Chaos Phage
Transmission & Vectors
Blue Slaad - Transmitted by claws
Causes
When a Blue Slaad slashes a living humanoid with its claws, the laceration is left with microscopic particles whose purpose is to induce the victim's body to replicate the pattern of the Slaad, instead of its own. (In this sense, the Chaos Phage is analogous to a biological virus; the mechanism, however, is wholly different.)
If not immediately overwhelmed by the host's immune system, the Phage particles begin redirecting the morphic resonance of the host's body, bit-by-bit, attuning it to the astral frequencies of the Spawning Stone on the slaadi home plane of Limbo. As this re-resonance reaches completion, the host's prior astramorphic resonance is severed, and a translatory process occurs bearing some similarity to the magical Plane Shift spell, whereby the morphic pattern of a Red Slaad is imposed upon the Material form of the host. A host with sufficient magical ability is able to retain a weak echo of their astramorphic pattern, and is instead transformed into a Green Slaad.
Symptoms
- Flu-like symptoms
- Fatigue
- Inability to heal from injuries or regain stamina, whether naturally or magically (cannot restore HP)
- Progressive loss of stamina (hit point max reduced by 3d6 every 24 hours)
- Becoming a red or green slaad (if HP max is reduced to 0 by the disease. Green if the host can cast 3rd-level spells)
Treatment
Magic that removes diseases, such as Lesser Restoration , can destroy the phage and undo its effects if administered before the subject has transformed. Once the transformation has occurred, it cannot be reversed except by Wish magic.
Prognosis
If left untreated, a patient's condition rapidly deteriorates over a period of days to weeks (typically less than one week), culminating in irreversible transformation into a slaad.
Sequela
Becoming a big, toadlike manifestation of pure, undiluted chaos.
Hosts & Carriers
Type
Supernatural
Origin
Alien
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired
Rarity
Extremely Rare
Comments