Path of Corruption

Stages of Corruption

Stage Zero: Unnoticed

The Dark Powers have taken no interest in your character's activity up to this point. If your character has committed any acts worthy of a Powers check, their actions were either inconsequential or infrequent enough to not attract attention. The Dark Powers are fickle though, sometimes taking interest is relatively minor evils while atrocities are committed next door. Just because your prior deed have gone unpunished does not mean that your future deeds will be ignored.

Stage One: The Caress

The Dark Powers grant your character a minor boon as a temptation to further explore acts of evil. However, your character will also gain a relatively minor curse. At this early stage, any deformities caused by the curse should be easy to conceal with things like accessories, clothes, or cosmetics.

The DM can roll on the Potential Boons of the Caress table below or use it as inspiration for a boon befitting the circumstances. For the curse, see Curses & use the Potential Embarrassing Curses table.

Potential Boons of the Caress

d10	Boon
1	You gain a +2 bonus to one ability score.
2	You gain 10' to your movement speed.
3	You gain proficiency with one skill, tool, or language.
4	You have advantage when making a saving throw with one ability.
5	You have 30' Darkvision.
6	You have +1 AC due to natural armor.
7	You have natural weapons to make unarmed strikes, such as a bite or claws attack. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d4 + your Strength/Dexterity modifier.
8	You can innately cast or gain a spell-like ability equivalent to casting a 1st-level spell once per long rest.
9	You can innately cast or gain a spell-like ability equivalent to casting a cantrip a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) per long rest.
10	Roll again.

Stage Two: The Enticement

Should a character continue down the path of evil laid out by the Dark Powers, they will tempt the character with greater power. This is only offset by the character gaining a curse designed to frustrate their endeavors.

The DM can roll on the Potential Boons of the Enticement table below or use it as inspiration for a boon befitting the circumstances. For the curse, see Curses & use the Potential Frustrating Curses table.

Potential Boons of the Enticement

d10	Boon
1	You gain a +4 bonus to one ability score, or +2 to two ability scores.
2	You gain 20' to your movement speed.
3	You gain proficiency with two skills, tools, or languages.
4	You have advantage when making a saving throw with one ability.
5	You have 60' Darkvision.
6	You have +2 AC due to natural armor, such as from fur or scales.
7	You have natural weapons to make unarmed strikes, such as a bite or claws attack. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d4 + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. The strike also does additional damage (acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, poison, etc.) equivalent to either your spell attack bonus or your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus, whichever is higher.
8	You can innately cast or gain a spell-like ability equivalent to casting one 2nd-level spell or two 1st-level spells once per long rest.
9	You can innately cast or gain a spell-like ability equivalent to casting a cantrip a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus once per long rest.
10	Roll again.

Stage Three: The Invitation

At this point, the character is continuing down their path of corruption & any hope in seeking redemption is fading fast. The Dark Powers now offer the character a powerful boon but also a troublesome curse. This stage is something of an event horizon for characters, as turning back is exceedingly difficult beyond this point.

The DM can roll on the Potential Boons of the Invitation table below or use it as inspiration for a boon befitting the circumstances. For the curse, see Curses & use the Potential Troublesome Curses table.

Potential Boons of the Invitation

d10	Boon
1	You gain a +6 bonus to one ability score, or +2 to three ability scores.
2	You gain 30' to your movement speed.
3	You gain proficiency with three skills, tools, or languages.
4	You have advantage when making a saving throw with up to two abilities.
5	You have 60' Darkvision.
6	You have +3 AC due to natural armor.
7	You have natural weapons to make unarmed strikes, such as a bite or claws attack. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. The strike also does additional damage (acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, poison, etc.) equivalent to either your spell attack bonus or your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus, whichever is higher.
8	You can innately cast or gain a spell-like ability equivalent to casting one 3rd-level spell, one 2nd-level and one 1st-level, or three 1st-level spells once per long rest.
9	You can innately cast or gain a spell-like ability equivalent to casting a cantrip a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus once per short rest.
10	Roll again.

