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Saxmilian
Learned Scribe
USA
157 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Jul 2015 : 02:42:45
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Considering some of the real-world diseeases such as Diabeties, Bi-polar, Autism/Retardation would such a spell remove the effects? I have bad eyes, if I had a Cure Disease would my cataracts clear up?
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Cyrinishad
Learned Scribe
300 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2015 : 03:25:29
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You made me find out something new about 5th Edition... The Cure Disease spell has been bundled into the Lesser Restoration spell.
Anyway, it's pretty vague, it just "ends a disease" or removes a condition "blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned".
Greater Restoration spell goes a bit further and removes any reduction to ability scores, or maximum hit points.
So, the way I see it paralleling real-world scenarios is that the lower level spell would just eliminate the Virus or Bacteria causing the disease. It wouldn't actually reverse any of the negative outcomes that have resulted from the disease prior to the elimination of the Virus or Bacteria.
As far as Mental Health issues go, I'm not inclined to think it would change the way your Brain is wired.
However, if a health complication caused a corresponding ability score reduction, the Greater Restoration would that portion of the health complication... Not necessarily the whole thing, depending on the issue. |
To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge. -Socrates
Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. -Dr. Seuss |
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BenN
Senior Scribe
Japan
382 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2015 : 03:30:25
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I don't see why not.
In the Starlight & Shadows trilogy by Elaine Cunningham, a drow priestess, Shakti, has her terrible near-sightedness instantly cured by praying to Lolth (and Vhaeraun). |
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Delwa
Master of Realmslore
USA
1268 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2015 : 04:30:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Cyrinishad
the way I see it paralleling real-world scenarios is that the lower level spell would just eliminate the Virus or Bacteria causing the disease. It wouldn't actually reverse any of the negative outcomes that have resulted from the disease prior to the elimination of the Virus or Bacteria.
As far as Mental Health issues go, I'm not inclined to think it would change the way your Brain is wired.
Agreed. Something like Autism isn't a disease nor are any number of mental disabilities; they're just differently wired brains.
In game terms, you open yourself up to a can of worms if you let Cure Disease/Restoration remove malady's you're "born with." If I'm born with a low Int due to a differently wired brain, I can just cast Cure Disease to remove whatever condition / disease caused my disability until my Int is high enough to meet my satisfaction.
I think that's a bit beyond what the spell is intended to do. |
- Delwa Aunglor
I am off to slay yon refrigerator and spoil it's horde. Go for the cheese, Boo!
"The Realms change; seldom at the speed desired of those who strive, but far too quickly for those who resist." - The Simbul, taken from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Conspectus |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2015 : 04:29:44
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You'd need a cure blindness to fix your cataracts, lol.
Magic seems to be very good at accomplishing complex and impossible things. Miraculous and unbelievable things.
It is the simple and easy things which magic cannot always easily accomplish.
Healing magics in D&D are the domain of divine casters, deities, and Powers. Wizards and alchemists of great skill might be able to mend minor injuries or formulate a curative potion, but true healing of any real power is strictly reserved for vessels of divine faith.
A curiosity in AD&D is that priests have few spells designed specifically to cure damaged minds - aside from costly overkill cure-alls like full restoration or regeneration - while wizards (and of course psionicists) have an array of spells and powers designed to protect, preserve, or repair (or cause!) all manner of mental ailments, afflictions, and outright insanities.
Remember, too, that in our world we do not suffer from incurable magical afflictions. Lycanthropy, ghoul rot, vampirism, curses, predestined fates and prophecies, angry dragons, etc. |
[/Ayrik] |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6645 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2015 : 08:33:36
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I've always thought that there is a great D&D article waiting to be written on "cure disease" and how there might be lesser and greater variants of the spell affecting less and more virulent illnesses and in addition a mechanic as to how much of the disease is cured (i.e. possible lingering effects for hours/days/years depending on how quickly the spell has been cast on the diseased individual). Hmm, internal food for thought given some of my recent musings ...
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 02 Aug 2015 : 21:59:00
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I find it interesting that in the Realms there are deities strongly dedicated to sickness and disease and poison, but none strongly dedicated towards medicine and healing. Most deities grant their priests access to various curative magics, some grant their priests access to reversed anti-curative magics. A (benign) deity is nominally in charge of lycanthropy, several other (foreign) deities have some power over vampirism, etc.
A quick look through mythology and D&D pantheons shows that medicine and healing are highly valued and represented by powerful deities in many cultures ... just not in the Realms. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2015 : 00:22:01
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In a magic rich Realm, healers, would be less in need by adventurers (PCs) only because they can afford quick healing. The common folk almost certainly do need to relay more on herbalist and healers as the way they need health care, a few lucky hope to have a Cleric provide for free (or lower fee) magical healing.
The healers clearly do exist in the Realms, however they are in the background, just like the farmer and other commoner trades.
There is one other thing though that might come into play. First Edition offered a rather long list of sickness and disease. The Realms, like D&D, does not mirror Real World. Things that one faces in real life, certainly might not exist in the Realms.
" Diabeties, Bi-polar, Autism/Retardation"
Diabeties might not exist in the Realms.
Bi-polar likely (if it exist) would be insanity. Spell can fix that, a sight chance a healer might be found to do a slower treatment.
Autism/Retardation would appear to be feeble mind. Which only magic can cure I would think.
cataracts (again if can happen in the realms) might be a injury, a disease
or blindness. There might be a healer that can treat and cure, there clearly are certain spells depending on how the cataracts is defined. In this it might have to be a DM call.
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"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2015 : 01:11:23
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Who judges whether someone in the Realms is "insane" and "needs to be cured"? Many mental expressions and conditions and temperaments are only maladapted outside of "normal" environments. It might be argued that a predisposition towards belligerence and violence is required for certain vocations - like adventuring. It might be argued that unhealthy obsessions or a bit of schizophrenia or delusions (and a good dose of fixation on "magical thinking") are the factors which allow some of the population to cast fireballs or channel a deity's power while most "sane" people cannot.
I think I would be concerned about letting some local priest (or worse yet, some local deity) be the final judge about which components of my mind need to be "healed" or "repaired". |
[/Ayrik] |
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sno4wy
Senior Scribe
USA
466 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2015 : 19:49:39
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| Sort of related: If a perfectly healthy woman drank a healing potion or had a healing spell cast upon her during her period, nothing would happen, correct? |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2015 : 20:11:05
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quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy
Sort of related: If a perfectly healthy woman drank a healing potion or had a healing spell cast upon her during her period, nothing would happen, correct?
Well there might be indirect answer to this question. I am not aware of any direct answer.
In "Elves of Evermeet" Source book 1994 (2nd Edition). Lord Lysanthir summoned Priests to cast healing spells to cure hangovers. So it is possible that discomfort of having a period could be healed. I clearly do not see healing stopping a normal cycle. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Cure Disease
