D&D 5E - Homebrew - Class Plague Mage

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Skaven Plague Priest of Clan Pestilens, Illustrated by Jon Cave

Plague Mage
Izoni Thousand-Eyed, Illustrated by Eric Deschamps

Plague Mage
Deep inside an Anathemum, a man dressed in hooded
robes coughs, than smiles. His drawn-back lips reveal a
host of sores and zits covering his skin. As he looks down
at the phlegm in the sink, it starts to move. Slowly at first,
than building strength as it ambles around at the man's
mental commands. The man smiles. He's been incubating
this disease inside him for a few weeks, but now that he's
shown results, he can soon unveil it to his comrades.

The dawn breaks on the raucous sounds of battle. A large


woman wades into battle, every slash her opponents
dealing unleashing a burst of arcane energy that
decimates them, dealing more damage back than their
slashes could deal to her. Eventually, the sun sets, and the
woman sits down, her body having spent it's load of spells
on the bodies strewn across the battlefield.
Quick Build
Deep in the forest, two elves have a hushed conversation,
Vou can make a Plague Mage quickly by following these
repeating oaths of safekeeping and guidance from
suggestions. First. Constitution should be your highest
generations before. After the elder of the two has been
ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the
assured of the younger's loyalty, he gently extends a
Hermit background. Third. choose the cantrips Acid
finger, upon which is a single fly, bloated with young. the
Splash, Infestation and Mage Hand along with the 1st-level
fly quickly flies into the younger's hair, finding a welcoming
spells Burning Hands, Charm Person, Chromatic Orb,
home upon which it can birth many children. Soon, they
Exacerbate, Mage Armor and Magic Missile
younger would train in the uses of the flies in war and in
art.
Class features
Diseased Power Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Plague Mage level
Plague Mages pull their power from the various different Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
diseases their bodies are afflicted with. Through this, the Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your
various microorganisms that create diseases fuel their Constitution modifier per Plague Mage level after 1st
spells, and let them cast through their symptoms. Plague
Mages require both extreme vigor to survive their
Proficiencies
afflictions, and the expertise to balance their symptoms, Armor: none
while ensuring that they never properly recover from an Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
infection. Tools: Healer's Kit
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Creating a Plague Mage Skills: Medicine. Choose one from Arcana, History, Insight,
and Religion.
As you create your Plague Mage, think about how your
Plague Mage got their abilities. Most mages gain their Equipment
spells and afflictions from a center of learning. However, (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
there are many wandering Mages incubating various a Healer's Kit
experimental strains around the countryside who take on (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
apprentices.
The life of a Plague Mage is a lonely one, with many
choosing to seal themselves off in order to protect others.
Spellcasting
What made your character willing to sacrifice their health As a Plague Mage, your body contains arcane magics
in order to gain power? Who taught you how to channel which manifest themselves as castable symptoms of your
your abilities? Why are you venturing out into the world? diseases. See Spells Rules for the general rules of
spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the Plague Mage
spell list.

Cantrips
At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from
the Plague Mage spell list. You learn additional Plague
Mage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in
the Cantrips Known column of the Plague Mage table.

Part 1 | Plague Mage


2
The Plague Mage
Proficiency Afflictions Cantrips
Level Bonus Features Known Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +2 Spellcasting 0 2 2 — — — — — — — —
2nd +2 — 1 2 3 — — — — — — — —
3rd +2 Plague School 1 2 4 2 — — — — — — —
Ability Score
4th +2 1 3 4 3 — — — — — — —
Improvement
5th +3 — 2 3 4 3 2 — — — — — —
6th +3 Internal Expert 2 3 4 3 3 — — — — — —
7th +3 — 3 3 4 3 3 1 — — — — —
Ability Score
8th +3 3 3 4 3 3 2 — — — — —
Improvement
9th +4 — 3 3 4 3 3 3 1 — — — —
10th +4 School Feature 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 — — — —
11th +4 — 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — —
Ability Score
12th +4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — —
Improvement
13th +5 — 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — —
14th +5 School Feature 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — —
15th +5 — 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 —
Ability Score
16th +5 6 4 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 —
Improvement
17th +6 — 6 4 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1
18th +6 School Feature 6 4 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1
Ability Score
19th +6 7 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1
Improvement
20th +6 Plague Master 7 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1