Stage Four: The Embrace

The character has become a true villain at this point with any potential idealist motivations or virtues being overshadowed by their evil deads. The Dark Powers have taken serious notice of the character as a potential Darklord canidate, bestowing upon them a major boon but also a dangerous curse. This curse will often have serious consequences, altering the character mentally &/or physically. There is also the potential risk that if the corrupted character is a player character, the player may temporarily loose control of their character due to the effects of the curse, such as with lycanthropy.

The DM can roll on the Potential Boons of the Embrace table below or use it as inspiration for a boon befitting the circumstances. For the curse, see Curses & use the Potential Dangerous Curses table.

Potential Boons of the Embrace

d10	Boon
1	You gain a +8 bonus to one ability score, or +2 to four ability scores.
2	You gain 40' to your movement speed.
3	You gain proficiency with four skills, tools, or languages.
4	You have advantage when making a saving throw with up to two abilities.
5	You have 120' Darkvision.
6	You have +4 AC due to natural armor.
7	You have natural weapons to make unarmed strikes, such as a bite or claws attack. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d8 + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. The strike also does additional damage (acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, poison, etc.) equivalent to either your spell attack bonus or your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus, whichever is higher.
8	You can innately cast or gain a spell-like ability equivalent to casting one 4th-level spell, or a number of spells that have a combined level that is equal four, once per long rest.
9	You can innately cast or gain a spell-like ability equivalent to casting a cantrip at will.
10	Roll again.

Stage Five: The Creature

The character has all but abandoned their humanity at this point, allowing their crimes & evil deeds to transform them into a monster. The boon bestowed upon the corrupted character is even greater than those before, as well as an even more powerful curse. The Dark Powers do not allow the lethal curse to outright destroy their new darklord candidate, though the corrupted character may wish that it did.

A player character that has achieved this stage of corruption may be removed from the player's control & become an NPC under the DM's control. This is fully at the DM's discretion & should be discussed with the player far in advance.

The DM can roll on the Potential Boons of the Creature table below or use it as inspiration for a boon befitting the circumstances. For the curse, see Curses & use the Potential Lethal Curses table.

Potential Boons of the Creature

d10	Boon
1	You gain a +10 bonus to one ability score, or +2 to five ability scores.
2	You gain 40' to your movement speed.
3	You gain proficiency with five skills, tools, or languages.
4	You have advantage when making a saving throw with up to three abilities.
5	You have 120' Darkvision.
6	You have +5 AC due to natural armor.
7	You have natural weapons to make unarmed strikes, such as a bite or claws attack. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d10 + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. The strike also does additional damage (acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, poison, etc.) equivalent to either your spell attack bonus or your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus, whichever is higher.
8	You can innately cast or gain a spell-like ability equivalent to casting one 5th-level spell, or a number of spells that have a combined level that is equal to or less than five, once per long rest.
9	You can innately cast or gain a spell-like ability equivalent to casting up to two cantrips at will.
10	Roll again.

Stage Six: The Darklord

The corrupted character's fate is sealed with their final act of evil. Beyond hope of redemption, the Mists will surround the character & deposit them into their own domain designed by the Dark Powers. New darklords are often given only small domains with few subjects, but the land itself is shares a curse with the darklord. Whatever the darklord desperately desires will forever be tauntingly beyond their grasp.

Powers of a Darklord

A new darklord will be granted powers over their Dread Domain, giving them the illusion of mastery over their own prison. Common powers of a Darklord include:

Closing the Borders. Darklords are unable to escape their own domain, but can manipulate their borders as a way to trap new victims. At will, a darklord can close the borders of their Dread Domain, causing the Mists to surround the land in a dense wall of fog. Often the nature of what lurks in the Mists is somehow related to nature of the darklord.

