Plague (5e Class)

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Plague[edit]

Through a cult leader's invocations, a swamp beast's spore-scattering attacks, or a mushroom you could have sworn was edible, your body has become permanently infected with a disease known as the Plague. The Plague has no one form, it may be a rash, a collection of mushrooms, hardening, cracked skin or a colony of moss. No matter what, the infection covers your skin and is sensitive to contact with armor, leaving you a weakened wanderer, destined to one day decay into nothing but a husk.

Creating a Plague[edit]

Do you fear your infection, or use it to your advantage? Do you search desperately for a cure, or have you accepted that the infection will consume you? Will you be sad, scared and isolated, will you be stoic and resolute, or do you believe the infection is a blessing, and treat yourself superior to your companions? Most Plagues are evil or chaotic.

Note - The entirety of this document is written as though the infection is mushroomoid, with spores fired from the infection. This is simply for consistency. The infection could fire hair, blood, leaves, spit, magical laser eyes or discharged magic, it is up to the player. The Plague class itself can be played any way the DM sees fit. It could be an infection of a spirit around the user, or water that is magical, or it could be an infection of madness, that simply makes the user physically powerful. Do not be limited by what is written.

Quick Build

You can make a Plague quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the Hermit background. Third, choose a spear, a pair of daggers, a dungeoneer's pack and hide armour

Class Features

As a Plague you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Plague level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Plague level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor:
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: Disguise kit, Poisoner's kit
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Animal handling, Nature, Stealth, Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

  • (a) a handaxe or (b) a mace or (c) a spear
  • (a) a pair of daggers or (b) a pair of sickles
  • (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
  • (a) a set of torn clothes that show the infection and a set of common clothes or (b) hide armour

7 'Plague-less' potions that hide the infection. Each potion lasts 1 day and costs (1 gp).

Table: The Plague

Level Proficiency
Bonus
Features
1st +2 Reactive, Festering
2nd +2 Natural, Style choice
3rd +2 Elemental inclination, Explosive shot
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement, Reactive improvement
5th +3 Impulse movement or Extra attack
6th +3 Festering improvement, Vile being
7th +3 Explosive shot improvement, Reactive improvement, Style improvement
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement, Painless manipulator, Natural feature
9th +4 Elemental inclination feature
10th +4 Infective, Cure
11th +4 Reactive improvement
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement, Festering improvement, Style choice
13th +5 Explosive shot improvement
14th +5 Reactive improvement
15th +5 Rapid movement or Extra attack improvement
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement, Natural improvement
17th +6 Style improvement
18th +6 Elemental inclination feature
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement, Purifier
20th +6 Contaminator

Reactive[edit]

When attacked, the infection defends itself with a spray of spores. Every character within 5ft makes a CON save (INT + 10), taking 1d8 poison damage on a fail. This happens every time you are damaged. The range and damage increases at level 4, 7, 11 and 14, by 5ft and 1d8 respectively. At level 11, the targets take half as much damage on a successful save. The spores do not pass through walls, but can fill around corners.

If you have less than half of your maximum Hit points, this feature stops functioning. This does not count Temporary hit points.

In addition, your infection is poisonous. You, or your allies, can make a potion out of it by spending 2 hours with a poisoner's kit. The potion counts as an injury potion (its effects are applied if the poison enters a wound, is ingested, or is injected) and deals damage equal to the damage of your "Reactive" feature. If you attempt to make multiple potions in one day, you take 1d12 damage for each potion made after the first.

At 4th level, you may freely disable this feature outside combat, but must roll a CON check (DC equal to the damage taken) whenever you take damage, re-activating and using this feature on a fail. Also at 4th level, when using this ability, you can choose a number of targets within range equal to your INT modifier and allow them to automatically succeed the save, at 11th level, targets you choose take no damage when succeeding.

Festering[edit]

The infection on your body cannot stand direct contact. Any clothing that hides the infection causes it to burn restlessly. You have disadvantage on INT and WIS throws and saves while your body is covered with clothing, or armor. Clothing and armor can be specially made to go around the infection, for additional cost of -1 AC for light armor and -2 AC on medium/heavy armor. Anytime you are grappled, or grappling, the opponent takes 1d6 acid damage from contact with the infection at the start of your turn and an additional 1d6 damage if they attack you. Any bonds restraining you will slowly decay. Each minute roll 1d6 and reduce the bonds' hit points by that amount. The Festering feature does not function when you cover your infection with 'Plague-less' potions.

