Plague Domain

Plague Domain clerics walk a grim and often misunderstood path. They revere the forces of decay, disease, and entropy not as mindless horrors, but as essential currents in the natural and spiritual world. Where others see sickness only as suffering, these clerics see opportunity: the old and stagnant are broken down, the proud are humbled, and from their decay new strength can be gathered. Some Plague Domain clerics serve deities who command pestilence and rot, spreading contagion as divine mandate; others follow gods who oversee cycles of death and rebirth, using disease as a tool to clear the way for renewal. A rare few are benevolent healers who believe that by harnessing controlled decay, they can strengthen communities through hardening trials—or spare them worse fates by taking the burden of rot upon themselves. Mechanically, these clerics wield debilitating magic that saps vigor, imposes weakness, and infects foes with supernatural ailments. Yet their powers are not purely destructive. Every bit of life they drain from an enemy can be stored as a resource, later released to mend allies or protect them with bolstering vitality. In battle, the Plague Domain cleric erodes the opposition steadily, creating a tide of attrition that turns enemy suffering into renewed strength for their companions. Though feared and often shunned, these clerics embody an undeniable truth: all things eventually rot, but from that rot springs the foundation for new life. Those who embrace the Plague Domain accept both sides of this cycle, serving as agents of dissolution and renewal in equal measure.

Domain Spells

3rd Level: Inflict Wounds, Bane
5th Level: Blindness/Deafness, Ray of Enfeeblement
9th Level: Vampiric Touch, Revivify
13th Level: Blight, Death Ward
17th Level: Cloudkill, Mass Healing Word

Plague Siphon

Your connection to disease allows you to drain strength from those you harm. Once per turn, when you deal necrotic damage with a cleric spell, you regain hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt. If you are already at full hit points, you instead gain one Vitality Charge.

You can hold a number of Vitality Charges equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one). A Vitality Charge represents stolen life force and can be spent by certain features of this domain.

Channel Divinity: Pestilent Drain

You can use Channel Divinity to sap life and spread weakness.

As an action, you target up to three creatures you can see within 30 feet. Each target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes necrotic damage equal to twice your cleric level and is Weakened until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, the target takes half damage and is not Weakened.

For each creature that fails the saving throw, you gain one Vitality Charge, up to your maximum.

The Weakened condition from this feature imposes disadvantage on the creature’s next attack roll or ability check.

Aura of Rot

You can radiate a corrupting aura that spreads infection. As a bonus action, you activate the aura, which lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it (no concentration required). You can use this feature once per long rest.

The aura extends 10 feet from you. Any creature hostile to you that starts its turn in the aura must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become Infected for 1 minute.

While Infected, the creature takes necrotic damage equal to your Wisdom modifier at the start of each of its turns. In addition, whenever the creature takes damage from any source, one ally of your choice within 30 feet of you gains temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier.

An Infected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the condition on a success.

Virulent Spellcasting

You add your Wisdom modifier to one necrotic damage roll of any cleric spell you cast.

Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with necrotic damage from a cleric spell, you gain one Vitality Charge, even if you are at full hit points.

Plague Crown

Plague Storm. Once per long rest, you can unleash a storm of rotting winds. As an action, choose a point you can see within 60 feet. A 20-foot-radius sphere of swirling necrotic energy erupts from that point. Each creature of your choice in the area must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 6d10 necrotic damage and becomes Infected, as described in the Aura of Rot feature. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and is not Infected.

After resolving damage, you and all allies within 30 feet of you gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage each creature took. Add all temporary hit point gains together, then apply the total once to each affected ally.

Life-Bound Reversal. When a creature you can see within 30 feet drops to 0 hit points, you can expend one Vitality Charge as a reaction. That creature regains hit points equal to twice your cleric level and does not fall unconscious. This feature cannot be used on a creature that has been dead for more than 1 minute or whose body is destroyed.