Domain Awareness. Darklords often have a supernatural awareness of events taking place within their domain. While they may not be able to divine details, a darklord is often able to sense deeds of great good or evil. Sometimes they can sense when something related to their curse occurs, letting them know if someone is hindering their plans,

Lair Actions. A darklord will often have some sort of lair within their domain, serving as a home & base of operations. While within this lair, the darklord is capable of manipulating the environment to assist them during combat or to hinder trespassers who dare to enter.

Legendary Actions. A darklord will often gain legendary actions that grant them additional options during combat encounters.

Legendary Resistances. A darklord will often gain a certain number of legendary resistances, allowing them to succeed on check they would otherwise have failed during combat encounters.

Turn Resistance. Many darklords are undead creatures, but the Dark Powers grant them a certain degree of protection against holy powers that affect lesser undead. These darklords are more difficult to be affected by a cleric's Turn Undead ability, if not outright immune.

Unnatural Longevity. A darklord may have an extended lifespan, if not some form of limited immortality. Darklords that have become undead creatures such as ghosts, liches, or vampires are an example of the latter. Some darklords will retain their mortality, but the aging process slowed either due to their efforts or as some part of their curse. Relatively few darklords live natural lifespans, the Dark Powers finding some way to prolong their suffering.

Special Note - Repeated Boons & Curses

If you have proceeded more than one step down the path of corruption & happen to roll a boon that is the same or a more powerful version of a previous path of corruption boon, it is up to the DM's discretion how to resolve the situation. One potential solution is to have the more powerful boon can replace the less powerful boon. You can then reroll for the less powerful boon to gain a new gift from the Dark Powers.

Redemption

Sample Paths of Corruption

Path of the Brute

The path of the brute applies to those that commit acts of cruelty & use their strengths to bully others into submission. No specific Dark Power tends to favor this path of corruption, with certain elements perhaps being being reflavored to thematically fit with the specific act of evil that triggered the Powers check or the Dark Power that holds most sway in that Domain of Dread.

Stage One

You gain a +2 bonus to your Strength ability score, but your features grow subtly coarse & ugly.

Stage Two

You grow larger & more menacing. You gain a +2 bonus to both your Strength & Dexterity ability scores. You also suffer a -2 penalty to your Charisma ability score.

Stage Three

You gain a +2 bonus to your Strength ability score & a +2 bonus to your Constitution ability score. You have also grown an additional 12" in height, but are still considered your original size category. You have also become insane; each day you must succeed on either a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or a DC equal to the chance of failure for the failed Powers check (whichever is least). On a failure, you must use your action each round to attack the nearest creature of 1d10 minutes. When during the day the check is called for is at the DM's discretion.

Stage Four

You are massive, but now have the distinct appearance of a coarse, primitive example of your species. You recieve the ability score bonuses of +2 to Strength, +2 to Dexterity, & +2 to Constitution. You also recieve a -2 penalty to both your Intelligence & Charisma ability scores.

Stage Five

You have transformed into a brutal creature that resembles an ogre with some traits familiar to your original species. You are now considered a Large-sized creature; if your character's hit dice were a d8 or below, your hit dice are now d10. You also recieve the a +2 bonus to your Strength, Dexterity, & Consititution ability scores. You also recieve a - 2 penalty to your Intelligence, Wisdom, & Charisma ability scores.

Path of the Coward

Path of Pestilence

The path of pestilence is strongly associated with the Dark Power known as the Putrid Bride. It is the embodiment of the fear of decay & disease, so it will eagerly reward those that commit evil deeds involving crawling pests, parasitic creatures, or swarms of vermin. Acts that would attract the Putrid Bride could be a warlord that unleashes swarms of rats to devour the meager supplies of a besieged city or an evil druid summoning a plague of locust to avenge a minor slight by a simple farmer.

Below are listed some potential boons & their associated curses for the path of pesitlence. Most focus on either aiding the corrupted character in using vermin to achieve their goals or turning the corrupted character into monster bearing traits common to pestilence.