At 6th level, you deal 1d12 damage instead. At 12th level you can melt through magical bonds as well and deal double damage when breaking free from bonds.

Natural[edit]

At 2nd level, due to the nature of your infection, the untrained eye may mistake you for a beast or a bush at first glance. You gain a +3 bonus to stealth checks involving sight, and can roll a nature check once per long rest, in place of a failed stealth check. When you use the Hide action, you may add your Nature bonus and your Stealth bonus to the roll. As a bonus action, you may attempt an Animal handling check while in stealth, to disguise yourself off as an animal. You must roll the animal handling check again whenever you would normally have to roll stealth. You still gain all benefits of being in stealth.

At 8th level you regain per short rest instead, and gain an additional use of this feature. You may deliberately break free of the disguise as a bonus action, and if you do, you may make a free opportunity attack against all nearby opponents. You cannot use the Natural feature twice in one battle.

At 16th level you gain an additional 3 uses of this feature. Additionally, you automatically pass Animal handling checks to pass yourself off as a creature, and you may attack with a 6d4 nonmagical piercing bite attack without breaking your disguise, when disguised as an animal. No Plague effects are applied to this attack. In addition, you can use the Natural feature twice in one battle.

Style[edit]

At 2nd level, you choose a style. This allows you more options in/out of combat. These effects have benefits at level 7 and 17. You may choose a second style at level 12.

Slugger

The plague covering your body has made you heavier, but you can use that to your advantage. The first attack that lands each turn deals extra damage equal to your Constitution Modifier. In addition, you may add your Constitution score when rolling against affects to push you, grapple you, restrain you or knock you prone.

At level 7, The first attack that lands each turn also forces the opponent to make a STR save (DC 9 + STR + CON). On a failed save they are pushed back 15ft, which provokes opportunity attacks. If they failed by 5 or more, they are also knocked prone. Also, you have advantage against affects that would move you against your will.

At level 17, once per day as a bonus action, you may add your Constitution score (not modifier) to the damage of an attack. This blow invokes your entire body, and results in you becoming prone, stunned and losing all remaining movement. The stun is removed at the start of your next turn. As a bonus action, you may spend one slot of your Elemental inclination when pushed, grappled, restrained or prone to immediately end the effect, and deal 2d6 elemental damage to a target within 10ft.

Dusk

Your body has taken on inhuman characteristics, but these allow you to hide in places where no normal person would look, or blend in like most people could not. While in stealth, you have a +1 to all checks, including attack rolls.

At level 7, this benefit increases to +2. While you are disguised using the "Natural" feature, and in stealth, you may add +2 to your AC.

At level 17, this benefit and the AC increase both become +3. When a perception check is rolled to reveal you from stealth, it is rolled with disadvantage.

Second Sense

The Plague that covers your body is aware of its surroundings and able to react, sometimes better than you. You gain proficiency in Perception, or Expertise if you already had it. In addition, when you roll less than 5 on a perception, insight or investigation check, you may roll 1d6 and use that result instead.

At level 7, when you would be surprised, you may spend an action to not be surprised. Once per short rest, you may spend a reaction to raise your AC by your INT modifier. This lasts for 1 attack.

At level 17, instead of 5, if you would roll less than 10, you may roll 1d10 and use your choice of results. You may use your reaction twice per short rest, and it lasts 1 action instead, which means it doesn't block bonus action attacks.

Creator

Your body mutates into forming strangely solid forms, allowing you to create weaponry from skin, hair and bone. You may replace one attack per action with a natural weapon attack, which has 10ft reach, Proficiency + Strength modifier to hit, and deals 1d8 + STR bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage. You may remove this weapon to give to others, or throw as a ranged attack. It has 20/40 range, and deals 1 less damage in anyone else's hands, but the target may add proficiency. Removing the weapon deals 1d6 damage to you. You may also spend one action to produce up to 15ft of rope from your body. The rope may be targeted for attack, and has vulnerability to slashing damage, with you taking damage it takes. For the sake of the reactive feature, weapons summoned in this way cannot be targeted, and do not cause you to produce spores if they get hit.

