Optional Rule + Taint of Evil
I wanted to provide you the opportunity to decide weather or not an optional rule is going to be included in the campaign. Please take a few minutes to read the following on “The Taint of Evil”. I have purposefully left some information out of the description such as how to reduce, resist and cleanse taint, as I believe this information should be discovered by the characters (don’t worry, I’ll give you ample opportunity to discover how). I’ve also taken out the exact descriptions of the effects as well. Again, these effects should be discovered and experienced.
The Taint of Evil
One of the features that distinguishes a fantasy horror game from a more typical fantasy campaign is the idea; prominent in the horror genre, that evil is a corrupting force. Though a paladin might remain entirely virtuous in her actions and even her thoughts, long years of struggle against the forces of evil can erode her body and soul. True heroes refuse to allow the taint of evil to spread, warding it off through magic or penance. Sometimes, however, even well-intentioned characters end up embracing the taint within them, using it to increase their physical or mental power.
Characters can acquire taint by entering a place suffused with evil, by coming into contact with a horribly evil object, through the attacks of certain monsters, and by performing evil acts. This taint can manifest physically, in which case it is called corruption, or mentally, in which case it is called depravity. Both corruption and depravity are measured in points. Typically, characters acquire 1 to 3 points of corruption or depravity from exposure to evil. Prolonged exposure generally has the potential to bestow an additional 1 point of corruption or depravity for every 24 hours of exposure.
In most cases, a character can attempt a saving throw to resist the effects of taint. Corruption allows a Fortitude save while depravity allows a Will save.
Any time a character acquires more points of corruption at one time than her current Constitution modifier, she must attempt an additional Fortitude save. If this save is successful, she is sickened; if she fails, she is nauseated.
Similarly, any time a character acquires more points of depravity at one time than his current Wisdom modifier, he must attempt another Will save, if this save is successful, he is dazed; if he fails, he is stunned.
Effects of Taint
Both corruption and depravity manifest in mild, moderate, and severe symptoms. The relationship between a character's taint scores and her Constitution and Wisdom scores determines the severity of the physical and mental manifestations of her taint. A character with a high Constitution can acquire more corruption before displaying physical symptoms, while a character with a low Wisdom quickly manifests mental symptoms of her depravity.
Physical Symptoms
Corruption manifests as physical symptoms: muscular degeneration, illness, frailty, and the like.
Mild Corruption Effects
Dead Eye
Ear Scabs
Feet Curl
Lumps
Odor of Decay
Palsy
Skin Seeps
Skin Sloughs
Winded
Moderate Corruption Effects
Blood Eruption
Bones Thicken
Chronic Illness
Eruption of Sores
Fingers and Toes Fuse
Joint Pain
Lips Shrink
Skin Thickens
Uncontrollable Seizures
Severe Corruption Effects
Great Swollen Growths
Internal Corruption
Lich Eyes
Lungs Eaten Away
Nose Rots
Shriveled Flesh
Skin Lichen
Spine Twists
Wrigglers
Mental Symptoms
Depravity manifests as mental symptoms: growing paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and other problems that could be described as madness. It is important to note that madness in fantastic horror is not an illness that afflicts good and evil alike: It is an expression or a result of evil gnawing away at the mind and soul.
Mild Depravity Effects
Aggressive
Bestial
Compulsive
Crazed
Disoriented
Mildly Phobic
Neglectful
Opinionated
Prophetic
Sycophantic
Moderate Depravity Effects
Delusional
Deranged
Distracted
Hallucinating
Hysterical
Jittery
Moderately Phobic
Solipsistic
Treacherous
Weak-Willed
Severe Depravity Effects
Apathetic
Craven
Enthralled
Fatalistic
Hubristic
Murderous
Paranoid
Severely Phobic
Unbalanced
Unresponsive
Resisting Taint
There are natural substances that absorb taint and thus protect those who carry them.
Cleansing Taint
It is possible to remove taint from characters in several ways, including through the use of spells, the performance of good deeds, and cleansing in a sacred spring. Taint cannot be removed unless the tainted character wants to be cleansed.
Spells
Some spells can reduce taint scores when cast outside tainted areas. No character can have a taint score reduced by any particular spell more than once per day, although different spells can reduce taint if cast on the same character in the same day.
Good Deeds
Simple good deeds are not enough to remove taint. A character wishing to reduce her depravity score through good deeds must undertake a specific ritual under the guidance of one of her deity's clerics. The ritual prepares the character to undertake the deed.
Sacred Springs
Springs sacred to a particular deity or cause are located in remote regions and can be reached only by long and dangerous travel. A character using this method to reduce his corruption score can undertake no activities other than resting, eating, sleeping, meditation, and normal conversation.
