The Infection

"I never really saw anything like it before. Acid-spewing pustules grew all over her body, a cancerous mass of flesh covered her left arm... when two fist sized cysts on her back burst open and spawned two gnashing, chitinous things, I knew we were dealing with something from beyond the inner planes. She ran away before we could capture her, though, laughing as we were all suddenly overcome with paralysis, burning lungs, or blindness. Pity. Would have loved to see her inner workings." – Ava, tiefling pathologist.

A sentient disease from the Far Realm, who found the perfect host in a curious mortal that looked where he shouldn't have. The remains of a forgotten, dead deity of rot and disease, latching on to a wandering adventurer that was exploring an ancient temple. The culmination of an experiment conducted by a mad mage that went horribly wrong, or perhaps horribly right.

The Infection is a corrupt force that warps the body of its host, turning them into something monstrous.  Most of the poor souls afflicted by this malady would like nothing more than to be rid of such a painful, horrifying burden. A few, however, can become tempted by the powerful arcane secrets that the living pathology whispers in their ears...

Expanded Spell List

The Infection lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Infection Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	false life, grease
2nd	acid arrow, web
3rd	animate dead, stinking cloud
4th	black tentacles, phantasmal killer
5th	contagion, insect plague

Monstrous Body

Beginning at 1st level, the presence of your patron in your body twists and deforms you, reflecting the corrupt nature of the force that is feeding on your life essence.

You gain one Cancerous Growth of your choice, which are detailed under “Cancerous Growths” below. You can gain an additional Growth of your choice at 6th, 10th, and 14th Warlock level. Each time you choose a Growth, you can also replace one that you already have with a different one.

Life Leech

Starting at 6th level, your patron has whispered to you the secrets of stealing the vitality of your enemies.

Once per short rest, after successfully damaging a single target, you can choose to regain hit points equal to half of the amount of damage that was inflicted.

At level 14th, you can do this twice per short rest.

Explosive Tumor

Starting at 10th level, you learn how to manipulate your patron's virulent pathogens to cause your enemies great pain.

As an action, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 ft. of you that is not a construct or elemental. On a hit, a grotesque tumorous growth appears on the target. While it remains on the creature, you can use a bonus action to make the tumor explode, making the target suffer 8d6 points of necrotic damage, and all creatures within 5 ft. of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw with the DC equal to your spell save DC due to the acidic pus ejected by the ruptured tumor. They take 2d8 points of acid damage on a failed save, and half as much on a successful one.

The tumor remains attached to the creature for a number of days equal to your Charisma modifier, after which it withers and disappears. Once every day after the day of the infection, the target must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to your spell save DC. On a success, the tumor necroses and falls off, dealing 2d6 points of necrotic damage to the target. A Medicine check with a DC equal to your spell save DC can remove the tumor without causing any damage to the target. Any spells, effects, or abilities that cure diseases can remove the tumor without causing any damage to the target.

If you have the Grasping Tentacle Cancerous Growth, the reach of this feature is 10 ft. If you have the Arm Blades Cancerous Growth, you can use this feature as a bonus action after a successful unarmed strike.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier per long rest, to a minimum of one. A missed attack counts as a use of this feature. You can only infect one person at a time.

Epidemic

Starting at 14th level, you learn how to spread the most insidious elements of your patron, brewing different types of noxious viruses and bacteria in your body in order to unleash them on your enemies.

Once per long rest, you can use your Action to disseminate these pathogens in the air, forcing up to 10 creatures within 30 ft. of you to make a Constitution saving throw. For each target, roll a d8 to determine the effect.

1. On a failed save, the target suffers 1d6 acid damage at the start of each of its turns. At the end of each of its turns, it can repeat the Constitution saving throw. It ends the effect after it succeeds three times.

2. On a failed save, the target suffers 1d6 poison damage at the start of each of its turns. At the end of each of its turns, it can repeat the Constitution saving throw. It ends the effect after it succeeds three times.

3. On a failed save, the target suffers 1d6 necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns. At the end of each of its turns, it can repeat the Constitution saving throw. It ends the effect after it succeeds three times.

4. On a failed save, the target spends its action on each of its turns retching and reeling. At the end of each of its turns, it can repeat the Constitution saving throw, ending the effect if it succeeds.

5. On a failed save, the target becomes Blinded. At the end of each of its turns, it can repeat the Constitution saving throw. It ends the effect after it succeeds three times.

6. On a failed save, the target becomes Poisoned. At the end of each of its turns, it can repeat the Constitution saving throw. It ends the effect after it succeeds three times.

