Ruinous Hiveplague (3.5e Disease)

The ruinous hiveplague is a terrible magical disease which almost acts as a curse. It is both difficult to resist, and difficult to cure. The disease's symptoms are highly varies, from swelling, to boils, to weakness, to shortness of breath, and other medical problems. The symptoms seem almost targeted specifically to cause the most suffering to its target, and there in lies its true insidious nature, for the ruinous hiveplague is not merely alive but sentient, and it is irredeemably evil. Many have explanations behind the foul disease's origins, from being a curse from a deity of decay and disease to being the hivemind spirit of an ancient evil wizard. Whatever the case it acts with purpose and ill intent against the world.

Once a creature falls victim to the disease symptoms show up within the hour, and then repeat every day from that point on. Once the initial save is failed the creature cannot be naturally cured. A remove curse with a caster level check of 18 or higher must be made before the creature can be cured naturally or through further magic. While infected the creature radiates a faint evil aura from the disease within them. At the end of the hour and every day, the creature takes 1d6 points of ability damage to two ability scores of the disease's choice unless they succeed on the Fortitude save to negate this particular instance. As the disease is sentient (treat as having an intelligence of 10) it will aim for ability scores which are most detrimental to its particular host at the time. It also forces a save every time the creature enters a stressful situation (such as combat), but it only deals 1 point of damage to two ability scores of its choice on a failed save. It tends to prioritize Con and one other score, to ensure saves continue to be failed.

Typically a creature dies soon after to Con damage, but sometimes (often from stronger individuals such as PCs) when a creature would reach 1 or less in any ability score they begin to hear the disease whispering to them. An exchange to end the suffering and in fact become stronger than before. Those who accept this devil's offer become something dreadful, and who remain carriers for the disease.

The disease is contagious, and is easily spread through any body fluids (including going airborne via sneezes and coughs). An area visited by an infected creature can remain infected indefinitely at room temperature. Only extreme climates, dryness, or powerful toxins will sterilize an area that has been infected. Those who die from the infection undergo rapid decay into a pool of fetid biomass. Physical contact with this pool of disease provokes a save against infection with a +4 on the DC.

Ruinous hiveplague is removed after a remove curse has been used successfully and then either any thing which removes diseases, or three consecutive successful saves against the disease.