Planescape 4E - Languor to Larvae

This is part 3 of a planar ecology for the Gray Waste. Last time I talked about the horizon effect to add menace to the Gray Waste. Today’s topic is a secondary effect for the plane. In particular, I’ll present the Gary Wasting, which is a disease track that the horizon creates. Feel free to use it independently of the other mechanics, although I think the planar effect, the Gray Languor, and the Languor to Larva make a nice package.

I’m designing the Gray Waste for a paragon-level area, as I think this is appropriate. Select areas of the plane may be lower or higher, but the disease effect I’m going for here will be paragon-tier appropriate.

I Don’t Feel So Good…

So as the Gray Languor reaches it climax, the party members must all make a DC 20 skill check to prevent contracting the disease. This check must continue for each day the horizon stays at its final stage. I know this is different from what I said last time, but I’ve had more time to think about it, and I think this increases the lethality of the effect. Once a character is affected, he need not make the skill check unless he has been cured. In addition, if the disease has been cured, that character can not be re-infected for a full day (until an extended rest).

What happens when a character becomes a larva is up to the DM, but I’ll present a couple of ideas in a couple of days.

Languor to Larva

Level 15 Disease

The infected creature’s demeanor becomes more and more apathetic, until they disappear in a cloud of gray smoke. In its stead is a small, 5’ long larva with a face grotesquely familiar.

• Stage 0: The target recovers from the disease and does not need to roll a skill check for infection until they take an extended rest.
• Stage 1: The target may not charge or move faster than their base speed (including the penalty from the Gray Languor).
• Stage 2: The target takes a -2 penalty to checks made to recover from the disease.
• Stage 3: The target dies and becomes a larva.

• Check: At the end of each extended rest, the target makes an Endurance check if it is at stage 1 or 2.

  • 15 or lower: The stage of the disease increases by one.
  • 16-22: No Change
  • 23 or higher: The stage of the disease decreases by one.

Finality

So there’s a nice secondary effect for the Gray Waste, which can also be used for a standalone disease effect. I can see this disease being used on several lower planes, as larva are found on most of them. I have a few ideas for what to do with the larvae (monster and hazard spring immediately to mind), but those will have to wait for another time.