At level 7, you take no damage when removing the weapon, and your rope can reach 25ft. You may also order the rope to coil, knot, pull or release while it is attached to you. Weapons summoned deal 1d10 + STR damage, and you may replace up to two attacks for natural weapon attacks. The range increases to 30/60, and it no longer deals less damage when in someone else's hands. You may produce shields from your body, causing your AC to increase by 2 as long as they are out. This costs one attack each turn to maintain.

At level 17, your rope can reach 50ft. Weapons made from your body are treated as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance. Your range increases to 15ft for melee and 40/80 ft for ranged. Weapons deal 1d12 + STR + INT to hit, and to hit becomes Proficiency + Strength + Intelligence.

Pressure assassin

Your plague has caused an element of your humanity to decay. While in combat, you only seek your enemies suffering and your skills have changed accordingly. When you make an unarmed strike, you may use either Intelligence or Dexterity to hit, and add it to your damage. You also deal 1d6 damage for unarmed strikes. As a bonus action after you attack, you may roll an attack, dealing 1d4 + INT/DEX damage and force the target to make a CON save (DC 8 + INT). On a failed save, the target is stunned until the start of their next turn.

At level 7, if you are going to use your action to attack, you may activate your bonus action stun attack first. The DC for the save increases to (DC 10 + INT). When a creature dies from your attack, all creatures within 20ft of you must make a WIS save (DC 10 + INT) or become frightened of you. This frightening affect can target a creature that succeeded a save on your "Vile being" feature.

At level 17, your bonus action stun attack deals 1d6 + INT + DEX damage, and you roll two attacks to hit with it (like monk flurry of blows). Your unarmed strikes damage increase to 1d8 + DEX + INT. The DC for your save for both frighten and stun increases to (DC 12 + INT + DEX).

Elemental inclination[edit]

At 3rd level, you get to choose an elemental inclination. This is a form of magic that the infection reacts to positively, and actively desires. You gain additional features at level 9 and 18. You gain resistance to that kind of damage, and if damaged by it, you gain 1d6 to add to damage and attack rolls until the end of the turn. You also gain advantage on breaking free of magical effects or illusions while taking a form of damage you are inclined to. You have a number of slots equal to double your INT score (Minimum 2) to spend on your elemental inclination. Elemental inclination attacks have a modifier equal to your Intelligence plus proficiency, unless otherwise specified.

When you activate one of these abilities your body summons the element, you do not require the element to use these powers. For 1 slot, you can summon a 1ft/1ft sphere of the element, which appears in your hand until you fall unconscious, or until you use it. At 9th level, if your target is vulnerable to your elemental inclination, whenever you roll to attack them, on a 15 on higher, you regain a slot. At 18th level, if a target has resistance to your element, they lose it, and if they have immunity, they instead have resistance.

Fire inclination

You may deal 1d8 fire damage as a reaction, or add 2d6 fire damage to an attack, for 1 slot. As an action, you may force all opponents in a 15ft cone to make a Dexterity save (DC 10), taking 2d8 damage on a successful save, or half as much on a failed save, for 3 slots.

At 9th level, whenever you are set on fire, you take no damage, and gain advantage on all attacks for as many turns as you are alight. When an ally within 30ft takes fire damage, or when you are within 20ft of extreme heat (Such as a bonfire, a forge or magma), you gain a 10ft bonus to movement speed, and an additional attack action. You also deal an extra 1d8/2d6/1d8 fire damage, and the dexterity save becomes DC 13.

At 18th level, you gain immunity to fire, and any fire attack not made against you has disadvantage if you are within 15ft of the target. When you are hit with a fire attack, your ability checks, attacks and saving throws all have advantage until the end of the turn, and the first attack each turn deals double damage. In addition, you gain the ability to explode fire in a 30ft sphere around yourself as an action, dealing 6d8 damage to all targets inside, and half damage on a DEX saving throw (DC 16), for 5 slots. You also deal an extra 2d8/4d6/2d8 fire damage. Your summon sphere casts bright light for 10ft and dim light for 10ft. It can set ablaze flammable material when held nearby for 12 seconds, and can be thrown, dealing 2d6 fire damage to the target. The fire is non-magical and extinguishes if it is immersed in water, or if it is thrown.

