Forums » RP Discussion » Collaborative OC: Cleric and Disease

Hi everyone!

Here are my theme ideas for a character for the Collaborative OC Building Event 2025:

1) Is a cleric/religious themed character

2) Theme of disease/illness

3) Related to dragons somehow

Excited to participate and see where this event goes! No idea what will come of these traits, but curious to see what people say!

Hi there!
I love the three traits you picked, and it got me thinking- so here's an option for a character!

Dragon Born Illness

As a child, this character was infected by a parasitic draconic disease created by an ancient dragon god in a time when people stopped believing. Instead of them dying, they became the living host of said god and now act as its cleric and vessel.

The dragon god speaks to them, performs miracles through them, and seeks to spread itself and its influence. This character does not enjoy having two people in their head- let alonge a godly entity. The good thing is that this cleric can cure disease that other people have by magically transferring it into themselves, but doing so strengthens the dragon god growing inside them.
The question is how long can they remain in control while doing good deeds? And if the god is restored to its former glory.. what happens to them?

With so many high fantasy themes, I actually think it would be really cool to give the character a 'common' chronic disease or disability. Something that affects their everyday life and common interactions without it being all about the condition.

I'm thinking maybe they lost a limb in some fashion, whether it was a sacrifice to their deity, or an unfortunate situation with a dragon. Or they have a chronic illness that requires them to collect the essence of other creatures (killing them in the process) and absorb it somehow (drinking, injecting) or else they become gravely ill and struggle to function.

I like Sanne’s idea with a ‘common’ disease, some degenerative genetic disease that disables more and more, slowly (for example Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome).

The said character is instead a Shinto monk, Japanese traditional religion, but the spirit of the sea Ryūjin has entered his body, holding that ill frame somehow together. This can also be its pendant Ōwatatsumi, the deity that brings fortune to the people and has also a dragon form. Bathing in dragon blood is known to be giving immortality and be able to go to the underworld and come back.

First thing that comes to mind is just a plague doctor whose mask resembles a dragon head instead of a bird.

Maybe this person prayed for a disease to rid their land of dragons. Their prayer was granted, but they themselves are the plague bearer - they go to places with dragons or draconic races like kobolds and try to insinuate themselves into close proximity, just long enough to pass on their disease...

A priestess who is ordered to kill baby dragons and ends up healing them so they grow up and make her able to boost her abilities by giving her their blood so she can control some dragons, grow dragon wings and fly and of course cast fire magic, dragon fire magic that would srun white wizards of the holy orders.

A day late, but here is my girl! Still want to do a massive rewrite of her background and story, but at least the final concept is set in here. Just needs some more details in it, but, to anyone interested, have a look!

https://www.rprepository.com/character-site/1496745/495917

Edit 9/2: Posted the wrong version of her sheet.. updated now!