Detect Disease

[ericpat]

I've spend a small time trying to determine the mechanics of how a character would go about diagnosing another character's disease(s), if any.

I've found no 3.5 version of detect disease (not that it would be terribly difficult to make) and there's nothing in the heal skill description that talks about diagnosis, only treatment.

Is there a way to verify if someone has a disease, and better yet, what type? Am I just missing something obvious?

 

[darthkilmor]

I've spend a small time trying to determine the mechanics of how a character would go about diagnosing another character's disease(s), if any.

I've found no 3.5 version of detect disease (not that it would be terribly difficult to make) and there's nothing in the heal skill description that talks about diagnosis, only treatment.

Is there a way to verify if someone has a disease, and better yet, what type? Am I just missing something obvious?

Basically you want to detect a disease before its dealt any dmg, ie, during the incubation period ?

House Rule Territory -- Maybe a heal check would be suffcient? Couldnt find anything in the SRD. Or add a 0th lvl Detect Disease, since there's already a detect poison.

 

[nittanytbone]

I'd think this would be within the purview of a Heal check, or perhaps Knowledge (Nature) or Knowledge Local (to ID local afflictions that are common).

 

[irdeggman]

Yeah ther is nothing in the RAW on this one.

It does seem to fall under the purview of a Heal skill check though.

You can treat a disease with a a successful heal check. So as an extrapolation (i.e. house-rule) - I'd use a heal check against the disease's save DC to determine what it is before onset.

This won't change anything on how to treat it - since those rules are actually covered via RAW (spell and Heal check). This really only provides information (and color).

 

[Bad Paper]

three options

1) Heal check, DC 15. um, no rules to back me up, or anything, but my DM-reflex just blurted that out without thinking.

2) A Heal check equal to the DC of the Fort save for the disease, to reflect how common or uncommon diseases are.

3) As #1, but +5 to supernatural diseases, to reflect how weird they are.

 

[mvincent]

2) A Heal check equal to the DC of the Fort save for the disease

I'd probably go with this method, since the rules say:
Treat disease: Heal DC = Disease’s save DC

(and presumably, if you can treat it, know what it is).