What is your goal in terms of narrative? Is this character supposed to die, continue precariously, or recover? Which outcome best serves the story you're telling?
So you want them to die, but you need them to live long enough to participate in the adventure, and the solution you've hit on is that the other party members have to occasionally spend a spell slot to heal the character? That sounds like a good balance between requiring the resources to make the character's condition mean something and obviating the need to track the condition in detail...
Did you play Mass Effect 2? Think of Thane. He had a terminal illness that didn't effect his ability to do his mission, it was just part of his narrative. I would approach this character similarly. They have X amount of time to live before their disease takes its toll, but they're more or less fine until then.
I've got some idea's of how you could handle it but before I go off in various tangents, could I ask....Why is the paladin dying? Is it old age? a curse? a disease? or something else?
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Okey Dokey....I get a bit of a Constantine vibe from this Paladin but I'd give them the following options:
1) The Spell option:
The Paladin needs to use 5pts of their Lay on Hands ability before they enter a Long Rest/go to sleep. Doing so resets the disease, failure to do so results in them completing a long rest (and recovering their abilities/spells) but also gaining a level of exhaustion as the disease advances. This allows the Paladin to manage how/when the other party members notice something is wrong with the Paladin and by doing it at the start of a long rest it means the Paladin also has to manage their own resources throughout the day. Once the rest of the party become aware they can do Medicine checks to confirm the Paladin is indeed diseased and then use Lesser or Greater restoration spells to help alleviate the symptoms (lesser restoration removing one level of exhaustion caused by the disease, greater restoration removing them all), this would then give the party the oppotunity to help or not as needed without making it compulsory for them to do so.
2) The non-magic option:
Someone skilled with Alchemsts Supplies or that possesses the Healers Feat can give the Paladin a recipe to brew a potion to keep symptoms at bay. This requires a Healers Kit, before each Long Rest the Paladin must brew and consume this potion otherwise the disease advance and the Paladin wakes up with a level of exhaustion. Each potion uses up one 'use' of a Healers Kit. This again means the Paladin is incharge of managing the condition and when/how the other party members become aware of the problem.
**right, you don;t need to read any further, its just some things I started thinking about that you might find interesting**
However, its also worth bearing in mind that the other players may want to know, or at least do some investigation into, why the disease is not beaing cured by any spells or lay on hands so it might be worth seeing if the Paladin has a reason behind this to explain it...if they don't and are happy for you to come up with an explaination, here are some options:
1) The disease is actually the result of a curse and it has manifested as some sort of Mummy Rot style effect, then easy option is a Remove Curse spell cures the disease or the harder option is a quest to find the creature that put the curse on the Paladin and see what it will take to lift it.
2) At some point in the Paladin's past they unkonowingly killed another Paladin who had sworn an Oath of Vengeance. That Paladin had marked thie player with a Vow of Emnity and at their death turned their mark into a disease like effect that is slowly killing the Player Paladin. In order to remove the effect they have to lay the soul or spirit of the dead paladin to rest (likely by completing whateer task the other Paladin had unfinished).
3) The Paladin is unknowingly linked/tethered to a ghost like entity that lives on the Ethereal Plane. This entity is siphoning off the Paladins life essence and when the Paladin dies it intends to enter into their corpse and possess it like a Ghost would posess a living creature. Defeating this entity in the Ethereal Plane removes the tether and lifts the disease.
4) The creepiest option, the disease is actually a parasitic entity such as an Illithid or Slaad Tadpole and using the options above keeps this entity dormant but should the Paladin die the tadpole becomes active and the Paladins body transforms into the new form (Illithid or Slaad) a few days laters and gets up and goes about its business. The even creepier option here is the disease is actually part of a Great Old One that has manifested from the Far Realm and should anyone actually look inside the Paladin this 'cyst' like entity appears to be an eye. This entity has been observing the material plane through the Paladin and if talked to via spells, such as Contact Other Plane, could be convinced to leave.
I don't know that I'd make it easier. I'd probably provide a mechanic to make it harder sometimes, but let the character role play those hard moments, or decide not to with a later bigger penalty if they chose to shrug off whatever penalty being suggested. The FATE system has a great mechanic for this, but it could be translated into D&D. Basically some situations impose a penalty, and in exchange if the player accepts it, you can get extra dice to use elsewhere. Like bardic inspiration, only longer lasting.
Disease vs. Paladin, is problematic, as paladins are immune to Disease from level 3 forward. It's a class feature (I'd be really leery of DM noping anything that's a core feature of any class, even on an NPC - giving the APPEARANCE of a disease is one thing - I like some of Rob76's ideas, which would just make it more of a mystery - possible crisis of faith moment too.)
Paladin - Divine Health 3rd level By 3rd level, the divine magic flowing through you makes you immune to disease.
If the point is to have some meaningful death, that a rez doesn't just overwrite by a heal, cure disease, remove curse, cure poison: there are also spells for detect poison / disease - you've got think of the magic detection angle, this is going to be something of a mystery.
Age would make the most sense - most forms of death in D&D aren't exactly permanent - dying of old age isn't something you get a rez for. If it is aging the character if can also fit the bill of looking like a wasting disease (aging sucks - ask anyone over 50), and you as the DM have got more fine control over when the character dies for that dramatic moment. The source of the aging though - that could be something entirely unnatural (cursed item even). Explains why heals don't work, why being immune to disease or trying to cure disease / poison / etc etc - simply doesn't work. There are potions that can reverse again (somewhat) but they can only be used a limited number of times before they start accelerating aging. So short of a Wish that's going off script - it works - and it's very difficult for a party to undo.
Hi. I'm DM for a homebrew. One of the PCs is a dying paladin. Is there anything easier than just constant heals.
