Hello everyone! I am back once again to provide a new subclass option for Clerics that my friend Tryp_Con_Station and I cooked up. This subclass focuses around the all to classic Plague Doctor aesthetic and how different transferal types can change how a Plagued cleric would spread it's curse. Now, intrinsically, the subclass has some bad connotations but it can be played with a more neutral style, allowing these clerics to act as judges and doctors to heal the ill and punish those that threaten peace. Plus it's cool so come on.
Now, as usual, feel free to create a character and playtest this idea out, just be sure to give credit where its due and tell me how I can further make this class better or more balanced.
~EDIT: This has been updated from a few playtests as well as some ideas from the community as of March 17th, 2020
Plague Domain:
Plague Domain Spells:
Cleric Level
Spells
1st
Grease, Ray of Sickness
3rd
Hold Person, Ray of Enfeeblement
5th
Conjure Animals, Stinking Cloud
7th
Blight, Sickening Radiance*
9th
Contagion, Insect Plague
~*(For those wanting to stick to the norm or don't have access to Xanathar's expanded spell list, can swap Sickening Radiance with Death Ward as a Domain Spell Thanks to user 6thLyranGuard for pointing the change out)
Bonus Proficiencies: Starting at 1st level, you gain proficiency with the Medicine skill and one of the following artisan's tools of your choice: Alchemists' Supplies or a Poisoner's Kit. Additionally, all Charisma-based checks are rolled at disadvantage, except for Intimidation.
Plague Worship: At 1st level, you cannot be affected by diseases, be poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage. Additionally, your body becomes a temple of your disease and how you transmit that plague will dictate later choices. Consult with your DM on exactly how you spread your divine magic and how your holy symbol is portrayed:
Airborne- All life requires air and all air requires a way to enter the body. Your body is a storehouse of infectious gases and simply breathing expels the toxins into the air around you to mingle and be drawn into another's breath. As an airborne transferal; you may breathe toxic gas or draw the air around you to form and pull the toxins from your pores. Your holy symbol may be a simple scarf, wrap, or even a plague doctor's mask to control the output
Fluid- Your body is full of fluids such as blood, sweat, stomach acid, and tears, but one of those houses the death and decay that can be spread to others. As a fluid-based transferal; you may cry tears of crimson death, sweat thick globs of rot, or harbor boils that contain disgusting ooze. Your holy symbol may be a handkerchief to safely wipe your fluids away, a pair of glasses to hide your eyes, or even a pot or jar to hold excess plagued waste in
Carriers- While there may not be a direct way for you to transfer your magic, there are hundreds of smaller living vessels that you seem to find or spawn easily that carry your disease. As a carrier-based transferal, you call upon the vermin, pests, and critters around you to pass your plague to others. Your holy symbol may be a simple cage, containing a dead or alive creature, or a small box that pours out insects and rats from its insides
Direct Contact- Most people wish for the warmth of a loved one or the touch of another person's company, but you hid yourself to avoid such exposure. As a contact-based transferal; you may have a rash on your arm that you constantly scratch or your hand may be withered to the point of being skeletal. Your holy symbol may be a simple glove, or a coat or other article of clothing, so you can safely interact with things without fear of passing your plague on accidently
Channel Divinity- Plague Carrier: Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to cause a plague to spread based on the choice you made with your Plague Worship feature. As an action, you can present or remove your holy symbol and cause an effect to happen based on your choice:
Winds of Plague: You create a 20 ft cone of diseased air that spreads from you and lasts a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). You can end the cloud earlier as a free action. Any creature that starts their turn in the cone must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 2d10 poison damage and is blinded until the end of their next turn. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage and isn't blinded. If a wind of moderate or greater speeds (at least 10 miles per hour) hits the cloud, it moves in the direction of the wind and decreases in size by 5 ft, until it disperses
