Blood Hunter
Marred but resolute, his grimacing face dripping with sweat, a half-orc reddens a finger in the blood of his own wounds, then draws a glowing ruby glyph in the air between him and the bloody behemoth facing him. He grips the weightless sigil, twisting it to unleash streams of dark energy that curse the blood of the monster’s own veins to even the odds.
A mysterious half-elf swathed in a worn cloak and rugged leather armor carefully investigates the site of a roadway massacre, her eyes flashing with recognition as she meditates on the remnants of the grisly scene. Suddenly, she jumps to her feet, certain in the knowledge of what creature was responsible, where it can be found—and how little time she has before it kills again.
Stepping into lightless chambers filled with ancient dust and lingering whispers, the halfling picks up the warning of imminent danger from the scraping of bone and claw on nearby stone. She winces as she runs her blade across her palm, the steel transmuting blood and essence into glowing runes of powerful magic, eager to brand and burn the flesh of her enemies.
Blood hunters are clever warriors driven by an unending determination to destroy evils old and new. Armed with rites of secretive blood magic and a willingness to sacrifice their own vitality and humanity for their cause, they protect the realms from the shadows—even as they remain ever vigilant against being drawn to the darkness that consumes the monsters they hunt.
Sacrifice to Preserve Life
Far from the judging eyes of society, blood hunters have mastered the secretive techniques of hemocraft, finding blood magic’s esoteric nature effective against evils that resist divine rebuke or arcane bindings. Through careful study and practice, blood hunters hone the rites of hemocraft into unique combat techniques, forfeiting a portion of their own health to call blood curses down upon their enemies or summon the elements to aid their strikes. Willing to suffer whatever it takes to achieve victory, these adept warriors have forged themselves into a potent force dedicated to protecting the innocent.
A Monster to Fight Monsters
Whether driven by the wish to make a difference, the need to take vengeance, or the hope of finding a place to belong in an uncaring world, every blood hunter has their own reasons for undertaking the ritual of the Hunter’s Bane that starts them on this path. In joining an order of blood hunters, one also joins a family bound by service to each other and a common cause. For many, this might be the only family they have left—or have ever known—making the kinship felt between blood hunters an all-but-unbreakable bond.
Outside the camaraderie of their orders, however, the life of a blood hunter is not an easy one. The ritual of the Hunter’s Bane can leave a character visibly changed, and prone to unsettling the people around them. Likewise, witnessing hemocraft can invoke superstitious fears from even the most learned scholars. While some cultures have come to accept the good deeds of many blood hunter orders, many blood hunters hide their calling unless absolutely necessary. They feel more comfortable in the wilds and wastes of the world, or drift through the outskirts of society, protecting the poor and defenseless from dark intention and the corrupting touch of fiends.
In choosing this path, every blood hunter irrevocably gives a part of themself to their cause—physically, emotionally, and sometimes morally. Each order of blood hunters practices its own ideals and methods, often employing techniques with dark origins that test the strength and will of those who employ them. Many wrestle with the fear of losing this struggle. And so a life of discipline and vigilance drives a blood hunter’s travels as they wander the countryside, in search of like-minded adventurers and whispers of dark deeds afoot.
Creating a Blood Hunter
As you create your blood hunter character, think about why you were driven to this lifestyle—and why you strive to give up everything to dwell in the darkness with the evils you hunt. Do you seek a sense of purpose and security, which you found among the order that has taken you in? Have you always carried a seed of darkness within you, so that you look for compatriots who can watch over and prevent you from succumbing to it? Were you once a holy warrior who strayed from your faith and was cast out, even as you yearn to give yourself over to the cause of protecting the innocent?
What is your relationship with the powers of hemocraft and the abilities it promises? Do you respect and fear the ancient power that surges through your veins, embracing your gifts and using them freely? Are you worried that this power will eventually turn you into one of the monsters you hunt? Or has your study instilled you with the confident clarity that makes you certain you can control these gifts for the greater good?
As well, what made you leave the comfort of your order to strike out on your own? Do you intend to return, or have you decided you have more to learn in the world? What strengths or assets do you seek in other adventurers that can help you meet your goals?
Though most blood hunters follow a path of good or neutrality in their pursuits, some have fallen to the dark, seductive side of hemocraft. These blood hunters use their abilities for selfish and evil purposes, often leading to their expulsion from the orders that trained them.
Level 1: Hunter’s Bane
You have survived the Hunter’s Bane—a dangerous, long-guarded ritual that alters your life’s blood, forever binding you to the darkness and honing your senses against it. You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track fey, fiends, or undead, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about such creatures.
The Hunter’s Bane also empowers your body to control and shape hemocraft magic, using your own blood and life essence to fuel your abilities. Some of your features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Hemocraft save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Hemocraft modifier (your choice between Intelligence or Wisdom)
Level 1: Blood Maledict
You gain the ability to channel—or sometimes sacrifice—a part of your vital essence to curse and manipulate creatures through hemocraft magic. You know one blood curse of your choice, detailed in the “Blood Curses” section at the end of the class description. You learn one additional blood curse of your choice at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. Each time you learn a new blood curse, you can also choose one of the blood curses you know and replace it with another blood curse.