Stage One

You have 30' of Darkvision, but whenever you speak, you will sometimes make noises like the chittering of bugs or squeak like a rat.

Stage Two

Your body & garments now host a nest of pests, such as fleas, grubs, hornets, etc. However, you can innately cast the cantrip Infestation a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Stage 03

You grow patches of a hard, chitinous like substance on the skin over most of your body & face. This does give you a +3 bonus to your Armor Class due to natural armor when you are not wearing armor.

Stage 04

Your skeleton has become unnaturally flexible, allowing you to more easily squeeze through very small openings. You can now squeeze through an opening small enough for a creature up to two sizes small than your size with the normal movement penalty, while squeezing through an opening small enough for a creature one size smaller than your size imposes no penalty to your movement speed. After squeezing through small openings this way, you have disadvantage on Strength & Dexterity ability checks, attack rolls, & saving throws for 1 minute.

You can innately cast the either the spell Charm Monster or Dominate Beast once per long rest. Your spellcasting ability is either Wisdom or Charisma (your choice). You have also grown a long, rat-like tail that is difficult to conceal without specialized clothing.

You suffer the curse of wererat lycanthropy (see Lycanthropy). You recieve the normal boons & penalties of wererat lycanthropy. If you embrace the curse, your alignment changes to Lawful Evil & you can use the shapechanger trait at will. If you don't embrace the curse, you keep your current alignment but will be unable to use the shapechanger trait. Instead, on the three nights around the full moon you will transform & your character will be controlled by the DM, indulging in whatever the creature desires.

Stage 05

You can cast the spell Insect Plague once per long rest, & use either Wisdom or Charisma (your choice) as your spellcasting ability. Also, you now have the following flaw: "I enjoy watching my little pets eviscerate & devour my foes alive."

Path of Plagues

Stage One

You can innately cast the Poison Spray cantrip a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up). However, you always sound like you're sick: wheezing when you speak, congestion, a constant cough, or something similar.

Stage Two

You can innately cast the spell Ray of Enfeeblement once per long rest, using Wisdom or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for this feature. Unfortunately, each day you are also compelled to smear your hands & forearms with 'unclean' substances, such as rancid ditch water, stinking mud, or slimy refuse.

Stage Three

Stage Four

You gain a supernatural knowledge of diseases & poisons, providing you advantage on all ability checks involving such matters. Examples include checks to craft or identify antidotes, medicines, or poisons, & checks to recall history of plagues or diagnosis obscure diseases or poisons. Unfortunately, you are also being stalked by a wererat (CR 2, 500 XP), an assassin that seeks to prevent you from ascending as a Darklord that could challenge their employer. Slaying the wererat grants a temporary reprieve; another assassin will be sent within the next 1d10 + 1 days. The assassin targeting you can be altered by the DM inorder to scale with your current level, preferrably a creature that is dangerous for your character to encounter alone.

Stage Five

You can innately cast the spell Contagion once per long rest. You are also compelled to kill a non-evil aligned creature once per day. Failure to do so will result in a -2 penalty to your Constitution score. If your Constitution reaches 0 as a result of this curse, then you die & your corpse dissolves into a pile of gore & pustules.

Path of the Mesmerist

Path of the Ringleader

The path of the ringleader applies to those that prefer to manipulate others into doing their dirty work for them. This path of corruption tends to be favored by entity known as the Ravenous Spider, the embodiment of fear of conspiracy, entrapment, & spiders.

Stage One - You gain the ability to cast the Charm Person spell once per long rest, with Charisma being your spellcasting ability for this feature. Whenever you use this feature a tiny spider will skitter out from underneath your clothes.

Stage Two - You gain a ravenous apetite for vermin.

Stage One

You have advantage with making Wisdom saving throws, but your eyes become a sickly, pale yellow or green color.

You gain an additional 10' of movement, but your skin is constantly covered with blemishes like patches of acne, oozy pustules, an itchy rash, or something similar.

