Blood Hunter
In a landscape tormented by all manner of beasts, devils, and abominations from beyond the veil, most live in fear of the dark, of superstition, and of the unknown. Some grow hardened by this experience, instead choosing to stand up and fight against the tide of shadow.
These folk are called ‘heroes.’
Some, however, are so fanatical and bent on destroying the anathema that plagues the countryside that they embrace dark, forbidden knowledge. They sacrifice some of their own vital force in dubious, forgotten blood rituals to better understand their enemies. Their methods sometimes blur the line between themselves and the evils they hunt, calling their own humanity into question.
These folk are called ‘Blood Hunters.’
Become the Enemy to Destroy It
The hunters have chosen to merge the martial pursuit of deadly weapon play with elements of vicious blood magic to create impressively effective combat techniques. They surrender their own vitality to form a bond with their weapon, allowing them to harness the elements in a whirlwind of dangerous strikes. Their deep knowledge and unnatural connection with wicked creatures allows them an advantage in tracking, hunting, and destroying even the most resilient of abhorrent fiends. By mastering control over their own lifeblood and the lifeblood of others, they gain insight into their foes and the ability to manipulate them from the inside.
Some brew crude, poisonous alchemical tonics from the harvested organs of felled monsters, mutating their blood and bodies to be even further in tune with their quarry, becoming something other than human themselves. Others go further, reaching out and making a pact with lesser dark entities in hopes of using their grim gifts against greater evils. Many blood hunters push too far for their goals, falling to their own hubris and becoming the monsters they’ve chosen to hunt. This is the greatest fear of a blood hunter, and of the societies at large that shun them.
Almost as Feared as their Prey
The nature of their abilities and training has bred many rumors across the lands, some of which aren’t too far from the truth. Common folk consider them cursed, often turning them away at the door.
Nobles see them as occasionally convenient, but a generally reviled nuisance. Mages find them useful allies if kept at arm’s length, while pious clerics and paladins keep their distance with a watchful eye. To be a blood hunter is to accept a life of solitude until proven trustworthy and dependable.
Blood Hunter
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Crimson Rite | Features | Blood Curses Known |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | d4 | Infused Senses, Crimson Rite | — |
| 2nd | +2 | d4 | Blood Maledict (1/rest), Fighting Style | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | d4 | Hunting Order | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | d4 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 |
| 5th | +3 | d6 | Extra Attack | 3 |
| 6th | +3 | d6 | Blood Maledict (2/rest), Additional Primal Rite | 3 |
| 7th | +3 | d6 | Order Feature | 3 |
| 8th | +3 | d6 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 |
| 9th | +4 | d6 | Blood Maledict (3/rest) | 4 |
| 10th | +4 | d6 | Dark Velocity | 4 |
| 11th | +4 | d8 | Additional Primal Rite, Order Feature | 4 |
| 12th | +4 | d8 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 |
| 13th | +5 | d8 | Blood Maledict (4/rest) | 5 |
| 14th | +5 | d8 | Additional Primal Rite, Hardened Soul | 5 |
| 15th | +5 | d8 | Order Feature | 5 |
| 16th | +5 | d8 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |
| 17th | +6 | d10 | Blood Maledict (5/rest) | 6 |
| 18th | +6 | d10 | Order Feature | 6 |
| 19th | +6 | d10 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 |
| 20th | +6 | d10 | Sanguine Mastery | 6 |
Creating a Blood Hunter
As you create your blood hunter, keep in mind how your character relates to society and why they have taken to a life of monster hunting. Do they wish to protect society and as such have paid the ultimate price? Do they have a family they wish to protect at all costs? Did they make a mistake that cost them greatly, and they wish to make amends for their folly? Or are they bent on vengeance for some past wound or loss that drove them to choose this dark warrior’s path?
While a blood hunter begins their journey alone, they also acknowledge the strength in numbers and the benefits of trusted companions. Many blood hunters keep allies to both ensure that they succeed at their hunts, and to keep a watchful eye to prevent them from losing touch with their humanity. A blood hunter without conviction is lost, and often an honest friend is enough to keep them from straying.
