Resurrecting the PSEUDO-UNDEAD - Part Four: Mummies

Afflicted!
The Leper from Darkest Dungeon. Of course.

A Pseudo-Mummy is Afflicted with a horrible rotting disease. 

The common characteristics of Pseudo-Mummies are:

• unaffected by magical healing.
• natural healing rate cut to 10% (or 50% if they receive cure disease and/or remove curse within 1 hour of Affliction).
• likewise, rates for aging, air/oxygen consumption, bleeding, fatigue, hunger/thirst, progression of poison/venom.
• -2 Charisma per month of affliction for d6 months; at the end of this term, save or die (5% you will rise as an undead Mummy after death).
• you are 75% mistaken for undead: mindless undead will not automatically attack unless commanded or in self-defence; sapient undead initial Reaction is Indifferent/Neutral (Ghouls and Ghasts, Curious); 0 to 3rd level NPCs make fear/horror/Morale Checks on sight.

Survivors are not cured. Cure disease does not work, because they are unaffected by magical healing.

Dry Pseudo-Mummy Rot...

...(also known as Classic or Common) causes the body to desiccate and crumble, requiring extensive bandaging and treatment with lubricants, moisturisers and preservatives. If this regimen is not kept up, lose 1 Dexterity and 1 Constitution per week (recover at 1 point each per week of properly maintained treatment).

Unfortunately, the treatment is holistically flammable (full damage from normal fire; double from magical, or normal if a save is made).

The ingredients of effective treatment are variously expensive, illegal, rare, and/or unwholesome in their supply.

Dry Pseudo-Mummy Rot is contagious. Normal exposure/infection chances in the presence/lair of a Pseudo-Mummy; 25% (+ or flat rate) per touch/unarmed attack.

Dry Pseudo-Mummy Rot is painless. This is because of nerve damage; a side-effect is immunity to physical pain (non-lethal damage halved).

The Rot does not smell; the treatment does, but often pleasantly - frankincense, myrrh, cloves, sandalwood, WD40.

Wet Pseudo-Mummy Rot...

...causes the body to soften, decompose and crumble, requiring extensive bandaging and treatment with consolidators, retarders, stabilisers, and sealants. If this regimen is not kept up, lose 1 Intelligence and 1 Constitution per week.

Constitution is recovered 1 point per week of properly maintain treatment; Intelligence loss is only paused.

The ingredients of effective treatment are variously expensive, illegal, rare, and/or unwholesome in their supply.

Constitution can be also be recovered +1 point per week by consuming d3 pints per day of fresh blood direct from a living intelligent being, whether or not you're maintaining treatment.

Intelligence can be recovered 1 point per week by consuming one brain per day, freshly harvested from a living intelligent being.

Wet Pseudo-Mummy Rot is not contagious. Exposure/infection is via infestation by infected flies/maggots (c.f. Rot Grub, Son of Kyuss), (monstrous) spider venom, or teleport accident (magical or otherwise).

Wet Pseudo-Mummy Rot is not painful as such. But.

You feel yourself rotting and deliquescing. It pre-occupies every waking moment. Sleep comes only through utter exhaustion or self-medication. Drinking fresh blood and devouring fresh brains provides temporary relief.

The Rot smells awful; the treatment, worse.

*Further Elaboration: there are two variant sub-types of Wet Pseudo-Mummy Rot, Spider and Fly.

In both cases, as the old flesh decays, peels aways and drops off, a new body emerges piecemeal (c.f. Pakubrazi), or a new way mode of behaviour, or a new special ability.

Each month (your choice, from the beginning or the end of the initial d6 term), save or suffer one Hit Die of lethal damage as a new feature blossoms in the foulness. 

Properly maintaining the treatment regimen will either prevent the hit point damage or the new characteristic developing, but not both. Special ingredients (e.g. spider-silk bandages, remedial maggot infestation) recommended for flavour.

*Ice Mummies.

