Blinding sickness

Blinding sickness was a disease that could cause permeant loss of vision and even death.

Acquisition
Blinding sickness was generally contracted by drinking water contaminated with the disease and could be acquired by aquatic creatures who breathed such water. It was also known to be transmissible if tainted water came into contact with a creature's unprotected eyes, nose, or ears. Creatures who dwelt in the waters and sewers in which the disease was pervasive tended to be immune to it.

The disease could also be acquired by inhaling the spores of a variety of white toadstool mushrooms that could be found in Undermountain.

Blinding sickness was one of several diseases that could be inflicted using the contagion spell.

Effects
Symptoms usually began to set in after one to three days. The initial effect was a steady deterioration of the infected individual's strength, followed by loss of vision. The progression of the disease could also include a loss of stamina as well as blurry vision&mdash;which made it hard to see more than about &mdash;before advancement to total blindness. This blindness lasted until the disease was cured, but could even be permanent. Afflicted creatures' eyes turned a milky white and they felt pain in their heads, which interfered with their willpower.

The steady deterioration of the infected individual's strength and stamina was a bigger danger than the blindness as it could ultimately cause weakness to the point of death.

Treatment
A healthy immune system could fight off the disease in as little as two days, although any vision loss that occurred would remain. Only restorative magics, such as lesser restoration, could undue this damage.

History
The "red tides" of the Elemental Plane of Water carried blinding sickness.

As of the mid-to-late 14 century DR, stagnant waters contaminated with blinding sickness could be found in places like Dead Orc Pass and the Underdark. The disease was rampant in the sewers of cities like Mulmaster, and especially in the sewers of Waterdeep.