7. On a failed save, the target becomes Paralyzed. At the end of each of its turns, it can repeat the Constitution saving throw, ending the effect if it succeeds.

8. The creature is affected by two effects. Roll twice more, rerolling any 8.

Cancerous Growths

These options are presented in alphabetical order.

Acidic Pustules

Large pustules filled with a yellowish-green liquid grow all over your body.

Whenever you suffer damage, you can use your Reaction to cause your acid-filled pustules to rupture, dealing 1d6 points of acid damage to the creature that damaged you. The damage increases to 2d6 at level 10th, and to 3d6 at level 14th.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier per short or long rest, to a minimum of one.

All-Seeing Eyes

A number of large, unblinking eyes grow somewhere in your body. You gain Blindsight out to a range of 15 ft.

As a bonus action, you can force your additional eyes to their limit. You gain Truesight out to a range of 15 ft. until the end of your turn. You must finish a long rest before you can use this bonus action again.

Arachnid Legs

Large arachnid legs sprout out of your body. You gain a climbing speed of 30 ft., and as your new legs are doing most of the work, your hands remain free while you climb.

Your new arachnid legs are also very fast, allowing you to quickly move out of danger. You can take the Dash action as a bonus action up to a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier per short or long rest, to a minimum of one.

Arm Blades

Two long, partially retractable bone blades grow out of your forearms.

You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolIs of your unarmed strikes, and they now deal 1d6 slashing damage. In addition, when you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike, you can make another unarmed strike as a bonus action.

The damage increases to 1d8 at level 10th.

Grasping Tentacle

A sinewy, flesh colored tentacle bursts out of your body. This appendage increases the range of your touch spells to 10 ft.

As an action, you can use your tentacle to make an unarmored strike against any creature within 10 ft. that are no more than one size larger than you. On a hit, the target is grappled. The normal rules for escaping the grapple and moving a grappled creature apply, and if you move more than 10 ft. away from the target without dragging it, the grapple ends.

While the target is grappled in this manner, any touch spells you cast on it automatically hit.

Gruesome Carapace

Your body becomes covered with hard, carapace-like scabs. As long as you are not wearing heavy armor, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC.

In addition, when you are hit with fire, cold, lightning, acid, poison, or necrotic damage, you can use your reaction  to make your carapace soak up some of the incoming damage. You gain resistance to the damage type suffered until the end of your next turn. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this reaction again.

Hideous Incubator

A large, semi-translucent egg-sac grows somewhere on your body, in which a horrid creature is incubating.

Once per long rest, you can use your action, to spawn one Horrid Spawnling. It appears in any free space of your choice within 5ft. of you. The Spawnling is friendly to you and your companions. Roll initiative for the Spawnling, which has its own turn. It obeys all your verbal commands. If you don't issue any commands to the Spawnling, it attacks the closest hostile creature to it, if possible. It disappears if its HP is reduced to 0, if you use an action to dismiss it, or after one hour.

HORRID SPAWNLING
Small aberration, neutral

Armor Class 10 (natural armor) plus your Charisma modifier.

Hit Points Three times your Warlock level, to a minimum of 5.

Speed 30 ft., climbing 30 ft. (when you reach Warlock level 10)

STR 5 (-3)         DEX 17 (+3)
CON 10 (+0)     INT 7 (-2)
WIS 10 (+0)      CHA 10 (+0)

Skills Stealth +5

Damage Immunities acid, poison

Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned

Senses darkvision 60 ft.

Languages understands the languages you speak, but can not speak

Actions

Acidic Spittle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 plus your Proficiency bonus to hit, range 30 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 3 acid damage, or 2d6 + 3 if your Warlock level is 10 or higher.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 plus your Proficiency bonus to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 3 piercing damage, or 2d4 + 3 if your Warlock level is 10 or higher.

Explode. All creatures in a 10 ft. radius of the Horrid Spawling must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 10 plus your Proficiency bonus). They take 2d6 points of acid damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much damage on a successful one. Afterwards, the Horrid Spawling is immediately reduced to 0 hit points. The damage increases to 4d6 points of acid damage when you reach Warlock level 10.

 

Paralyzing Spores

Long stems with spore-filled heads sprout all over your body.

As an action, you can disperse these spores. All creatures in a 10 ft. radius of you must make a Constitution saving throw, the DC being equal to your spell save DC. On a failed save, they become paralyzed until the end of your next turn. You can use this feature once per short or long rest.

Terrifying Visage

A horrifying deformity grows on your body. It could be something like a large cancerous mass, a vile necrotic wound, or a monstrous extra appendage.

You have advantage on all Charisma (Intimidation) checks whenever your deformity is visible.