Ice inclination

You may fire 2d6 cold damage at a target within 10ft as a bonus action, for 1 slot. As a bonus action, you may paralyze a target you are grappling for 1 slot, the target makes a CON save (DC 10), and repeats that save at the start of their turn, becoming unparalyzed on a success, and taking 1d8 cold damage on a fail.

At 9th level, extreme cold causes no negative effects, and you have advantage when attempting to see in a blizzard. Whenever you would take bludgeoning damage from a snow or ice based attack (Such as an avalanche) you may spend 1 slot to reduce the damage by a 1d12. You may spend 3 slots and an action to gain a blizzard of hail around yourself. The blizzard lasts 10 turns, until you are knocked unconscious, up to a minute, or until end of combat, whichever happens first. The blizzard is constantly 10ft around you in all directions for duration, and either pulls in or pushes away targets in range, which moves them 5ft whenever they enter the radius, or start their turn there, and can be resisted with a DC 14 Strength check. All targets in range also take 1d6 cold damage whenever they enter or start their turn in range, although they can make a Constitution save to halve damage (DC 11). While within the blizzard, all other characters also have disadvantage on hearing and perception checks, and disadvantage on ranged attacks made against you. They also can only fly by magical means. A creature that is partially inside the blizzard is unaffected. You may also use the winds of the blizzard to push objects. You may re-roll a Strength check that involves pushing an object in range, or a Dexterity check to move yourself. If you do this, the blizzard immediately ends. You deal an extra 2d6/1d8 cold damage and gain 10ft on your basic ice attack. The Constitution save to escape being frozen becomes DC 15

At 18th level, you become immune to cold damage. Immediately after leaving a blizzard, or being attacked with over 30 damage of cold magic, you may activate your own blizzard ability for only 1 slot. You deal an extra 2d6/1d8 cold damage, you gain 10ft on your basic ice attack, the Constitution save to avoid being frozen or avoid blizzard damage becomes DC 18, and the blizzard deals 2d6 damage to enemies in range. In addition, you may spend 5 slots and an action to activate the following ability. All targets in a 60ft line in front of you must make a Dexterity saving throw, DC 20. On a failure, they become paralyzed and take 3d10 cold damage, as well as taking an additional 1d10 cold damage whenever they fail the Constitution save to unparalyze. Targets unfrozen after being hit by this ability take an extra 1d6 cold damage whenever they are attacked and have their maximum movement speed reduced by 10ft. These effects last until end of combat You may add 1d6 to attack rolls made against the target that would deal ice damage, and whenever the target rolls a check or saving throw to resist cold damage, they reduce the check by 1d6. This effect lasts until end of combat, or until you are knocked unconscious. Your summon sphere is a snowball. It can be melted into fresh water, thrown to blind an opponent on hit, or be equipped to a weapon to make it deal ice damage in place of normal damage.

Water inclination

Instead of resistance to a damage type, you instead gain a swim speed equal to your movement speed. Being in water provides +1d4 to damage and attack rolls. When attacked with bludgeoning damage from a water effect (Such as a water weird), you take half the damage. You may fire a bolt of water at will for 1d8 bludgeoning damage up to 30ft for 1 slot.

At 9th level, you cannot drown, as your infection can function like rudimentary gills and filter out oxygen into your bloodstream. You may blind an opponent as a reaction by forcefully firing water into their eyes, for 1 slot. As an action, and 3 slots, you may summon a wave of water in a 20ft cube ahead of yourself, dealing 4d6 bludgeoning damage and knocking all affected enemies away from you 10ft, if they fail a Strength save (DC 12). Your water bolt deals an extra 1d8 damage and gains 10ft of distance. A creature that succeeds this save is knocked prone but takes no damage and is not pushed away.

