Experiments in Excellence
Science is never settled; for every sensible procedure and proven potion, there was once a visionary who was told their line of inquiry was dangerous, aberrant, or ridiculous. So says the Plague Doctor, anyway, blithely brewing a new batch of cure-all unguents or step-peppining miracle vapors; studying the diseased and deleterious, and breaking quarantine in search of inspiration, insight, and infamy. Plague Doctors, whatever their methods or objectives, carry an array of reagents and precursor chemicals with them that they are constantly combining and recombining to achieve desired effects (or interesting accidents).
At level 1, gain the following features:
Concoctions. In addition to your Skills below, you know two Special Concoction recipes of your choice from the list at the end of this section.
You can prepare a number of Concoction batches equal to ½ your Character Level (rounded down, minimum 1) each time you Rest. Each prepared Concoction can be used once, and you may prepare the same Concoction multiple times. Concoctions are not stable and deteriorate after 24 hours if unused.
C.O.R.V.I.D. (Catalytic Organic Reprocessing & Viral Inoculation Device). You may activate this device as an Action. When you do, roll 1d12. On a 2-11, remove that many Poison Counters from yourself. On a 12, remove all Poison Counters. On a 1, gain a Poison Counter. If you use this device repeatedly, each subsequent roll is made with a die two sizes smaller than the last (1d12>1d8>1d4>1). The die size resets 24 hours after your last use, or after a Rest.
Critical Effect: Noxious. If you roll a Critical Hit and would deal damage with an attack or spell, you may halve the damage dealt and inflict +2d4 Poison Counters instead. If the attack already dealt Poisonous Damage, instead inflict +3d6 Poison Counters.
Concoctions. In addition to your Skills below, you know two Special Concoction recipes of your choice from the list at the end of this section.
You can prepare a number of Concoction batches equal to ½ your Character Level (rounded down, minimum 1) each time you Rest. Each prepared Concoction can be used once, and you may prepare the same Concoction multiple times. Concoctions are not stable and deteriorate after 24 hours if unused.
C.O.R.V.I.D. (Catalytic Organic Reprocessing & Viral Inoculation Device). You may activate this device as an Action. When you do, roll 1d12. On a 2-11, remove that many Poison Counters from yourself. On a 12, remove all Poison Counters. On a 1, gain a Poison Counter. If you use this device repeatedly, each subsequent roll is made with a die two sizes smaller than the last (1d12>1d8>1d4>1). The die size resets 24 hours after your last use, or after a Rest.
Critical Effect: Noxious. If you roll a Critical Hit and would deal damage with an attack or spell, you may halve the damage dealt and inflict +2d4 Poison Counters instead. If the attack already dealt Poisonous Damage, instead inflict +3d6 Poison Counters.
Class Skills
Caustic Blast (2)
Range: 10ft. cone Use: Action Activation Cost: 2 Stamina Tags: AoE, Acidic, Cone You spray a aerosolized mix of caustic chemicals into the air in front of you. Creatures in the affected area must make a Fortitude Check against your (Character Level + Precision), taking 1 Acidic Damage if they succeed and 1d6 Acidic Damage if they fail. Toxic Brew (2) Range: 30ft., 5ft. radius Use: Action Activation Cost: 2 Stamina Tags: AoE, Poisonous You throw a cocktail of reagents at a space within range, which react to form a cloud of toxic fumes upon impact. Creatures that start their turn within the cloud take 1d6 Poisonous Damage. The cloud partially obscures the area, and lingers for 1d4 Rounds, unless dispersed by another effect. Coughing Cloud (4+) Range: 5ft, 30ft. radius Use: Action Activation Cost: 4+ Stamina Tags: AoE, Poisonous You dump a potent mix of chemicals and reagents at your feet, creating a large cloud of noxious fumes. Creatures that start their turn within the cloud take 2d8 Poisonous Damage. The cloud partially obscures the area, and lingers for 1 Round, unless dispersed by another effect. Upcast: For every additional 2 Stamina, spent to activate this ability, choose one:
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Irritant Powder (2)