Quick Build
You can make a blood hunter quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score, depending on whether you want to focus on melee weapons, or ranged and finesse weapons.
Make Wisdom your next highest if you plan to focus on the potency of blood curses and mystical power. Choose a higher Constitution next if you wish to use Crimson Rite on multiple weapons or want to have extra hit points to burn on amplifying blood curses. Then, select the Haunted One or Acolyte background.
Class Features
As a blood hunter, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per blood hunter level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per blood hunter level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
- Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
- Tools: Alchemist's supplies
- Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
- Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Acrobatics, Arcana, Insight, Investigation, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a longsword or (b) two simple weapons
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) hand crossbow and 20 bolts
- (a) leather armor or (b) scale mail
- (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a monster hunter's pack
Wealth Rolls
Alternatively, you can ignore the equipment listed above and in your background, and buy 5d4 x 10 gp worth of equipment from chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook.
Multiclassing
The prerequisites for multiclassing into a blood hunter are a Strength or Dexterity of 13, and a Wisdom of 13. When you multiclass into a Blood Hunter, you gain proficiency in light and medium armor, shields, simple and martial weapons, and alchemist's supplies.
Infused Senses
Beginning at 1st level, you have survived the imbibing of the Hunter’s Bane, a poisonous alchemical concoction that mutates your blood, forever binding you to the darkness and honing your senses against it.
Due to surviving it, you can sense when curses take root in the living. As an action, you can touch a creature or object to learn if it is cursed or charmed. You can also learn if the creature is an aberration, fiend, undead, or if an object is made by one such creature.
Additionally, when a creature has taken damage from your Crimson Rite die, you have advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check to find it until the end of a short or long rest.
Crimson Rite
At 1st level, you learn to invoke a rite of blood magic within the weapons you wield, albeit at the cost of your own vitality. Choose to learn one primal rite for what element your blood can invoke. The damage type associated with each primal rite is used by other features of this class.
| Primal Rite | Damage Type |
|---|---|
| Flame | Fire |
| Frost | Cold |
| Storm | Lightning |
| Rust | Acid |
On your turn, you can choose to imbue a weapon with a known rite as a bonus action. When you do, you lose 1d4 hit points, which can't be reduced in any way.
For 1 minute, your imbued weapon deals an extra 1d4 damage of your chosen rite's damage type. This effect ends if you are incapacitated, if you choose to end it as a bonus action, or if the weapon were to leave your person. An active rite on a thrown weapon fades after the attack is complete.
Rites can be used on multiple weapons, costing additional hit point loss. Most weapons can only be subject to a single rite at any given time. Each end of a polearm, quarterstaff, or other similar weapon is treated as a separate weapon for the purposes of this feature.
Both the hit points you lose and the damage added to your weapon attacks change as you gain blood hunter levels, as shown in the Crimson Rite column of the blood hunter table.
You gain access to an additional primal rite at 6th, 11th, and 14th level.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Blood Maledict
You gain the knowledge to further channel and sacrifice a part of your vital essence to curse and manipulate your enemies. At 2nd level, you gain two blood curses of your choice. Your curse options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain blood hunter levels, you gain additional curses of your choice, as shown in the Blood Curses Known column of the Blood Hunter table.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the curses you know and replace it with another curse that you could learn at that level.
When you use this feature, you choose which blood curse you invoke. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Blood Maledict again.
Creatures that do not have blood in their bodies are immune to blood curses (at your DM's discretion).
Some of your curses require your target to make a saving throw to resist the curse's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Curse Save DC
Beginning at 6th level, and again at 9th, 13th, and 17th level, you can use your Blood Maledict one additional time between rests.
Amplifying Curses
While invoking a curse, but before it affects the target, you may choose to amplify what the curse does by losing hit points equal to your Crimson Rite die. Amplified curses gain additional effects that are noted in the curse's descriptions.
Hunting Order
At 3rd level, you commit to a hunting order of specialized blood hunters. Choose Order of the Ghostslayer, Order of the Lycan, Order of the Mutant, or Order of the Profane, all detailed at the end of the class description. The order chosen grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level.
Esoteric Rite
Each hunting order grants a special type of rite known as an esoteric rite, which has a special damage type, and gives an additional benefit to your Crimson Rites.
