Disease and Undead

[Langara]

Alright, so next in my series of questions about Death Knights and undead in general.

Can undead get sick? We know the blight works, but is there anything else that does?

My guess: Probably not, I mean, if you have a piece of steak on your countertop, the time for contracting mad cow has passed.

Still, I've got a storyline brewing in my brain, could probably be achieved by some sort of communicable 'curse' or other magic, but I just wanted to check lore first. (And of course let Bloodwither Mortuary do its thing.)

[Malethia]

My guess (backed up by gameplay) is that undead are immune to normal/natural diseases. However, magical diseases can still affect them.

[Yatokth]

I'd wager not.

Some people say they don't need to eat or drink or breathe either, but I find this a bit dubious, as in game, we have to eat to keep HP up, drink to keep mana up, and our breath is just longer, not indefinite.

Perhaps the necromantic magic that keeps us together (Plague) requires energy via the form of the nutrients found in either raw flesh of the enemies (CANNIBALIZE! :D) or normal food.

I'd wager taste buds and such are dulled, if not entirely absent. (This is why Yat likes stupidly hard liquor raw)

I don't really have a theory about the breathing. That's kind of... wuh?

[Broxigan]

Define "Sick."

We talking ailments that affect living beings, such as cold, flu and what not?

[Langara]

For sake of conversation (and my personal entertainment during long workday) let's cast a wide net here:

Though I was originally thinking of disease as we understand it, viruses and infection, if you've got something else that might yield the same result: go for it.

[Broxigan]

Sickness and Ailments that affect the normal living being such as a cold or flu, probably not since Undead do not need to breath and could live without lungs. As for blood borne diseases and illnesses, once again, no. Obvious.

As for things such as gangreene [SPELLING PLOX], fungus and other things that feed off of flesh, then yes.

Now, of course, magical diseases and such will affect them since they are alive by magical means.

Now, roll on along to mental issues, and I would venture to say yes AND no. It all depends on the way the plague affected the mind. Is it kept in tact magically or if parts of the Undead brain are altered or removed, would the same thing happen as if to a normal living being?

The details of Undead and Scourge are sort of left open aside from, "It kills you then you come back." As for what is preserved is up to you, I guess.

[Sabachthan]

gangreene [SPELLING PLOX]gangrene (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gangrene), only two Es

I mostly echo Broxigan's sentiments. Viruses need living cells to replicate, so anything viral would be a no-go. But bacterial and fungal infections should not be inhibited by the state of undeath.

[Langara]

Is it weird that I'm sitting here thinking "OOOh parasites!" and actually enjoying myself?

So far, that all makes sense to me. I wish I could find a better article on the nature of curses and other magical afflictions.

So.bored.

[Sabachthan]

You know, I think I've been called a "magical affliction."

[Broxigan]

You know, I think I've been called a "magical affliction."

In my pants.

[Okhu]

Abominations made big nasty stink clouds of disease and stuff... so I'm guessing they can have diseases, but not have said diseases really effect them like they would say... living victims.

[Advurb]

It would all depend on what type of disease it was and what bodily functions the undead in question needs to survive. For example, if your character still breathes mostly like a living person, a disease that messes with the respiratory system is still going to affect him/her.

[Swerto]

Undead are not susceptible to natural disease or sickness.


Diseases and sickness of the magical nature, however, they are susceptible to. Case and point: the Forsaken plague.