Range: 5ft., 180 degree arc Use: Action Activation Cost: 2 Stamina Tags: AoE, Blindness, Debuff You toss a mixture of stinging, reactive chemicals in a wide swath. This ability affects a 180-degree arc around you, including diagonals (usually 5 total squares if you are a medium creature). All creatures in an affected space must make a Fortitude Check against your (Character Level + Precision), taking 1d4 Poisonous Damage + 1d4 Acidic Damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. Creatures that fail by 3 or more have their Speed halved until the start of your next turn, and creatures that fail by 5 or more suffer the Blinded condition for 1 Round. Upcast: For every additional 4 Stamina spent to activate this ability, add +1 Poisonous and +1 Acidic Damage, and the range increases by 5ft. (The arc remains 180 degrees). H.A.P.P.Y. (Holistic-Analgesic, Potent, Potionless, Yellow) Pills (4+) Range: Touch Use: Action Activation Cost: 4+ Stamina Tags: Healing You administer an extremely calculated and not even a little bit improvised dose of assorted yellow pills to a willing creature you can touch, promoting rapid healing, anxiety reduction, migraine relief, and regular digestion. The creature removes 3d8 Common, Forceful, or Elemental Damage of their choice. Half of the removed damage is replaced with Poison Damage (this does not count as taking new damage for the sake of rolling Afflictions related to Toughness, but may trigger Conditions or Afflictions on the Poisonous Damage chart). Upcast: For each additional 2 Stamina spent on this ability, you administer extra doses, adding +1d8 to the roll. Experimental Healing Factors (5) Range: Touch Use: Reaction Activation Cost: 5 Stamina Tags: Healing, Afflictions When a creature you can touch would roll on the Affliction Table, you may use your Reaction to activate this skill, dosing them with a volatile cocktail of alchemical ingredients to stave off pain. If you do, the roll is postponed until the end of the Encounter, but that creature adds +1d4 to the result. |
Starting Equipment
If Plague Doctor is your Major Class, you get the following equipment at level 1.
Armor & Clothing:
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Adventuring Gear & Currency:
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Specializations
If Plague Doctor is your Major Class, gain the benefits below as you reach the indicated levels.
Level 1 Lab Notes. You know 1 additional Special Concoction recipe below. Level 2 Choose one:
Choose One: Refined Doseage. After you prepare a new batch of Concoctions, choose one recipe. You gain an additional use of that Cocoction between rests. Experimental Additives. When you use the Toxic Brew or Coughing Cloud skills, the fumes they produce are opaque and completely obscure the affected area. Level 4 Choose one:
Level 5 Choose one:
Level 6 For SCIENCE! You learn an additional Special Concoction recipe of your choice, and you can prepare 1 additional Concoction at a time. Then, choose one: Advanced C.O.R.V.I.D. Your C.O.R.V.I.D. goes down by 1 die size between uses, instead of two. Reliable C.O.R.V.I.D. When you use your C.O.R.V.I.D., you may roll twice and choose which result applies. Level 7 Choose one:
Level 8 Choose one:
Level 9 Choose One: Projectile Adapters. You may use your Concoctions as Ammunition for ranged weapon attacks. When you do, the weapon deals half as much damage as normal, and always deals Bludgeoning Damage instead of any other type. When it strikes a target, the Concoction activates as if it had been Dashed on that target. On a miss, the Concoction fails to activate, and may be recovered. Counter-coction. Once per Rest, you may opt to prevent all Side Effects caused by one of your Concoctions. Field Concoctions. Once per Rest, you may spend 1 minute to re-brew a Concoction. You can re-charge a single use of one Concoction you had prepared for the day, or you can swap one use of a Concoction for another you know. Level 10 Choose one:
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Level 11
Eureka! You learn an additional Special Concoction recipe of your choice, and you can prepare 1 additional Concoction at a time. Then, choose one: Symptom Suppression. When one of your Concoctions causes a roll on the Mutagenic Table, you may modify the resulting roll by 1, 2, or 3 (up or down). C.R.O.W. (Crowd Respiratory Override Widget). When you use your C.O.R.V.I.D., you may designate any number of Creatures within 5ft. of yourself. The effect of your C.O.R.V.I.D. roll applies to them as well. You must choose to use the C.R.O.W. before rolling. Level 13 Choose one:
Choose one:
Choose One: Lab Rat. You learn two additional Special Concoction recipes of your choice, and you can prepare 2 additional Concoctions at a time. Potent Poisoner. Whenever one of your effects would deal Poisonous Damage, you may roll the damage twice and choose either result. Level 16 Choose one:
Level 17 Choose one:
Transdermal Concoctions. When you Dash a Concoction on another creature, you may opt to treat it as if the creature had Imbibed it instead. If the creature is unwilling, you must hit it with a Ranged Attack roll to trigger this effect. Applied Knowledge. You are immune to Poisonous Damage, cannot gain Poison Counters, and cannot suffer the Diseased Affliction. Level 19 Choose two:
Choose two. You may select the same option twice:
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Special Concoctions
Concoctions are “signature brews” that a Plague Doctor develops over their career.
