Plague Mage by adonalsium

Plague Mage

Skaven Plague Priest of Clan Pestilens, Illustrated by Jon Cave

Plague Mage

Part 1 | Plague Mage

Izoni Thousand-Eyed, Illustrated by Eric Deschamps

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.

Deep in the forest, two elves have a hushed conversation, repeating oaths of safekeeping and guidance from generations before. After the elder of the two has been assured of the younger's loyalty, he gently extends a finger, upon which is a single fly, bloated with young. the fly quickly flies into the younger's hair, finding a welcoming home upon which it can birth many children. Soon, they younger would train in the uses of the flies in war and in art.

Diseased Power

Plague Mages pull their power from the various different diseases their bodies are afflicted with. Through this, the various microorganisms that create diseases fuel their spells, and let them cast through their symptoms. Plague Mages require both extreme vigor to survive their afflictions, and the expertise to balance their symptoms, while ensuring that they never properly recover from an infection.

Creating a Plague Mage

As you create your Plague Mage, think about how your Plague Mage got their abilities. Most mages gain their spells and afflictions from a center of learning. However, there are many wandering Mages incubating various experimental strains around the countryside who take on apprentices.
The life of a Plague Mage is a lonely one, with many choosing to seal themselves off in order to protect others. What made your character willing to sacrifice their health in order to gain power? Who taught you how to channel your abilities? Why are you venturing out into the world?

Quick Build

Vou can make a Plague Mage quickly by following these suggestions. First. Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Hermit background. Third. choose the cantrips Acid Splash, Infestation and Mage Hand along with the 1st-level spells Burning Hands, Charm Person, Chromatic Orb, Exacerbate, Mage Armor and Magic Missile

Class features

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Plague Mage level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Plague Mage level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: none
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: Healer's Kit

Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Medicine. Choose one from Arcana, History, Insight, and Religion.

Equipment

(a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
a Healer's Kit
(a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

Spellcasting

As a Plague Mage, your body contains arcane magics which manifest themselves as castable symptoms of your 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.

Wirewood Symbiote, Illustrated by Yohann Schepacz

The Plague Mage

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Afflictions Known	Cantrips 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	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1	3	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	—	2	3	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	Internal Expert	2	3	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	—	3	3	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	3	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
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	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
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	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	6	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
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
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	7	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Plague Master	7	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Prepared Spells

At 1st level, you contain six 1st-level Plague Mage spells of your choice. Your body is the repository of the spells and cantrips you know.

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.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Plague Mage spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Rush of Blood, Illustrated by Cynthia Sheppard

Spellcasting Ability

Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your Plague Mage spells, since you learn your spells through enduring illnesses. You use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Plague Mage spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Ritual Casting

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.

Spellcasting Focus

You are your Arcane Focus for any spells that reference or require an Arcane Focus.

Spellflesh

At first level, your body contains 6 1st-level Plague Mage spells of your choice. Every time you gain a level, you may add a spell of an appropriate level to your body. In addition, you may swap a spell you previously contained for another spell of an appropriate level.

Afflictions

Afflictions are particularly powerful diseases or infections that manifest strange effects when incubated in a Plague Mages body. As you level up, you will gain Afflictions as in the Plague Mage Table. All Afflictions come with a drawback. Much of a Plague Mages work is balancing the various drawbacks of their diseases. Drawbacks can be applied to enemies, and can be cured by a restoration or greater restoration spell.

Internal Expert

At 6th level, you gain advantage on all medicine checks that deal with your own body. All non-magical healing(including short rests) is accomplished twice as quickly, as long as you are awake for the majority of that time.

Plague Master

At 20th level, You truly understand your body, and how to make it function at peak efficiency. You get no downsides from all your afflictions.

Plague Tradition

Many mages have differing ways of using their body to cast. Some focus on their skin, Infusing their boils and blisters with arcane energy. Others focus on their blood , training until it flows at their will. Finally, some manipulate the microorganisms and parasites that reside within their person.

