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I'm thinking of having my Organized Play Alchemist acquire the Plague Bomb Discovery, which duplicates the effects of the contagion spell. My question is: Contagion says "use the disease's listed frequency and save save DC to determine further effects." Further effects - does that mean that the initial effect uses my character's standard bomb effect DC?
Should work as the spell, which I believe works as such:
They make a save vs the spell DC (spell level + casting stat + misc), if it fails, they contract the disease.
Further saves are made vs the disease DC instead of the spell DC. So if they contract, say, Bubonic Plague they need to make a DC 17 Fort save every day to avoid the effects.
So I'd say it's a safe assumption to use the Bomb DC to avoid the Contagion effect.
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Which governs the ability damage? Is it just the saving throw to contract the disease that uses the Alchemist's own bomb effect DC, or are the save to avoid contracting the disease and the save to avoid ability damage one and the same? Plague is a particularly good example, since it has an additional effect that hinges on the impact of the first: if the victim takes Constitution damage from the disease, they must make another saving throw or be fatigued. Which DC is used to avoid fatigue?
I'm fairly certain that all the spell (and by extension the Bomb) does is make you CONTRACT the disease. All other effects are governed by the disease itself.
So Bomb DC to contract, Bubonic Plague DC to avoid the effects (Con/Cha damage and Fatigue).
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Even though the contagion spell doesn't work quite the same way as natural disease insofar as it eliminates the incubation period? I think if you fail the save to avoid contracting, the ability damage is just a matter of time, meaning that the first round of ability damage, at least, would be guaranteed if the contraction save was failed.
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Yes, exactly like the spell. In a combat situation, you don't really care about the further effects. I'd use Blinding Sickness myself.
Thank you. I understand about not being concerned with the long-term effects. Blindness is a vicious affliction, alright, but I think I'd favor Plague as a rule, both for the mystique and because "Oh SHIT, Constitution damage!" That brings up the final thing I need to clarify, though: If a Plague victim takes any Constitution damage whatsoever from the disease, they immediately need to make ANOTHER save or be fatigued until the Constitution damage is cured. SO, which DC does the save against fatigue use, in this and similar cases, especially since the second arrives right on the coattails of the first?
I think I would use the disease rule. That's actually pretty strange, though. Fatigue doesn't last all that long, and could be recovered far more quickly than the Con damage. Exactly what round during a 24 hour period the fatigue occurs could be important... in a bad way.