Greater Diseases and Curses, 5e Variant Rules

Inspired by https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/5e_Diseases

New Categorization

Diseases and curses are sometime catastrophic, and defy normal D&D-specific treatments and cures.  These new diseases and curses come in Greater, and even Soul Bound versions.

Disease Progression: Greater Diseases/Curses often further infect the victim over time, causing even more effects/sicknesses.  This progress varies and will be described for each disease/curse individually.  The speed with which this happens will be based on time, various factors, and saving throws.

Greater and Soul Bound Diseases/Curses Effects: Most diseases have one or more ongoing effects.  Each will describe how fast it sets in, what it does, and if it ever goes away.  In all cases, the disease/curse itself is not cured, and still with a creature, even if the creature is currently suffering from no effects.  Below are some examples:

• Exhaustion: Gain one level of exhaustion upon being infected.  This effect remains until cured.
• Exhausting Sleep: At the end of each Long Rest make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the character gains one level of exhaustion. On a successful save, the character’s exhaustion level decreases by one level.  This effect only removes exhaustion levels caused by this effect.  This effect remains until cured.
• Delusions of Grandeur: All Wisdom saving throws are at Disadvantage. This effect remains until cured.
• Halved Healing: When the infected creature would be healed, they are only healed half of the hit points that they would normally be healed.  This effect remains for seven full days, or until cured.
• Not Recovering Hit Dice: At the end of each Long Rest, the infected creature must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the character does not regain any hit dice from that rest.  This effect remains until cured.

Treating and Curing: No spell or effect in the game can treat or cure greater/soul bound diseases and curses unless its description specifies any.  Greater diseases/curses leave afflicted creatures upon death.  Soul Bound diseases and curses stay with the afflicted forever, even if they die and come back.  Again, the description may specify otherwise.

The Red Plague of Ivid the Undying

Contracting The Red Plague: The Red Plague is contracted from vampire’s, vampire spawn, ghouls, and anything else already infected with it. It spreads if the blood of an infected creature is taken in by another creature. This happens most often by taking slashing or piercing damage, and some of the infected blood gets on an open wound. NOTE— if a creature with this plague coughs on them, or is attacked by them its likely some of the blood will splatter.

Infection Saving Throw: If affected by blood splatter then the creature must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become infected.  If infected blood is instead injected into a creature, then the creature must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw with disadvantage.

Progression and Effects:  After the first Long Rest the target gains the first sickness:

1. Red Marking: You are marked as an infected by the color red. Your veins turn red, and your blood, tongue, gums, and your under your fingers and just about anywhere that blood can color a body part become a deep red. Your blood is also thicker and sticky, and it stays red even long after its out of your body. You shall often cough up blood, your tears shall be blood and you will even piss blood. When you take slashing damage of 5 or more, your blood splatters out in a 5 foot radius Area of Effect.  By using an effect or spell that cures all disease, you remove the Red Plague from you completely.  Beginning three Long Rests after this, make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw after each Long Rest or gain the Red Hunger.  
2. Red Hunger: Your body rejects anything that is not fresh, fleshy, raw and dripping with blood. If you do not eat something that fits this description in three days then when you do see or smell blood (not your own) make a DC 10 + (days gone without eating) Wisdom saving throw to resist attacking and trying to eat the bleeding thing/person. A creature can repeat the saving throw each turn to stop themselves.  By using an effect or spell that cures all disease, you remove the Red Plague from you completely.  Beginning three Long Rests after this, make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw after each Long Rest or gain the Red Mania.
3. Red Mania. You believe you must drink the blood of humanoid creatures.  If you see or smell fresh blood from any humanoid, you must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw.  If you fail, you gain a level of exhaustion.  On a failed save, you gain one level of exhaustion.  This may happen no more than once per battle.  By using an effect or spell that cures all disease, you remove the Red Plague from you completely.  If you ingest the blood or flesh of a humanoid, then the The Red Plague immediately progresses to The Red Curse and is no longer curable by a Remove Curse spell.

The Red Curse of Ivid the Undying

Contracting The Red Curse: The Red Curse is contracted when a creature with Red Mania consumes the flesh or blood from a humanoid.  It spreads if the blood of an infected creature is taken in by another creature. This happens most often by taking slashing or piercing damage, and some of the infected blood gets on an open wound. NOTE— if a creature with this plague coughs on them, or is attacked by them its likely some of the blood will splatter.

Progression and Effects:  After you contract The Red Curse you gain ALL of the following:

1. Red Thirst: If you see or smell fresh blood you must make a DC 12+ (number of days without drinking blood of humanoids) Wisdom saving throw. If you fail, you must attack the bleeding person and try to drink their blood and/or eat their flesh.  You may repeat the saving throw once every 1d10 turns. If you do not snap out of it, you will keep eating flesh and/or drinking blood until the bleeding creature is dead and no more blood left.  Every day you do not drink blood and/or eat flesh from a humanoid, your maximum hit points are reduced by 5.  When your hit point maximum reaches zero, you become a ghoul.
2. Tooth and Claw: Unarmed Attack Roll, reach 5 ft. Hit: 2d4+str from slashing claw attack AND, 1 (+2d6 + str if grappling) piercing damage from bite.
3. The Red Change:  Every time you complete a Long Rest, make a DC 12 + (number of Long Rests you have taken since acquiring The Red Curse) Wisdom saving throw.  If you fail you become a vampire spawn.

Removing The Red Curse

A Remove Curse spell cast by a 7th level cleric of the Life Domain, Pelor the Radiant Sun, or Cuthbert.  The Red Curse can be removed with a Wish spell, or a Greater Restoration spell.  A creature does not lose The Red Curse when it dies— the body must be reduced to ash.