At 11th level, your esoteric rite can be applied to a weapon that already has a primal rite active on it.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Dark Velocity
At 10th level, you beckon the surrounding shadows to grant you unnatural swiftness on the battlefield. You have darkvision with a range of 60 feet, or if you have darkvision, extend it out an additional 30 feet. While in dim light or darkness, your speed increases by 10 feet, and opportunity attacks made against you have disadvantage.
Hardened Soul
Upon reaching 14th level, you are immune to being frightened and charmed.
Sanguine Mastery
Upon becoming 20th level, your ability to harness your pain and the pain of your foes is perfected. When you are below half of your current maximum hit points, damage dealt by your Crimson Rite die deal maximum damage.
In addition, if you score an critical hit with a weapon attack and you have a rite active, you regain 1 use of your Blood Maledict feature.
Hunting Orders
There are a handful of secretive orders of blood hunters that each guard cryptic techniques and oddly blasphemous rituals. One adheres to an order before even being granted that of the Hunter's Bane that starts their journey down the path of a blood hunter. But only once they've proven their talents does their order grant them their secrets. Some might wait a few years before they are sure they will continue down their order's path, but in either case, it is within these orders that the real power of a hunter shines true.
Order of the Ghostslayer
The Order of the Ghostslayer is the oldest and most driven of the orders, having rediscovered the secrets of blood magic and refined them for combat against the scourge of undeath. Ghostslayers seek out and study the moment of death, obsessing over the mysteries of the transition. Some will sit with the terminally diseased to closely witness their passing, while others go so far as to deliberately have a near-death experience, allowing them to tune their body and senses to the ethereal realms beyond.
Esoteric Rite
When you choose this order at 3rd level, you gain the following rite and additional feature:
Rite of Dawn. The Order of the Ghostslayer's esoteric rite is the Rite of Dawn. The damage type is radiant. Undead hit by the Rite of Dawn take extra radiant damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
At 11th level, all creatures take this extra radiant damage.
Incorporeal Infantry. Weapon attacks affected by an active rite ignore resistance to nonmagical attacks.
Hallowed Veins
Beginning at 3rd level, your blood curses become honed to the fabric of a creature’s essence. Your blood curses can now affect any creature, regardless of their form or lack of blood.
In addition, when you amplify a use of your Blood Maledict feature, after rolling the Crimson Rite die, you may choose to reroll the die and must use the new roll.
Spectral Footing
Upon reaching 7th level, you have learned how to briefly step into the spirit world. As an action, you can choose to become temporarily spectral. For 1 minute, you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object.
When the effect ends, you immediately return to the plane you originated from in the spot you currently occupy. If you occupy the same spot as a solid object or creature when this happens, you are immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space that you can occupy and take force damage equal to twice the number of feet you are moved.
You can use this feature twice. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Supernal Phasing
Beginning at 11th level, a ghostly replica of you appears beside you to strike at openings you create. Once on each of your turns when you miss with a weapon attack, you can make another weapon attack as part of the same action.
Gravesight
At 15th level, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, as well as see invisible creatures and objects, as well as into the Ethereal Plane within a range of 60 feet.
Wraith Blood
Also at 15th level, you gain resistance to necrotic damage, and your hit point maximum can't be reduced.
Vengeful Spirit
Upon reaching 18th level, you learn how to project your spirit to fight on while on the edge of death.
When you start your turn unconscious, you can manifest a spirit form in your body's space. You control this spirit form, acting on your initiative.
While in this form, you retain your game statistics, but are also immune to cold, necrotic, and bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks. Furthermore, you are immune to being exhausted, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone and restrained, and lose no hit points when using features that would require you to through your Crimson Rite die.
Your sprit form can pick up any weapon on your body when it manifests, and can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.
If your spirit form takes damage, if your body dies, or if you regain any hit points, your spirit form vanishes, and drops any weapons it was carrying.
Protect Your Body
Remember, if you take any damage while you have 0 hit points, you suffer a death saving throw failure. If that damage is a critical hit, that becomes two failures. If you do not have any healers in your party, make sure there won't be people charging in to stab your body!