School of the Flesh

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

Erratic Mutation, Illustrated by Zoltan Boros and Gabor Szikszai

Charged Flesh

At 3rd level, your flesh starts to charge with arcane energies manifesting themselves as boils and zits. Whenever you take damage, you may spend a reaction to cast any prepared spell with a duration of a bonus action, move action or standard action. This still costs a spell slot and any material components the spell would normally cost.

Internal Arcanist

At 10th level, your expertise in your own flesh reaches a new level. You gain resistance to all of your spells that would deal you damage. At 18th level, this becomes immunity from all spells cast by you that would deal you damage.

False Flesh

At 14th level, whenever you would normally go to 0 hit points, you may instead cast off your flesh. It lands in an magically charged explosion, dealing 6d6 force damage to all others in a 30ft radius and flinging you 30ft in a direction of your choice. Casting off your flesh in this manner is extremely painful, putting your current and Maximum hit points to 1. This can be done once a week, and resetting your hit points can be done either through a week's rest, or a greater restoration.

School of the Blood

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.

Blood Magic

At 3rd level, your blood starts to respond to your arcane power. This allows you to manipulate it to heal comrades and purge them of infection.
As an action, you may touch a creature and spend any number of your hit points to give half that number to a creature. Alternatively, you can cycle your blood through a creature and purge them of any poisons or infections. This costs 10 hit points. If that creature is unwilling, they must make a constitution saving throw against your Plague Mage spell save DC. If they succeed, they keep any poisons or diseases.

Bloody Magic

at 10th level, you can extend your blood out of your body. Whenever you make a ranged spell attack, you may infuse your blood into that attack. if you do, you lose 1 hit point, and that attack deals an extra 1d6 poison damage. This damage goes up to 2d6 at 15th level.

Quicken Blood

at 14th level, you can extend your control of blood to purge the veins of a wounded enemy. As an action, you may select one creature that has taken damage within 30 feet, and force its blood to pour out of its wounds. That enemy must make a constitution saving throw against 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 done once per long rest.

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 swarm deals damage, that enemy must make a Constitution saving throw. If they fail, the swarm gives the drawback of an Affliction of the Host Mage's choice to the damaged enemy. This drawback appears at the start of that enemies next turn. At 18th level, the number of drawbacks your swarm can inflict with an attack increases to 2. These cannot be the same affliction.

Strengthened Swarm

At 14th level, your summoned creatures grow more powerful. All creatures summoned by you gain +2 to Hit and deal an extra 1d6 poison damage.

Afflictions

If an Affliction has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the Affliction at the same time you learn the prerequisites. Many of these Afflictions have drawbacks that provide a cost to the benefit of the Affliction. If two or more afflictions require you to pay the same cost, you must pay that cost for each Affliction.

Fluid Accumulation

Prerequisite: School of the Flesh feature

As a reaction, when you take damage, you may have your skin burst in a shower of pus and gas. Each creature within 5 ft must make a dexterity save against your Plague Mage spell save DC or take 1d6 acid damage. This damage goes up to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 17th level.

Agressive Flesh

Prerequisite: School of the Flesh feature, 5th level

Whenever you take the Attack action, you can attack twice instead of once

Bloodborne

Prerequisite: School of the Blood feature

Whenever a creature ingests part of your blood(successful bite attack or otherwise), it must make a constitution saving throw against your Plague Mage spell save DC or take 5d8 poison damage.

Geralf's Mindcrusher, Illustrated by Steven Belledin

Malleable Blood

Prerequisite: School of the Blood feature

As an hour-long ritual, you can turn your blood into the blood of any other humanoid. At 11th level, you can turn your blood into the blood of creature with blood.

Thickened Blood

Drawback: -2 to Dexterity

Your blood is thickened and harder to get through, weakening your reaction speed, but heightening your defense. You gain +2 Natural Armor Bonus to AC.

Scabbed Skin

Drawback: -2 to Perception checks, -4 to Concentration checks

Whenever you are dealt damage, you may subtract one from that damage. This cannot reduce damage dealt below 0.

