By A fresh expansion for The Sims 4 has been launched, and Enchanted by Nature revitalizes EA’s enduring life simulation in significant ways. This encompasses the addition of a brand-new Fairy occult type, innovative approaches for subsisting off the land rather than in a home, and–most pertinent to this article–a completely new mechanism for your Sims to fall ill, termed Ailments.
While the typical ailments in The Sims 4 are rare and can be easily remedied with basic medicine, Ailments represent an entirely distinct category of sickness that necessitates specific remedies–or assistance from a supernatural being possessing the power to cure Ailments. Thankfully, Ailments prove to be more of an annoyance than a threat–they are not grave enough to cause a Sim’s demise independently–but their impacts can be so disruptive that it’s generally preferable to resolve them promptly.
How Ailments function
Ailments are communicable diseases that may stem from contracting them from another Sim, being cursed with one by a Fairy, or experiencing an emotional imbalance. The contagion element is authentic, as spending time in proximity to an infected Sim significantly increases the likelihood of your Sim becoming infected as well. Moreover, it’s not solely direct contact that can lead to illness–much like real-life diseases, engaging with items touched by an ill individual can also make your Sim sick.
Similarly, a state of emotional imbalance–demonstrated by the new balance meter in the Simology tab–increases the probability of your Sim spontaneously developing an Ailment without any external influence, while also heightening their susceptibility to acquiring something from another Sim. Conversely, being in balance strengthens your Sim’s defenses against naturally catching an Ailment or getting it from another Sim. Envision the emotional balance meter as an indicator of your Sim’s immune system.
Actions to take when your Sim has an Ailment
There are multiple ways to address your Sim’s Ailment upon contracting something. The first option is to simply do nothing and allow the Ailment to take its course. While this may seem absurd at first, some ailments do offer beneficial side effects–such as Luck Magnet, which bestows the infected Sim with luck by siphoning it from nearby Sims. Similarly, Gnome Lure causes sentient garden gnomes to appear as they do during Harvestfest. Although I typically dislike gnomes, they now have a new function in the Enchanted by Nature expansion–Fairy Sims can enchant them with Fairy Dust to animate them.
So if you believe the advantages of the Ailment outweigh the inconveniences, you can allow it to unfold. Otherwise, there are four straightforward methods to eradicate an ailment immediately:
- Use your phone to arrange a visit with a naturopath, who will treat your Sim for 1,500 Simoleons
- Request any fairy to heal the Ailment–although fairies cannot cure themselves using magic.
- “Manifest” a remedy by traveling to Moondrop Spring in the Everdew neighborhood of Innisgreen
- Create your own cure at an apothecary table
Creating your own Ailment remedies
Creating Ailment remedies is a fairly simple task since they only require easily obtainable ingredients that can be found without much effort. This is because Ailment cures are among the first items your Sim learns to craft as they develop the apothecary skill–the Ailment remedies require only level 1 or 2, eliminating the need for extensive grinding. This is quite beneficial since, although Fairies can magically cure other Sims, they cannot do so for Ailments they are personally afflicted with.
To acquire the apothecary skill, a Sim merely needs to utilize any apothecary table to “Study Apothecary Cures,” and soon after, they will be capable of crafting some Ailment remedies–and since the subsequent ones only need skill level 2, it won’t take much longer before your Sim can create the remainder.
Moreover, because these remedies are low-level formulas, their components are incredibly accessible, whether by leisurely foraging anywhere by clicking on any expanse of grass throughout any Sims 4 world, or by purchasing the components through the apothecary table. None of the ingredients are costly, so acquiring them shouldn’t pose a challenge for those eager to start right away.
Catalog of ailments
- Burning Passion: Causes the afflicted Sim to be extremely flirtatious, along with a tendency to occasionally ignite nearby items.
- Creation Impulse: Imposes a Dazed moodlet, while also enhancing the infected Sim’s crafting capabilities.
- Emotional Void: Muted the affected Sim’s emotions, and further passively affects any nearby Sims.
- Gnome Lure: Induces gnomes to spawn around the infected Sim.
- Greenie Meanie: Causes the afflicted Sim to be exceptionally skilled at gardening while also being very irritable.
- Luck Magnet: Grants the infected Sim luck at the detriment of those surrounding them.
- Simoleon Fever: Forces the affected Sim to cough up currency.
- Sonic Sinuses: Their sneezes are so potent they can occasionally cause breakages, yet the Sim possesses enhanced handiness and can repair items with greater ease.
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