Concoctions can be used in two ways: Imbibed or Dashed. Concoctions have different effects based on which is used.
Concoctions can be used in two ways: Imbibed or Dashed. Concoctions have different effects based on which is used.
- Imbibed. As an Action, you drink the Concoction, or administer it to a willing creature you can touch (as with a potion).
- Dashed. Treat the Concoction as a grenade or thrown weapon with the Throw (30ft.) property. If targeting a point, no Attack Roll is required, but the GM may call for a Ranged Attack to hit a specific creature squarely, if it would affect the outcome (for example, hitting a flying creature).
Doctor Fitzbie's Fortifying FolliclesIf Imbibed: A thick coat of rough, oily hair covers the imbiber, providing a +1 bonus to Armor, and gain a +4 bonus to Checks against being Frozen. This effect lasts for 24 hours, or until the creature takes damage from being Ignited. It takes two hours to manually shave the hair off with suitable blades.
If Dashed: Hair sprouts from all living organic material in a 5ft. radius. Creatures caught in this radius when the concoction is dashed take 1d4 less Slashing and Bludgeoning Damage, and gain a +2 bonus to Checks against being Frozen. Creatures moving through terrain affected by the concoction spend double the usual movement speed. Side Effects: Creatures affected by this concoction suffer a -6 penalty on all Social Checks. If an affected creature would gain an Ignite counter, it gains two instead. Doctor Martino's Step-PeppenerIf Imbibed: The imbiber's movement Speed is doubled for 1d4+1 Rounds.
If Dashed: All Creatures in a 5ft. radius have their Speed increased by +10ft. for 1 Round. Side Effects: When this effect ends, affected creatures must roll 1d20. On a 1, they suffer the Exhausted Affliction. On a 20, the effect lasts an additional Round. Doctor Fairleigh's Dependably Discreet DraughtIf Imbibed: The imbiber is rendered Invisible for 1 minute.
(Attacks against it are made with die two sizes smaller than normal, they are considered Hidden until detected, and other creatures have a -1d10 penalty on Search Checks to find them. Invisibility ends automatically when a creature takes or deals damage.). If Dashed: All creatures within 5ft. are rendered Invisible for 1d4 Rounds. Side Effects: When a Creature is affected by this Concoction, it must roll 1d100 and consult the table below. >20 = No effect. 6-20 = the affected Creature is Blinded for as long as it is Invisible. 1-5 = the affected Creature is Blinded, and glows with Bright Light (30ft.)/Dim Light (60ft.) visible to all around it, for as long as it would be Invisible. Doctor Monroe's Malicious MicrobesIf Imbibed: The imbiber takes 2d6 Poisonous Damage per your Character Level, and must make a Fortitude Check equal to your Character Level. If it fails, it takes the same amount of Acidic Damage.
