Love is a Social Disease [Hackmaster]

Two STIs for Hackmaster, in case someone rolls the Lusty quirk.

Herpes
Communicability: 8
Severity: 4

Where is the disease found: Herpes is most commonly thought of as a sexually transmitted infection, but it can happen fairly easily with skin to skin contact when actively infectious.

Minor Effect: Initial infection will result in painful sores within 4d6p days, on or near the mouth, armpits, and groin. These sores cause a -2 to Attack, Damage, and Defense, and a -10% to skills, for 3d6p days, after which they will scab over and go dormant. Every 1d6p months, the sores will reappear, but the character may make another severity check; failure causes no additional difficulty, but success adds +1 to the time between future outbreaks.

Major Effect: Initial infection will result in painful sores within 4d6p days, on or near the mouth, armpits, and groin. Outbreaks are accompanied by fevers and pain in the back, head, and while urinating. This causes a -4 to Attack, Damage, and Defense, as well as a -20% to skills until the virus goes dormant in 3d6p days. Every 1d6p months, the sores will reappear, but the character may make another Severity test. If successful, the severity is reduced to Minor.

Treatment: Active herpes outbreaks can be managed, reducing pain and duration of symptoms. With Average First Aid and someone dedicated to nursing the character, reduce penalties by 1/5%, and reduce symptoms outbreaks by 1 day per mastery level of First Aid above Average (minimum 3). With Master mastery of First Aid, penalties may be reduced by 1/5% (to a minimum of -1/-5%). Botany of at least Average adds 1 effective mastery level of First Aid (reducing symptoms by an additional day, and possibly reducing the penalties). Herpes is not curable, save by magic; if the Treat Disease spell is successfully used on someone with the Minor Effect, the disease will be completely cured.


Syphilis aka The Shepherd's Lament
Communicability: 8
Severity: 2

Syphilis is most often thought of as a sexually transmitted disease, and it spreads most easily by contact between mucous membranes... mouth, anus, genitals, and so on. Originally, it is thought to have come from inappropriate contact with sheep, llamas, and alpacas, leading to its nickname of "The Shepherd's Lament".

Minor Effect: Syphilis does not have a Minor and Major effect. If one contracts it as a Minor Effect, it begins mild, but will upgrade to a Major effect if not treated within a year. It's initial stages are marked by rashes; -1d10p% on Looks for a space of 4d6p weeks, with the penalty going away at the end. If untreated, a secondary stage develops, 1d6p months after infection, which will see a spread of rashes, inflicting 10d10p% to Looks, and -10% on skills.

Major Effect: Untreated, or with a disastrous early exposure, syphilis begins to attack the heart, brain, and nerves. This manifests as a degradation of ability; Each month, roll 1d8. The corresponding attribute suffers a penalty of 5d10p% fractional damage (an 8 indicates that no penalty is taken that month). If subsequently cured, the damage is not restored, but it does abate. Should any ability go below 1/01 from this disease, the character dies.

Treatment: Syphilis is relatively easily treated; with Advanced mastery in First Aid, combined with at least Average Botany, the character may be allowed a reroll of communicability, possibly ending the disease. If the subject of a successful Treat Disease spell, the disease will likewise abate quietly. Any damage caused by the Major Effect of the disease will remain, however.