Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness (1988), p89 — 654-666 Plague

The blade is infected with a hideous Chaos-warped disease. During its forging, tempering and quenching, diseased mutants were used to test the blade's edge, and its metal is tainted as a result.

Blades originally received by Nurgle's followers are infected with Nurgle's Rot (see The Lost and the Damned). For blades of other Chaos Powers roll a D6 and consult the following table to determine the Plague blade's effects. Whenever the blade hits an opponent in hand to hand combat it may pass on its infection. No damage need have been caused by the blade. The target makes a Toughness test, and if this is failed the effects of the plague are applied immediately.

D6	Plague
1	The Shakes The plague causes terrible shaking fits, so that its victim can no longer control muscles and limbs properly. Reduce WS by 1/10 and A by 1.
2	Eye Rot The plague causes the victim's eyes to swell and distend, growing large and bulbuos with retained fluid. Reduce the victim's BS by 1/10.
3	Creeping Buboes The plague covers the victim's limbs in foul ulcers and leprous sores. These restrict movement and cause great discomfort. Reduce the victim's Move by one, and I by 1/10.
4	Bone Ague The plague changes the victim's bone structure, causing a wild uncontrollable growth in some bones, and a withering inner rot in others. Reduce S and T by 1 each.
5	Grey Fever The plague causes the victim's brain to waste and eventually dry out. This, in turn, brings senility and dementia. Reduce the victim's Int, Ld, Cl and WP by 1/10 each.
6	Green Pox The plague causes the victim to break out in hideous green spots and pimples. As the pox takes its toll and the infection spreads the victim grows thinner and weaker. Reduce Wounds by 1/5.

At the end of every battle (WFRP: 24 hours) any survivor with a plague must make a further Toughness test. If this is failed the plague effects are applied again. No characteristic can drop below one as the result of one of these plagues.

Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness (1988), p128 — 706-715 Plague Bearer

The mutant carries some form of hideous Chaos-tainted disease. Followers of Nurgle with this attribute automatically have Nurgle's Rot (see The Lost and the Damned for further details).

Followers of other Chaos Powers should roll a D6 and consult the table below to determine the nature of their plague and its hideous effects:

D6	Plague
1	The Shakes The mutant is afflicted with uncontrollable shaking fits, to the extent that it can no longer control its muscles and limbs properly. Reduce Weapon Skill by 1/10 and Attacks by one as a result of this palsy.
2	Eye Rot The mutant's eyes swell and distend, growing large and bulbuos with retained fluid. Reduce the mutant's Ballistic Skill by 1/10.
3	Creeping Buboes The mutant's limbs are covered in foul and ulcerous open sores, which restrict movement and cause great discomfort. Reduce the mutant's Move by one, and its Initiative by 1/10.
4	Bone Ague The mutant's bone structure changes, growing enormously in places, withering to nothing in others. The mutant's form is twisted and distorted as a result. Reduce Strength and Toughness by one each.
5	Grey Fever The mutant's brain is seized by a strange wasting fever, which brings hallucinations, premature senility and dementia. Reduce the mutant's Leadership, Intelligence, Cool and Will Power by 1/10.
6	Green Pox The mutant develops hideous green spots and pimples over its entire body, and grows thinner as the pox takes its toll. Reduce Wounds by 1/5.

No characteristic can drop below one as a result of being a Plague Bearer. The mutant gains one fear point.

Whenever the mutant hits an opponent in close combat it may have passed on its infection. No damage need be caused for this to happen. The opponent makes a Toughness test, failure indicating infection. Apply the effects of the plague immediately. No characteristic can ever be reduced below one by the effects of a plague.

At the end of every battle (WFRP: 24 hours) any survivor with a plague must make a Toughness test. If this is failed its profile is again reduced, but no characteristic can drop below one.

