The Rusting manifests as a thin, iron coating that grows over a victim's body. When exposed to moisture, this iron skin corrodes into a rust-colored plaque. As the Rusting covers the victim, the victim eventually transforms into a type of creature known as a Rusted (see chapter 9).
Any creature that is wounded by a Rusted creature or spends 1 hour in an area where the Rusting has manifested makes a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. Constructs and Undead automatically succeed on this save. On a failed save, the creature is afflicted by the Rusting and suffers the following effects:
- Curse. The creature gains 1 Exhaustion level and is cursed. While the creature is cursed, finishing a Long Rest doesn't reduce the creature's Exhaustion level.
- Plated Joints. The creature's Speed is reduced by 5 feet.
- Rusted Fate. When a cursed creature's Exhaustion level reaches 6, it doesn't die. Instead, the creature transforms into a Rusted version of its former self; its creature type becomes Construct, and it gains Immunity to Poison damage and the Exhaustion, Petrified, and Poisoned conditions. The curse then ends for that creature.
Fighting the Contagion
Daily at dawn, an afflicted creature makes a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature gains 1 Exhaustion level as more iron coats its skin. On a successful save, the creature's Exhaustion level decreases by 1. If the creature's Exhaustion level is reduced to 0, the contagion ends on the creature.
Removing the curse immediately ends the contagion for a creature.