Can Paladins Cure Disease? A Divine Deep Dive
Yes, paladins can absolutely cure disease, often using their divinely granted abilities. This power stems from their connection to a higher power or an unwavering adherence to a sacred oath, granting them unique ways to combat maladies that plague the mortal world. Let’s delve into the specifics of how they do this and explore the nuances of a paladin’s ability to cleanse the afflicted.
The Power of Divine Healing
A paladin’s ability to cure disease is primarily rooted in two core features: Lay on Hands and Divine Health. These abilities, gained at different levels, provide distinct but complementary methods for battling diseases.
Lay on Hands: A Touch of Purity
Lay on Hands is typically the first healing ability a paladin gains. It allows them to channel divine energy to heal wounds, but also to cure diseases and neutralize poisons. This is a powerful early-game ability, providing versatility and utility beyond simple hit point restoration. The paladin expends hit points from their Lay on Hands pool separately for each disease or poison cured.
The key takeaway here is that Lay on Hands is an active ability, requiring the paladin to make a conscious decision to expend resources to cure the disease. It’s a targeted effect, meaning they can choose which ally (or themselves) to aid.
Divine Health: An Innate Immunity
At a higher level, paladins often gain the Divine Health feature. This ability grants them immunity to all diseases. This doesn’t cure existing diseases (Lay on Hands is still needed for that), but it prevents the paladin from contracting any new illnesses. This is an incredibly valuable passive ability, safeguarding the paladin from the debilitating effects of both mundane and magical diseases, including even potent afflictions like mummy rot.
It’s important to emphasize that Divine Health is an immunity, meaning the paladin simply cannot be infected by a disease. There’s no saving throw, no resistance – they are completely protected.
FAQs: Paladins and Disease
To further clarify the specifics of a paladin’s ability to cure and resist diseases, let’s address some frequently asked questions:
1. Can Lay on Hands cure any disease?
Generally, yes, Lay on Hands can cure almost any disease, assuming the ruleset doesn’t specifically state otherwise. Some very rare and powerful diseases might be beyond its reach, but in most cases, Lay on Hands is effective.
2. Can a paladin cure multiple diseases with Lay on Hands?
Yes. A single use of Lay on Hands can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons. The paladin expends hit points from their Lay on Hands pool separately for each affliction cured.
3. Does Lay on Hands affect undead or constructs?
No. Lay on Hands specifically states that it has no effect on undead or constructs. This ability targets living creatures and their vital energies.
4. What happens if a target is already at full HP when using Lay on Hands to cure a disease?
The paladin can still use Lay on Hands to cure the disease. The ability to cure disease is separate from the healing aspect. The target doesn’t need to be injured for the disease-curing effect to function.
5. Are paladins immune to all diseases?
With the Divine Health feature, typically gained at 3rd level (depending on the ruleset), paladins are immune to all diseases, including mundane, magical, and supernatural diseases.
6. Does Divine Health cure existing diseases?
No. Divine Health provides immunity, preventing the paladin from contracting new diseases. It does not retroactively cure existing diseases. Lay on Hands is required for that.
7. Can a paladin spread diseases?
Due to their immunity granted by Divine Health, paladins are unlikely to be carriers and spread diseases. However, some game masters might introduce exceptions based on specific story elements.
8. Does a paladin’s oath affect their disease-curing abilities?
Not typically. The core abilities of Lay on Hands and Divine Health are usually independent of the specific oath a paladin takes. The power to cure and resist disease comes from their divine connection or adherence to their oath, not the specific tenets of that oath.
9. Are there any diseases that a paladin cannot cure?
While uncommon, some extremely powerful or magically resilient diseases might resist even a paladin’s Lay on Hands. These would be exceptions explicitly stated in the game rules or by the game master.
10. Can a paladin use Lay on Hands to cure diseases they create as an evil paladin (if applicable)?
This is a complex question that depends heavily on the specific ruleset and game master’s interpretation. Generally, even an “evil” paladin retains the ability to use Lay on Hands, though they might be loath to do so for altruistic purposes. Whether they can cure diseases they themselves inflict is debatable and often depends on the source of their power and the nature of the disease. An “evil” paladin is sometimes referred to as a blackguard.
11. How does Lay on Hands interact with diseases that have ongoing effects?
Lay on Hands typically removes the disease itself, thus ending its ongoing effects. However, depending on the disease, some residual effects might persist until treated separately (e.g., restoring lost attributes).
12. Does a paladin’s Charisma affect their ability to cure diseases?
In some systems, a paladin’s Charisma score might influence the amount of healing they can provide with Lay on Hands. However, the ability to cure the disease itself is generally a binary effect: it either works or it doesn’t, regardless of Charisma. Charisma is a core ability for a Paladin.
13. Can a paladin cure magical diseases?
Yes. Divine Health grants immunity to magical diseases, and Lay on Hands can cure them. The divine power of a paladin transcends the limitations of mundane medicine and can affect even magically induced afflictions.
14. Are there any races that are inherently better at curing diseases as paladins?
Race typically doesn’t affect a paladin’s inherent ability to cure diseases. The effectiveness of Lay on Hands and the immunity granted by Divine Health are usually class-based, not race-based. However, certain races might have other resistances or immunities that complement a paladin’s abilities.
15. Does becoming a werewolf impact a Paladin’s ability to heal?
Being a werewolf does not typically affect a Paladin’s ability to heal themselves or others, although some unique situations may change this.
The Role of Paladins in Combating Disease
Paladins, with their divine abilities, are invaluable assets in any party or community facing the threat of disease. Their ability to not only cure existing illnesses but also to prevent their own infection makes them frontline defenders against plagues and contagions. Their unwavering commitment to protecting the innocent and upholding justice often extends to safeguarding the health and well-being of those around them. Paladins are essential for healing.
Conclusion
In summary, paladins are well-equipped to combat disease, possessing both active (Lay on Hands) and passive (Divine Health) abilities to cure and prevent infection. Their divine connection and unwavering dedication make them crucial allies in a world teeming with threats, both seen and unseen. Understanding the specifics of their abilities allows players and game masters alike to fully appreciate the role of the paladin as a protector and healer. For more information on educational games and how they can enhance learning, visit the GamesLearningSociety.org.