At 18th level, water that is within 10ft of you cannot be affected by magic unless you allow it, and you can detect when an opponent tries. Attacks made against you while you are underwater have disadvantage. For 5 slots, you may manipulate a ball of water in a 15ft sphere around yourself. While in this ball you are treated as though you are underwater. You may fire this ball at will, or force it to form around an opponent, for 1 slot. While around an opponent, they will begin to drown, and take 2d8 bludgeoning each turn from the rushing water. When fired, the ball travels 20ft in an arch and then falls down, dealing 5d10 bludgeoning damage to any opponents hit by it, which can be halved on a DC 18 Strength save. A creature that succeeds this save is knocked prone but takes no damage and is not pushed away. The ball can last up to 5 turns, and any attacks made with it deal 1d4 less damage for each turn since it was summoned. Your water bolt deals an extra 2d8 damage and gains 20ft of distance. Your wave attack deals an extra 2d6 damage and the DC increases to 16. Your summon sphere makes a bubble of water appear in your hand. It is drinkable, can extinguish magical fires, and cleans any items it touches, resulting in rust and age rapidly disappearing for an object up to 5ft by 5ft. The water can only do each of these things once and will disappear afterwards.

Explosive shot[edit]

At 3th level, as an attack, you can throw a chunk of your infection at a nearby target. Range 20/60ft. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 + DEX modifier damage, and all creatures within 5ft of the target also take half damage. Once per day, you may instead fire the chunk from your body, at the cost of some Hp. A fired chunk has double range (40/120ft), deals 2d8 + INT modifier damage, and deals 1d4 slashing damage to you, which cannot be reduced and triggers your Reactive feature. The explosive shot deals either acid damage, or damage of your elemental inclination, and is treated as a magical attack.

At level 7, your shot deals 3d6 + 1 + DEX damage instead (6d6 + 1 + INT for fired), and you may use a fired shot twice per day. All creatures within 10ft take half damage. In addition, your range increases by 10ft/30ft for each point of your Dexterity modifier. (+1 - 10ft, +4 - 40ft, etc.) This does not affect your fired shot.

At level 13, your shot deals 6d6 + 1 + DEX damage (12d6 + 1 + INT for fired). You may use fired shot three times per day. All creatures within 15ft take half damage. Your Dexterity bonus also affects your fired shot.

Impulse movement[edit]

At 5th level, as a reaction, when damaged, you may immediately move up to half your movement. This activates before the Reactive feature. Moving in this way does not provoke opportunity attacks, and this reaction can be used to immediately recover from prone.

Extra attack[edit]

At 5th level, you may attack twice instead of once, when you spend your action attacking. If you choose this feature, you lose Impulse movement. You gain an extra attack at level 15, allowing you to attack three times per action.

Vile being[edit]

At 6th level, your negative abilities attract beings of evil, and disgust creatures of good. You also have a knack for understanding what people fear. You have disadvantage on Persuasion checks, and advantage on intimidation checks and Wisdom saves to resist being frightened. You have advantage on Insight, investigation or perception checks when trying to tell if someone is/was frightened.

As an action, all enemies within 15ft must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + INT modifier + WIS modifier), being frightened on a fail. Each turn they remain frightened, they must spend their movement traveling away from you. They retake this check at the start of their turns, on a success, they become immune to this effect permanently.

You have an increased chance of encountering evil beings when leading the party. Creatures of extreme good may be disgusted by your presence and will avoid talking to you if possible. You may attempt to Persuade evil beings with your Intimidation before combat, and use intimidation checks in place of Persuasion when convincing evil creatures.

When you are cured, you may choose to turn this ability to target good creatures instead, make it target neutral creatures, or keep it unchanged. If you make it target good creatures, you have advantage on Persuasion, disadvantage on intimidation, have an increased chance of encountering good beings, disgust extreme evil beings, Persuade good beings before combat, and use persuasion checks in place of intimidation while convincing good creatures. If you make it target Neutral creatures, your Persuasion and intimidation return to normal, and you do not draw in good or evil creatures. In addition, you can choose to avoid both good and evil creatures and cause less encounters while leading the party.

Painless manipulator[edit]

At 8th level, you have particular skill with the infected parts of your body, and can move them about more effectively than the non-infected. You gain proficiency/Expertise in your choice of: Athletics, Acrobatics or Sleight of hand. If you chose Athletics, you gain a bonus 5ft of movement. If you chose Acrobatics, you have a bonus 10ft of movement to climb. If you chose Sleight of hand, you can attempt to disarm opponents mid-combat with a contested strength check as a bonus action.

You also have advantage on Medicine checks to re-attach dislocated limbs or reduce physical pain. You may use a reaction when an ally within 10ft of you takes damage from you or your abilities, reducing the damage they take by 2d8.