Prepared Spells You can change your list of prepared spells when you
finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Plague Mage
At 1st level, you contain six 1st-level Plague Mage spells of spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and
your choice. Your body is the repository of the spells and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make
cantrips you know. to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each
spell on your list.
Preparing and Casting Spells
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the
Plague Mage spell list.The Plague Mage table shows how
many spell slots you have to cast your Plague Mage spells
of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you
must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain
all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of spells that are available for you to
cast. To do so, choose a number of spells from your spells
known equal to your Constitution modifier + your Plague
Mage level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a
level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you’re a 3rd-level Plague Mage, you have
four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a
Constitution of 16, your list of prepared spells can include
six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you
prepare the 1st-level spell magic missile, you can cast it
using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell
doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

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Wirewood Symbiote, Illustrated by Yohann Schepacz
Rush of Blood, Illustrated by Cynthia Sheppard

Spellcasting Ability Afflictions


Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your Plague Afflictions are particularly powerful diseases or infections
Mage spells, since you learn your spells through enduring that manifest strange effects when incubated in a Plague
illnesses. You use your Constitution whenever a spell Mages body. As you level up, you will gain Afflictions as in
refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your the Plague Mage Table. All Afflictions come with a
Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for drawback. Much of a Plague Mages work is balancing the
a Plague Mage spell you cast and when making an attack various drawbacks of their diseases. Drawbacks can be
roll with one. applied to enemies, and can be cured by a restoration or
greater restoration spell.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
Constitution modifier
Internal Expert
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your At 6th level, you gain advantage on all medicine checks
Constitution modifier that deal with your own body. All non-magical
healing(including short rests) is accomplished twice as
Ritual Casting quickly, as long as you are awake for the majority of that
time.
You can cast a Plague Mage spell as a ritual if that spell has
the ritual tag and you are an appropriate level to cast that
spell. You don't need to have the spell prepared. Plague Master
At 20th level, You truly understand your body, and how to
Spellcasting Focus make it function at peak efficiency. You get no downsides
from all your afflictions.
You are your Arcane Focus for any spells that reference or
require an Arcane Focus.
Plague Tradition
Spellflesh Many mages have differing ways of using their body to
cast. Some focus on their skin, Infusing their boils and
At first level, your body contains 6 1st-level Plague Mage
blisters with arcane energy. Others focus on their blood ,
spells of your choice. Every time you gain a level, you may
training until it flows at their will. Finally, some manipulate
add a spell of an appropriate level to your body. In
the microorganisms and parasites that reside within their
addition, you may swap a spell you previously contained
person.
for another spell of an appropriate level.

School of the Flesh


Students of the Flesh wade into combat. Every time an
enemy strikes them, the flesh releases a spell.

4
Erratic Mutation, Illustrated by Zoltan Boros and Gabor Szikszai

Blood Magic
Charged Flesh At 3rd level, your blood starts to respond to your arcane
At 3rd level, your flesh starts to charge with arcane power. This allows you to manipulate it to heal comrades
energies manifesting themselves as boils and zits. and purge them of infection.
Whenever you take damage, you may spend a reaction to As an action, you may touch a creature and spend any
cast any prepared spell with a duration of a bonus action, number of your hit points to give half that number to a
move action or standard action. This still costs a spell slot creature. Alternatively, you can cycle your blood through a
and any material components the spell would normally creature and purge them of any poisons or infections. This
cost. costs 10 hit points. If that creature is unwilling, they must
make a constitution saving throw against your Plague
Internal Arcanist Mage spell save DC. If they succeed, they keep any poisons
At 10th level, your expertise in your own flesh reaches a or diseases.
new level. You gain resistance to all of your spells that
would deal you damage. At 18th level, this becomes Bloody Magic
immunity from all spells cast by you that would deal you at 10th level, you can extend your blood out of your body.
damage. Whenever you make a ranged spell attack, you may infuse
your blood into that attack. if you do, you lose 1 hit point,
False Flesh and that attack deals an extra 1d6 poison damage. This
At 14th level, whenever you would normally go to 0 hit
damage goes up to 2d6 at 15th level.
points, you may instead cast off your flesh. It lands in an
magically charged explosion, dealing 6d6 force damage to Quicken Blood
all others in a 30ft radius and flinging you 30ft in a at 14th level, you can extend your control of blood to
direction of your choice. Casting off your flesh in this purge the veins of a wounded enemy. As an action, you
manner is extremely painful, putting your current and may select one creature that has taken damage within 30
Maximum hit points to 1. This can be done once a week, feet, and force its blood to pour out of its wounds. That
and resetting your hit points can be done either through a enemy must make a constitution saving throw against
week's rest, or a greater restoration. your Plague Mage spell save DC. If it fails, it takes damage
equal to one third of the damage it has taken. This can be
School of the Blood done once per long rest.
The school of the Blood focuses on ranged combat and
utility. Students of the Blood stay to the backlines, using
powerful magic to slay their enemies and heal their
comrades.

