Cleanse Affliction vs. effects without stages

[Paul Zagieboylo]

The cleanse affliction spell reduces an affliction on the target by one stage, making it easier for the victim to maybe save their way out of it. This is great for whatever sucker has just been poisoned by a giant centipede or whatever. I'm sure he'll appreciate it.

But what about afflictions that don't have stages? For example, lycanthropy. Just to choose a random example. Does the base rank of cleanse affliction just not do anything about the Curse of the Werecreature? Can I still cast higher ranks for the counteract effect, even though the primary part of the spell does nothing?

As a "possibly related" question... is there anything that my players can do about lycanthropy (or any other permanent curse) before 7th level? Asking for a friend. (Yes, I know they could hire someone else to cast cleanse affliction on them, modulo the above answer, but... my players might have to walk a long way to find a friendly 7th-level spellcaster!)

Kingmaker Second Edition:

Kundal says hi. I'm sure the wizard and his +1 Con will absolutely make that DC 25 Fortitude save to not become a werewolf. This is just a really nasty encounter to throw at 4th-level characters!? Especially since 0 of my players use weapons at all (untamed druid and earth kineticist are the frontliners, with the bard and wizard backing them up), so having the opportunity to go and beg an emergency silver salve from Jubilost ("for only a 50% markup!") just isn't that much of an option.

[Finoan]

I couldn't find Lycanthropy. But Curse of the Ravenous meets what I am seeing as the same requirements: Curse that has no listed stages.

The rules for Afflictions says, "An affliction typically has multiple stages," and then goes on to describe how stages work. And the word 'typically' means that there can be afflictions that don't have multiple stages too - that it isn't an error to print one like Curse of the Ravenous. Things should still work.

As best as I can read from Cleanse Affliction:

The Rank 2 version is only usable on afflictions that do have stages. And you have to be past stage 1 in order for it to do anything. It won't ever remove the affliction entirely - only reduce the stage from 2+ down to 1+. and you can only use it on a particular instance of an affliction once. As a bonus, it does still do this for Curse afflictions.

The Rank 3 version will attempt to counteract the affliction entirely. It doesn't matter what stage the affliction is at or even if it has stages. If it succeeds at the counteract check, it removes the affliction entirely. It can be used on any affliction except Curses.

The Rank 4 version will also be usable on Curses.

I expect that removing Curses is going to be something gated by level no matter what path you use to get there. Sort of like flying. Temporary flight becomes available from many different paths at a pretty narrow level range. Permanent flight also becomes available from several different paths and also at a pretty narrow level range.

So I think level 7 is the level where you can remove Curses. Both Remove Affliction and Break Curse come available at that level.

[Alwaysafk]

A second or third level Cleanse Affliction wouldn't have any effect on a curse without stages.

If your players are lucky they have a whole month to find a healer! It doesn't have to be a caster, PC1 introduced Break Curse so it could just be a Master of the Occult.

Advice For the Party:

Needle Darts would work with a silver coin, just sayin'. I do miss options for claw tips, was hoping they'd have shown up in Howl of the Wild but here we are. Maybe homebrew a version of Silver Salve that PCs can dip their hands into that'll effect claws and such?

[Finoan]

As a side note, there is the Werecreature archetype available if your player's characters need it...