If Dashed: All Creatures within 5ft. take 1d4 Poisonous Damage per your Character Level, and must make a Fortitude Check equal to your Character Level. On a failure, they take the same amount of Acidic Damage. Side Effects: If a Creature dies from this Concoction, it explodes in volatile and unpredictable fashion. Do the following:
Doctor Temperance's Telepathic TonicIf Imbibed: A The imbiber gains the ability to speak telepathically with any Creature it is aware of within 600ft., and can read their surface level thoughts or replies. As an Action, they may also move objects with their mind within a range of 30ft. around them. The weight of the object can be no more than 10x your Character Level in pounds (~5x in kilograms).
If Dashed: Creatures within 10ft. gain the ability to speak telepathically with any Creature they are aware of within 100ft., and can read their surface level thoughts or replies. As an Action, they may also move objects with their mind within a range of 30ft. around them. The weight of the object can be no more than 2x your Character Level in pounds (~equal to your Character Level in kilograms). Side Effects: Whenever an affected Creature uses these abilities, it rolls 1d12. On a 1, it takes 1 Psychic Damage. If it rolls three 1's in a row, it must make one roll on the Mutagenic Table. The resulting effect lasts for one day. Doctor Fronklin's Resurrecting ReagentsIf Imbibed: If the imbiber is alive, it takes 2d12 Poisonous Damage, or 1d6 if it is Undead. If the imbiber is a Corpse, it returns to life with four instances of the Exhausted Affliction. If Dashed: Dashing this Concoction has no effect on the living or Undead. If Dashed on a Corpse, it has a 50% chance of returning to life with four instances of the Exhausted Affliction. Side Effects: Creatures that are resurrected by this Concoction must roll 1d12, and consult the following table: 9-12 = no additional effect. 6-8 = roll twice on the Mutagenic Table. The resulting effect is permanent. 2-5 = the resurrected Creature's species becomes Undead (Revenant), replacing its previous species features. If the Creature is already another form of Undead, this has no effect. 1 = The Creature rises as a mindless Undead under the GM's control. It has a 50% chance to be hostile or docile. |
Doctor Tsarnov's Productivity PotionIf Imbibed: A creature that imbibes this potion may take an additional Action on its turn. This effect lasts for four rounds.
If Dashed: All creatures within 5ft. have a 50% chance of gaining an additional Action on their next turn. Creatures that do not gain the Action also avoid the Side Effects. Side Effects: Creatures affected by this Concoction gain one instance of the Exhaustion Affliction. Doctor Goodwin's Goo of GallivantingIf Imbibed: For one hour, the imbiber climbs at twice its normal Speed, jumps three times farther/higher than it normally could, and gains a +1d10 bonus to Might or Precision Checks related to mobility.
If Dashed: For one minute, all creatures within a 5ft. radius climb at twice their normal Speed, jump three times farther/higher than normal, and gain a +1d8 bonus to Might or Precision Checks related to mobility. Side Effects: When the effect ends, all affected creatures must roll 1d12. On a result of 1, they suffer the Exhaustion Affliction. Doctor Eddard's Drown-StopperIf Imbibed: The imbiber becomes capable of breathing water. They decide how long they want the effect to last by how much they drink; the effect can range from 1 Round to 24 Hours. Regardless of how much is drunk, this Concoction quickly degrades once its vessel is unsealed, and thus is only good for a single use.
If Dashed: All Creatures within 5ft. become capable of breathing water. Each creature rolls 1d20. The effect lasts for that many hours. Side Effects: Creatures affected by this Concoction can not breathe air, and are subject to drowning when not underwater. Doctor Narci's Smooth ElixirIf Imbibed: The imbiber exudes attractive pheromones, a healthy glow, and adopts an ergonomically correct posture. They make all Social Checks with a +3d4 bonus. This effect lasts for 24 hours.
