Sorceress with a Cold
by Hocus and LemmingofGlory

Class: Sorceress
Tag: None

Introduction

Ever been really, really sick? So sick that it hurts to move? Did you have to kill a Prime Evil while you were that sick?...

Rules

Base strength may not exceed 12. (So that she can bundle up in a nice warm quilt[ed armor] ;)

No points may be spent in vitality. In D2X, title of Slayer enables you to pump Vitality.

Mana potions usage should be kept to a minimum if you have a high Fever (Warmth).

You may not consume Stamina Potions because they upset your stomach.

Being sick, people like to give you "Get Well Soon" presents. (Translation: Gifts are ok.) Some may go so far as to use no item unless it was a gift. Gifts should be appropriate for the age and preferably from someone close in level. More advanced characters are "wise men/women" that help you get better rather than give you presents.

You will under no circumstance give an item to someone if it has been in your stash or if you've been carrying it for a long time. Or, if you give an item to somebody and you believe it to be contaminated, you must give them a Full Rejuvenation potion so they don't get sick. You do want to keep contamination to a minimum.

Health potions (any type) are over-the-counter pain relievers.

Full Rejuvenation potions are Rx medicine. They can have certain side effects.

Malah tends to lots of injured people. You should be sure to stay out of her hospital so that you don't infect anyone. Please only visit Malah when she's standing outside of her hospital.

Items

Armor
Any that you can equip, though you'll need +Str to use anything over Quilted Armor.

Shields
Shields really shouldn't be used. They're best left to other people so that they can block your vomit, sneezes, and coughs.

Weapons
Being extremely nervous about your condition, you never fail to carry around a Thermometer (Wand/Staff). Other weapons are surgical instruments and only psychos use them.

Special Uniques/Sets
Finding Silks of the Victor (must be found by the Sorcie; she must see it drop) allows her to raise Strength to 100 in order to use them. A silky nightgown is much more comfortable than wearing a quilt.

Cathan's set is an interesting one. The helm is a Mask that, in addition to having a vomit-hole in the mouth area, is shaped to perfectly represent the agony that you're in. The staff, Cathan's Rule ("Rule" as in "I'm sick! All will do my bidding!"), contributes to some of your symptoms. Cathan's Mesh represents your chafing skin that hasn't been washed in days (you've been too ill to bathe). Another plus to the Mesh is its low strength requirement: 24. As a whole, Cathan's Set is one an ill Sorcie would enjoy.

Arcanna's set is another nice outfit. Its blue tinting represents a lack of oxygen to your body and absence of Fever. (Arcanna's full set may only be used if you have less than 10 base Warmth.) Arcanna's Flesh is quite heavy with a whopping 41 strength requirement.

Skills

Symptoms
Your illness provides you with certain symptoms. Not all sick people will have the same symptoms, however, so you can pick and choose your symptoms.

Frozen Armor (Crusty Runny Nose)
Warmth (Fever)
Shiver Armor (Mild Chills)
Chilling Armor (Severe Chills)
Hydra (Spread the Virus)
Frozen Orb (Phlegm Ball)
Blizzard (Severe Coughing)
Thunder Storm (Sneeze)
Cold Mastery (The virus takes hold of you; you get worse; you get more contagious)
Inferno (Sore Throat)
Blaze ("The Runs")
Enchant (Sneeze on something... you/others want to wipe it on something to clean the item off.)
Energy Shield (As you illness progresses, you bond with it. When you take damage, it takes damage.)

Medicinal Side Effects
Medicines can cause side effects. These side effects may only be used after you drink a potion of Rejuvenation. If you quaff a potion of Full Rejuvenation and you know one of the spells on this list, you must empty your Mana Orb by casting one of the below spells (or a combination of them). Your normal symptoms will not return until the medicinal side effects wear off. In other words, you may not use your symptoms until you've drained your Mana Orb. It is entirely possible that your sick character will not suffer symptoms after taking medication. (If you don't put any points into one of the below skills, you don't suffer symptoms.)

Meteor (Constipation)
Telekinesis (Dizziness/Drowsiness; you knock stuff over)
Chain Lightning (Projectile Vomiting)

Quests

1) Visit the Doctor
When you first fall ill your first act is to visit Deckard Cain, M.D.

At clvl 1, start out from town to Tristram, where Dr. Cain lives. Talk to him and he'll agree to follow you back home. You must rescue Dr. Cain before you get clvl 2.

2) Examination (optional)
After rescue (in Nightmare or Hell Difficulty), Doctor Cain examines you to find out what's wrong. However, he requires a few tests to be certain of what you do or do not have. He also needs some tools. So, provide the nice doctor with Stool Sample, Blood, a Mucus Sample, a Thermometer, a Tongue Depressor, and a Specimen Dish.

Find
Antidote Potion (Stool)
Greater Healing Potion (Blood)
Thawing Potion (Mucus)
Short Staff OR Wand (Rectal/Oral Thermometers; may be magic/rare/unique)
Dirk (Tongue Depressor; may be magic/rare/unique)
Small Shield (Specimen Dish; may be magic/set/rare/unique)

Reward
Dr. Cain diagnoses you as having... a VIRUS (or a Bacterial Infection)! (But you already KNEW that, didn't you?)

Symptoms | Diagnosis
Some Throat Discomfort, Fever Sneezing, Runny Nose | Common Cold
Severe Sore Throat Fever | Strep Throat
Some Coughing Thick Phlegm | Bronchitis
Severe Fever Coughing, Chills | Influenza
Severe Coughing, Fever Thick Phlegm | Pneumonia

Bold denotes 10 or more points in a particular skill. Italics denotes at least 3 points in a particular skill. Normal text means at least 1 point.

You can be diagnosed with multiple diseases.

WARNING/DISCLAIMER: DO NOT USE THIS TO DIAGNOSE YOURSELF OR OTHERS IN REAL LIFE. THESE SYMPTOMS WERE SOMETHING READ IN A NEWSPAPER AND ARE NOT BASED ON ANY VAST MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE VARIANT AUTHORS, WHO ARE NOT DOCTORS. THIS LIST IS PURELY FOR THE FUN OF THE VARIANT - TO ADD A BIT OF FLAVOR. IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU OR SOMEBODY ELSE IS SICK IN REAL LIFE, SEE A DOCTOR. DO NOT USE THIS LIST TO DIAGNOSE.