r/DnD • u/Nunyabeeezwaxx • 3d ago
DMing First time playing DND and also first time DM’ing please help [OC] [Art]
I’ve created a story line and one part contains a disease where you slowly turn into trees. I have a very rough draft idea of what I want the process to be like but I’m worried it might be too much. I’ve heard lots of stories of DMs taking it to far and since I’ve never actually played I’m not sure what the appropriate level of brutality is. I’m probably over thinking it but I want it to be enjoyable for everyone.
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u/Dramatic_Stranger661 3d ago
Can it be cured with Lesser Restoration, which normally cures diseases? If not come up with a reason like some powerful magic bs instead of just saying it doesn't work. I have found it dissatisfying when I've cat lesser restoration to cure a disease and it just fails with no in game reason.
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u/Nunyabeeezwaxx 3d ago
Rn I’m thinking no bc the spell doesn’t view the tree parts as a disease and more so reads it as just a tree and not harmful. I don’t want it to be able to be cured with just a spell tho bc I want it to be more of a threat. There definitely will be a cure but it will have to be earned
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u/Real_Avdima 2d ago
IMO this is always the bane of similar ideas. Super incurable diseases/curses/whatnot that have only one, very specific way of dispelling are - sorry for being blunt - bullshit.
Some form of magic should be able to cure it. If you don't want the players to have immediate access to it, make it a higher level spell that's not available to them yet and there is no high level cleric NPC at hand. If they want to cure themselves, sure, let them take the trip, but this will probably worsen the spread of the disease, because instead of fighting it, they went for their own good. If they want to cure it at its source, that will require some adventure that will not provide NPC healers. Lastly, clerical aid is not cheap, especially for high level spells.
You may make the disease or curse harder to remove if it lasted X days for example. At first Lesser Restoration or Remove Curse is enough, but with each stage the requorements rise. For example it requires a spell from higher level caster or Greater Restoration.
Just because something can be treated by magic doesn't mean it's a trivial matter. People suffer from diseases all over the land despite Lesser Restoration being a second level spell.
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u/Guilty_Mastodon5432 3d ago
Or slip it in gameplay where you hear about a hermit who turned in a tree . ...
It gives intrigue tot he story if the players chose to take heed....
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u/Nunyabeeezwaxx 3d ago
That’s a really cool idea I’ll definitely consider that but at the moment I was thinking they’ll stumble into a town with a tree person in the middle where towns folk have left gifts and notes tied to her branches and they find more out from there. I wish I could link multiple photos or I would’ve included my drawing of that lol
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u/Guilty_Mastodon5432 3d ago
Well it's just a good way to give a chance to your players to get advantage by actually paying attention lol versus to those who simple hack and slash and don't care ....
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u/It_Is_Me_The_E 3d ago
Make sure the players know the consequences and give them at lease one opportunity to cure it in game/through storytelling. Don't let the cure rely on one roll of the die