Plaguebringer

Plaguebringers are the chosen servants of Kalosh, devoted to spreading disease and pain throughout Migdalia. They are typically found either working alone or with small groups of fellow worshipers to further the goals of their twisted deity. Common acts of plaguebringers include fouling the drinking water of large cities, corrupting innocent and pure souls, and torturing anyone unlucky enough to be taken captive by such fanatics. Plaguebringers typically surround themselves with disease-ridden creatures, such as otyughs and infected rats.

Typically clothed in diseased rags and filthy garments, few plaguebringers have any sense of good hygiene. Immoral and cruel, plaguebringers are devious combatants, often preferring to weaken their opponents with disease or fatigue before assaulting them in earnest. A favorite tactic is to make a quick, diseased strike and then retreat, allowing contaminated wounds to fester and hopefully kill his victim slowly.

Clerics are the most common plaguebringers, though a few fanatical rangers also adopt this class.

Hit Dice: d8

Requirements

In order to qualify to become a Plaguebringer, a character must meet the following criteria.

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Patron Deity: Kalosh

Base Attack Bonus: +4

Skills: Heal 4 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks

Feats: God Touched, Great Fortitude

Spellcasting: Ability to cast 2nd level divine spells. Clerics who wish to become plaguebringers must have access to the Pestilence domain.

Class Skills

The Plaguebringer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spellcasting
1	+0	+2	+0	+2	Pestilence Spells, Disease Host	-
2	+1	+3	+0	+3	Tainted Strike	+1 caster level
3	+2	+3	+1	+3	Plague Touch	-
4	+3	+4	+1	+4	Masochism	+1 caster level
5	+3	+4	+1	+4	Tainted Teachings	-
6	+4	+5	+2	+5	Sickening Vapors	+1 caster level
7	+5	+5	+2	+5	Sadism	-
8	+6	+6	+2	+6	Breath of Kalosh	+1 caster level
9	+6	+6	+3	+6	Minion of Kalosh	-
10	+7	+7	+3	+7	Gaze of Pain	+1 caster level

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Plaguebringer prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Plaguebringers are proficient with all simple weapons, the heavy pick, all types of armor, and with shields. Plaguebringers are especially fond of using their deity’s favored weapon, a heavy pick, which they refer to as the “Fang of Kalosh”.

Spellcasting: A plaguebringer continues training with magic. Thus, at 2nd level and every other level thereafter, the character gains new spells per day and spells known as if he had also gained a level in whatever divine spellcasting class he belonged to prior to adding this prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that level would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, etc).

Pestilence Spells: A plaguebringer can pray for and receive any Pestilence domain spell as if it were on his divine spell list. The spell uses a spell slot of a level equal to its level in the Pestilence domain list.

Disease Host (Ex): A plaguebringer suffers no ill effects of diseases, except for purely cosmetic ones such as boils, pockmarks, watery eyes, blackened skin, hair loss, foul smell, and so on. The plaguebringer becomes a carrier of every disease he encounters, though he remains immune to most of their effects.

However, the plaguebringer takes 1d6 points of damage per caster level if someone casts a cure disease spell or effect on him (he can make a Fortitude save to try to resist the effect.

Tainted Strike (Su): Once per day per class level beginning at 2nd level, a plaguebringer can infect his foe with an incredibly rapid. infectious disease as a free action after making a successful melee attack. The foe takes 1 point of Constitution damage immediately and must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the plaguebringer’s class level + plaguebringer’s Charisma modifier) 1 hour later or take a further 1d6 points of Constitution damage. This is a disease effect, and creatures immune to diseases are unaffected by this ability.

Plague Touch (Su): At 3rd level , the plaguebringer gains the ability to spread disease with a mere touch. This is otherwise identical to a contagion spell cast by a sorcerer of the plaguebringer’s character level, usable once per day per class level.