Evisceration Plague: You launch a glob of infected fluid at any point within 30 ft of you. Upon impact, the glob creates a 10 ft radius puddle that sticks to any surface, wall, or person it touches and lasts a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). You can cause the puddle to disperse earlier as a bonus action. If the glob would impact a creature, they must make a Dexterity saving throw to initially avoid it. When a creature first comes into contact with the fluid and at the start of each of the creature's turns while it is touching the fluid, it takes 2d6 poison damage. Fluid touching a creature will cling to it until this effect ends. A creature can use their action to carefully scrape off the fluid from it, another creature, or a 5 ft surface without touching it
Creeping Death: You spawn or gather a small swarm of appropriate vermin, insects, or other parasites and command them briefly. The swarm takes up a 5 ft space and can move through other creature's spaces and into small spaces up to 1 inch wide. As part of the action spawning the swarm, you can move it up to a number of ft equal to your Wisdom modifier x 10 (minimum of 10 ft), after which, they disperse. If the swarm would come within 5 ft of a creature during its movement, you can have them attack. Make a spell attack against the creature. On a hit, they take 2d8 poison damage. You can only make one attack against a creature per swarm
Leprosy: You reach your hand out to one creature within 10 ft of you that you can see. You swiftly move to a spot within 5 ft of the chosen creature and touch it without provoking Opportunity Attacks. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 2d12 poison damage and is considered incapacitated until the start of its next turn. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage and is not incapacitated
Starting at 14th level, your Channel Divinity increases in power and the following changes occur:
Winds of Plague: The cloud of diseased air increases to a 30 ft cone and deals an additional 2d10 poison damage on a failed save
Evisceration Plague: You can summon three globs of infected fluid at a time and they deal an additional 2d6 poison damage
Creeping Death: You can now summon two swarms of carrier creatures at a time that can deal an additional 2d12 poison damage per attack
Leprosy: You can touch up to two creatures with this ability and deal an additional 2d8 poison damage on a failed save. The creatures must be within 10 ft of each other to be affected
Channel Divinity- Blessed are the Sick: At 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to force a target to succumb to illness or further succumb to your own illness to save those around you. Choose one of the following options when you gain this feature:
Morbid Devourer: Whenever you use your action to cast a cleric spell that affects at least one target, you can spend a use of your Channel Divinity to force one target that is influenced by your magic to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target shows signs of being afflicted with a plague like yours for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). While afflicted, the target is poisoned as well as affected by one of the following conditions of your choice: Blinded, Fatigued, Frightened, or be knocked Prone. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn to end this effect early
Morbid Angel: As an action, you can present your holy symbol and spend a use of your Channel Divinity to sacrifice your essence to save others. You take an amount of damage up to double your cleric level + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 3) to create a pool of healing power. With that pool, you can restore a number of Hit Points up to the amount of damage you took from this feature to any creature within 15 ft of you, besides yourself. You can use the points however you wish. Alternatively, you can spend 5 Points from the pool of healing to cure a target of one disease or poison affecting it. At the end of your turn, if you have any points in the pool remaining, you gain a number of temporary Hit Points equal to the remainder and the pool vanishes. You must have healed or cured at least one creature in order to gain these temporary Hit Points ~(This was suggested by username Xalthu)
Altar of Contagion: At 8th level, you are immune to poison damage and whenever you use your Channel Divinity or cast a cleric spell that deals poison damage, you ignore resistances to poison damage. Additionally, whenever you are hit with poison damage, you gain temporary Hit Points equal to half of the damage dealt.
Fealty to the Plague: Beginning at 17th level, whenever you reduce a creature to 0 Hit Points with a Channel Divinity feature or with one of your Plague Domain spells, a smaller version of your plague is manifested in the corpse and spreads according to your Plague Worship choice:
Winds of Plague: A target becomes bloated and releases a small cloud of diseased air in a 10 ft radius sphere around it that lasts until the end of your next turn. On a failed save, the cloud deals 2d10 poison damage or half as much on a failed save.