You gain an additional 10' of movement, but only while you are on all fours & scurrying like a bug or a rat.

You can innately cast the cantrip Infestation a number of times per day equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) per long rest. However, you will always have an unpleasant odor like rotting fruit or meat.

Stage Two

You now have natural weapons in the form of claws. Your attacks & damage rolls are based on your Strength modifier. On a hit, you do slashing damage & additional poison damage equal to your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus (at least 1). As a consequence, you must spend 1 hour each day cleaning your hands & maintaining your claws. This grooming ritual can be completed as part of a short rest.

You now have a natural weapons in the form of a spit attack with a 20'/60' range. Your attack roll is based on your Dexterity modifier. On a hit, you do 1d4 + your Constitution modifier in acid damage. As a consequence, you must consume bone meal or gnaw on bone as part of your meals each day.

Stage Three

Your body is covered with very noticeable blemishes, such as dark bruises, large boils, or scaley rashes. You also have a +3 bonus to your AC when you are not wearing armor.

When you make a melee weapon attack or cast a touch spell, you can inflict an additional 1d6 + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) necrotic damage. You also gain temporary hit points based on an amount equal to the necrotic damage done to the targeted creature. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. Unfortunately you are also cursed with insanity, requiring to pass a Wisdom saving throw with a DC 20 or a DC matching the DC of the failed Powers check (whichever is higher). On a failure, you must use your action to attack the nearest creature to you for 1d10 minutes. When the temporary insanity overtakes you is up to the DM's discretion.

You recieve an ability score improvement of +6 to your Constitution, but you suffer from partial blindness. You have disadvantage on any ability check that requires sight & your attack rolls are at disadvantage if reliant on sight.

You can innately cast the spell Speak with Animals once per day, but you are only capable of speaking to bugs, parasites, & vermin. You can also cast the spell Spider Climb once per day, but only on yourself. You also develop an irrational fear of fire, having disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, & saving throws when within 30' of an open flame.

Stage Four

You have the innate ability to cast the spell Sickening Raidience once per long rest, using either Wisdom or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for this feature. You are also cursed that when your character dies, you can't be resurrected, instead rising as an undead creature in 1d6 days. If the DM allows, you can rebuild your character as a reborn (Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (5e), p 20).

You are now immune poison damage, can't be poisoned by mundane means, & have advantage against being magically poisoned. However, you are only able to consume food & drink that is spoiled, rotten, or been discarded as refuse.

Stage Five

You sprout insect-like wings from your back, as well as spurs on your hands & feet. These give you a flying & climbing speed equal to your normal speed. You have also gained the attention of a coven of hags operating somewhere in the Domains of Dread. They have sent a banderhobb with the express purpose of capturing or killing you. It will attempt to accomplish its goal once every day. If the banderhobb is slain, you are granted a reprieve of 10 days before the next minion arrives to replace it.

You are host to parasites that grant you limited magical immunity. You can't be affected or detected by spells of 3rd-level or lower unless you wish to be. You also have advantage on saving throws against all other spells & magical effects. However, you must allow your parasites to feed on the fresh blood of a spellcaster once per day. Failure to do so will result on you gaining one level of exhaustion.

Your character permanently transforms into a non-humanoid creature, such as a medusa, spawn of kyuss, or strigoi. It is up to the DM's discretion as to whether or not you will be able to continue to play as your transformed character.

You gain a flight speed equal to your movement speed, but you now have an irrational fear of divine magic. You have disadvantage on all ability checks, attack rolls, & saving throws until the end of your next turn If one of the following conditions are met:

You witness a creature within 30' of you cast a spell or spell-like ability using a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus, or has verbal, somatic, or material components of a religious nature, such as prayers or holy water.

You witness a creature within 30' of you cast a spell that does radiant damage or take radiant damage from any source.

You witness a creature within 30' of you using holy water or being splashed with holy water.

