Disease

[Darryl]

Does anyone know about how disease actually works in game mechanics with the following:

Bane Venom Charm (item)
Harvester of Sorrows (undead commander)
Inkpot End (site)
Burden of Time (spell)
Starvation (lack of supply for army)

Each of those causes disease, but is it "the same"? In other words, does each of those things give basically the same chance of disease? Or does Inkpot end spread disease twice as fast as Bane Venom, where Burden of Time does it more quickly than both (I just made that up as an example of what I'm looking for)? Basically, which is deadlier?

And does anyone know the "numbers"? (% chance of disease?)

Darryl

[PvK]

Well I know a little.

Fever Fetish worn = 100% chance of diseased affliction. (not that you asked)

Burden of Time = small chance for everyone in the world to gain an affliction, or just drop dead. I don't think disease is any more likely than other afflictions.

Starvation seems to work by taking the need for supplies, subtracting supplies available, and then sprinkling that many "starving" effects randomly on the troops who need food (not leaders). If a unit gets a "starving" hit who is already starving, he gets diseased. Survival skill protects to some degree in the correct terrain type, but I'm not sure exactly how that works.

Sites that disease... I assume have a random chance of diseasing anyone in the province, every turn. Same with miasma dominion. Leaders can get diseased this way.

Note that a regeneration item can forestall death from disease, but the victim will eventually become an afflicted wreck.

I haven't met the Harvester of Sorrows, but my guess is he would work like a site that diseases.

Same deal for Bane Venom charm and disease, although the wearer is I think diseased immediately, and I expect it also causes population loss and unrest.

PvK

[von_Schmidt]

Originally posted by PvK:
Well I know a little.

I haven't met the Harvester of Sorrows, but my guess is he would work like a site that diseases.

PvK

I used the Harver in SP once - just for kicks.
It immediately started to spread disease in my province - so I sent him to an enemy capital.
Seemed to thin out the defensive army, but not sure by how much.

IIRC the stealth value is not too good - and I lost my Harvesters within 5 turns.

Oh well.

Love the name though!

[General Tacticus]

I don't know about the Harvester of Sorrows, but the Demon Lord Pazzuzu also spread disease, and in his case it kills the population of the province he's in. I don't know if it also affects troops, I didn't keep him long enough near mine to find out

As for deadlier, I vote Burden of Time because it is world-wide, although the affliction gained is random.
Starvation can also be a real killer, since a unit that starve two turns in a row get diseased (100% probability). It works as PvK said, units with special survival (forest, swamp, mountain, etc.) are always the Last to starve in an army.

[E. Albright]

Originally posted by PvK:
Note that a regeneration item can forestall death from disease, but the victim will eventually become an afflicted wreck.

Are you sure of this? In Dom1, I recall a time when I had one of the Eternal Knights get diseased, and a good thirty turns later, it had no afflictions beyond that...

[Taqwus]

Check whether the Eternal Knights have a 'recuperation' flag. Recuperation heals diseases like any other affliction, although it may not be fast enough to save the unit in all cases.

[Saber Cherry]

Disease is disease. Bane blades / banefire / "fast-acting diseases" are different, and either kill during combat or do not kill. But the disease affliction does not vary in magnitude.

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Originally posted by PvK:
If a unit gets a "starving" hit who is already starving, he gets diseased.

Starving units may get diseased even if they weren't starving the previous turn.

[E. Albright]

Originally posted by Taqwus:
Check whether the Eternal Knights have a 'recuperation' flag. Recuperation heals diseases like any other affliction, although it may not be fast enough to save the unit in all cases.

Couldn't have been that. I wasn't clear enough. After a lengthy delay, the diseased, regenerating Knight was still infected, but the disease was its sole affliction.

The creatures: Harvester of Sorrow, Pazazu, and Mabakeil can all cause a virulent disease that kills population but also diseases commander/troops in that particular province (though the chance is low). This includes friendly units as well.

The Bane Venom charm works the same way except it doesn't cause disease in commander/troops (except the one it's equipped on)