Divine Magic • Core Spell Reference

Contagion

Gabriël Metsu (1629-1667) Title: The Sick Girl Date 1658-1659

Choose your edition before using the spell. Its level, casting procedure, targets, effects, and limits follow the rules in the selected panel.

Contagion at a Glance

5.5e (2024)	Level 5
5e (2014)	Level 5
Pathfinder 1e	Level 3
D&D 3.5e	Level 3
Browse	Cleric spells • Cleric class

Spell Rules

5.5e (2024)5e (2014)Pathfinder 1eD&D 3.5e

Contagion — 5.5e (2024)

Cleric spell level 5. Edition source.

Spell	Level 5 Necromancy (Cleric, Druid)
Casting Time	Action
Range	Touch
Components	V, S
Duration	7 days

Your touch inflicts a magical contagion. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 11d8 Necrotic damage and have the Poisoned condition. Also, choose one ability when you cast the spell. While Poisoned, the target has Disadvantage on saving throws made with the chosen ability. The target must repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns until it gets three successes or failures. If the target succeeds on three of these saves, the spell ends on the target. If the target fails three of the saves, the spell lasts for 7 days on it. Whenever the Poisoned target receives an effect that would end the Poisoned condition, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or the Poisoned condition doesn’t end on it.

Contagion — 5e (2014)

Cleric spell level 5. Edition source.

The 2014 rules include the published Player’s Handbook corrections.

Spell	5th-level necromancy
Casting Time	1 action
Range	Touch
Components	V, S
Duration	7 days

Make a melee spell attack against a creature in your reach. A hit gives the target the poisoned condition. At the end of each poisoned target’s turn, it makes a Constitution saving throw. Track successes and failures separately. Three successes remove the poison and end the spell. Three failures remove the poison and let you select one of the diseases below; that disease then affects the target for the spell’s duration. Since this spell induces a natural disease in its target, any effect that removes a disease or otherwise ameliorates a disease’s effects apply to it.

Blinding Sickness. Pain grips the creature’s mind, and its eyes turn milky white. The creature has disadvantage on Wisdom checks and Wisdom saving throws and is blinded.

Filth Fever. A raging fever sweeps through the creature’s body. The creature has disadvantage on Strength checks, Strength saving throws, and attack rolls that use Strength.

Flesh Rot. The creature’s flesh decays. The creature has disadvantage on Charisma checks and vulnerability to all damage.

Mindfire. The creature’s mind becomes feverish. The creature has disadvantage on Intelligence checks and Intelligence saving throws, and the creature behaves as if under the effects of the confusion spell during combat.

Seizure. The creature is overcome with shaking. The creature has disadvantage on Dexterity checks, Dexterity saving throws, and attack rolls that use Dexterity.

Slimy Doom. The creature begins to bleed uncontrollably. The creature has disadvantage on Constitution checks and Constitution saving throws. In addition, whenever the creature takes damage, it is stunned until the end of its next turn.

Contagion — Pathfinder 1e

Cleric spell level 3. Edition source.

School	necromancy [evil]
Level	cleric 3, druid 3, sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time	1 standard action
Components	V, S
Range	touch
Target	living creature touched
Duration	instantaneous
Saving Throw	Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance	yes

The subject contracts one of the following diseases: blinding sickness, bubonic plague, cackle fever, filth fever, leprosy, mindfire, red ache, shakes, or slimy doom. The disease is contracted immediately (the onset period does not apply). Use the disease’s listed frequency and save DC to determine further effects. For more information see Diseases.

Contagion — D&D 3.5e

Cleric spell level 3. Edition source.

School	Necromancy [Evil]
Level	Clr 3, Destruction 3, Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components	V, S
Casting Time	1 standard action
Range	Touch
Target	Living creature touched
Duration	Instantaneous
Saving Throw	Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance	Yes

The subject contracts a disease selected from the table below, which strikes immediately (no incubation period). The DC noted is for the subsequent saves (use contagion’s normal save DC for the initial saving throw).

Disease	DC	Damage
Blinding sickness	16	1d4 Str¹
Cackle fever	16	1d6 Wis
Filth fever	12	1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con
Mindfire	12	1d4 Int
Red ache	15	1d6 Str
Shakes	13	1d8 Dex
Slimy doom	14	1d4 Con
1 Each time a victim takes 2 or more points of Strength damage from blinding sickness, he or she must make another Fortitude save (using the disease’s save DC) or be permanently blinded.

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