You set foot into a location that you believe to be hallowed ground.

Sources

Corrupting a Player Character

There are many factors that should be considered prior to having a player character fall down a path of corruption. Players need to be informed in advance about Curses, Powers checks, the Path of Corruption, & similar character altering mechanics within the campaign, preferably during a session zero. This includes how much characters may be altered as a result of their experiences in the Dread Domains or as a consequence for their choices.

Some talking points concerning the Path of Corruption may include:

Actions have consequences, especially acts of evil. Outside of roleplay, failed Powers checks will result in boons & curses that can alter combat, exploration, & social mechanics for a character.

A character of a non-evil-alignment may have their alignment shifted as a consequence of their actions, regardless of whether or not they failed a Powers check. The result is up to the DM's discretion, but should generally be based on the severity of the evil deed.

At some point, the player may lose control of their character based on how far along they fall down the Path of Corruption. This may be temporary, such as if a character is cursed with lycanthropy, or it may be permanent. Characters that are fully corrupted & become darklords will either be wisked away to their own Domain of Dread, or will replace the darklord of the current Dread Domain. Either result will force the player to reliquish control of the character to the DM.

Suggested Innate Spells or Spell-like Abilities

Cantrips - Chill Touch, Dancing Lights, Infestation, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Mold Earth, Primal Savagery, Resistance (self only), Thaumaturgy, Toll the Dead

1st-Level - Bane, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Command, Detect Evil & Good, Expeditious Retreat (self only), Faerie Fire, Feather Fall (self only), Inflict Wounds, Jump (self only), Protection from Evil & Good (self only), Silent Image, Sleep, Snare, Speak with Animals

2nd-Level - Alter Self, Animal Messenger, Arcane Lock, Darkness, Darkvision (self only), Detect Thoughts, Enhance Ability, Enthrall, Fog Cloud, Invisibility (self only), Knock, Mirror Image, Pyrotechnics, See Invisibility, Silence, Spider Climb (self only), Suggestion, Summon Beast, Web

3rd-Level - Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Clairvoyance, Fear, Fly (self only), Gaseous Form (self only), Haste (self only), Major Image, Meld into Stone, Phantom Steed, Plant Growth, Sending, Speak with Dead, Speak with Plants, Stinking Cloud, Summon Shadowspawn, Summon Undead, Vampiric Touch, Water Beathing (self only)

4th-Level - Arcane Eye, Blight, Charm Monster, Dimension Door, Dominate Beast, Greater Invisibility, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph (self only), Shadow of Moil, Sickening Radiance, Stoneskin (self only),

5th-Level - Awaken, Contagion, Dispel Evil & Good, Dominate Person, Dream, Enervation, Hallow, Hold Monster, Insect Plague, Modify Memory, Scrying, Telekinesis, Tree Stride

Type

Metaphysical, Supernatural

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Path of Corruption

Stages of Corruption

Stage Zero: Unnoticed

Stage One: The Caress

Potential Boons of the Caress

Stage Two: The Enticement

Potential Boons of the Enticement

Stage Three: The Invitation

Potential Boons of the Invitation

Stage Four: The Embrace

Potential Boons of the Embrace

Stage Five: The Creature

Potential Boons of the Creature

Stage Six: The Darklord

Powers of a Darklord

Special Note - Repeated Boons & Curses

Redemption

Sample Paths of Corruption

Path of the Brute

Stage One

Stage Two

Stage Three

Stage Four

Stage Five

Path of the Coward

Path of Pestilence

Stage One

Stage Two

Stage 03

Stage 04

Stage 05

Path of Plagues

Stage One

Stage Two

Stage Three

Stage Four

Stage Five

Path of the Mesmerist

Path of the Ringleader

Stage One

Stage Two

Stage Three

Stage Four

Stage Five

Sources

Corrupting a Player Character

Suggested Innate Spells or Spell-like Abilities

Entry for WorldEmber 2024

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