A PC with the sickened condition cannot "ingest anything, including elixirs and potions". Does this include water?
The obvious answer is yes, but if that is the case, a disease which causes sickened (and which does not allow it to be reduced below a value of 1) could easily cause the PC to die of thirst. A first level character with a constitution of 10 would die in less than two days if they did not recover. For this reason, I plan to rule that they can drink water, but I was wondering what others thought.
(Of course, maybe I am missing something. It would not be the first time.)
By RAW, the afflicted character could not drink water and would die of thirst.
The condition does say "willingly ingest," though. So, technically, the PC could be waterboarded into not dying of thirst by their allies.
The sickened condition is what makes the Mariners Curse spell a death sentence if you can't find somebody to cast Remove Curse on the victim, or they have no allies to force feed them.
Does anything causes the sickened condition for so long?
But actually, if it does it probably should have a shot at killing the PC.
The only thing I can think of is that maybe some poisons might do this.
Though I would allow medical treatment for the condition to include someone forcing water into you, somehow, to keep you alive.
Can't you retch your guts out for a single action and get a new save? Without any limits on the number of times you try?
Does anything causes the sickened condition for so long?
If you fail the save vs Mariners Curse, you're sickened permanently until the curse is removed. This is what starvation and thirst will do to you. (p500 CRB)
After 1 day + a creature’s Constitution modifier without water, it takes 1d4 damage each hour that can’t be healed until it quenches its thirst. After the same amount of time without food, it takes 1 damage each day that can’t be healed until it sates its hunger.
24d4 damage each day without water and 24 more without food that can't be healed. If there's nobody handy to force food and water into you, you won't last long.
Well, you know, in real life, sometimes you are so sick that you don't drink or eat... Sometimes you get so dehydrated that you need to get liquids directly in your vein, or you will die...
Plus you are probably vomiting, worsing your dehydration
Can't you retch your guts out for a single action and get a new save? Without any limits on the number of times you try?
There are some afflictions that cause a sickened condition that can't be reduced and last several days. Mostly diseases, I think. (Which makes sense, if you've ever had a nice bout of norovirus...)
Also, Mariner's Curse, as noted.