Path of the Plaguebearer

Many barbarians' natural resilience and constitution allows them to better resist the effects of disease. Barbarians who choose to weaponise this resistance walk the Path of the Plaguebearer, harbouring sickness within their bodies and unleashing them as they rage.

The first contagion contracted by such a barbarian may have been caught accidentally, deliberately sought out, or transmitted maliciously by an adversary. Whatever the origin, the followers of the Path of the Plaguebearer turn these afflictions into deadly weapons.

Blood Contagion

When you select this path at 3rd level, your body becomes the host for a debilitating contagion, which is unleashed when you rage.

You contract one contagion of your choice, which does not affect you. When you are hit by a melee attack while raging, you can use your reaction to inflict the attacker with one of your contagions. It must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, where the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier, or suffer the effects of the contagion. On a fail, the creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the creature no longer suffers the effects of the contagion, and on a fail the effect lasts until the end of your rage. The contagion does not affect undead or constructs. A creature can only be afflicted with one of your contagions at a time.

You contract an additional contagion of your choice at 6th, 10th, and 14th level. Each time you contract a new contagion, you can also replace one contagion with another of your choice.

Cacklepox

The creature is afflicted by bursts of uncontrollable laughter. It is unable to hide, cannot speak or cast spells with a vocal component, and falls prone at the end of each of its turns.

Starting at 10th level, while raging your first attack each turn against a creature suffering from Cacklepox deals an additional 1d6 psychic damage.

Eye Fog

The creature's vision becomes white and cloudy. It has disadvantage on ranged attacks and Perception checks, and ranged weapon attacks automatically miss beyond their normal range.

Starting at 10th level, while raging your first attack each turn against a creature suffering from Eye Fog deals an additional 1d6 poison damage.

Frostclutch

The creature's hands become ice cold and frost bitten. It has disadvantage on all melee attacks and rolls to avoid being disarmed.

Starting at 10th level, while raging your first attack each turn against a creature suffering from Frostclutch deals an additional 1d6 cold damage.

Infernal Fever

The creature is afflicted by an intense fever. It takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns, and has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws.

Starting at 10th level, while raging your first attack each turn against a creature suffering from Infernal Fever deals an additional 1d6 fire damage.

Knifejoint

The creature's joints become stiff and excruciatingly painful. It takes 1d4 piercing damage for each 15 feet it moves, and has disadvantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws.

Starting at 10th level, while raging your first attack each turn against a creature suffering from Knifejoint deals an additional 1d6 piercing damage.

Skincrawl

The creature's skin becomes unbearably itchy. It has disadvantage on concentration checks, and must make a DC10 concentration check at the end of every turn if it is concentrating on a spell.

Starting at 10th level, while raging your first attack each turn against a creature suffering from Skincrawl deals an additional 1d6 acid damage.

Soul Rot

The creature's skin is covered with dark necrotic spots. It has disadvantage on Charisma saving throws, an all healing it receives is halved.

Starting at 10th level, while raging your first attack each turn against a creature suffering from Soul Rot deals an additional 1d6 necrotic damage.

Thrumskull

The creature's head is wracked with tremors and it hears nothing but loud ringing. It is deafened, and has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws.

Starting at 10th level, while raging your first attack each turn against a creature suffering from Thrumskull deals an additional 1d6 thunder damage.

Withering Wilt

The creature's body becomes weak and frail. Its Strength score is reduced by an amount equal to your Constitution modifier, and it has disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

Starting at 10th level, while raging your first attack each turn against a creature suffering from Withering Wilt deals an additional 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

Vessel of Disease

At 3rd level, you gain immunity to diseases, and while raging you are resistant to poison damage. You also gain proficiency in Medicine.

Weaponised Sickness

At 6th level, you are able to imbue your attacks with the essence of disease. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee attack while raging, you can afflict it with one of your contagions.

Unrelenting Pestilence

At 10th level, you learn to further exploit the weakness inflicted by your contagions. When you make a melee attack while raging against a creature suffering from one of your contagions, you can add your rage damage bonus to the attack roll as well. Additionally, once per turn while raging, when you hit a creature afflicted with one of your contagions you deal an additional 1d6 damage according to the contagion it is suffering from. This damage is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Overwhelming Plague

At 14th level, the pestilence within you become even more virulent. Whenever you afflict a creature with a contagion, you can now afflict it with an additional contagion. The creature makes separate Constitution saving throws for each contagion. The extra damage from Unrelenting Pestilence applies to both contagions a creature is suffering from.

Additionally, you can spread your contagions between creatures. As an action, you can choose one creature up to 15 feet away from you that is suffering from at least one of your contagions. Choose one of the contagions it is currently suffering from. Each creature of your choosing within 10 feet of the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be afflicted by the contagion. You can use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to your Constitution modifier.