Cold can also be effective in alleviating the symptoms and slowing the progression of Pseudo-Mummy Rot.

As long as the Pseudo-Mummy remains in a low-temperature environment, they are entitled to individual saves vs. Ability Score loss as it occurs, even if they are not otherwise undergoing proper treatment. 

As a side-effect, save with advantage/bonus vs. all types of cold, and take only half damage from non-magical cold, -1 hp per die from magical cold.

If cold is an effective treatment, this will be specialist knowledge, even amongst Plague Doctors and Pseudo-Mummy experts.

*Mellified Mummies.

A recommended treatment regimen for Pseudo-Mummy Rot involves significant quantities of Golden Mummia and/or Killer Bee honey.

Make a save for each treatment period, and after three consecutive or six total fails, a weird synthesis occurs, and the Pseudo-Mummy Rot mutates into Pseudo-Honey Rot. 

*Check for awakening of psionics/wild talents.

As the Pseudo-Mummy is now spontaneously and perpetually treating themself, they no longer suffer Ability Score loss, nor do they need to expend resources on maintaining a regimen. 

Dry Pseudo-Mummies are no longer unusually flammable. 

Wet Pseudo-Mummies no longer need blood or brains to offset Ability Score loss, but still have a healthy/unwholesome appetite for them.

Wet Spider and Fly Pseudo-Mummies no longer suffer lethal damage, and welcome their bodily changes. In fact, they are evangelical about it.

Pseudo-Honey Rot is infectious, causing actual Honey Rot.

*Bonus: Pseudo-Ghost/Spectre.

An alternative treatment method is phasing/fading out of synchrony with the mortal sphere, thus pausing the progression of the Affliction by existing outside of conventional space-time. How you achieve this is up to you/ world-builder's choice.

Pseudo-Mummy's Ghosts are visible on the material plane as see-through/shadowy versions of themselves, and are 90% invisible if they remain still (100% in darkness).

They cannot hear or be heard by those still on the material plane, and cannot (normally) interact with them or other physical objects. 

While this means they are immune to physical attacks (world-builder's choice re. magic weapons), they can be affected by mental and (magical) energy-based attacks (*save with advantage/bonus due to targeting difficulty).

Dust of appearance, remove curse, dimension door, teleport, duo-dimension and probability travel could all bring the Pseudo-Mummy's Ghost back in sync with the mortal sphere, at the mercy of time and disease again. 

*Further Elaboration: While out-of-sync with the mortal sphere, you are closer to the Astral/Ethereal/ Dream/Nightmare/Mirror/Shadow Plane(s), and vulnerable from that direction. Psionic encounters, too.

Every d6 days, make a random encounter roll to see if something finds you and pursues you for 3-12 turns. If you can hide out or hold them off, you are safe for another d6 days. 

The something can be randomly determined, level appropriate or campaign/character specific. It may only be curious, but it's not friendly.

You may be able to partially materialise (cf. Ghost) to drag someone (feat of willpower and dexterity) from the mortal sphere as a distraction/sacrifice (or trick them, as in the Fafhrd and Grey Mouser tale The Howling Tower).

*Bonus: Self-Made Mummies.

Hardcore ascetic practice.

Mostly associated with characters/classes following strict alignment rules; principally, Druids, Monks and Paladins, but also anyone driven enough to seek some radical form of ascension/ longevity/ immortality. Clerics and Magic Users fairly common (relatively). Cavaliers, too (with a much clearer intention to walk abroad once more).

Ideally, you need to be 5th level or higher - you've had your career as a Hero, but don't need/want to wait for 30th level to petition for Immortality.

It takes six years, during which you do not do much more than meditate and fast, drinking very little water, and eating only astringent and preservative foods (pine needles is a favourite). You don't really have the energy to do anything else. Rates of healing etc. contract as for Pseudo-Mummy Rot.

