Plague Bearer (CR +2*)[3pp]

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Plaguebearer creatures bring doom with them everywhere. These living agents of infection and corruption are host to a dozen illnesses and half a dozen plagues. Whether they intend it or not, they spread disease wherever they go, contaminating other creatures by their mere presence. Some plague bearers relish this power, but others despise and fear it.

A plague bearer looks like a normal creature of its type that has been infected with many terrible plagues. Black boils cover its body, its skin is red and cracked, its hair is patchy, and its hide and nails fly off and fall around it. It coughs, it wheezes, and its eyes well with tears; but still, its back remains unbent by this apparent suffering, and it lives on despite all manner of maladies.

Creating a Plague Bearer

Plague Bearer” is an inherited or acquired template that can be applied to any corporeal creature that is not a construct (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A plague bearer uses all of the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +2. If the combination of diseases a plague bearer carries are particularly virulent or hard to cure (such as for some supernatural diseases) consider raising the CR adjustment to +3 or even +4.

Aura: A plague bearer gains the following.

Disease Cloud (Ex)

An invisible cloud of contagion surrounds a plague bearer. All breathing creatures within 30 ft. of the plague bearer must make two Fortitude saves to avoid contracting two diseases (typically bubonic plague and mindfire). The diseases’ type changes to inhaled. This is a disease effect. The save DCs for the diseases are Constitution-based (Charisma-based for undead).

Defensive Abilities: A plague bearer gains the following.

Total Disease Immunity (Ex)

A plague bearer is immune to all diseases, including magical diseases and those brought on by curse effects.

Special Attacks: The plague bearer retains all the base creature’s special attacks and gains those described here.

Disease (Ex)

All of a plague bearer’s natural melee attacks spread disease. With a successful attack, the plague bearer can infect a creature with two diseases (typically filth fever and leprosy). Any creature touched by a plague bearer must succeed on a Fortitude save or contract both of these diseases. The diseases have the injury type with regards to this ability. If the plague bearer does not have any natural melee attacks it spreads its disease with a melee touch attack and the diseases have the contact type. This is a disease effect. The save DCs for the diseases are Constitution-based (Charisma-based for undead).

Abilities: Con +6. If base creature is undead, the plague bearer gains Cha +6 instead.

Special Qualities: The plague bearer retains all the base creature’s special qualities and gains those described here.

Carrier (Ex)

Although a plague bearer is immune to the effects of diseases, it can still carry infections, and it continues to do so regardless of magical healing or successful Fortitude saves.

Diseased Flesh (Ex)

The plague bearer carries a single disease (usually blinding sickness) within its body. Any creature that makes a successful bite attack against a plague bearer, swallows it whole, or otherwise ingests its flesh must succeed on a Fortitude save or contract the disease. The disease’s type changes to ingested. This is a disease effect. The save DC for the disease is Constitution-based (Charisma-based for undead).

Quick Incubation (Ex)

Each of the diseases that a plague bearer carries have an onset time of instantaneous—the first effects of the diseases manifest immediately.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Advanced Bestiary, Copyright 2014, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Jeff Hersh, Developer Owen K.C. Stephens

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