Evisceration Plague: A target ejects the fluids within them and creates a puddle of infected fluid in a 10 ft radius around them with the same properties as the original that deals 2d6 poison damage. This puddle lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1)
Creeping Death: A target breaks apart and becomes a small swarm of creatures that you can control as soon as it appears. This swarm can only travel a number of feet equal to your Wisdom modifier x 5 (minimum of 10 ft) and deals 2d12 poison damage per attack
Leprosy: A target becomes covered in sores, welts, and boils that disgusts all those around it. Every target within 5 ft of the corpse must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 2d8 poison damage and is poisoned until the end of their next turn. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage and isn't poisoned
This seems like a great idea! I always wanted to play a plague doctor-ish kind of character, but didn't know how. Definitely going to try it out. I like that you can pick a "subclass" within a subclass, it's so original. All of it seems pretty balanced as well.
One thing though, the Alter of Contagion seems a bit overpowered to me, the part where you gain health at least.
The class seems cool, but you know plague doctors were actually tying to stop the plague (granted some were charlatans, but by dark age standards, most were actual doctors). This seems like someone who's trying to start it. A plague bringer, not a plague doctor.
And while you say it can be a more neutrally played, all of the class abilities and domain spells say otherwise. It's designed to hurt people and only hurt people. I guess they can choose to help others through spell choices, but no more than any other cleric could. If you really want a neutral option, maybe thrown in cure wounds, restoration and lesser restoration as domain spells, so they could actually cure diseased people. Or give a channel divinity option that purges all disease and poison in a 30' radius.
@BigBoiLich Thank you! Creating the various plagues and having them all be unique was definitely one of the harder challenges with this build. Let me know how that plays out for you and what your character is like!
I find Alter of Contagion to act very similar to the Lightning/Fire Absorption feature from the Golems (Flesh and Iron respectively I think?) and any modestly intelligent NPC wouldn't use poison against the cleric again so I don't see it as too powerful, just something neat that can proct sometimes and gain a small benefit and since temp HP can't stack, even in a fight where a creature inherently deals poison dmg, it wouldn't amount to too much, but I can see the concern.
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"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
@Xalthu That's a valid point though it is modeled after the aesthetic of the plague doctor, not actual historical ones. The philosophy behind this class was that the character was taking on a plague and housing it within them, only spreading to those that deserved it (similar to Daedric Prince Peryite from Skyrim and to the Circle of Spores Druid from UA/Ravnica book) Cleric naturally gain access to all of those healing spells and granting free access to cure wounds and such kinda steps on the toes of the Life domain, so I'm alright with the domain spells being a bit more destructive as clerics sorta lack offensive spell options outside of select ones as their kit is more focused on utility.
I do like the idea of the purging disease/poison channel divinity though... Hm... I may make an addendum and add it as like an alternative option for those who want a more support style role (if that is acceptable to you), though I will consult with my friend first to see what he thinks.
Thank you for the feedback!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
Since Sickening Radiance is a 4th level spell, I'd recommend using a different 4th level spell as its alternative for GMs who don't want to use Xanathar's Guide Content- Bestow Curse is a 3rd level spell.
Giant Insects seems fitting.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Hello everyone! I am back once again to provide a new subclass option for Clerics that my friend Tryp_Con_Station and I cooked up. This subclass focuses around the all to classic Plague Doctor aesthetic and how different transferal types can change how a Plagued cleric would spread it's curse. Now, intrinsically, the subclass has some bad connotations but it can be played with a more neutral style, allowing these clerics to act as judges and doctors to heal the ill and punish those that threaten peace. Plus it's cool so come on.
Now, as usual, feel free to create a character and playtest this idea out, just be sure to give credit where its due and tell me how I can further make this class better or more balanced.
~EDIT: This has been updated from a few playtests as well as some ideas from the community as of March 17th, 2020
Plague Domain:
Plague Domain Spells:
~*(For those wanting to stick to the norm or don't have access to Xanathar's expanded spell list, can swap Sickening Radiance with Death Ward as a Domain Spell Thanks to user 6thLyranGuard for pointing the change out)
Bonus Proficiencies: Starting at 1st level, you gain proficiency with the Medicine skill and one of the following artisan's tools of your choice: Alchemists' Supplies or a Poisoner's Kit. Additionally, all Charisma-based checks are rolled at disadvantage, except for Intimidation.
