Ear Discharge

A substance leaks out of your ears. Roll on the table below for the nature and effects of the substance.

Acid. Acid leaks out of your ears at a rate of (IE) ounces per day. Your ear canal is immune to this acid, but your skin is not, so you have scars on and around your ears and need a way to constantly flush it out or collect it to keep it off your skin. If collected, a flask of 32 ounces equals one use as a weapon.

Blood. Blood drains out of your ears at a rate of (IE)² ounces per day. Because of this blood loss, you need to eat more to compensate, consuming an additional (IE) days’ worth of food per week to avoid exhaustion.

Light. Light (The player and GM can choose the color or select randomly from https://www.random.org/colors/hex.) shines out of your ears equal in radiance to (IE) torches, but because it shines out the side of your head, it doesn’t help you see in darkness. The light is bright enough to spoil Darkvision and functions as a bullseye lantern. You have a −(IE) penalty on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks unless your ears are covered, but sufficient covering to negate the light gives disadvantage on hearing-related Wisdom (Perception) checks.

Pus. A foul-smelling ochre pus flows from your ears at a rate of (IE)² ounces per day. The smell gives you a −(IE) penalty on Dexterity (Stealth) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks. If collected, 32 ounces of the pus can be thrown at a target and cause the same effects to that target as a Stinking Cloud spell.

Smoke. Sulfurous-smelling black smoke streams out of your ears. The smell gives you a −(IE) penalty on Dexterity (Stealth) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks but Advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks due to suspicion of fiendish origin. If left 1 ÷ (IE) hours in a room without ventilation, everyone in the room except you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be affected as if by a Stinking Cloud spell.

Sweat. Sweat drains out of your ears at a rate of (IE)² × 8 ounces per day. Because of this fluid loss, you need to drink additional water to assist with the loss to avoid Dehydration and exhaustion.

Venom. A toxic substance leaks from your ears at a rate of (IE) ounces per day. You are not immune to this substance, so if not contained somehow, in any situation where you take damage that is not psychic or bludgeoning, you need to succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw with a −(IE) penalty to avoid getting it in a wound. A creature subjected to this poison must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) poison damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much damage on a successful one.
While referred to here colloquially as venom, this reflects real life examples, where an irritant or contagious liquid is expelled.

Real-world Examples

Swimmer’s Ear, Recurrent Ear Infections, Cholesteatoma, External Otitis

Assistive Options

Depending on the draining substance, a container may be designed to collect or absorb the discharge. Anything that sufficiently covers the ears will likely cause disadvantage on all hearing-related Wisdom (Perception) checks and will need to be emptied periodically. A hard container that plugs the ear completely may cause damage to the ear canal over time, and continuous use requires a successful DC 10 Constitution saving throw for every 7 days of use, or you develop Ear Pain.

Magical Assistance

The Prestidigitation spell can clean the affected area but does not stop the discharge.