Allergies

August 3, 2022
Limitless Heroics Cover: As our heroes fight the hydra, we see just some of the variety of symptoms represented in this book. The paladin has a prosthetic arm to assist with their amputation. The barbarian rages from their wheelchair, providing mobility for their paralyzed legs. The ranger, whose body is more accustomed to an aquatic environment just as someone in the real world may be more comfortable in a quieter or darker sensory environment, finds ways to compensate and keep fighting. The wizard’s vitiligo may not be thought of as a disability, nor should it be, yet many in the real world experience severe discrimination due to unusual skin pigment — how many celebrities, corporate executives, or politicians do you know with visibly irregular skin?

Your body has a negative reaction to a stimulus or group of stimuli. While all have a Triggered Frequency, some can seem periodic due to the nature of the stimulus, especially seasonal allergies. You have 1d4 of the following allergies.

d4 Allergy
1 Food Allergy
2 Venom Allergy
3 Airborne Allergy
4 Contact Allergy
  • Food Allergy. You are allergic to ingesting certain foods. If you have multiple food allergies, you can combine two into a food category such as tree nuts, shellfish, or citrus. Because you’re used to being careful with your diet, you have a +(IE) bonus to Intelligence (Investigation) checks to detect your stimulus or similar foods.
  • Venom Allergy. You react more strongly to even mild venoms, whether from stings, bites, thorns, or other injected toxins. A venom allergy will automatically be a category based on type, such as insects, reptiles, or plants.
  • Airborne Allergy. You are allergic to an inhaled substance, such as mold spores, animal dander, pollen, or certain gasses.
  • Contact Allergy. You are allergic to a material, either liquid or solid, such a plant resin, iron, tannin (and thus leather), or wool. Because you’re used to being careful with materials, you have a +(IE) bonus to Intelligence (Investigation) checks to detect your stimulus or related materials.

Reactions vary depending on the contact nature and IE of the allergy as follows. If the reaction is a trait or complication, it is experienced at the IE of the allergy. If the stimulus is part of an ability or attack that requires a saving throw, you have a −(IE) penalty on the saving throw against that attack. A successful CR 8 + (IE) Wisdom (Medicine) check will reduce the duration by half.

IE Ingested Injected Contact Inhaled
1 Rash +10% Damage Rash Eye or Nose Discharge
2 Nausea +20% Damage Rash + Eye or Nose Discharge Rash + Eye or Nose Discharge
3 Fatigue + Nausea +20% Damage, Fainting Rash + Nausea Shortness of Breath
4 Gain 1 level of exhaustion per round Gain 1 level of exhaustion per round Gain 1 level of exhaustion per round Gain 1 level of exhaustion per round
Real-world Examples

Allergies, Food Intolerance, Celiac Disease, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome

Assistive Options

The best way to manage an allergy is to avoid the triggering substance. If this is not possible, flushing your skin or sinuses with water for a minute will reduce the IE by 1 for 1d20 minutes after the flushing. For food allergies, vomiting may reduce the duration as it removes the stimulus from your system.