If Dashed: All Creatures within 5ft. smell pretty good, look well rested, and seem like they've been to therapy and dealt with some sh*t. They make all Social Checks with a +1d4 bonus. This effect lasts for 1 hour. Side Effects: Once these effects wear off:
Doctor Syun's Snooze SauceIf Imbibed: The imbiber falls into a deep slumber. If they are undisturbed for one minute, they awake as if they had taken a Night's Rest, except they remove two instances of the Exhausted Affliction instead of one.
If Dashed: H All creatures within 5ft. must make a Willpower or Fortitude Check (their choice) against a target equal to your Character Level +2, falling Asleep on a failure. Sleeping creatures are Knocked Down, cannot take Actions or Reactions, and automatically fail Checks. They can be woken with an Action, by taking any Damage, or they wake naturally after 2d4 hours. Side Effects: If imbibed, the imbiber rolls 1d100. If the result is 5 or less, the Resting effect fails, and they instead gain an additional instance of the Exhausted Affliction. Doctor Jurgen's Mutagenic Mending MedleyIf Imbibed: The imbiber heals (2d12+your Character Level) Common, Forceful, or Elemental Damage, or half as much Esoteric Damage, in any combination they choose.
If Dashed: All creatures in a 5ft. radius heal (2d12+1/2 your Character Level) Common, Forceful, or Elemental Damage, or half as much Esoteric Damage, in any combination they choose. Side Effects: Affected Creatures each roll 1d100, and consult the table below: >33 = No additional effect. 25-33 = Roll once on the Mutagenic Table. The result lasts for one hour. 15-24 = Roll once on the Mutagenic Table. The result lasts for one day. 10-14 = Roll once on the Mutagenic Table. The result lasts until you complete a Full Rest. 5-9 = Roll twice on the Mutagenic Table. The result lasts until you complete a Full Rest. 4 = Roll three times on the Mutagenic Table. The result lasts until you complete a Full Rest. 3 = Roll once on the Mutagenic Table. The result is permanent. 2 = Roll twice on the Mutagenic Table. The result is permanent. 1 = Roll three times on the Mutagenic Table. The result is permanent. Doctor Leopold's Affectation AlleviationIf Imbibed: The imbiber removes the highest-numbered Affliction it currently suffers from, and takes 1d12-4 Poisonous Damage. If the imbiber is not suffering from any Afflictions, it only takes the Poisonous Damage. If Dashed: All creatures in a 5ft. radius take 1d6 Poisonous Damage, but subtract 1d4 from any Affliction Table rolls they make in the next minute. If an Affliction Roll would be less than 1 as a result, they avoid the Affliction. Side Effects: Whether Imbibed or Dashed, affected Creatures immediately roll once on the Mutagenic Table. The result lasts for 1d4 days. |
The Mutagenic Table (1d12)
Some Side Effects (or other causes) can trigger a roll here.
12 = no effect
11 = one of your feet morphs into a hoof-like appendage (or you sprout one if this does not apply). Your Speed is decreased by -5ft for the first day you have this effect. 10 = your knees are replaced by rubbery knots of sinew that flex in all directions., but provide little support. You have a -1 penalty to Might and Precision Checks for the first day you have this effect. 9 = one of your arms morphs to have 1d4 additional elbows. 8 = one of your arms is replaced by a fleshy tentacle. You had a -2 penalty to Precision Checks and Attack Rolls for the first week you have this effect. 7 = seven fingers sprout from your torso in random locations. |
6 = your ears relocate to your shoulders.
5 = your hair is replaced by fleshy strands that resemble earthworms. If you are bald, they grow from your scalp, forehead, temples, jawline, and neck. 4 = An additional eye grows somewhere on your head. It has a severe astigmatism and can discern light from darkness, but little else. 3 = your fingertips constantly exude a substance that resembles oil, charcoal, or pencil lead, marking everything you touch. 2 = your eyes, mouth, and nose trade positions with one another 1 = you constantly exude a sticky, rubber-cement-like substance that causes you to leave an obvious trail, and for objects to stick to you. You may roll twice when you attempt to Grapple a Creature, taking the highest result. Grapples against you automatically succeed. Shove Actions (by or against you) always fail. |