Condition — Sickened
Sickened (value): status penalty to all checks/DCs, can't ingest anything (blocks potions!). Reduced by spending action + Fortitude save. Does NOT auto-decrease like Frightened.
You feel nauseated, ill, or disgusted. Sickened always has a value.
Mechanical Effects:
- Status penalty equal to Sickened value on all checks and DCs — same breadth as Frightened
- You can't voluntarily ingest anything (potions, elixirs, food) while Sickened
- This includes drinking healing potions — a critical restriction in combat
How Applied:
- Poisons and diseases
- Disgusting sights or smells (like troglodyte stench)
- Some spells and effects
- Critical failures on saves vs. ingested hazards
How Removed:
- You can spend an action to attempt a Fortitude save to reduce your Sickened value (the DC is set by the source)
- On success, reduce Sickened by 1. On critical success, remove it entirely.
- Some effects end Sickened automatically (like antidotes)
- Sickened does NOT decrease automatically each turn (unlike Frightened)
Stacking:
- Sickened does not stack with itself — highest value applies
- As a status penalty, does not stack with Frightened's penalty — only the worst applies to each check
Critical Restriction: The inability to drink potions while Sickened is a major tactical concern. A Sickened character can't use their healing potion, can't drink an antidote (ironic), and can't consume elixirs. The party must use non-ingestion healing (like Treat Wounds, Lay on Hands, or healing spells).
Tactical Impact: Sickened is similar to Frightened in penalty breadth but harder to remove (requires an action + save vs. auto-decrease). The potion restriction can be life-threatening.