Mister Moon's Virulent Spells for 5e
Have you ever wanted to play a character who controls vermin or disease in 5e? I know I have! Here are a couple of contagious spells perfect for any necromancers, warlocks or any darker druids and clerics.
Main inspirations were the God of the Depths from Fear and Hunger and the Corruption from the Magnus Archives.
You issue a small command to a number of insects you can see. You can choose a number of insects to do either perform a small gesture, move 30 feet in any direction, or some other small mundane action. All chosen insects must be within 5 feet of each other.
You can choose to cause the insects to attack 1 creature within 15 feet of them. The chosen creature must make a dexterity saving throw, taking 1d4 piercing damage if they fail.
Components: V, S, M (several thousand rats, insects and birds)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You summon all nearby vermin to your aid in the form of a massive devouring swarm. This swarm surrounds you in a 100-ft sphere full of birds, spiders, centipedes and other vermin. Anything inside this sphere is considered heavily obscured and anything outside the sphere is considered heavily obscured to anything inside.
The swarm attacks and devours all organic material of your choice within the sphere, including creatures. You can choose to cause any creature who starts their turn within the sphere or spends a minute inside it to make a dexterity saving throw, taking 5d10 piercing damage if they fail and half damage if they succeed. Any plants, wood or dead bodies are consumed by the swarm unless you specifically chose them not to be consumed.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You link senses with a number of creatures you can touch while casting the spell. Targeted creatures must be willing if they have an intelligence higher than 4.
This spell can affect 10 creatures, with Tiny creatures counting as 1, small creatures counting as 5 and medium creatures counting as 10. The caster of the spell doesn't count
While this spell is active, any affected creatures can use a bonus action to see, hear, smell, taste or feel what one other creature affected by this spell is perceiving in that moment.
At Higher Levels: When casting this spell at higher levels, the spell can affect an additional 10 creatures per spell level above 4th.
Components: V, S, M (some arachnids, insects or fungal spores)
You infest your immediate surroundings with fungus, rot, vermin or some other filth. If you are in a room smaller than a 15-ft cube, the room becomes infested. If you are outside or in a room larger than a 15-ft cube, you only infest a 15-ft square surrounding you.
Any creatures who enter this infested space must make a Constitution Saving Throw, becoming poisoned for 1 minute only if they fail. Creatures within an infested area also take 1d6 poison damage for every minute they spend within the infested area.
At Higher Levels: When casting this spell at higher levels, the size of the cube this spell affects increases by 15 feet feet per spell level used above 2nd level.
Components: V, S, M (a living insect)
You spray a number of biting insects in a 15-ft cone. Creatures within this cone must make a dexterity saving throw. If they fail, they take 2d10 piercing damage and receive disadvantage on their next attack roll. If they succeed, they only take half damage and do not receive disadvantage.
At Higher Levels: When casting this spell at higher levels, the length and width of the cone increases by 5-ft per spell level above 1st.
Components: V, S, M (a handful of worms or leeches)
You hurl a number of leeches at a creature to siphon their health. Make a ranged spell attack. If you succeed, the targeted creature takes 2d6 piercing damage. You then regain Hit Points equal to half the damage dealt by this spell on your next turn when your leeches crawl back to you.
At Higher Levels: When casting this spell at a higher level, the damage increases by 1d6 per spell level above 2nd level.
Components: V, S, M (a number of rats within the nearby area)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You call a number of rats to your aid. The rats begin to swarm in a 15-ft circle surrounding a point of your choosing. This circle is considered difficult terrain.
Whenever a creature starts it's turn within the circle, you can choose to provoke the rats into biting them. The creature must make a dexterity saving throw, taking 1d10 piercing damage and disadvantage on their next attack roll if they fail.
As a bonus action, you can choose to move the circle of rats 15 feet in any direction.
At Higher Levels: When casting this spell at higher levels, the diameter of the spell increases by 5-ft per level above 1st.
Components: V, S, M (a number of crows within the nearby surroundings)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You call a number of crows to your aid. Crows begin to swarm within a 20-ft sphere surrounding a point within range of your choice. Creatures within the sphere are considered lightly obscured while the spell is active, and creatures outside the sphere are considered lightly obscured to any creatures within while the spell is active.
Whenever a creature starts it's turn within this sphere, you can choose to provoke the crows into attacking the creature. The creature must make a dexterity saving throw or take 2d10 piercing damage as the crows peck at them.
You can also choose to use a bonus action move the swarm up to 30 feet.
At Higher Levels: When casting this spell at higher levels, the diameter of the sphere increases by 5-ft per spell level above 3rd level.
Components: V, S, M (a chunk of rotting meat)
You cause a creature you can see to suddenly have painful lesions or boils appear across their body. The targeted creature must make a Constitution Saving Throw or become Incapacitated until their next turn.
At Higher Levels: When casting this spell at higher levels, the spell can affect one additional creature within range per spell level above 3rd level.
Components: V, M (a sample of a contagious disease)
With a touch, you inflict a highly contagious disease. When casting a spell, you touch a creature and cause it to make a Constitution Saving Throw, with the spell only taking effect if they fail it.
If the creature fails the spell, they become Poisoned and have disadvantage on a saving throw of your choice. A creature affected by this spell must repeat it's Constitution Saving Throw at the start of every day, taking 3d8 poison damage if they fail. If a creature succeeds this saving throw 3 times in a row, the spell ends.
Additionally, any creatures who touch a creature affected by this spell must also make a Constitution Saving Throw, becoming infected by the spell's effects if they fail. Creatures infected by the spell are affected for the spell's duration, making saving throws every day as per usual. Infected creatures can infect others.
At Higher Levels: If this spell is cast as an 8th level spell, the duration increases to 6 months. If the spell is cast at 8th level, it's duration increases to a year.