Order of the Lycan
The Order of the Lycan is a proud order of blood hunters who undergo “The Taming”, a ceremonial inflicting of lycanthropy from a senior member. These hunters then use their abilities to harness the power of the monster they harbor without losing themselves to it. Through intense honing of one’s own willpower, combined with the secrets of the order’s blood magic rituals, members learn to control and unleash their hybrid form for short periods of time. Enhanced physical prowess, unnatural resilience, and razor sharp claws make these warriors a terrible foe to any evil that crosses their path. Yet, no training is perfect, and without care and complete focus, even the greatest of blood hunters can temporarily lose themselves to the bloodlust.
Esoteric Rite
When you choose this order at 3rd level, you gain the following rite and additional feature:
Rite of Silvered Claws. The Order of the Lycan's esoteric rite is the Rite of Silvered Claws. The damage type is slashing. Weapons under the effect of Rite of Silvered Claws are treated as being silvered.
At 11th level, weapons under the effect of Rite of Silvered Claws are treated as being adamantine.
Accursed Fangs. Your natural weapons are considered one weapon in regards to activating a rite. In addition, Targets hit by a weapon affected by an active rite can't regain hit points until the start of your next turn.
Heightened Senses
Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you begin to adopt the improved abilities of a natural predator. You gain advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Hybrid Form
Upon choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you begin to learn to control the lycanthropic curse that now lives in your blood. As an action, you can transform into your Hybrid form. This form lasts for 10 minutes. You can speak, use equipment, and wear armor in this form. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using an action on your turn. You automatically revert to your normal form if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.
The benefits of this form replace the rules for Lycanthropy within the Monster Manual.
You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. While you are transformed, you gain the following benefits:
Feral Might. You gain a +2 bonus to melee damage rolls with natural weapons. You also have advantage on Strength ability checks and Strength saving throws.
Resilient Hide. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered.
Predatory Strikes. You have claws and a bite as natural weapons. Its damage die is equal to 1d10 + your Strength modifier. Your bite does piercing damage, and your claws can deal slashing damage. When you use the Attack action with one of these natural weapons, you can immediately use your bonus action to attempt to shove the target.
At 11th level, the damage die of your natural weapons increase to 1d12.
Stalker's Prowess
Beginning at 7th level, your speed increases by 10 feet. You also can add 10 feet to your long jump distance and 3 feet to your high jump distance. In addition, your natural weapons are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Advanced Transformation
Starting at 11th level, you learn to unleash and control more of the beast within. You can now transform into your hybrid form as a bonus action, and your hybrid transformation now lasts for up to 1 hour.
In addition, when you transform as a bonus action, you can choose to immediately activate Rite of Silvered Claws.
Pack Hunter
Also at 11th level, your beastly instinct allows you to tear into compromised enemies. While in your hybrid form, you have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Lycan Adrenaline
At 15th level, your beastly instincts call you to fight even when locked in corner. While in beast form and below half your maximum hit points, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) at the start of each of your turns.
Lycanthropic Mastery
At 18th level, you have wrestled your inner predator and mastered it. You can now use your hybrid transformation feature three times between rests.
Curse of the Howl
Also at 18th level, as an action, you can expend a use of your Blood Maledict feature to howl at any number of creatures within 30 feet, chilling their blood and stunning them with fear. Any of the target creatures that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. If they fail their saving throw by 5 or more, they are stunned until the end of your next turn instead. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to this feature for the next 24 hours.
Additionally, you can choose to lose hit points equal to your Crimson Rite die when you use this ability, but before its effects take place, to make this effect more powerful. When you do so, this feature can target any number of creatures within 60 feet of you.
The Onus of Lycanthropy
Those inducted into the Order of the Lycan choose this path with conviction, understanding the terrible burden it is and the challenges it brings. Where most who embrace this curse grow wicked, mad, even murderous, these blood hunters accept the gifts of the beast while maintaining control through intense training and blood magic. These factors enable a member of the Order of the Lycan to prevent the spread of their curse through blood, should they wish to. One of the most sacred oaths of this order is to never infect another without the order’s sanction.
