Gifts of Decay
Powerful demons or cults of disease and decay will sometimes craft magical items which channel their foul powers. They may wield these items themselves or gift them to worthy devotees. The following magic items can be used to represent these gifts of decay in your campaign.
Fetid Shroud
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)
The shroud feels and smells as though it's been soaked in a fever sweat. The air around it is thick and chokes any who linger too close.
While wearing this shroud, any creature which starts its turn within 5 feet of you must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn.
A creature that successfully saves against this effect is immune to the effects of this shroud for 1 hour.
Flail of Pestilence
Flail, very rare (requires attunement)
Said to be crafted from the growths and encrusted puss spewed out by a demon of decay, this flail inflicts those it strikes with demonic rot.
Once during your turn, when you hit a creature with an attack using this weapon, you may force the target to make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d8 necrotic damage, and after failing three of these saving throws within one minute, it is afflicted with one of the diseases described by the contagion spell (your choice) for one minute.
Flesh Peeling Bell
Wondrous item, very rare (Requires Attunement by a Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard)
The cursed ringing of this bell accelerates decay, allowing necrotic magic to inflict wounds that quickly rot away their victim. It can be held in one hand and used as a spell casting focus.
Once per turn, while you are holding the bell, when you hit a creature with a spell attack that deals necrotic damage, or a creature fails its saving throw against a spell you cast that deals necrotic damage, you can inflict it with a wound. At the start of each of the wounded creature's turns, it takes 1d4 necrotic damage for each time you've wounded it, and it can then make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, ending the effect of all such wounds on itself on a success.
Alternatively, the wounded creature, or a creature within 5 feet of it, can use an action to make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check, ending the effect of all such wounds on it on a success.
Helm of the Blighter
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement by a druid)
This foul helm was crafted from decaying animal bones held together by blighted moss. While wearing this helm, any beast that a druid shapeshifts into becomes a rotting mockery of its natural form.
If you transform using your Wild Shape feature while wearing this helm, you may choose to take necrotic damage equal to 5 x CR of the creature you are transforming into. This damage can't be reduced or prevented in any way, and your hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. If this reduction reduces your hit point maximum to 0 or less, you die. This reduction lasts until you finish a long rest.
If you choose to take this damage while transforming using Wild Shape, your animal form has the following alterations:
- Your creature type changes to undead.
- You are immune to necrotic and poison damage and the poisoned condition.
- Whenever you deal damage with an attack in this form, you can change the damage type to necrotic or poison.
- Your form's hit points are increased by the amount equal to the necrotic damage you took from the helm when you transformed.
Rot Blade
Weapon (any sword or axe), uncommon (requires attunement)
This rusty blade is encrusted with the entrails of plague victims, and those it cuts are quickly infected with lethal diseases.
Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack using this weapon, you can force it to make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it is inflicted with the blade's disease. At the start of each of the inflicted creature's turns, it takes 1d6 necrotic damage and then makes a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, ending the disease on a success. Once a creature becomes infected by the blade, it can't be infected again for the next 24 hours.
Shield of Growths
Wondrous item, rare
The rusted frame of this shield is reinforced with living blubber and grime, which feeds off the open wounds of its wielder.
While holding this shield, whenever you take damage from an attack, the shield grants an additional +1 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn. It can increase its AC up to 4 times this way within a turn.
Staff of Decay
Wondrous item, very rare (Requires Attunement by a Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard)
This blighted staff was carved from the rotting wood of a dying treant and holds power over the processes of death and decay.
You have resistance to necrotic damage while you hold this staff.
The staff has 10 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC: inflict wounds (1 charge), stream of corruption* (2 charges), blight (4 charges), or circle of death (6 charges).
The staff regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff melts into brackish water and is destroyed.
*New spell described on next page
Art Credit
- Ghoulcaller's Bell - Lars Grant-West, Wizards of the Coast
- Swarm Guildmage - Simon Dominic, Wizards of the Coast
New Spell
Stream of Corruption
2nd-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self (30-foot cone) or 100 feet
- Components: S, M (a vial of meltwater)
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Bile spews forth from you in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 3d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
When you cast this spell, you may instead choose a creature within 100 feet of you that you can see and force it to make a Constitution saving throw. On failed save, it takes 3d8 necrotic damage, and you may cause the cone of bile described above to spew forth from the creature in the direction you choose. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and does not spew bile.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, increase the necrotic damage dealt to targeted creatures and creatures in the area of the cone of bile by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.
1.0.0
- Public release
- Add description for stream of corruption
1.0.1
- Change rarity of Helm of the Blighter to very rare
1.1.0
- Update referenced spells
- Update art
Referenced Documents
- New Items 0.0.7
- New Spells 1.8.0