Status effect
Status effects are negative debuffs that usually have fixed duration. Some status effects work differently when applied to players or mobs.
Blind
Characters affected by blindness are unable to use the look command in any way, and are unable to manipulate items, save to drink glowing potions, eat food, or drink water if these items are openly in his inventory. Characters affected by blindness attack and defend more poorly unless they are proficient in blindfighting.
See Also: Blindness, Gouge, Blinding dust, Dirt kicking
Poison
Most poisons will penalize the target's strength slightly and cause them to take damage every half-hour. Some poisons may also be applied through food or drink. Certain poisons, such as those of venomous desert adders, are much stronger than others. Some weapons may be poisoned as well, to afflict those struck with the same poison. Hiding and using camouflage is more difficult while poisoned due to the regular damage. Getting restful sleep is nearly impossible.
Assassins have access to specialized poisons with additional effects. See the prepare skill for details.
See also: Serpent's Fang, Prepare
Disease
Diseases cause a person to take damage every half hour, and often cause the person to suffer a severe penalty to their strength score. Diseases are typically harder to cure than poisoning. Some diseases also have a chance to spread to nearby PCs or mobs each time they harm the afflicted. Hiding and using camouflage is typically more difficult while diseased, and getting restful sleep is also extremely difficult to due the periodic damage waking the afflicted each half hour.
See also: Plague, Pestilence
Bleed
Bleeds cause a person to take damage every half hour. Many bleeding affects stack, increasing the periodic damage the target takes with each application. Hiding and using camouflage is typically impossible while bleeding, due to the trails of blood giving away the injured person's location. Getting restful sleep is also extremely difficult to due the periodic damage waking the afflicted each half hour.
See also: Form of the Wasp, Form of the Asp. Thorn spray, Gash
Sleep
When you sleep, you regenerate hit points, mana points, and movement points faster. However, you are more vulnerable to attack, and if you sleep, you won't hear many things happen unless you have the Light sleeper trait. You will wake up if you take any damage, including periodic damage such as from bleeding our poison.
Certain actions that would normally initiate combat, like the casting of hostile non-damaging spells and failed attempts at stealing, will not wake a sleeper. Certain spells and abilities can put the target into a state of forced sleep, which they cannot voluntarily wake up from with the Wake command. It is usually only possible to awaken from forced sleep by taking damage or waiting for the duration to expire.
See Also:Waylay, Prepare, Lucid dreaming
Skill Penalty
Skill penalties are status effects that reduce the effective percentage of mastery the afflicted have in skills, spells, etc. The effect is usually applied to all abilities the afflicted possess, both active and passive, and reduce them by a fixed amount. The cumulative result can be seriously detrimental, as the afflicted will do less damage and be more likely to fail with most abilities, have a reduced caster level of spells, and be markedly less able to defend themselves.
See also: Headbutt, Insect swarm, Prepare