Infective[edit]

At 10th level, your infection has redoubled and is a more serious threat. Whenever you make physical contact with an ally, they must make a DEX save or take 1d10 poison damage. The save is dependant on the nature of the contact, faint touch (i.e. giving/taking an item, contact through clothes, quick tap or punch) no DC, maintained touch (Hold, grapple, handshake) DC 5, Close touch (Hug, body-block, shield) DC 10, beyond that DC 15. A non-undead enemy killed by you makes a CON save (DC 10) on a failure, it resurrects in 1 turn as an undead with 1d10 + 3 health, disadvantage on all checks and saves, -3 to attack and deals poison damage in place of normal damage (It remains your enemy). You have a chance of summoning a spore servant whenever you complete a rest. Roll a d10 every rest, on a 10 summon the servant. The servant has 10 hp, the reactive feature at level 1, and a slam attack (1d6 + STR damage, poison damage). Its stats are equal to yours -5, and it has -1 to its AC. It will follow your orders and can hear and understand you at any distance. If you are knocked unconscious, sleeping, or sent to a different plane, it will attack indiscriminately. Enemies killed by it are counted as though you killed them, and can resurrect. Every day it loses 1 hp from its maximum, and it disperses into spores upon death. It has immunity to poison damage, and there is no limit on the number you can summon.

Finally, the infection begins to make choices for you, and you feel yourself losing control of your body. You gain one form of long-term madness every day at dawn, which disappears at dawn the next day, and you also gain an indefinite madness which lasts until you cure the infection (Roll on the madness table). Alternatively, you gain 10 temporary hit points every day, and upon losing those hit points, your DM controls you for one turn, with you being treated as an enemy.

Cure[edit]

At 10th level you have the strength to overcome your infection once and for all. If you haven't already heard rumours of a cure, you suddenly remember overhearing/reading/being magically messaged about one of the following objects. This memory was being held back by the infection. Your DM may choose for you, depending on the difficulty/theme/setting of your campaign, and may require you to complete multiple quests to finally cure the infection once and for all.


-A spellbook of cleansing, guarded by a crystalline town

-A selfless enchanter, who takes magical curses upon themselves to ease the pain of others

-A dragon whose blood can burn away all evil

-A neo-plastic cure syringe accidentally placed inside an automaton

-An alternative dimension that can rebuild a living body

-A mysterious creature called a skitterling bat that eats plague to survive

-A small kingdom where sickness is forbidden, with powerful cleaning magic to enforce it

-A monastery of life magic whose techniques might remove the infection

-Denpoten, an exiled bard, whose words were said to cure any injury

-A secret technique of soul-strength, taught by a prestigious temple of the mind.

-A serum that makes anyone who drinks it small enough to enter the bloodstream and fight the infection at a cellular level

-An ancient wizard, master of all magic, sealed in a tower of traps and enchantments

-An island with ancient words carved into its stone cliffs, with the spring of life said to be hidden inside

-An unassuming village with magical animals, and ancient traditions as old as the plague itself

-A secret pathway to the domain of a god

-A cleric soon to die, who longs to do one last healing spell

-A demon of poxes and poison, who loves adding to their collection

-A tribe of orcs with a sacred rite of purification, and a hatred of humankind

-Humanoid-fish who will trade one curse for another

-Fairy thieves who stole a vial of life-blood saturation, and are eager to get money for a mysterious purpose

Once the infection is cured, you either lose the Plague class entirely, and choose a new class to put your levels in, or you lose the "Infective" trait and permanently do no damage to your allies, being non-contagious but keeping your infection as a useful weapon. You will also become famous among the other Plagues. Kinder ones will come to you asking for your path to the cure, while more sinister plagues may attempt to assassinate you and take your secrets for themselves. If any of your allies receives a permanent infection, or becomes cursed with the plague, you have advantage on all checks to heal them. You become immune to infections, disease and the plague and have permanent immunity to poison damage, and the poisoned condition. Good job! Being cursed into becoming the plague class could allow you to cure yourself by killing the one who cursed you, this is up to the DM. Once cured, stats changed by becoming the Plague class revert (Not ability score improvements, the -2 CHA and -1 STR/DEX)

  • DMs who don't want their story massively changed for the sake of one player can instead say that "Infective" is simply not gained, and a player only gets the benefits of Cure.