Masochism (Ex): A plaguebringer of 4th level or higher becomes immune to the detrimental effects of pain, instead deriving pleasure and excitement from the sensation. For every 10 points of damage the plaguebringer takes in a given round, he gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks made in the following round. The more damage the plaguebringer takes, the greater the luck bonus. Plaguebringers often grin with sickening glee when struck in combat, and they make noises of ecstacy even as they suffer terrible wounds.

Tainted Teachings (Su): A plaguebringer of 5th level or higher automatically corrupts any divine magic he channels. All divine spells cast by the plaguebringer are treated as if modified by the Violate Spell feat, though their original spell level remains unchanged.

Each such spell gains the “evil” descriptor. Furthermore, if the spell deals damage, half of the damage dealt is vile damage of the same type.

Sickening Vapors (Sp): At 6th level , the plaguebringer gains the ability to summon a cloud of sickening, reeking greenish vapor once per day per two class levels. This ability is otherwise identical to a stinking cloud spell, as if cast by a sorcerer of the plaguebringer’s character level.

Sadism (Ex): Plaguebringers consider it a holy act to inflict pain. For every 10 points of damage a plaguebringer of at least 7th level deals each round, he gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks made in the following round. The more damage the plaguebringer deals, the greater the luck bonus. Plaguebringers often laugh and lick the spray of blood across their faces whenever they deal a grievous wound.

Breath of Kalosh (Su): Plaguebringers of 8th level gain the ability to summon a small portion of their deity, unleashing his divine wrath against their opponents. This ability is similar to a cloudkill spell, save that each creature affected by the cloud must also save against a disease of the plaguebringer’s choice (any he could manifest with a contagion spell) each round they remain in the cloud. Failure results in the disease affecting the target as if they were also the target of a contagion spell.

Minion of Kalosh (Su): A 9th level or higher plaguebringer is able to grant a small degree of sentience to a disease, allowing him to temporarily control its host through the subservient disease. This is similar to a dominate person spell, save that this ability can only affect a creature suffering from a disease (it must have taken ability damage from the disease at least once, and must still be infected with said disease). The target may attempt a Will save to resist the effect, with a DC of 10+ the plaguebringer’s class level, plus his Charisma modifier.

A dominated subject understands the plaguebringer’s commands regardless of any language barriers. Should the subject recover from the disease, the dominate person effect immediately ends; until then, the target is the plaguebringer’s unwitting slave, to do with as he pleases. This ability is usable once per day, as if cast by a sorcerer of the plaguebringer’s class level.

Gaze of Pain (Su): At 10th level, the plaguebringer is able to cause excruciating pain with a single glance. When activated, this ability grants him a gaze attack effective to a range of 50 feet, for one round per class level. Creatures meeting the plaguebringer’s gaze during this time must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + the plaguebringer’s class level + his Charisma modifier) or collapse in agony.

Creatures succumbing to the plaguebringer’s gaze of pain double over as their faces and hands blister and drip fluid, and scream in pain as their eyes cloud with blood, rendering them temporarily blind. For a number of rounds equal to the plaguebringer’s Charisma modifier (minimum 1), such creatures are considered helpless and cannot take actions. A creature affected by this ability recovers its sight at the end of this time, possibly forcing it to save against the plaguebringer’s gaze attack once more. Even after this effect ends, creatures affected by this ability are still visibly shaken and take a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saves, and skill and ability checks for 3d10 minutes.

This gaze attack is treated as a normal gaze attack; anyone meeting the plaguebringer’s gaze while this ability is in effect is subject to its effects, including his allies. While creatures may meet his gaze with no action on his part, he may also actively focus his gaze upon a specific creature as a standard action, forcing it to attempt a saving throw against this ability. Note that this may cause a creature to be affected by this spell twice in the same round. This ability is a pain effect.

Ex-Plaguebringers

A plaguebringer who willingly changes alignment or who ceases the worship of Kalosh immediately loses all benefits of this class. In addition, the character automatically fails any saving throw he attempts to avoid the effects of a disease, and all ability damage dealt to him by diseases is maximized. He regains his abilities and advancement potential if he atones for his actions (see the atonement spell on page 201 of the Player’s Handbook).

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