Corpse Rot is the name of a specific type of faintly luminescent fungus that grows on organic material, breaking it down into compost. Unlike the vast majority of fungus, slimes, vermin, etc. the corpse rot fungus thrives on the cold flesh and bones of creatures that have been animated by negative energy and become undead.
Corpse Rot, due to its affinity for negative energy-charged flesh, withers and dies in the presence of positive energy, and, unlike most infections, is highly susceptible to sunlight, allowing even a simple villager to rid himself of the fungal growths by exposing skin and contaminated clothing to direct sunlight for eight hours or more.
Ghouls, Wights, Vampires and Liches find that this fungus seems drawn to their negatively-charged bodies, no matter how clean they attempt to keep their surroundings (although sealed crypts are obviously safe), as the spores drift in on breezes and are tracked in on the clothing of visitors, to take root in their dead flesh. With the obvious exception of vampires, most corporeal undead can purge the infection with exposure to sunlight. The infection is very obvious, causing reddish discolorations blossoming across infected skin, as well as cracking and discomfort that renders affected flesh tender and sensitive to further damage, and even weakens and corrodes bone, in the case of skeletal undead, as the fungus leaches vital minerals from the dead tissue. Vampires, Ghouls and Liches with this affliction tend to be pariahs among their own kind, while infected, and generally remove themselves from the presence of their peers until they have purged it. Vampires, in particular, are unforgiving of this affliction showing on their peers, as they lack the recourse of exposing themselves to sunlight to purge the condition. Skeletons and Zombies afflicted with Corpse Rot crumble and decay into nothingness within a matter of days, unless tended to by another (or given instructions to deal with the situation, such as to spend a day standing exposed to sunlight).
Corpse Rot
(affecting corporeal undead or unliving organic matter)
Type disease, contact; Save None
Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day
Effect 1d4 hit points damage (which ignores the hardness of unliving
organic material), -1 natural armor (or hardness), if applicable (minimum zero);
Cure remove disease, exposure to positive energy of at least cure light
wounds, a flask of holy water or 1d6 channel energy strength (which will also
damage the undead hosting the fungal infection), or exposure to sunlight (eight
hours of full exposure to body and contaminated clothing will cleanse the infection)
Corpse Rot
(affecting living flesh)
Type disease, contact; Save Fortitude DC 13
Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day
Effect 1d3 Str damage; Cure 2 consecutive saves (any exposure
to positive energy from a channel energy, flask of holy water, cure light wounds
or stronger effect will allow another immediate save) or exposure to sunlight
(eight hours of full exposure to body and contaminated clothing will cleanse
the infection)