Should a member of the Order of the Lycan be cured of the lycanthropic curse, it is a terrible shame on their name, the order, and those who carry the curse still. There have been passages written about members being cleansed against their will, but those brothers and sisters readily return to the order to undergo a renewed initiation of The Taming, reintroducing the curse to their bodies and restoring their honor.
Lycanthropy comes in many forms. Each version of the curse is bound to a specific beast: wolf, bear, tiger, boar, and rat are a few of the more well-known variations. The strain of the curse defines the beast a hybrid form will share, but the features the curse bestows remain relatively uniform across strains.
Order of the Mutant
The process of consuming the Hunter’s Bane is a painful, scarring, and often fatal experience. Those that survive find themselves irrevocably changed, enhanced. Some found this experience exalting, embracing the ability to alter one’s own physiology through corrupted alchemy.
Over generations of experimentation, a splinter order of blood hunters began to emerge, one that focused on brewing toxic elixirs to modify their capabilities in battle, altering their blood and, over time become something beyond human. They called themselves the Order of the Mutant.
Esoteric Rite
When you choose this order at 3rd level, you gain the following rite and additional feature:
Rite of Venom. The Order of the Mutant's esoteric rite is the Rite of Venom. The damage type is poison, and ignores resistance to poison damage.
At 11th level, the rite ignores immunity to poison damage.
Crimson Decoction. When activating a rite, you gain temporary hit points equal to the amount you lost. When activating rites on multiple weapons from a single bonus action, you add the temporary hit points together.
Alchemical Reagent
When you adopt this order at 3rd level, you gain the following features:
- Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses alchemist's supplies.
- If you craft a magic item in the potion category, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.
Mutagen
Starting at 3rd level, you learn how to enhance your capabilities with powerful mutation-triggering agents called mutagens.
When you finish a short or long rest, you can choose to activate a single dormant mutagen in your body that remains active until you finish a short or long rest.
Beginning at 7th level, you can choose to activate two dormant mutagens instead of one. At 15th level, this increases to three mutagens.
Carapace. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 10 + your Dexterity Modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use this mutagen to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use this mutagen.
Celerity. Your walking speed increases by 10 feet. In addition, you also gain a climb and swim speed equal to your walking speed.
Nighteye. You gain a darkvision of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, this increases its range by 60 additional feet.
Potency. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice. You can choose this mutagen multiple times.
Resilience. You gain resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage (your choice whenever you choose this mutagen). You can choose this mutagen multiple times.
Alchemical Adaption
Beginning at 7th level, the mutagens in your body causes you to physically adapt to any element and environment when deemed necessary. You are naturally adapted to hot and cold climates, and you are naturally acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.
In addition, you know the absorb elements spell. You can cast this spell once per short or long rest, or if you expend a use of your Blood Maledict. As part of your reaction in casting this spell, you can change any of your active rites to the known associated rite of the triggering damage type.
Advanced Mutation
At 11th level, the following mutagens are added to your list of dormant mutagens.
Alacrity. You gain a flight speed of 20 feet.
Cruelty. You can make a single weapon attack as a bonus action on each of your turns.
Precision. Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a 19 or a 20.
Reconstruction. You regain 1 hit point every 10 minutes, provided that you have at least 1 hit point.
Robust Physiology
At 15th level, your body has begun to adapt to toxins and venoms, ignoring their corroding effects. You become immune to disease and poison.
Exalted Mutation
At 18th level, one of your mutagens have become constantly active. Choose one of your mutagens from the Mutagen feature. This mutagen is always active, and does not count against your active mutagens.
Order of the Profane
The magics adopted by the wayward blood hunter prove formidable against many an evil across the realm. However, the darkest of abominations draw from an ancient well of cruel, unfathomable power. These terrors can control shadows to do their bidding, hide in plain sight among the noblest of nobles, and bend the minds of the most stalwart warrior with but a glance. These fiends are far trickier to hunt, and many lost their lives in pursuit of such wickedness.
A small sect of blood hunters had finally had enough and delved into this same well of corrupting arcane knowledge, making pacts with lesser evils to better combat the greater. While they may have lost a part of themselves, the power gained far outweighed the price, for even devils now quake when they know they’ve drawn the attention of the Order of the Profane.
