I am a bit confused as to when conditions applied by afflictions actually end. My reading of RAW (the small paragraph about conditions from afflictions) is that any such condition is permanent unless removed by one of the usual methods (retching for sickened, flat checks for persistent damage, recovery spells, etc.). My confusion stems from two sources:
1. The paragraph as written seems to be based on the assumption that conditions lasting longer than their affliction is a special case. But I could not find a single affliction where a condition it applies is actually stated to be temporary.
2. If my reading is correct, this makes some afflictions quite powerful. For instance, the first-level spell Goblin Pox applies a permanent slowed 1 effect after two failed saves (or a single critical failure), which, as far as I can see, is quite difficult to remove.
One possibility I see is that permanency is supposed to be based on the condition. The example in the CRB lists drained as a condition that should outlast its affliction. However, there is nothing in the CRB to suggest that drained should have this property, or that other conditions do not. I would appreciate some input on this question.
Some conditions are always defined by a duration, like slowed. Others don't need a listed duration because they stick around and reduce on their own, like drained, frightened, or sickened.
Thanks for the reply. So, just to make sure I have this right, the condition duration is bound to the affliction duration if and only if there is no "normal" method of recovery stated in the condition appendix? For example, does this mean that blindness stemming from an affliction is never permanent, even though there are other effects which do blind creatures permanently? And if not, how can I tell which conditions work like this and which do not?
And as a follow-up question: if the duration of a condition is bound to its affliction, how long exactly does it stay? Taking the example of Goblin Pox and its slowed condition inflicted by stage 2, does it stay until the affliction is completely cured (stage 0), until the afflicted creature moves away from stage 2 (to stage 0, 1 or 3, all of which do not inflict slowed), or until the afflicted creature moves to a lower stage than stage 2 (i.e. stage 1 or 0)?
Goblin pox, like most diseases is cured with enough saves. Even at stage 3, you can still get it down to stage 1 with a crit success. Even if through abilities you could lower it by three steps (thus curing it), stage 3 only lasts 1 day, so you could simply wait it out while trying to get a lucky save roll.
It's not permanent unless you never make your save for some reason.
Blindness, depending on the effect is either permanent, or lasts for the duration state d in whatever is causing it. The blindness spell, for example, only lasts 1 minute on a failed save.
Conditions from Afflictions says that it can give you conditions with a duration shorter or longer than the Affliction. As Slowed from Goblin Pox doesn't come with a duration, I think we can deduce it's neither shorter nor longer and as such lasts as long as the affliction stage.
Conditions from Afflictions says that it can give you conditions with a duration shorter or longer than the Affliction. As Slowed from Goblin Pox doesn't come with a duration, I think we can deduce it's neither shorter nor longer and as such lasts as long as the affliction stage.
Yes, but isn't that what's weird about Goblin Pox?
Its level 2 gives you slowed 1, but if you get worse and go to level 3 (therefore ending the level 2 affliction stage) then you're normal speed again? I guess being sickened 2 is supposed to be worse than sickened 1/slowed 1, but IMO it isn't. And speeding back up as one's disease worsens seems counterintuitive.I've had a similar problem wrapping my head around PF2 poisons. This is most likely due to PF1 poisons causing ability damage that sticks with you, serves as a solid source of attrition (until Lesser Restoration wands become affordable). Most PF2 poisons end after a minute or less, so other than h.p. damage there's little attrition. Yes, they're severe in that window, but how does "dealing with deadly poisons for at most a minute" suit the narrative? It seems diseases and curses are the better ways to "poison" a character nowadays. Odd.
Was this part of a general move against attrition in general?