Level 5 Necromancy spell available to Clerics and Druids. A melee spell attack that poisons the target, and if they fail three Constitution saves before passing three, they catch a permanent disease of your choosing. It is slow, it is melee, and it is mostly not worth it.
Spell description: Poison a target and possibly afflict them with a disease of your choice. Once infected, the target rolls a Constitution Saving Throw each turn. On 3 successes it recovers; on 3 failures it contracts the chosen disease.
Spell properties
- Range: Melee: 1.5m (5ft)
- Attack: Melee spell attack
- Save: CON save (each turn, 3 successes to recover)
- Conditions applied: Contagion Poisoned. Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Checks. After 3 failed saves the target contracts the chosen disease permanently.
- Cost: Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Contagion at higher levels provides no additional benefits.
How to obtain Contagion
- Cleric, Druid at Class level 9
- Circle of the Spores Druids (Circle spell), Circle of the Land Druids (Arctic, Forest, or Underdark), and Death Domain Clerics (Domain spell) at Class level 9
- Bard via Magical Secrets at Class level 10
CONTAGION
Level 5 Necromancy SpellPoison a target and possibly afflict them with a disease of your choice. Once infected, the target rolls a Constitution Saving Throw each turn. On 3 successes it recovers; on 3 failures it contracts the chosen disease.
Range: Melee (1.5m)
Save: CON save
CONDITION: CONTAGION POISONED
Save: CON save each turn
Condition: Contagion Poisoned
Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Ability Checks.- Each turn the creature rolls a Constitution Saving Throw. Three successes end the effect.
- Three failures replace it with the chosen disease, which lasts until cured with Lesser Restoration or similar.
Contagion spell variants
You pick the disease when you cast. Every variant starts as the same Contagion Poisoned effect and only becomes the disease after three failed saves, but the diseases are permanent until cured, and they are all nasty.
1. Contagion: Filth Fever
CONTAGION: FILTH FEVER
Level 5 Necromancy SpellThe target receives Disadvantage on Strength Ability Checks, Saving Throws, and Attack Rolls that use Strength.
Range: Melee (1.5m)
Save: CON save
2. Contagion: Flesh Rot
CONTAGION: FLESH ROT
Level 5 Necromancy SpellThe target receives Disadvantage on Charisma Ability Checks, and is afflicted with Vulnerability to all damage.
Range: Melee (1.5m)
Save: CON save
3. Contagion: Slimy Doom
CONTAGION: SLIMY DOOM
Level 5 Necromancy SpellThe target receives Disadvantage on Constitution Ability Checks and Saving Throws. Whenever they are hit, they get Stunned.
Range: Melee (1.5m)
Save: CON save
4. Contagion: Seizure
CONTAGION: SEIZURE
Level 5 Necromancy SpellThe target receives Disadvantage on Dexterity Ability Checks, Saving Throws, and Attack Rolls.
Range: Melee (1.5m)
Save: CON save
5. Contagion: Mindfire
CONTAGION: MINDFIRE
Level 5 Necromancy SpellThe target receives Disadvantage on Intelligence Ability Checks and Saving Throws, and is Befuddled.
Range: Melee (1.5m)
Save: CON save
6. Contagion: Blinding Sickness
CONTAGION: BLINDING SICKNESS
Level 5 Necromancy SpellThe target receives Disadvantage on Wisdom Ability Checks and Saving Throws, and is Blinded.
Range: Melee (1.5m)
Save: CON save
When to cast Contagion
The honest answer is: rarely. You need to hit with a melee spell attack, then wait for the target to fail three saves, and by the time the disease lands most fights are over. The Poisoned part is fine but a Level 5 slot buys much better things.
Where it earns a place is before a fight starts. Casting it on an NPC outside combat is not treated as hostile, so you can walk up, infect a boss, and let the saves tick while you talk. If the disease lands before initiative, you start the fight against something with Vulnerability to everything (Flesh Rot) or something that gets Stunned every time it is hit (Slimy Doom).
Those two are the picks. Flesh Rot doubles all your damage against the target and Slimy Doom turns every hit into a stun. The rest are Disadvantage on a stat, which is not worth a Level 5 slot.
Missing the attack roll counts as an attack and will turn NPCs hostile, and Mindfire makes the target permanently hostile to everyone, so keep it away from anyone you still need for a quest.
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