What is your goal in terms of narrative? Is this character supposed to die, continue precariously, or recover? Which outcome best serves the story you're telling?
Die surrounded by the party, still trying to help
So you want them to die, but you need them to live long enough to participate in the adventure, and the solution you've hit on is that the other party members have to occasionally spend a spell slot to heal the character? That sounds like a good balance between requiring the resources to make the character's condition mean something and obviating the need to track the condition in detail...
Did you play Mass Effect 2? Think of Thane. He had a terminal illness that didn't effect his ability to do his mission, it was just part of his narrative. I would approach this character similarly. They have X amount of time to live before their disease takes its toll, but they're more or less fine until then.
I didnt
I've got some idea's of how you could handle it but before I go off in various tangents, could I ask....Why is the paladin dying? Is it old age? a curse? a disease? or something else?
Disease. Implied to be cancer
Okey Dokey....I get a bit of a Constantine vibe from this Paladin but I'd give them the following options:
1) The Spell option:
The Paladin needs to use 5pts of their Lay on Hands ability before they enter a Long Rest/go to sleep. Doing so resets the disease, failure to do so results in them completing a long rest (and recovering their abilities/spells) but also gaining a level of exhaustion as the disease advances. This allows the Paladin to manage how/when the other party members notice something is wrong with the Paladin and by doing it at the start of a long rest it means the Paladin also has to manage their own resources throughout the day. Once the rest of the party become aware they can do Medicine checks to confirm the Paladin is indeed diseased and then use Lesser or Greater restoration spells to help alleviate the symptoms (lesser restoration removing one level of exhaustion caused by the disease, greater restoration removing them all), this would then give the party the oppotunity to help or not as needed without making it compulsory for them to do so.
2) The non-magic option:
Someone skilled with Alchemsts Supplies or that possesses the Healers Feat can give the Paladin a recipe to brew a potion to keep symptoms at bay. This requires a Healers Kit, before each Long Rest the Paladin must brew and consume this potion otherwise the disease advance and the Paladin wakes up with a level of exhaustion. Each potion uses up one 'use' of a Healers Kit. This again means the Paladin is incharge of managing the condition and when/how the other party members become aware of the problem.
**right, you don;t need to read any further, its just some things I started thinking about that you might find interesting**
However, its also worth bearing in mind that the other players may want to know, or at least do some investigation into, why the disease is not beaing cured by any spells or lay on hands so it might be worth seeing if the Paladin has a reason behind this to explain it...if they don't and are happy for you to come up with an explaination, here are some options:
1) The disease is actually the result of a curse and it has manifested as some sort of Mummy Rot style effect, then easy option is a Remove Curse spell cures the disease or the harder option is a quest to find the creature that put the curse on the Paladin and see what it will take to lift it.
2) At some point in the Paladin's past they unkonowingly killed another Paladin who had sworn an Oath of Vengeance. That Paladin had marked thie player with a Vow of Emnity and at their death turned their mark into a disease like effect that is slowly killing the Player Paladin. In order to remove the effect they have to lay the soul or spirit of the dead paladin to rest (likely by completing whateer task the other Paladin had unfinished).
3) The Paladin is unknowingly linked/tethered to a ghost like entity that lives on the Ethereal Plane. This entity is siphoning off the Paladins life essence and when the Paladin dies it intends to enter into their corpse and possess it like a Ghost would posess a living creature. Defeating this entity in the Ethereal Plane removes the tether and lifts the disease.
4) The creepiest option, the disease is actually a parasitic entity such as an Illithid or Slaad Tadpole and using the options above keeps this entity dormant but should the Paladin die the tadpole becomes active and the Paladins body transforms into the new form (Illithid or Slaad) a few days laters and gets up and goes about its business. The even creepier option here is the disease is actually part of a Great Old One that has manifested from the Far Realm and should anyone actually look inside the Paladin this 'cyst' like entity appears to be an eye. This entity has been observing the material plane through the Paladin and if talked to via spells, such as Contact Other Plane, could be convinced to leave.
I don't know that I'd make it easier. I'd probably provide a mechanic to make it harder sometimes, but let the character role play those hard moments, or decide not to with a later bigger penalty if they chose to shrug off whatever penalty being suggested. The FATE system has a great mechanic for this, but it could be translated into D&D. Basically some situations impose a penalty, and in exchange if the player accepts it, you can get extra dice to use elsewhere. Like bardic inspiration, only longer lasting.
Disease vs. Paladin, is problematic, as paladins are immune to Disease from level 3 forward. It's a class feature (I'd be really leery of DM noping anything that's a core feature of any class, even on an NPC - giving the APPEARANCE of a disease is one thing - I like some of Rob76's ideas, which would just make it more of a mystery - possible crisis of faith moment too.)
Paladin - Divine Health
3rd level
By 3rd level, the divine magic flowing through you makes you immune to disease.
If the point is to have some meaningful death, that a rez doesn't just overwrite by a heal, cure disease, remove curse, cure poison: there are also spells for detect poison / disease - you've got think of the magic detection angle, this is going to be something of a mystery.
Age would make the most sense - most forms of death in D&D aren't exactly permanent - dying of old age isn't something you get a rez for. If it is aging the character if can also fit the bill of looking like a wasting disease (aging sucks - ask anyone over 50), and you as the DM have got more fine control over when the character dies for that dramatic moment. The source of the aging though - that could be something entirely unnatural (cursed item even). Explains why heals don't work, why being immune to disease or trying to cure disease / poison / etc etc - simply doesn't work. There are potions that can reverse again (somewhat) but they can only be used a limited number of times before they start accelerating aging. So short of a Wish that's going off script - it works - and it's very difficult for a party to undo.
Youre taking it the wrong way. It was a poisoning by his former friend Ferne.