Rapid movement[edit]

While dashing, you move three times as fast. You may disengage, hide or interact with items as a bonus action. You may ignore difficult terrain as a bonus action.

Purifier[edit]

Once cured, and at 20th level, you may choose this ability instead of Contaminator. Your body becomes a beacon of hope and healing, particularly for other Plagues. As an action, you may remove a curse, sickness, illness or other effect targeting someone you can see, and who is willing, this includes the Plague. As an action you may grapple a target and force them to be cleansed. The target must make a Constitution save (DC 15 + INT). If is an undead, construct, magical creation or illusion it takes 3d10 radiant damage, if it is a creature being mind-controlled, summoned or banished, that effect ends, if it is a Fiend it becomes paralyzed, otherwise, it must either lose one resistance or gain one vulnerability. This effect cannot target Celestials. Fey have advantage on the save.

Contaminator[edit]

At 20th level, your body has been destroyed beyond repair. Mentally damaged, physically weakened, you are beginning to lose what little hope you had left. Usually this is when the brain dies, and the Plague turns its user into a husk, but something inside you has kept you alive, despite everything. Do you still care about the ending? Do you wish to fade, decay and become a monster? And what happens to everyone once you finally rest and the plague awakens? Enough edginess and existentialism, here are the benefits

You have advantage on all attacks, and deal an extra dice of damage while targeting an opponent who is poisoned. When a creature within 5ft of you becomes poisoned, they also take 1d12 poison damage. Your "Reactive" feature cannot be disabled outside of combat, and cannot automatically allow those nearby you to succeed. Whenever "Reactive" activates, you must, if possible, choose a creature that failed the save and either poison them, or deal 1d12 poison damage to them. Your "Infectives" feature now applies both Madness and DM control. You gain an additional form of long-term madness every day, and an additional form of indefinite madness. The temporary hit points granted becomes 1, and recharges after every fight. When you roll to summon a spore servant, you roll 3d10 instead of 1d10. Creatures brought back to life by your effects also gain 1/4 of their maximum hp back, but revive poisoned. The DCs for your "Infective" feature's contact damage all increase by 5. When a living humanoid creature is killed by you, it revives in 1d10 days as an unconscious level 1 Plague. It will usually react poorly to you, since you killed it. Creatures that are resistant or immune to poison damage lose resistance or immunity when poisoned by you. Creatures with advantage on resisting the poisoned effect, or total immunity, lose it while within 30ft of you. When you poison a creature, the poison lasts 1 hour, or can be ended early if the target spends an action to re-roll their save. Creatures that are half-revived when you cure your plague ability will move to death saves instead of dying outright, if they revive in this way, they are considered cured of the Plague, but may gain 1 level in it if they wish. Finally, Contaminators are stupid and you shouldn't play them.

Ability Score Improvement[edit]

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.


Multiclassing[edit]

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Plague class, you must meet these prerequisites:

-CON 15 or higher

-No other class-based curses.

Alternatively[edit]

If you were cursed into becoming the Plague class, or killed and resurrected by a Plague you gain the following disadvantages:

-Your CHA score decrease by 2, and your choice of DEX or STR decreases by 1. However, your CON score increases by 1.

-You lose one level of your previous class, and gain one level of Plague. You may attempt to use abilities from your previous class with a DC 13 intelligence save. On a success, you may permanently use the ability as normal, on a failure, you take 1d6 acid damage and cannot use the effect for 1 minute.

-You gain the features "Explosive shot", "Vile being", "Infective" and "Cure", as well as normal level 1 abilities.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Plague class, you gain the following proficiencies:

-Choose two from Animal handling, Nature, Stealth, Survival

-Chose either Poisoner's kit or Disguise kit

-Simple weapons

You also gain 1 "Plauge-less" potion

4.00
(one vote)

Trivia[edit]

Should I have named this Class differently? Plague seems like a word that comes up too often. Maybe Pox, or Toxmaster or Huskborn or something. What do you think?

Also, you may have noticed that "Purifier" is erroneously in level 19 and not 20. This is to make sure every level looks like it has something, so I can pretend I know what I'm doing. Please do not edit this and correct it.

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