Variant methods could involve ice baths, extreme sun-bathing, blood-letting, immersion in a peat bog, live burial (pyramid or mound), festooning with lighted candles to be sealed in a shroud of wax, dedicated tobacco consumption, and - of course - Mellification.

Each year make a death save to survive. You can subvert a failed death save with (heroic) feats of willpower and endurance. 

After six years, you die, but a (super)heroic feat of willpower and endurance means you become a Self-Made Mummy (RAW, but no disease). You look like a fatally emaciated version of your mortal self. Pre-mortem bandaging would be a fashion choice.

Most Self-Made Mummies remain in motionless contemplation/meditation and so need to work out the stiffness when they finally animate (c.f. Cadaver, for the specific mechanics and a general vibe).

Self-Mummification can also occur as a wrong-turn on the path to Lichdom/Immortality, or as a consequence (accidental or otherwise) of being a Plague Doctor, cooped up in that mask and robe and slathered in/hopped up on experimental medication all the time.

Self-Mummification is not always consensual. Despite the name.

Commentary.

Assorted variations on a theme of Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, including the Leonine Men of Biblical Carcosa.

An important source for the confusion/development of D&D Mummy Rot: Delta's D&D Hotspot: Mummies Through the Ages. 

Obvious cross-over with certain types of (Pseudo-) Zombie, as per this comment on a previous post.

Whether Pseudo-Mummy Rot is a magical or non-magical disease (when it's a disease) depends on how you want Paladins (and Cavaliers) to fit into this.

Dry Pseudo-Mummy Rot can also be a teleporter accident, and you eventually turn into sand (animate or not).

Probably makes you immune to other diseases. 

Regeneration seems to be key to a cure.

Gold and silver leaf/foil as bandages; precious stones with purported healing properties as dermal implants. 

Very high probability of (quite reasonably) developing Cotard's Syndrome, or developing Pseudo-Mummy Rot as a fantasy/magical complication of it.

Secrets of the Plague Doctors - The Armoury.

https://www.keiththompsonart.com/pages/viraemia.html

Plague Doctors! As dangerous as Skaven and Tinker Gnomes combined!

*Everything here is optional, dependent on the tech-level of the setting and on how established the Plague Doctors have become. 

D&D-adjacent/barely system agnostic.

Armoured Suit.

Equal to BECMI Scale armour (the bridge between Leather and Chain), and has the same special properties as the traditional mask-and-robe already covered in the main entry for the Plague Doctor class.

Provides a +1 to saves and -1 to damage per die to AoE attacks (as for BECMI suit armour).

A full plate version can exist (BECMI suit armour RAW - the ahistorical version).

*Can form the basis for fantasy diving- and vac-suits.

Compounds - Miasma.

Associated with the classic elements of Air and Earth, miasma is the foundation of chemical/gas as well as germ warfare in the fantasy setting.

Unprocessed miasma has all the general properties of a stinking cloud cast at lowest level,  plus exposes those in the AoE to the associated disease. 

It is most readily harvested from purulent corpses and plague pits, and most people are happy to let the Plague Doctors get on with it, rather than dig into their secrets.

Addition of phlogiston can make a miasma mixture that it lighter than air. 

*It's up to you whether this mixture is dangerously flammable or perfectly safe.

All types of miasma can be neutralised by contact with universal solvent in sufficient quantity/proportion. Also, cure disease (Plague Doctors hate this one weird trick).

Can be delivered as grenade-like missiles or by Hygienic Patented Pneumatic Applicator. You need to rinse out the Pneumatic Applicator with universal solvent between miasma loads (this does not affect reload time).

Anti-Phlogiston: Fire extinguisher (Earth smothers Fire).

Instant on normal fire; normal probability per round for phlogiston; allows a new save at advantage/bonus and -1 damage per die for dragon/magical fire - though you decide if it's actually enough to put it out.

Fire monsters suffer (radiant/cold) damage equal to being hit by Dragon's Fire (see below).

Cannot be made lighter than air, as this would require the addition of phlogiston.