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Equivalent Exchange
At 18th level, your mastery of blood has reached a point
where you can spend blood to cast incredibly efficiently.
Whenever you would spend hit points to cast a spell or
activate an ability, you may spend half the amount it would
normally cost.

School of the Host


The school of the Host focuses on the symbiotic
relationship between the Mage and the organisms that live
in or on them. They allow parasites to live with them, and
in return, the parasites serve the Mage's will.

First Parasites
At 3rd level, a Host Mage becomes the residence of a
swarm of parasites. This can be leeches, locusts,
mosquitos, lice, ticks, or any other parasitic insect. (These
use the stats for a Swarm of Insects in the Monster
Manual.) Whenever the swarm attacks, they add the Host
Mage's proficiency bonus to their attack. Their Host can
command them in the same way someone could control
their limbs. However, this requires concentration at a level
where the host cannot cast a spell on the same turn they
attack, or vice versa. The Host can directly control them as
an action. This allows the Host to see through any senses
the swarm has. The Host can do this for as long as the
swarm remains on the same plane as them. These
creatures count as a summoned creature for any effects
that effect summoned creatures.

Infectious Host
At 10th level, the swarm that The Host Mage carries gains
the effects of 1 of the afflictions they carry. Whenever the Fluid Accumulation
swarm deals damage, that enemy must make a Prerequisite: School of the Flesh feature
Constitution saving throw. If they fail, the swarm gives the
drawback of an Affliction of the Host Mage's choice to the As a reaction, when you take damage, you may have your
damaged enemy. This drawback appears at the start of skin burst in a shower of pus and gas. Each creature within
that enemies next turn. At 18th level, the number of 5 ft must make a dexterity save against your Plague Mage
drawbacks your swarm can inflict with an attack increases spell save DC or take 1d6 acid damage. This damage goes
to 2. These cannot be the same affliction. up to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 17th
level.
Strengthened Swarm
At 14th level, your summoned creatures grow more Agressive Flesh
powerful. All creatures summoned by you gain +2 to Hit Prerequisite: School of the Flesh feature, 5th level
and deal an extra 1d6 poison damage.
Whenever you take the Attack action, you can attack twice

Afflictions instead of once

If an Affliction has prerequisites, you must meet them to


Bloodborne
learn it. You can learn the Affliction at the same time you Prerequisite: School of the Blood feature
learn the prerequisites. Many of these Afflictions have
drawbacks that provide a cost to the benefit of the Whenever a creature ingests part of your blood(successful
Affliction. If two or more afflictions require you to pay the bite attack or otherwise), it must make a constitution
same cost, you must pay that cost for each Affliction. saving throw against your Plague Mage spell save DC or
take 5d8 poison damage.

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Prerequisite: 11th level
Malleable Blood Drawback: -4 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. you
Prerequisite: School of the Blood feature cannot cast or concentrate on spells

As an hour-long ritual, you can turn your blood into the You gain +4 to your strength. This cannot cause your
blood of any other humanoid. At 11th level, you can turn strength to go above 20. You gain the Powerful Build trait,
your blood into the blood of creature with blood. which doubles your carrying capacity. You grow a pair of
horns, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you
Thickened Blood hit with it, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 +
Drawback: -2 to Dexterity your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning
damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Your blood is thickened and harder to get through,
weakening your reaction speed, but heightening your Whooping Cough
defense. You gain +2 Natural Armor Bonus to AC. Drawback: -4 to athletics.

