Blood Worm

Blood Worm Infection: These parasites are spread by attacks from a variety of aberrations or stage 4 afflicted individuals who usually are forced to attack others.  The worms enter the bloodstream as extremely small worms, but grow in length to incredible sizes.  The worms consist of eating the blood cells of individuals.  Eventually the worms reach such massive size that they are able to move the body parts of the recently deceased.  They usually then attempt to violently attack others to spread themselves.  The incubation time of bloodworms is 1 week.  This is the time it takes for the disease to progress 1 phase, as well as the time it takes to regress 1 phase.  At the end of each week, the player makes a constitution saving throw DC 15 con saving throw.  If they fail, they progress to the next phase, and if they succeed they regress 1 phase and will continue to regress 1 phase automatically until they are cured.  The symptoms per phase are as follows.

Phase 1:  The worm have reached the bloodstream and start feasting. Individuals usually feel a little tired.  You feel fatigued and fatigued and develop exhaustion twice as quickly.  All rolls to prevent gaining exhaustion are at disadvantage.  

Phase 2:  The worm has grown in size and individuals start feeling very tired.  Occasionally you get an uncomfortable feeling, usually in your hands or feet.  You always have 1 lvl of exhaustion.

Phase 3:  The worm is large enough to feel constantly in your limbs.  Your exhaustion is crippling, to the point that you always have 3 levels of exhaustion.  

Phase 4:  You die due to lack of blood cells.  Immediately after your death, the worm puppets your body to attack others.  Your body becomes a blood worm zombie with hp equal to your max hp. 

To cure someone of bloodworms magically, you must first make a medicine check DC 15 to determine if you have the knowledge required.  One non-magical cure is heat.  If a person takes half their hit points in fire damage per day for a week, they will automatically succeed their con saving throw to determine the disease progression.  This knowledge requires a DC 20 medicine check to uncover.  

If you are ever cured of blood worms, you feel tired for the next month, and occasionally get uncomfortable itches.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage, and the bloodworm bites and prepares to inject its larva into the target.  The worm is attached to the target and only can be removed by using an action to pull it off or killing it. While attached to the creature, it can use the inject spawn action. The DC is 15 to pull off the target.  If the creature is killed, everyone within 5 feet must make a DC 5 con saving throw or be infected with bloodworm larva as the adult worm explodes with larva.  If infected, the first signs will present within 1 weeks time. If fire damage is done to either the worm or the target, the worm will willingly fall off the target as a reaction.  Additionally, if fire is used to kill the blood worms they will not explode in a larval burst.   

Inject Spawn:  Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or infected with blood worms.  The first signs will present themselves in a weeks time.  

Flee:  If the worm ever takes fire damage or a target it is attached to does, it will drop off the target and flee its full movement away.