Cleric: Plague Domain

Mortals have long viewed plague and disease as instruments of the gods, a means for them to enact their will upon the material plane. While some gods of this domain (such as Morigon, Talona and Incabulos) represent the death and suffering a plague can bring, others (Diancecht, Pelor, Eir and Mishakal) are gods of healing that treat the sick and heal them of their afflictions. Some gods (Apollo or Sekhmet) embody both aspects simultaneously and are known to inflict or cure disease as they see fit.

Clerics of the Plague domain embrace this duality, as notorious for stemming disease as they are for spreading it. They can be a great blessing in times of pestilence, or a terrible curse in the wake of their deity's wrath.

Plague Domain Features

Cleric Level Feature 1st Domain Spells, Blessing of Malady, Plague Doctor 2nd Channel Divinity: Unleash the Plague 6th Black Death 8th Potent Spellcasting 17th Harbinger of Pestilence

Domain Spells

You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed in the Plague Domain Spells table. See the Divine Domain class feature for how domain spells work.

Plague Domain Spells

Cleric Level Spells 1st Detect Poison and Disease, Ray of Sickness 3rd Lesser Restoration, Ray of Enfeeblement 5th Feign Death, Stinking Cloud 7th Aura of Purity, Blight 9th Cloudkill, Contagion

Blessing of Malady

When you choose this domain at 1st level, your deity grants you the power to protect yourself from sickness while inflicting it upon others:

You are immune to disease.

You know the Infestation and Poison Spray cantrips, which count as cleric cantrips for you and do not count against the number of cleric cantrips you know.

Plague Doctor

Also at 1st level, you can imbue your healing with the purifying magic of your deity. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points to one or more creatures, you can purge one poison or disease from each creature affected by the spell. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

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Channel Divinity: Unleash the Plague

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to afflict your foes with terrible sickness.

As a reaction when you magically deal poison or necrotic damage to a creature within 30 feet of you, you can use your Channel Divinity to infect it with one of the following diseases of your choice. The disease lasts for a number of days equal to half your cleric level. The target also makes a Constitution saving throw each time it finishes a long rest, ending the disease on a success.

During combat, an afflicted creature can attempt to resist the effects of the disease by making a Constitution saving throw at the start of its turn. On a successful save the effects of the disease are suppressed for one minute, or until you deal poison or necrotic damage to the creature on your turn.

A creature is unaffected by this feature if it is already suffering from a disease. Once a creature has been subjected to Unleash the Plague, it is immune to further uses of this feature for 24 hours.

Atrophy. The target has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks that use Strength or Dexterity.

Lethargy. The target's speed is halved and it cannot take reactions.

Migraine. The target has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks that use Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma. It also has disadvantage on any saving throw it makes to maintain concentration on a spell or similar effect.

Nausea. The target has disadvantage on saving throws against poison, as well as any saving throw it makes to avoid regurgitation or similar effects.

Necrosis. Whenever the target takes necrotic or poison damage, including the triggering damage, its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the disease is cured. Additionally, whenever it fails a saving throw against this feature the target takes 1d6 necrotic damage.

Psychosis. The target gains a random form of Indefinite Madness that lasts until the disease is cured. During combat, if a creature moves 5 feet or more while within the target's reach, it must use its reaction to make a melee attack against that creature.