Scabbed Skin Once per long rest, you can cough out a cloud of gas.
Drawback: -2 to Perception checks, -4 to Concentration Everyone within a 15-ft cone must make a Constitution
checks saving throw against your Plague Mage Spell Save DC, or
spend their next turn coughing.
Whenever you are dealt damage, you may subtract one
from that damage. This cannot reduce damage dealt Werewolf Syndrome
below 0. Drawback: Your extra hair requires an hour of care after
each long rest, or it becomes thick and matted. If it is
Hyper-sesnsitive Skin matted, you lose 10ft of movement speed due to it
Drawback: -6 to Concentration checks constraining you.

+2 to perception checks, you have advantage on initiative You gain extra-thick hair coating your body. This gives a +2
rolls and cannot be suprised except while unconcious. Natural Armor bonus.

Ocular growths Calcified Skin


Prerequisite: 9th level Drawback: lose 10ft of movement speed. Your skin starts
Drawback: Eyes start to grow over your body, making you to harden and gains a white tinge.
more vulnerable. Every enemy has a tripled chance to land
a critical hit Gain a +2 natural armor bonus to AC. This Affliction can be
taken multiple times. If your movement speed is ever put
You have advantage on initiative and perception checks to 0 or lower as a result of this affliction, you are
and cannot be suprised except while unconcious. permanently paralyzed.

Rabies Gum Disease


Drawback: -4 to Intelligence, you cannot concentrate on Drawback: Your teeth start to rot and smell. Charisma
spells checks with people within 10 ft are made with
disadvantage.
You have advantage on Strength checks and Saving
throws. You gain a bite attack dealing 1d6 poison damage. You can spit your rotting teeth out as projectiles, using
On a successful hit, the opponent must make a your Plague Mage spell attack modifier. These teeth have a
Constitution saving throw against your Plague Mage spell range of 60 feet and deal 1d4 + constitution piercing
save DC. If they fail, they gain this Affliction. damage. If you have a bite attack, you may have the teeth
deal damage based on your bite attack instead of the 1d4
Bloodied Blade piercing. You start out with 32 teeth, and at the end of
Drawback: You calculate Max Hit Points as though your each long rest, you regenerate 4 teeth. You can spit out 1
constitution modifier was halved(rounded down) tooth per round at 1st level, 2 teeth at 5th level, 3 teeth at
11th level, and 4 at 17th level.
You frequently bleed, and coat your weapon in your own
blood. This affects any weapon you hold for longer than a
minute. Whenever you deal damage with this weapon, the
damaged must make a Constitution saving throw against
your Plague Mage spell save DC. If they fail, they take on
one of the drawbacks of an Affliction of your choice.

Mad Cow Disease

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Geralf's Mindcrusher, Illustrated by Steven Belledin
Rush of Blood, Illustrated by Cynthia Sheppard