"Cloak of Fear": Brand name for fear gas.

Effect last while in the AoE and for d3 rounds afterwards; all saves vs. fear, horror etc and Morale Checks are at disadvantage/penalty.

*A scarecrow-themed Plague Doctor seems a good candidate for developing a more effective fear gas.

Concentrate: Ancestor of riot foam.

Equivalent effect to the spit of the Cave Locust, Giant. 

Cannot be made lighter than air, as its effectiveness comes from its concentrated substance - treat as (AD&D) Green Slime, rather than stinking cloud.

"Fog of War": Brand name for blinding gas.

A clinging gas that cause temporary blindness to those unprotected in the AoE and for d4+1 rounds after they leave/it dissipates.

The Plague Doctors also produce eye-drops (dilute universal solution) that will clear the eyes on the round following application. 

Frenzon: Failed experimental prototype intended to remedy broken morale on the field.

Anyone unprotected in the AoE and for d3 rounds afterwards is subject to uncontrollable hideous laughter. 

A failed Morale Check during this time triggers berserker frenzy, rather than retreat.

Subjects report vivid nightmares over the following d6+1 nights.

"Plague Wind": Brand name for disease gas.

Anyone in the AoE or targeted/splashed is exposed to a disease at double normal chances of infection, with an incubation period of 1-6 turns. Check each round of unprotected exposure.

Anyone infected is a carrier, but further instances of the disease are at normal rates of infection and incubation.

Compounds - Phlogiston.

The elemental form spontaneously and instantly combusts in contact with air. It is counterintuitively unreactive to flame/heat and has a very low flash/burn temperature.

Mix it with other ingredients, however, and it can quickly get out of control.

In terms of magical/scientific understanding, phlogiston is associated with the classic elements of Air and Fire.

The Plague Doctors ruthlessly maintain their monopoly on the practical secrets of phlogiston. Their covert/plausibly deniable operations to maintain this are not so covert and deniable as to encourage persistent outside research.

The three substances below are the most common applications of this discovery. They can be delivered as grenade-like missiles or by Hygienic Patented Pneumatic Applicator.

Alchemist's Fire: Dungeoneer's Molotov; this is your basic burning oil as featured in most pseudo-medieval fantasy settings. 

Its main advantage over standard burning oil is that it is half the encumbrance.

It must be lit on fire.

Dragon's Fire: Dungeoneer's Greek Fire.

Twice as hard to extinguish (by whatever methods) and twice as fast/likely to spread as normal fire/burning oil; +1 to damage per damage die.

It must be lit on fire, but can be done so even if wet, as long as it is not completely submerged.

Hell's Fire: Dungeoneer's napalm. 

Contains components of miasma, so can be spoiled by universal solvent.

It ignites on contact with the air and will burn underwater (so ingenuity makes an aquatic flamethrower possible).

Twice as fast/likely to spread as normal fire/burning oil, and can only be extinguished with anti-phlogiston, magic or letting it burn out naturally; +1 damage per damage die.

If you are the target of or are splashed with Hell's Fire, you also suffer d3 acid damage per round until the fire is extinguished.

Devices.

Flit Gun: Weaponised clyster/ an old-fashioned bug spray from the old-fashioned cartoons.

Max. 1 charge - which comes in a handy screw on/off cannister.

Two-handed; fouls/misfires like a firearm, but you can just replace the cannister as a normal reload to correct this.

Spray or cloud, but it's only 5' range/AoE - you will be caught in the splash, so wear your beaky mask and hazmat suit.

Hygienic Patented Pneumatic Applicator: Medical grade flamethrower.

Max. 6 charges, but randomise in secret as the mixture and the process are inconsistent: d6 for a single or untrained operator; d3+3 for a team of 2 Plague Doctors.

It is bulky, heavy, two-handed and misfires/fouls like a firearm. Potential to explode (AoE and damage depends on how many charges left).

It is slow to reload, even with a crew of 2; otherwise, it takes twice as long.