Plague Worship: At 1st level, you cannot be affected by diseases, be poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage. Additionally, your body becomes a temple of your disease and how you transmit that plague will dictate later choices. Consult with your DM on exactly how you spread your divine magic and how your holy symbol is portrayed:
Channel Divinity- Plague Carrier: Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to cause a plague to spread based on the choice you made with your Plague Worship feature. As an action, you can present or remove your holy symbol and cause an effect to happen based on your choice:
Starting at 14th level, your Channel Divinity increases in power and the following changes occur:
Channel Divinity- Blessed are the Sick: At 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to force a target to succumb to illness or further succumb to your own illness to save those around you. Choose one of the following options when you gain this feature:
Altar of Contagion: At 8th level, you are immune to poison damage and whenever you use your Channel Divinity or cast a cleric spell that deals poison damage, you ignore resistances to poison damage.
Additionally, whenever you are hit with poison damage, you gain temporary Hit Points equal to half of the damage dealt.
Fealty to the Plague: Beginning at 17th level, whenever you reduce a creature to 0 Hit Points with a Channel Divinity feature or with one of your Plague Domain spells, a smaller version of your plague is manifested in the corpse and spreads according to your Plague Worship choice:
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
Definitely going to try this
Please do! tell me how it operates and any tweaks I can do to make it better! I'd love to hear about it!
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
This seems like a great idea! I always wanted to play a plague doctor-ish kind of character, but didn't know how. Definitely going to try it out. I like that you can pick a "subclass" within a subclass, it's so original. All of it seems pretty balanced as well.
One thing though, the Alter of Contagion seems a bit overpowered to me, the part where you gain health at least.
Will definitely give it a try!!
The class seems cool, but you know plague doctors were actually tying to stop the plague (granted some were charlatans, but by dark age standards, most were actual doctors). This seems like someone who's trying to start it. A plague bringer, not a plague doctor.
And while you say it can be a more neutrally played, all of the class abilities and domain spells say otherwise. It's designed to hurt people and only hurt people. I guess they can choose to help others through spell choices, but no more than any other cleric could. If you really want a neutral option, maybe thrown in cure wounds, restoration and lesser restoration as domain spells, so they could actually cure diseased people. Or give a channel divinity option that purges all disease and poison in a 30' radius.
@BigBoiLich Thank you! Creating the various plagues and having them all be unique was definitely one of the harder challenges with this build. Let me know how that plays out for you and what your character is like!
I find Alter of Contagion to act very similar to the Lightning/Fire Absorption feature from the Golems (Flesh and Iron respectively I think?) and any modestly intelligent NPC wouldn't use poison against the cleric again so I don't see it as too powerful, just something neat that can proct sometimes and gain a small benefit and since temp HP can't stack, even in a fight where a creature inherently deals poison dmg, it wouldn't amount to too much, but I can see the concern.
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
@Xalthu That's a valid point though it is modeled after the aesthetic of the plague doctor, not actual historical ones. The philosophy behind this class was that the character was taking on a plague and housing it within them, only spreading to those that deserved it (similar to Daedric Prince Peryite from Skyrim and to the Circle of Spores Druid from UA/Ravnica book) Cleric naturally gain access to all of those healing spells and granting free access to cure wounds and such kinda steps on the toes of the Life domain, so I'm alright with the domain spells being a bit more destructive as clerics sorta lack offensive spell options outside of select ones as their kit is more focused on utility.
I do like the idea of the purging disease/poison channel divinity though... Hm... I may make an addendum and add it as like an alternative option for those who want a more support style role (if that is acceptable to you), though I will consult with my friend first to see what he thinks.
Thank you for the feedback!
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
Since Sickening Radiance is a 4th level spell, I'd recommend using a different 4th level spell as its alternative for GMs who don't want to use Xanathar's Guide Content- Bestow Curse is a 3rd level spell.
Giant Insects seems fitting.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
@6thLyranGuard Oh shoot I did not notice that. Thanks for pointing that out! I'll replace it with Death Ward then
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
Thats ALOT of channel divinities
This is one of those "Choose one for life" type of decisions so it seems a lot at first but managable
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
I can’t seem to find This on the d&d beyond homebrew list