players' quick attempts to fix the issue.
(A constitution check usually works best.)
Stick Together by Dave Greco
What debuffs to stats occur when the plague is contracted?
Page 257 of the Dungeons Masters Guide (DMG) lists some diseases.
you gotta signal that people are very sick to make your players nervous about the plague.
Temple Thief by Evyn Fong
As a plague progresses, more and more sick people congregate at temples and churches.
Have rich folk fled to country estates?
Are they locked high in their towers with food and water carefully stashed?
The Great Library of Candlekeep by Vincent Proce
Hunger does strange things to civilized people.
A hungry city should feel desperate and frightening.
Are quarantines in place?Has the city employed the services of any plague doctors?
Recruitment Drive by Diego Gisbert
Has the city’s food supply been affected by the plague?
Have the authorities responded in any way?
Unless these corpses are disposed of quickly, the sickness spreads and worsens.How far gone is the city?
Fleeing Escapess in the Night by Brian Valeza
Are there still people taking the dead to funeral pyres?
Is law and order holding up, or has the militia gone rogue?
Who Benefits?
Faction Agents by Taras Susak
Your story should feature at least one faction that wants the plague to spread unchecked.
The malignant faction should look to take advantage of any weakness or power vacuums that the plague creates.
The discovery could start with a party member falling ill and then rushing to a town for a cure.
Once in town, the party realise that everyone around them is sick.
Best prefs For Plague Dungeons & Dragons
Plagues hit towns and cities hardest.
Population density plays an important role in the spread of disease.
Running a plague game in a city makes sense for these reasons.
The open sea could even offer temporary refuge, so long as you have enough food and water.
Present the players with unique challenges and situations depending on their location.
But always keep the devastating results of the plague at the forefront.
Rolling with the punches?
Here’s how to use backup characters.