Hyper-sesnsitive Skin

Drawback: -6 to Concentration checks

+2 to perception checks, you have advantage on initiative rolls and cannot be suprised except while unconcious.

Ocular growths

Prerequisite: 9th level
Drawback: Eyes start to grow over your body, making you more vulnerable. Every enemy has a tripled chance to land a critical hit

You have advantage on initiative and perception checks and cannot be suprised except while unconcious.

Rabies

Drawback: -4 to Intelligence, you cannot concentrate on spells

You have advantage on Strength checks and Saving throws. You gain a bite attack dealing 1d6 poison damage. On a successful hit, the opponent must make a Constitution saving throw against your Plague Mage spell save DC. If they fail, they gain this Affliction.

Bloodied Blade

Drawback: You calculate Max Hit Points as though your constitution modifier was halved(rounded down)

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

Prerequisite: 11th level
Drawback: -4 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. you cannot cast or concentrate on spells

You gain +4 to your strength. This cannot cause your strength to go above 20. You gain the Powerful Build trait, which doubles your carrying capacity. You grow a pair of horns, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Whooping Cough

Drawback: -4 to athletics.

Once per long rest, you can cough out a cloud of gas. Everyone within a 15-ft cone must make a Constitution saving throw against your Plague Mage Spell Save DC, or spend their next turn coughing.

Werewolf Syndrome

Drawback: Your extra hair requires an hour of care after each long rest, or it becomes thick and matted. If it is matted, you lose 10ft of movement speed due to it constraining you.

You gain extra-thick hair coating your body. This gives a +2 Natural Armor bonus.

Calcified Skin

Drawback: lose 10ft of movement speed. Your skin starts to harden and gains a white tinge.

Gain a +2 natural armor bonus to AC. This Affliction can be taken multiple times. If your movement speed is ever put to 0 or lower as a result of this affliction, you are permanently paralyzed.

Gum Disease

Drawback: Your teeth start to rot and smell. Charisma checks with people within 10 ft are made with disadvantage.

You can spit your rotting teeth out as projectiles, using your Plague Mage spell attack modifier. These teeth have a range of 60 feet and deal 1d4 + constitution piercing damage. If you have a bite attack, you may have the teeth deal damage based on your bite attack instead of the 1d4 piercing. You start out with 32 teeth, and at the end of each long rest, you regenerate 4 teeth. You can spit out 1 tooth per round at 1st level, 2 teeth at 5th level, 3 teeth at 11th level, and 4 at 17th level.

Rush of Blood, Illustrated by Cynthia Sheppard

Plague Mage Spells

Cantrips (0 Level)

Acid Splash
Booming Blade
Green Flame Blade
Infestation
Light
Mage Hand
Magic Stone
Poison Spray
Prestidigitation
Thunderclap

1st Level

Absorb Elements
Burning Hands
Catapult
Charm person
Cromatic Orb
Color Spray
Exacerbate^PM
Expeditious Retreat
False Life
Feather Fall
Fog Cloud
Grease
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Shield
Sleep
Thunderwave

2nd Level

Acid Arrow
Aganazzar’s Scorcher
Alter Self
Blindness/Deafness
Blur
Crown Of Madness
Darkness
Darkvision
Dragon’s Breath
Flock of Familiars
Gust of Wind
Magic Weapon
Mirror Image
Misty Step
Purify Food and Drink
Ray of Enfeeblement
Scorching Ray
See Invisibility
Shatter
Web

3rd Level

Animate Dead
Bestow Curse
Blink
Chain Sickness^PM
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Enhance Rage^PM
Erupting Earth
Fear
Feign Death
Fireball
Flame Arrows
Fly
Gaseous Form
Haste
Life Transference
Lightning Bolt
Melf’s Minute Meteors
Phantom Steed
Protection from Energy
Sending
Conjuration
Slow
Stinking Cloud
Summon Lesser Demon
Thunder Step
Tidal Wave
Tongues
Vampiric Touch
Wall of Water
Water Breathing

