Publication:Dread Codex 2/Prestige Classes/Plaguebearer

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Plaguebearer

“	Mark these words. The warrior who returns from the battlefield, alone, shall be turned out of all cities he tries to enter. He is no longer a man, as we know it, but a necromantic warrior, and his touch is poisonous and will kill even the most pure-hearted.	”
—Aramen, Cleric of Lorakil

These are the cursed heroes who fought against the necromancers and survived. They were touched by a dreadful disease yet did not die, and were healed back to life. Their lives are forever cursed and will never be the same. Some part of the disease has never truly left them and continues to eat away at their soul. Every day, this disease grows and the plaguebearer can feel it. His skin begins to rot, yet it never threatens to kill him, only twists his body into a deadly necromantic weapon.

The plaguebearer becomes an unwilling weapon of the necromancers he fought and, for this very reason, some plaguebearers will seek a way to end their own life. They know that their body is changing and that, in the end, they will become a creature of rot and decay. They are granted immortal life, but at a terrible cost.

Plaguebearer NPCs are often fighters who have lost everything that they love and care for. They can never return to their families, and some may even have tried and paid the price. These plaguebearers have accepted their fate as cursed and tries to use these cursed powers as best they can. Sometimes these warriors are the tools of greater necromancers who has promised them a new life.

Becoming a Plaguebearer

Entry Requirements

Ability Score:	Constitution 14+.
Base Attack Bonus:	+6.
Feats:	Great Fortitude, Iron Will.
Special:	The plaguebearer must have fought a powerful necromancer of at least level 7, and been affected by a contagion spell, and survived. During this ordeal, something has happened to the person, and his body will slowly begin to change.

Table: The Plaguebearer

Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Disease Resistance
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Rebuke Undead
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Touch of Fatigue
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Chill Touch
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Aura of Decay
6th	+6	+5	+2	+2	Ghoul Touch
7th	+7	+5	+2	+2	Disease Immunity
8th	+8	+6	+2	+2	Disease Touch
9th	+9	+6	+3	+3	Circle of Desecration
10th	+10	+7	+3	+3	Immortality
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level) Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Plaguebearer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The plaguebearer gains no new proficiencies with weapons, armor, or shields.

Disease Resistance (Su): At 1st level, the plaguebearer becomes more resistant against diseases. He gains a +4 bonus to saving throws related to diseases.

Rebuke Undead (Su): The plaguebearer is slowly becoming a creature of undeath himself, and becomes slowly attuned to the Negative Energy Plane. He can rebuke undead as a cleric of the same level as his levels in plaguebearer. If the character has levels in another class which also can rebuke undead, these levels stack.

Touch of Fatigue (Sp): At 3rd level, the plaguebearer is beginning to physically manifest the changes happening to him. His hands get a yellow taint and he can use touch of fatigue as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to his Constitution modifier (caster level equal to his hit dice).

Chill Touch (Sp): At 4th level, the plaguebearer becomes cold to the touch. He can use chill touch as a spell-like ability once per day (caster level equal to his hit dice).

Aura of Decay (Su): The skin of the plaguebearer becomes rotten with infested yellow wounds, and the rotting smell emanates forth from the infected soul. All creatures within 10 feet of the plaguebearer must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + plaguebearer level + constitution modifier) or become nauseated for as long as they remain within 10 feet. A successful Fortitude save renders the creature immune for one hour.

Ghoul Touch (Sp): The plaguebearer can use ghoul touch as a spell-like ability once per day (caster level equal to his hit dice).

Disease Immunity (Su): While the plaguebearer may carry diseases, he is no longer affected by them. The plaguebearer gains immunity to all diseases, but will still carry them.

Disease Touch (Su): Whenever the plaguebearer touches a creature, they must make a save (DC 10 + plaguebearer level + constitution modifier) or be immediately infected with any one disease the plaguebearer is carrying (plaguebearer's choice).

Circle of Desecration (Su): The area around the plaguebearer now becomes affected by his negative energy, and a 20 foot radius around the plaguebearer is constantly affected by the desecrate spell.

Immortality (Su): The plaguebearer has reached his full potential and becomes immortal. He never ages, and while he can still be killed, spells and effects that affect age have no effect on him. His skin is yellowish with open and infested wounds, and some places bone can be seen. The plaguebearer is now an undead creature, and if Tome of Necromancy rules are being used, he has the Dark Minded and Unliving subtypes.

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