Profane Magic
When you reach 3rd level, you can augment your combat techniques with the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 in the Player's Handbook for the warlock spell list.
Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn an additional warlock cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spellcasting. The Profane Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level.
To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.
For example, when you are 8th level, you have two 2nd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell witch bolt, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 2nd-level spell.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know two 1st-level warlock spells of your choice.
The Spells Known column of the Profane table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table’s Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 11th level, for example, you learn a new warlock spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the warlock spells you know with another spell of your choice from the warlock spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Profane spells. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability.
Spell Save DC
Spell attack modifier
Profane Spellcasting
| Blood Hunter Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | Spell Slots | Slot Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 4th | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 5th | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1st |
| 6th | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1st |
| 7th | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 8th | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 9th | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
| 10th | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
| 11th | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2nd |
| 12th | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2nd |
| 13th | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
| 14th | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
| 15th | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
| 16th | 3 | 8 | 2 | 3rd |
| 17th | 3 | 8 | 2 | 3rd |
| 18th | 3 | 8 | 2 | 3rd |
| 19th | 3 | 9 | 2 | 4th |
| 20th | 3 | 9 | 2 | 4th |
Spellcasting Focus
While you have Crimson Rite active, you can use an active weapon as a spellcasting focus for casting your Profane spells.
Unhallowed Rite
When you choose this order at 3rd level, you choose a master and gain its Esoteric Rite. Unlike other orders, the Profane does not have a specific rite to call its own.
The Fiend. Your master is a fiend from the lower planes of existence, a being whose aims are evil, even if you strive against those aims.
The damage type of your rite may be poison or fire (your choice whenever you activate this rite).
The Elder One. Your master is a mysterious entity whose nature is utterly foreign to the fabric of reality.
The damage type of your rite is psychic.
The Undying. Once mortal, your master has seen lifetimes pass like the seasons, like the flicker of endless days and nights.
The damage type of your rite is necrotic.
Occult Magic
You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the tables below. Consult the associated list of spells of your master at certain levels. The spell counts as a warlock spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of warlock spells you know.
The Fiend
| Blood Hunter Level | Profane Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | hellish rebuke |
| 7th | scorching ray |
| 13th | fireball |
| 19th | summon greater demon |
The Elder One
| Blood Hunter Level | Profane Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | dissonant whispers |
| 7th | crown of madness |
| 13th | hunger of Hadar |
| 19th | Evard's black tentacles |
The Undying
| Blood Hunter Level | Profane Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | false life |
| 7th | blindness/deafness |
| 13th | bestow curse |
| 19th | death ward |
Profane Scars
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to invoke blood rites into spellcasting, if only for a while.
On your turn, you can choose to lose hit points equal to your Crimson Rite die to empower your spellcasting with one of your rites. Until the end of your next turn, when you would cast a spell that would deal damage, the damage type of that spell becomes your rite's damage type, and you deal extra damage equal to your Crimson Rite die.
Mystic Conflux
Beginning at 7th level, your master grants you a special boon devoted to the pact you made with them. This feature changes according to the master chosen through your Unhallowed Rite feature.
The Fiend. When you make an attack roll, ability check, or a saving throw, you can use this feature to lose hit points equal to your Crimson Rite die. You add the hit points lost to the result of your roll. You can do this after seeing the initial roll but before any of the roll's effects occur.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
The Elder One. When you gain this feature, choose two cantrips from any class's spell list. You can cast these cantrips at will and doesn't count against your number of cantrips known. The spellcasting ability for these spells is Wisdom.
The Undying. When you or a creature within 30 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, the target can drop to 1 hit point instead. A creature cannot benefit from this feature again until it takes a long rest.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Archaic Sacrifice
At 11th level, you can choose to sacrifice your own vitality in place of being given more power. As part of casting a spell, you can choose to lose hit points equal to your Crimson Rite die + your Wisdom modifier. If you do, the spell slot you expended counts as being one level higher.
Otherworldly Defenses
Beginning at 15th level, your master's will is infused into your body. This feature changes according to the master chosen through your Unhallowed Rite feature.