Each time you use your Blood Maledict feature, you choose which curse to invoke from the curses you know. While invoking a blood curse, but before it affects the target, you can choose to amplify the curse by taking necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die. This damage can’t be reduced in any way. An amplified curse gains an additional effect, noted in the curse’s description. Creatures that do not have blood are immune to blood curses unless you have amplified the curse.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. You can use Blood Maledict twice between rests starting at 6th level, three times starting at 13th level, and four times starting at 17th level.
Level 1: Weapon Mastery
Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery properties of two kinds of Simple or Martial weapons of your choice. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice weapon drills and change one of those weapon choices.
Level 2: Fighting Style
You adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose a Fighting Style Feat.Level 2: Crimson Rite
You learn to invoke a rite of hemocraft that infuses your weapon strikes with elemental energy. As a bonus action, you can activate any rite you know on one weapon you’re holding. The effect of the rite lasts until you finish a short or long rest. When you activate a rite, you take necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die. This damage can’t be reduced in any way.
While the rite is in effect, attacks you make with this weapon are magical, and deal extra damage equal to your hemocraft die of the type determined by the chosen rite. A weapon can hold only one active rite at a time. Other creatures can’t gain the benefit of your rite.
You choose one rite from the crimson rites below when you first gain this feature. You learn an additional crimson rite at 7th level, and again at 14th level.
Rite of the Flame. The extra damage dealt by your rite is fire damage.
Rite of the Frozen. The extra damage dealt by your rite is cold damage.
Rite of the Storm. The extra damage dealt by your rite is lightning damage.
Rite of the Dead. The extra damage dealt by your rite is necrotic damage. (Prerequisite: 14th level)
Rite of the Oracle. The extra damage dealt by your rite is psychic damage. (Prerequisite: 14th level)
Rite of the Roar. The extra damage dealt by your rite is thunder damage. (Prerequisite: 14th level)
Level 3: Blood Hunter Order
You commit to an order of blood hunters whose philosophy will guide you throughout your life: the Order of the Ghostslayer, the Order of the Lycan, the Order of the Mutant, or the Order of the Profane Soul, each of which is detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 7th level and again at 11th, 15th, and 18th level.
Level 4: Ability Score Improvement
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Blood Hunter levels 8, 12, and 16.Level 5: Extra Attack
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Level 6: Brand of Castigation
When you damage a creature with a weapon for which you have an active crimson rite, you can channel hemocraft magic to sear an arcane brand into that creature (no action required). You always know the direction to the branded creature as long as it’s on the same plane as you. Further, each time the branded creature deals damage to you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you, the branded creature takes psychic damage equal to your Hemocraft modifier (minimum of 1).
Your brand lasts until you dismiss it or until you use this feature to apply a brand to another creature. Your brand can be dispelled with dispel magic, and is treated as a spell with a level equal to half your blood hunter level (maximum 9th level).
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Level 9: Grim Psychometry
You gain a supernatural talent for discerning the secrets surrounding mysterious relics or places touched by evil. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check to recall information about the sinister or tragic history of an object you are touching or your current location, you have advantage on the check. At the DM’s discretion, a suitably high roll might cause your character to experience brief visions of the past connected to the object or location.Level 10: Dark Augmentation
The magic of hemocraft suffuses your body to permanently reinforce your resilience. Your speed increases by 5 feet, and you have a bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws equal to your Hemocraft modifier (minimum of +1).
Level 13: Brand of Tethering
The psychic damage from your Brand of Castigation increases to twice your Hemocraft modifier (minimum of 2). Additionally, a branded creature can’t take the Dash action, and if it attempts to teleport or to leave its current plane by any means, it takes 4d6 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the attempt to teleport or leave the plane fails.
Level 14: Hardened Soul
You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and frightened.
Level 20: Sanguine Mastery
Your mastery of blood magic reaches its height, mitigating your sacrifice and empowering your expertise. Once per turn, whenever a blood hunter feature requires you to roll a hemocraft die, you can reroll the die and use either roll.
Additionally, whenever you score a critical hit with a weapon for which you have an active crimson rite, you regain one expended use of your Blood Maledict feature.
Blood Curses
As a blood hunter, you have access to a range of blood curses that can tax the resilience of any foe.Blood Curse of the Anxious
As a bonus action, you harry the body or mind of a creature within 30 feet of you, making them susceptible to forceful influence. Until the end of your next turn, Charisma (Intimidation) checks made against the cursed creature have advantage.
Amplify. The next Wisdom saving throw the cursed creature makes before this curse ends has disadvantage.
Blood Curse of Binding
As a bonus action, you attempt to bind a Large or smaller creature you can see within 30 feet of you, which must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the cursed creature’s speed is reduced to 0 and it can’t use reactions until the end of your next turn.
Amplify. This curse lasts for 1 minute and can affect any creature regardless of size. The cursed creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the curse on itself on a success.
Blood Curse of Bloated Agony
As a bonus action, you curse a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you, causing its body to swell until the end of your next turn. For the duration, the creature has disadvantage on Strength checks and Dexterity checks, and takes 1d8 necrotic damage if it makes more than one attack during its turn.