One charge can produce a 20' line/cloud (depends on substance), but d3 charges must be expended to produce a 20' cone.

A line target is the centre of a splash effect; everyone in a cone is a target, no splash.

Basic damage for the flamethrower is 2-12 (or as appropriate for burning oil in the setting/system), adjusted for whether it's Alchemist, Dragon or Hell's Fire. 

Dragon's Fire needs to be rinsed out with universal solvent for each reload, or the chances of misfire/fouling are doubled (this does not affect the reload time).

Because of its pre-burn consistency, Hell's Fire doubles the chance of misfire/fouling, but does not need to be rinsed out between uses.

Plague Censer: Pole-and-chain-mounted thurible used to burn and distribute miasma-based compounds.

Once lit, compounds burn for d6 exploration turns unless extinguished and produce a 20' cloud in one round. 

Effects are as for exposure to the relevant miasma. If you make your first save, you make others thereafter at advantage/bonus; three successes in a row, and you don't have to make any more vs. this batch.

As well as being less effective than other methods, Plague Censers are considered old-fashioned and/or unscientific, having their origin in the bale- and need-fire traditions of the past. 

Reinforced Bellows: Weaponised clyster.

Max. 2 charges.

Two-handed; fouls/misfires like a firearm; slow to reload. Line or cloud, depends on substance used.

If using Alchemist's or Dragon's Fire, you lose Initiative if you do not have an assistant to apply a lit match as you squeeze the bellows.

Half the range/AoE of the Hygienic Patented Pneumatic Applicator. You are at risk of being caught in the splash/cloud zone.

Does not need to be rinsed with universal solvent after using Dragon's Fire, as long as you're just reloading it with more Dragon's Fire.

Being a much simpler device than the flamethrower, the risk of fouling/misfire with Hell's Fire is not doubled.

Goggles/Lenses.

*Enlarging and focusing lenses are no better than 50% the strength of eyes of minute seeing or eyes of the eagle, but I've not done research on ancient to early modern period lens quality.

Blackened: You cannot see through them except when they give you auto-save vs. light-based and gaze attacks.

Stage -6 Nocturnal/Heliophobic Plague Doctors can see through these lenses as well as being protected from the light.

Frosted: Reduces everything to shapes of light and dark.

Protection vs. gaze attacks; hindered 50% as much as if you were averting your gaze.

Mirrored: As Frosted, but with a 10% chance of reflecting gaze attacks.

Must save vs. fire each time they are exposed or lose their mirrored property.

Smoked: Sunglasses; advantage/bonus vs. dazzle and snow-blindness.

Stage -1 Nocturnal/Heliophobic Plague Doctors can offset their penalty while wearing smoked lenses.

Stage -3 reduce their penalty to -1 and make saves vs. light-based attacks normally.

Grenade-like missiles (Vial Bombs). 

Basic rules as for the setting/system. Splash/cloud radius is normally/nominally 5'.

Delivers a dose of phlogiston or miasma with the relevant effects, though grenade-delivered miasmas will dissipate in normal conditions within 3 rounds (2 if it's raining, 1 if it's windy). This is a function of volume, so dumping a load of grenades at once or in quick succession could get a proper stinking cloud going.

You can also fill them with acid, holy/unholy water, and universal solvent.

Not forgetting the example of Darkest Dungeon:

Disorienting blast causes 2d6 non-lethal damage and save vs. temp. deafness in splash radius. All in 10' (30' in darkness) must save or be dazzled d3 rounds (no save if surprised; low intelligence light-hating monsters will probably retreat).

Noxious blast causes d8 non-lethal damage to the target and d4 splash; save or nauseated as for a lowest-level stinking cloud (advantage/bonus if only splashed).

Plague grenade is the same as the noxious blast, but everyone hit is exposed to a disease at disadvantage/penalty. They are a somewhat old-fashioned weapon, dating back to before miasma could be refined and the disease component separated off.