Plague Mage Spells


Plane Shift
Cantrips (0 Level) 3rd Level 5th Level Power word Pain
Acid Splash Animate Dead Arcane Hand Prismatic Spray
Booming Blade Bestow Curse Cloudkill Reverse gravity
Green Flame Blade Blink Cone of Cold Symbol
Infestation Chain SicknessPM Conjure Elemental Teleport
Light Counterspell Contact Other Plane Whirlwind
Mage Hand Dispel Magic Control Winds
Magic Stone Enhance RagePM Danse Macabre 8th Level
Poison Spray Erupting Earth Dominate Person Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid
Prestidigitation Fear Enervation Wilting
Thunderclap Feign Death Far Step Antimagic Field
Fireball Geas Clone
1st Level Flame Arrows Hold Monster Control Weather
Absorb Elements Fly Immolation Dominate Monster
Burning Hands Gaseous Form Infernal Calling Feeblemind
Catapult Haste Modify Memory Incendiary Cloud
Charm person Life Transference Negative Energy Flood Maddening Darkness
Cromatic Orb Lightning Bolt Planar Binding Maze
Color Spray Melf’s Minute Meteors Seeming Mind Blank
ExacerbatePM Phantom Steed Skill Empowerment Power Word Stun
Expeditious Retreat Protection from Energy Steel Wind Strike Sunburst
False Life Sending Synaptic Static
Feather Fall Conjuration Telekinesis 9th Level
Fog Cloud Slow Telepathic Bond Astral Projection
Grease Stinking Cloud Wall of Force Blade of Disaster
Mage Armor Summon Lesser Demon Wall of Light Foresight
Magic Missile Thunder Step Gate
Shield Tidal Wave 6th Level Invulnerability
Sleep Tongues Arcane gate Mass Polymorph
Thunderwave Vampiric Touch Chain Lightning Meteor Swarm
Wall of Water Circle of Death Power Word Kill
2nd Level Contingency Prismatic Wall
Water Breathing
Acid Arrow Create Homunculus Shapechange
Aganazzar’s Scorcher 4th Level Create Undead True Polymorph
Alter Self Arcane Eye Disintegrate Wish
Blindness/Deafness Banishment Eyebite
Blur Black Tentacles Flesh to Stone
Crown Of Madness Blight Flesh to SwarmPM Spells tagged with the PM
Darkness Charm Monster Freezing Sphere mark are Plague Mage
Darkvision Confusion Globe of Invulnerability only spells detailed next
Dragon’s Breath Conjure Minor Elementals Investiture of Flame page.
Flock of Familiars Control Water Investiture of Ice
Gust of Wind Dimension Door Investiture of Stone
Magic Weapon Faithful Hound Investiture of Wind
Mirror Image Ice Storm Mass suggestion
Misty Step Polymorph Scatter
Purify Food and Drink Sickening Radiance Sunbeam
Ray of Enfeeblement Stone shape True Seeing
Scorching Ray Stoneskin
See Invisibility Storm Sphere 7th Level
Shatter Summon Greater Demon Crown of Stars
Web Vitriolic Sphere Delayed Blast Fireball
Wall of Fire Etherealness
Warp FleshPM Finger of Death
Watery Sphere
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Plague Mage Spells Exacerbate
1st level, Transmutation
Chain Sickness Casting Time: 1 Action
3rd level, conjuration Range: Touch
Casting Time: 1 Action Components: V S M(An improperly treated zit)
Range: Self (10-foot line) Duration: Instantaneous
Components: s You reach into the body of one creature within range,
Duration: Instantaneous worsening their condition. If they are poisoned, they take
You regurgitate a line of disgusting material, covering 2d4 poison damage. If they are below 0 hit points and not
everyone within a 10-foot line. Each creature in the line stable, they take 1 death saving throw failure. If they are
must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes under any effects that cause a detrimental effect once per
4d6 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage round(for example, Spirit Guardians), that effect happens
on a successful one. Each creature who failed the saving when this spell is cast, and at it's normal time in the round.
throw must use their reaction to vomit in another
direction of their choice. This deals 2d6 acid damage to Flesh to Swarm
everyone within that 10-foot line. Those damaged by the 6th level, Transmutation
second vomit do not have to make a constitution saving Casting Time: 1 Action
throw. Range: Self
Components: V S M(one corpse of the swarm animal)
Enhance Rage Duration: Concentration, 1 hour
3rd level, Transmutation
This spell transforms you into a swarm of any nonmagical
Casting Time: 1 Action beast. This swarm is the same size as you. When the spell
Range: 30 feet ends, the largest collection of that swarm returns to your
Components: V S M(A drop of blood from a wolverine) shape.
Duration: Concentration, 1 Hour
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
You reach into the mind of one creature within range, slot of 7rd level spell slot, the duration is 1 day. When you
filling them with unfocused rage. That creature must make use an 8th-level spell slot, the Duration is 1 month. When
a Intelligence saving throw. If they fail, during each of that you use a 9th-level spell slot, the Duration is permanent,
enemies turns, they must move to the closest creature and or as long as you keep concentration.
take the attack action. If two creatures are equally close,
that creature may choose which to move towards. Each of Warp Flesh
their attacks are made with advantage. At the end of each 4th level, Transmutation
turn, they may repeat the saving throw, ending the effect Casting Time: 1 Action
on a success. Range: Touch
Components: V S M(A freshly broken bone)
Duration: Instantaneous
You reach into the body of one creature within range,
warping their flesh into strange arrangements. That
creatures makes a Constitution saving throw. If they fail,
The Plague Mage Class is unofficial Fan Content they take a -4 penalty to Strength, Dexterity or
permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not Constitution(chosen by you). This can be cured by a
approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials restoration or greater restoration spell.
used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of
the Coast LLC.

Warped Physique, Illustrated by Karl Kopinski

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