Amplify. This curse lasts for 1 minute. The cursed creature can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the curse on itself on a success.
Blood Curse of Corrosion
Prerequisite: 15th level, Order of the Mutant
As a bonus action, you cause a creature within 30 feet of you to become poisoned. The cursed creature can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the curse on itself on a success.
Amplify. The cursed creature takes 4d6 necrotic damage when you inflict this curse, and it takes this damage again each time it fails a Constitution saving throw to end the curse.
Blood Curse of Diminution
Prerequisite: 15th level, Order of Giantfeller
As a bonus action, you can curse a creature that you can see that is within 30 feet of you. That creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have its size reduced by one category (from Large to Medium, for example) for 1 minute. While the creature is reduced in size, it has disadvantage on Strength ability checks and saving throws, and each time it deals damage with a weapon attack, it must roll your hemocraft die and subtract it from the damage dealt (to a minimum of 0 damage).
Amplify. On a failed save, for the duration of the blood curse, the creature has its size reduced by two categories (from Large to Small, for example) instead of one and its current and maximum hit points are reduced by 3d6.
Blood Curse of Domination
Prerequisite: 18th level, Order of the Infected Mind
As an action, you attempt to dominate the will of a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you until the end of your next turn or until you lose concentration (as though concentrating on a spell). While the creature is charmed by you, you have total and precise control of it; it takes only the actions you choose and doesn’t do anything you don’t allow it to do. You can cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your reaction as well.
Amplify. This use of the ability ignores any immunity to the charmed condition that the target has.
Blood Curse of the Exorcist
Prerequisite: 15th level, Order of the Ghostslayer
As a bonus action, you choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you that is charmed or frightened, or which is under a possession effect. The target creature is no longer charmed, frightened, or possessed.
Amplify. A creature that charmed, frightened, or possessed the target of your curse takes 3d6 psychic damage and must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Blood Curse of Exposure
When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage from an attack or spell, you can use your reaction to temporarily weaken its resilience. Until the end of the target’s next turn, it loses resistance to all the damage types dealt by the triggering attack or spell (including for that triggering effect).
Amplify. The target instead loses invulnerability to the damage types of the triggering attack or spell, but has resistance to those damage types until the end of its next turn.
Blood Curse of the Eyeless
When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an attack, you can use your reaction to roll one hemocraft die and subtract the number rolled from the creature’s attack roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature’s roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack hits or misses. The creature is immune to this curse if it is immune to the blinded condition.
Amplify. You apply this curse to all the creature’s attack rolls until the end of the creature’s turn. You roll separately for each affected attack.
Blood Curse of the Fallen Puppet
When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you drops to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to instill that creature with a final act of aggression. The creature immediately makes one weapon attack against a target of your choice within its range.
Amplify. You can first cause the cursed creature to move up to half its speed, and you grant a bonus to its attack roll equal to your Hemocraft modifier (minimum of +1).
Blood Curse of the Howl
Prerequisite: 18th level, Order of the Lycan
As an action, you unleash a bloodcurdling howl. Each creature within 30 feet of you that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. If a creature fails its saving throw by 5 or more, it is stunned while frightened in this way. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw is immune to this blood curse for the next 24 hours.
You can choose any number of creatures you can see to be unaffected by the howl.
Amplify. The range of this curse increases to 60 feet.
Blood Curse of the Marked
As a bonus action, you mark a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. Until the end of your turn, whenever you hit the cursed creature with a weapon for which you have an active crimson rite, you roll an additional hemocraft die when determining the extra damage from the rite.
Amplify. The next attack roll you make against the target before the end of your turn has advantage.
Blood Curse of the Muddled Mind
As a bonus action, you curse a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you that is concentrating on a spell or using a feature that requires concentration. That creature has disadvantage on the next Constitution saving throw it makes to maintain concentration before the end of your next turn.
Amplify. The cursed creature has disadvantage on all Constitution saving throws made to maintain concentration until the end of your next turn.
Blood Curse of Optometry
Prerequisites: 15th level, Order of the Eye
When your eye spy uses its eye ray action and targets a creature, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the target’s saving throw.
Amplify. For this eye ray, instead of rolling to randomly determine which eye ray the eye spy uses, you choose one of its available eye rays.
Prerequisites: 18th level, Order of the Dragoon
As an action, scales of the color associated with your dragon blood coat your body for 1 minute. For the duration, you gain immunity to the damage type associated with your dragon blood, and your AC can’t be less than 15 + your Constitution modifier + your Intelligence modifier, regardless of the type of armor you’re wearing.
Amplify. You regain one expended use of your breath weapon. Once you amplify this blood curse, you must finish a short or long rest before you can amplify it again
Blood Curse of the Soul Eater
Prerequisite: 18th level, Order of the Profane Soul
When a creature that isn’t a construct or undead is reduced to 0 hit points within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to offer their life energy to your patron in exchange for power. Until the end of your next turn, you make attacks with advantage and you have resistance to all damage.
Amplify. Additionally, you regain an expended warlock spell slot. Once you’ve amplified this blood curse, you must finish a long rest before you can amplify it again.
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