Substance - Universal Solvent.

Carbolic steam spray - antiseptic and caustic.

Universal solvent can be put through the Hygienic Patented Pneumatic Applicator, and can be used as a line or a cone. Addition of phlogiston allows deployment as a cloud.

As well as neutralising miasma (target, splash and AoE), it will kill all small animals of 2 hp or less (save allowed if appropriate). 

Larger animals (including humanoids) are affected as the rash component of an irritation spell and must save vs. temp. blindness (advantage/bonus if only splashed). If it's a line or a cone, they suffer d3 damage on the first round, 1 hp on the second (unless immediately doused in water); if it's a cloud, they suffer 2 hp on the first round, 1 on the second, and make their save vs. blindness at disadvantage/penalty.

As well as a pesticide, it is also an effective weedkiller - plant monsters suffer (necrotic/acid) damage acid equal to being hit by Dragon's Fire, and this can only be healed with Druidic magic.

Disease/parasite monsters suffer similarly, but can heal from this damage at half-rate.

Syringes.

The main effect will be from whatever you've loaded them with. 

If you're using onset times, then a syringe is at least 50% to 100% faster than ingestion.

Fine (Glass) Syringe: Recognisable as vintage drug paraphernalia. Needs a padded case, but barely encumbering.

0 damage  + special vs. S and M targets; no effect vs. L. 

Breaks on a successful hit, or an odd-numbered miss.

Crude (Metal) Syringe: The old-fashioned type; crude in comparison. Needs a cork on the end to carry safely; about as encumbering as a dagger/iron spike.

1 lethal damage + special vs. S and M targets; crit only vs. L.

Breaks on an odd-numbered miss.

Two-handed Syringe: Modified clyster. Reservoir for max. 3 doses. Too awkward to conceal; about as encumbering as a hand axe/mace.

As dagger + special vs. S, M and L targets.

Fouls on an odd-numbered miss; d3 rounds to resolve.

Syringe Thrower (Tranquiliser Gun): Two-handed projectile device; short range only; ammunition cannot be reused, hit or miss.

As Light Crossbow for Fine (Glass) Syringes: 1 hp + special.

As Heavy Crossbow for Crude (Metal) Syringes: d3 hp + special.

Commentary.

Are there any medical dictatorship settings?

How about an alternative Krynn, with the Plague Doctors emerging post-Cataclysm? 

You bet the Plague Doctors would be up to their neck's in it in undead-apocalypse settings, for better or worse.

Bearing in mind the necromantic inclinations of the Plague Doctors and the different relative standards of magical integration across settings, they could also add necro-tech to their arsenal.

d66/d18 Diseases

Picture of Dorian Gray/ Ivan Albright/ 1943-44.
For the 1945 film.

[Edit 21/06/2021 - Replaced table with nested numbered list; added pic]

A table of diseases for you to suffer; pre-supposes you're using something resembling Classic Six Ability Scores, but shouldn't be hard to convert and there's plenty of room for your own interpretations.

Use your own or someone else's sub-system for infection, incubation and recovery, because I haven't thought of my own just yet.

1st d6 (1 to 2) 2nd d6:

1. Cave Cough: otherwise indistinguishable from Island Cough until the first time you cough up blood. Fatal and caused by luminous microscopic shellfish native to the coasts, caves and dungeons of the Stranded Isles.
2. Crusticles: crumbly, scaly accumulations of calcium/keratin at inner joints, crotch, nose, mouth, corners of eyes; lose Dex and Str until bedridden, cure or recovery; if bedridden, it could kill you; very unsightly, leaves light scarring.
3. Dreaming Chills: lassitude, plummeting temperature, waking dreams, catatonia, false death, actual death. No known cure, but plenty of folk and quack treatments of varying efficacy that can delay or temporarily reverse progression. Considered quite attractive and romantic by some.
4. Fetters: Dex sapping, massive swelling of the neck, hands, wrists, feet, ankles, fingers, toes; shortness of breath, sluggishness, fever. Rarely fatal but attacks can flare up for years afterwards, especially when stressed or in hot, dry weather.
5. Fireseeds: masses of ruby red rice-grain sores all over the body and a scorching fever; only treatment is cooling until the disease burns itself out. Contagious, frightening and might cause SHC if you don’t have enough magical diseases. As an option, this disease can burn out another disease if you survive.
6. Galloping Rot: starts with a small infected wound, which can be treated with red hot irons; if exposed to sunlight, the victim decomposes within hours. Senses and mind are unaffected until final dissolution. Can be stalled by death and undeath.

