Facets of Despair - The Side Effects of Fracture Mind

In this trying time, the name of one disease is on almost everyone's mind. It has been everywhere and changed so much for all people. So me writing today about a magical disease feels a little, unexpected.

The last stage of Fracture Mind Disease - Geode by OrangeSavannah

Rest assured, the thing that's kept us house-bound for months has been bad for sure and not something most people want to talk about. That's why I'm doing something a little bit different. Illnesses in a world of monsters and magic are just as grand and terrifying as the monsters and magic themselves.

Fracture Mind Disease

This strange infection manifests in pretty ways. For those who live beneath the surface of the world, where it's most common, it's called “The Miner's Demise”. The clinical name Fracture Mind Disease describes the final symptom. The disease manifests increasingly more destructive symptoms the longer it gestates.

Symptoms manifest 1d6 weeks after infection, which happens when a beast, giant, or humanoid comes into contact with crystals charged with the magical disease. During this time, the infected creature feels an intense itch one their upper limbs.

This itching sensation ends with an intense, sharp pain. At that point of pain, the infected sees a thin, clear crystal slowly poking from a hole in their skin. The crystal continues to grow at a rate of one inch per week for the first three weeks, by then it dominates the infected limb and takes on a unique colour. Attempts to remove the crystal manually only cause it to regrow from the beginning, delaying the inevitable.

After this point, the growth of the crystals exponentially increases until the infected limb is entirely encompassed. For the next two weeks, the limb is slowly taken over until there is no more flesh or bone. The crystals become fused with the host, and shape themselves like the lost limb. It becomes fully dextrous and can be used like an arm or leg.

The shards make for pretty displays, but may have deadly consequences - Mountain Goat by Polar Engine Studio

Once this stage has been reached, the crystals will spread up to the creature's head for a period of weeks. Once the crystals enter the brain, their will ceases to be their own. They become a thrall to the gems. They grow more and more inert, defending themselves against attack, but likely finding somewhere isolated and below ground. The crystals continue to grow until there's no body left. Who knows how many lost miners over the centuries have become the treasures they sought to mine.

The disease can be cured with the Greater Restoration spell at any stage before it reaches the brain. Once it does, the crystals will cease to grow, but will still be a part of the body.

Thralls of the Stone

When left, the host becomes more gem than creature - Crystalline Giant by Jason Rainville

A beast, giant, or humanoid can become a Fracture-Mind Thrall. When a creature does, it retains all its statistics except noted below.

Type. The creature's type changes to elemental.

Damage Resistance. The thrall has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons.

Giant Goat and Hill Giant Stats - Stat Blocks Generated on Homebrewery

New Action: Shard Splinters. The thrall shoots a cloud of razor sharp crystals. Each creature in a 20ft cone must succeed on a Dexterity Saving throw (DC = 8 + thrall's proficiency bonus + thrall's Constitution modifier). The creature takes 17 (5d6) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Any creature who takes damage from this attack must roll a d20. On a 1, they're infected with Fracture Mind Disease.

Here the Fracture Mind Thrall template has been applied to a giant goat and a hill giant.

Cracked Conscience

A pervasive, body warping disease that leaves the prettiest residue. It's a scourge for those living underground but unheard of to many in other locations. Now we want to hear from you. Would this feature in your world? Would you dare subject a player to this ailment, and let the grand quest for a cure lead their way? What other strange poisons and diseases seek to hinder the players in your setting? Let us know in the comments below and on our discord server. Until next time, dear reader, live free and roll well.

Adam Ray contributes much for adventurers here on Apotheosis Studios. As co-founder of fantasticuniverses.com, he writes about card gaming and PC gaming to a corner of the internet he carved out himself. On Youtube, he can be found game mastering for No Ordinary Heroes, or editing the antics on The Hostile Atmosphere. Follow his Twitter @IzzetTinkerer.