The Dark Plague

The Dark Plague is a contagious disease encountered as a Unique Event (Abyss Unique Events table, result 2). It represents the rotting miasma that permeates the deeper dungeon levels.

Initial Exposure

When the Dark Plague event is rolled, one random character must save versus a level 10 disease.

• Halflings are naturally resistant and add half their level to this save.
• A failed save means the character is infected.

Ongoing Damage

An infected character rolls d8 each time they step into a new room. On a 1, they lose 1 life point.

Spreading the Plague

If you keep an infected character in the party:

• All other characters must save vs the plague the moment they step into the next room.
• This continues one room at a time until all characters are infected or everyone has passed their save.

Alternatively, you can send the infected character back to the dungeon exit alone, rolling for wandering monsters as usual. This removes the contagion risk but likely means losing that character for the adventure.

Cures

| Cure | Notes | |---|---| | Blessing spell | Roll d8+L vs 10; success removes plague. Failure wastes the spell. May try repeatedly. | | Loaf of Elven Bread | Automatically removes the plague from one character. | | Exit dungeon + church Blessings | Outside, assume a level-5 cleric casts (d6, needs 5+). Repeat until cured, paying each time. | | Potion of Vigor (Alchemist, difficulty 2, 10 gp) | Grants immunity to the plague for one adventure. |

A character who makes the initial save, is healed, or eats elven bread is immune for the rest of that adventure (but can be infected again in future adventures).