4th Level

Arcane Eye
Banishment
Black Tentacles
Blight
Charm Monster
Confusion
Conjure Minor Elementals
Control Water
Dimension Door
Faithful Hound
Ice Storm
Polymorph
Sickening Radiance
Stone shape
Stoneskin
Storm Sphere
Summon Greater Demon
Vitriolic Sphere
Wall of Fire
Warp Flesh^PM
Watery Sphere

5th Level

Arcane Hand
Cloudkill
Cone of Cold
Conjure Elemental
Contact Other Plane
Control Winds
Danse Macabre
Dominate Person
Enervation
Far Step
Geas
Hold Monster
Immolation
Infernal Calling
Modify Memory
Negative Energy Flood
Planar Binding
Seeming
Skill Empowerment
Steel Wind Strike
Synaptic Static
Telekinesis
Telepathic Bond
Wall of Force
Wall of Light

6th Level

Arcane gate
Chain Lightning
Circle of Death
Contingency
Create Homunculus
Create Undead
Disintegrate
Eyebite
Flesh to Stone
Flesh to Swarm^PM
Freezing Sphere
Globe of Invulnerability
Investiture of Flame
Investiture of Ice
Investiture of Stone
Investiture of Wind
Mass suggestion
Scatter
Sunbeam
True Seeing

7th Level

Crown of Stars
Delayed Blast Fireball
Etherealness
Finger of Death

Plane Shift
Power word Pain
Prismatic Spray
Reverse gravity
Symbol
Teleport
Whirlwind

8th Level

Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting
Antimagic Field
Clone
Control Weather
Dominate Monster
Feeblemind
Incendiary Cloud
Maddening Darkness
Maze
Mind Blank
Power Word Stun
Sunburst

9th Level

Astral Projection
Blade of Disaster
Foresight
Gate
Invulnerability
Mass Polymorph
Meteor Swarm
Power Word Kill
Prismatic Wall
Shapechange
True Polymorph
Wish

Spells tagged with the ^PM mark are Plague Mage only spells detailed next page.

Warped Physique, Illustrated by Karl Kopinski

Plague Mage Spells

Chain Sickness

3rd level, conjuration

Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Self (10-foot line)
Components: s
Duration: Instantaneous

You regurgitate a line of disgusting material, covering everyone within a 10-foot line. Each creature in the line must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 4d6 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Each creature who failed the saving throw must use their reaction to vomit in another direction of their choice. This deals 2d6 acid damage to everyone within that 10-foot line. Those damaged by the second vomit do not have to make a constitution saving throw.

Enhance Rage

3rd level, Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V S M(A drop of blood from a wolverine)
Duration: Concentration, 1 Hour

You reach into the mind of one creature within range, filling them with unfocused rage. That creature must make a Intelligence saving throw. If they fail, during each of that enemies turns, they must move to the closest creature and take the attack action. If two creatures are equally close, that creature may choose which to move towards. Each of their attacks are made with advantage. At the end of each turn, they may repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.

The Plague Mage Class is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Exacerbate

1st level, Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V S M(An improperly treated zit)
Duration: Instantaneous

You reach into the body of one creature within range, worsening their condition. If they are poisoned, they take 2d4 poison damage. If they are below 0 hit points and not stable, they take 1 death saving throw failure. If they are under any effects that cause a detrimental effect once per round(for example, Spirit Guardians), that effect happens when this spell is cast, and at it's normal time in the round.

Flesh to Swarm

6th level, Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Self
Components: V S M(one corpse of the swarm animal)
Duration: Concentration, 1 hour

This spell transforms you into a swarm of any nonmagical beast. This swarm is the same size as you. When the spell ends, the largest collection of that swarm returns to your shape.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7rd level spell slot, the duration is 1 day. When you use an 8th-level spell slot, the Duration is 1 month. When you use a 9th-level spell slot, the Duration is permanent, or as long as you keep concentration.

Warp Flesh

4th level, Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 Action
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, they take a -4 penalty to Strength, Dexterity or Constitution(chosen by you). This can be cured by a restoration or greater restoration spell.

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