Realm of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned (1990), p52-53 — Gifts of Nurgle

45-49

Plague. The morbid energies of disease are Nurgle's most special gift. The Champion's body is consumed by disease and its energies channelled into Nurgle's service, creating fresh vigour from its own destruction. Roll a D6 to determine the nature of the affliction. The Death Dance. The Champion shakes, twitches and throws quaking fits. His weapon skill and attacks are both reduced by -1. Bulging Eye. The Champion's eyes bulge and become inflamed, his eyelids become fixed open, and sticky fluids drip down his cheeks. His bow skill is reduced by -1. Creeping Buboes. The Champion's limbs and face are covered with huge boils which burst and leave running sores. His movement is reduced by -1. Crook Bone. The Champion's limbs become twisted and crippled. He limps or hobbles about and his hands become rigid and claw-like. His strength and toughness are reduced by -1. Grey Ague. The Champion's mind begins to rot within his skull. His head begins to split and weep putrescent matter writhing with small dark maggots. The Champion's leadership, intelligence, cool and will power are all reduced by -1. Green Pox. The Champion becomes more and more wasted until he is little more than a walking skeleton. His skin becomes green and taut and his lips wither away revealing his teeth. The Champion's wounds are reduced by -1. If a plague reduces wounds to zero the character is dead. If toughness is reduced to zero all hits will wound automatically. If strength falls to zero all attacks will fail to cause damage. A Champion gifted with several plagues cannot pass them on to a follower unless he receives the same plague twice.

Daemon Hunter (2011), p99 — Diseases and Infections

The galaxy is filled with all manner of plague and pestilence. Diseases and infections are serious concerns for Acolytes operating in the Calixis Sector. Each disease is unique, and curing them is often of the utmost importance.

Disease and Infection Characteristics

Virulence Rating: This is the severity of the disease. Each level of Virulence past the first imposes a cumulative -10 modifier on any Toughness or Medicae Tests made to resist or cure the disease.

Incubation Period: This is the length of time it takes for the disease to go from one stage to the next.

Characteristic Damage: This is the Characteristic that suffers damage as a result of the disease.

Initial Infection

This is the initial point of contact between the disease and the character. The character makes his first Ordinary (+10) Toughness Test to see if the infection will be able to take hold. Whether the character knows he's been infected or not is at the GM's discretion, but it is rare that any symptoms will manifest at this stage.

Stage One

After the incubation period the character makes a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test. If successful the character has fought off the disease. If the character fails he will suffer the first symptoms of 1d10 Characterstic Damage. Any Characteristic Damage cannot be removed until the disease has been healed.

Stage Two

The character makes another Challenging (+0) Toughness Test. If successful the character has recovered, and may now begin to heal his Characteristic Damage. If the character fails he suffers a further 1d10 Characteristic Damage.

Stage Three

The character makes a final Challenging (+0) Toughness Test. If successful the character has fought off the disease and may begin to recover. If he fails he suffers a further 2d10 Characteristic Damage. The plague has now run its course. Assuming the character has survived, his Characteristic Damage is now permanent.

Medicae and Contagion

A character may attempt a Extended Care Medicae Test (see page 104 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook) to counter the effects of the infection once per stage. Any character that has prolonged exposure to an infected character should be required to make an Initial Contact Test (at the GM's discretion). A character that has been infected with a disease cannot contract the same disease again.

Sample Diseases

Name	Virulence Rating	Incubation Period	Characteristic Damage	Effect
Bone Ague	2	2 days	Strength or Weapon Skill	The victim's bones painfully twist and warp. Strenous exertion becomes increasingly difficult.
Creeping Buboes	3	4 days	Fellowship	This disease manifests as hideous and painful sores, bursting with black, foul-smelling bile.
Eye Rot	2	3 days	Perception or Ballistic Skill	The character's eyes fill with liquid, blurring and distorting vision.
Ochre Pox	3	5 hours	Toughness	This pox causes ochre brown spots and pulsating pimples.
Grey Fever	1	1 week	Intelligence or Willpower	There are no visible outward signs of this plague, but the unfortunate character's brain begins to waste away.
The Shakes	2	1 day	Agility	This disease causes uncontrollable shaking fits.