Plague Bearer

Plague Bearers are the embodiment of the rats under the floorboards, the rustle in the trash, and the smell of a decaying corpse. Typically due to living on the streets, Plague Bearers have been able to adapt to the grime and dirt and disgust that surrounds them to their advantage.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Medicine if you don't already as well as the poisoner's kit. In addition, it takes you a quarter of the time and money to craft poisons and diseases.

Deadly Brew

Starting at 3rd level, your experience living in cesspools has let you gain some control over contagions. You can craft diseases with the poisoner's kit, which can be stored in vials and either thrown or applied to your weapons. Additionally, any creature who rolls Constitution to avoid your poison or diseases rolls with disadvantage.

You know two diseases from the list named Brewed Diseases below. You learn an additional recipe at 7th and 13th level. You can have a number of vials prepared equal to your proficiency bonus. Whenever you craft a brewed disease, you can craft up to your proficiency bonus in antidotes for that disease as well. When you throw a vial, the vial will break on impact and the contents within will disperse in a 10 foot radius dome centered on the point of impact. A creature can only be afflicted with one Brewed Disease at a time.

 

Brewed Diseases

Cackle Fever - When a creature inhales the fumes or drinks the liquid of this disease, symptoms develop 1d4 hours after. When the disease takes hold, the creature gains one level of exhaustion that can only be removed by curing the disease. If the creature experiences great stress (taking damage, entering combat, experiencing great fear, having nightmares), they are forced to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take 1d10 psychic damage and become Incapacitated, falling into uncontrollable laughter for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the save on the end of each of its turns or whenever it takes damage, ending the conditions as it regains composure. A creature who succeeds on the initial save cannot become infected for the next 24 hours, and the disease is cured.

 

Sewer Plague - When a creature inhales the fumes or drinks the liquid of this disease, they must make a Constitution saving throw or become infected. An infected gains symptoms after 1d8 hours, where it gains one level of exhaustion due to cramps and fatigue. In addition, the creature only regains half the normal number of Hit Points from spending Hit Dice and no Hit Points from finishing a Long Rest. At the end of each Long Rest, the creature makes another Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they gain another level of exhaustion. On a success, they lose one level of exhaustion. If a successful saving throw reduces the infected creature's level of exhaustion to 0, the creature recovers from the disease.

 

Bone Dance - When a creature inhales the fumes or drinks the liquid of this disease, they must make a Constitution saving throw or become infected. An infected gains symptoms at the beginning of its next turn. A creature infected by this disease has their movement is halved and they have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws and attack rolls that use Dexterity as they start convulsing in a seizure.

 

Short-Term Madness - When a creature inhales the fumes or drinks the liquid of this disease, they must make a Constitution saving throw or become infected. An infected gains symptoms immediately. Roll 1d100 on the Short Term Madness table on page 529 in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The infected gains the effects of the rolled result for the next 1d10 minutes and is cured after the duration. If the creature takes damage during the duration, they can make another Constitution saving throw to end the disease prematurely.

 

Slimy Doom - When a creature inhales the fumes or drinks the liquid of this disease, they must make a Constitution saving throw or become infected. An infected gains symptoms immediately. An infected begins to bleed uncontrollably. The creature has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws. In addition, whenever the creature takes damage, it is stunned until the end of its next turn. At the end of each of its turns it can make another Constitution saving throw to end the disease. Whenever the creature loses the stunned condition, they can immediately make a Constitution saving throw with advantage to end the disease.

 

Sight Rot - When a creature inhales the fumes or drinks the liquid of this disease, they must make a Constitution saving throw or become infected. An infected gains symptoms after 1 day. Symptoms include blurry vision, leading to a -1 to attack rolls and abilities that rely on sight. Every 8 hours, the penalty worsens by 1. When the penalty reaches -5, the victim is blinded until its sight is restored by magic such as lesser restoration or heal.

Immediate Effects

Starting at 9th level, you've slowly mastered the creation and administration of your diseases. Your diseases have reduced incubation times or receive additional effects. Look below at the list of additional effects or reduced incubation periods.

Cackle Fever - Symptoms start developing after 1d4 turns that have been taken in combat (total, not just the creatures), or immediately outside of combat.

Sewer Plague - Symptoms start developing after 1d8 turns that have been taken in combat (total, not just the creatures), or 1 minute outside of combat.

Bone Dance - The creature falls prone instead of having reduced movement, as the seizure becomes more advanced.

Short-Term Madness - Roll twice on the short-term madness table instead of once and choose one result.

Slimy Doom - The creature gains vulnerability to slashing damage during the disease, as the increased blood flow makes gashes and cuts significantly more lethal.

Sight Rot - Symptoms start developing after 1 minute, and at the beginning of each of its turns, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw or the condition worsens. The blindness can only be removed by greater restoration  or heal.

Nimble Dispensery

Starting at 13th level, you've subjected yourself to your own diseases enough. You gain immunity to disease and the poisoned condition. In addition, your combat prowess has heightened to a new level. You can now apply a poison or disease to your weapon as a bonus action, as well as throw a vial of disease or poison as a bonus action.

Ultimate Concoction

Starting at 17th level, you've created your Magnum Opus of diseases. You learn the Magnum Opus Brewed Disease listed below.


Magnum Opus

This disease is the cultivation of your hard work at bottling pure suffering. When a creature inhales the fumes or drinks the liquid of this disease, they must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature doubles over in pain after 1d4 turns that have happened since the disease was administered. They take necrotic damage equal to one roll of your sneak attack, gain two levels of exhaustion, and fall prone, succumbing to the toxins running in them. For the next minute, they take damage equal to half your sneak attack dice, rounded up, at the beginning of their turns. This effect can only end prematurely if given an antidote, or by the Greater Restoration spell. You can only have one vial of this disease on you at a time, as the ingredients are extremely rare, and you can only make one vial every day, but it doesn't count against your total vials you can have.