1st d6 (3 to 4) 2nd d6:

1. Greasy Stinks: overproduce and exude fatty, oily substances; it smells so bad that you and those nearby are nauseated and dizzy; drains Con, but not fatal; temporary relief if sluiced with sufficient wine, vinegar or spirits; water has no effect; soap reacts to cause chemical burns.
2. Grey Waste: Pallor, lassitude, non-communication, hopelessness. Non-fatal, but the cause and cure are unknown. Temporary relief through eventually ineffective treatments. Sufferers seek the deep mists and solitude. Contagious.
3. Island Cough: really annoying, persistent cough - spoils spell casting, stealth and diplomacy; caused by exposure to microscopic shellfish native to the Stranded Isles. Normal remedies will treat the symptoms, but you need to leave the Stranded Isles to get it out of your system.
4. Laughing Pox: a bit like the Joker gas/poison and a bit like being Crossed; disfiguring boils swarm across the temples, jawline, chest and abdomen. Invariably fatal; those recovering will probably be executed for what they did, or take their own lives.
5. Phantom Epilepsy: a spiritual disease that affects the astral body, rendering the sufferer vulnerable to psychic attacks and unable to dream properly. Cannot be diagnosed by normal means, but tell-tale symptoms are feeling observed and threatening dreams.
6. Pseudovampirism: extreme reaction to alliums and sunlight, and a craving for iron-rich foods; induces creepy behaviour, stealthy movement and delusions of charisma. Con, Str and Wis loss in a race to the bottom, lying down to die in some dark, secret place.

1st d6 (5 to 6) 2nd d6:

1. Rat Fever: you don’t actually get this from rats, but everyone thinks you do and acts accordingly; fever, delirium, wasting, exhaustion; often fatal and very contagious.
2. Silent Disease: your mind and body waste away and you are unable to ask for help. Very likely a result of demonic possession.
3. Spring Gangrene: carried by ticks in lovely lush green places; the bites become smelly infected wounds. Easily treatable, but can lead to loss of affected parts and/or severe scarring if not.
4. Swine Blisters: unsightly with a debilitating fever; contracted from domestic and herd animals (including pack mules); usually attacks the hand webs, nostrils, lips and chin. Rarely serious, you can only have it once, and it vaccinates against one other disease (not necessarily on this list).
5. Wolf Head: very much like rabies, contracted from animal bites, but can be treated by conventional means; however, survivors are susceptible to attacks of lycanthropy (actual or delusional) in future.
6. Wrack: the most excruciating cramps you’ve ever had, all the time; limbs become twisted and rigid. Non-fatal of itself, but drains your Str to death as eventually you won’t be able to bear any movement or sensation, including eating and breathing. Usually drives you mad, too.

The Stranded Isles form the assumed/implied setting of my heartbreaker and most adventures I run, so that's what I tend to have in mind as background, but you don't really need to know anything about either to get use out of the table.

Maybe make the Swine Blisters vaccinate you from a disease against which a paladin's immunity is ineffective, so that paladins have a surprise vulnerability.

If you don't believe in vaccination IRL, then maybe you can suspend disbelief for a fantasy game.
By 'a bit like being Crossed' (Laughing Pox), I mean as in the Garth Ennis comic (it's pretty horrible, even if you like that sort of thing).