The Fiend. When you cast hellish rebuke, you can treat the spell slot expended as being two levels higher.
You also have resistance to fire and poison damage.
The Elder One. Your thoughts can't be read by telepathy, or other means unless you allow it. Additionally, no matter what you say, magic that would determine if you are telling the truth indicates that you are being truthful.
You also have resistance to psychic damage.
The Undying. You can hold your breath indefinitely, and you don't require food, water, or sleep, although you still require rest to reduce exhaustion and still benefit from finishing short and long rests.
You also have resistance to necrotic damage.
Siphon Evil
At 18th level, your body and actions live as a temple to your master, and have become their reaper of souls. Damage dealt by your rites deal an extra 1d10 damage.
Blood Curses
Curse of Binding
As a bonus action, you can attempt to bind a creature within 30 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or become restrained until the end of your next turn.
Amplify. The curse becomes ongoing. At the end of each of its turns, the target can attempt another Strength saving throw. On a success, the curse ends on the target. Otherwise, you can end this curse whenever you please (no action required).
Curse of Mutual Suffering
As a bonus action, you can link to a creature within 30 feet for up to a minute, forcing them to share in the pain they inflict upon you. The next time the cursed creature deals damage to you, this curse deals necrotic damage to the cursed creature equal to half of the damage you suffered. This curse then ends.
Amplify. This curse deals damage equal to the damage you initially suffered. In addition, this damage ignores resistance and immunity to necrotic damage.
Curse of Purgation
As a bonus action, you can manipulate the vitality of a creature within 60 feet to expunge a corruption in their blood. The target creature can immediately make a Constitution saving throw against a disease or one condition afflicting it. The condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. If there is no initial saving throw from the disease or poison affecting it, the DC is equal to your Curse DC.
Amplify. Your target can instead remove a curse or immediately make a Constitution saving throw against one other condition afflicting it. This condition can be charmed or petrified.
Curse of the Eyeless
When a creature who is not immune to blindness within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, you can use your reaction to give that creature disadvantage on the attack roll.
Amplify. Following the triggering attack, the target is blinded until the start of its next turn.
Curse of the Fallen Puppet
When a creature falls unconscious or dies within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to give that creature a final act of agression. That creature immediately makes a single weapon attack against a target of you choice within range. After the attack, the creature returns to being either unconscious or dead.
Amplify. You grant a bonus to the attack and damage roll of the creature's attack equal to your Wisdom modifier or the result of your Crimson Rite die, whichever is higher.
Curse of the Fending Rite
When an enemy casts a spell that requires a Dexterity saving throw, you can use your reaction to deflect the spell entirely. You gain a bonus to the initial saving throw against that spell equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). This curse is invoked before the saving throw is rolled.
You take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw.
Amplify. Creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you gain this bonus to their saving throws against the triggering spell.
Curse of the Marked
As a bonus action, you can mark an enemy within 60 feet. Until the end of your turn, all Crimson Rite damage you deal to the target is doubled.
Amplify. The target loses resistance to your Crimson Rite damage until the end of your turn.
Changes to the Original
The following tweaks have been made to the blood hunter:
The Base Class
- Starting equipment for the class has removed studded leather for normal leather. Additionally, explorer's pack was added as an option.
- Added a well-needed starting wealth option for blood hunters, and multiclassing to the top of the class. Removed synergy with Profane and Warlock classes for now.
- Hunter's Bane was changed to Infused Senses and has been combined and revised with Grim Psychometry.
- Crimson Rite rolls Crimson Rite die to infuse weapons now.
- Rite of Rust was added.
- Removed original Esoteric Rites.
- Blood Maledict has increased uses up to 5 times.
- Dark Velocity gives you 60 darkvision instead of 30.
- Hardened Soul now gives immunity to charm.
- Sanguine Mastery has been changed to "below half your maximum hit points."
The Subclasses
- Changed subclass name to Hunting Order.
- Esoteric Rites are given to every subclass, with additional bonuses to every rite.
- The Ghostslayer's Hallowed Veins feature was pushed back to 3rd level.
- The Ghostslayer's Supernal Surge feature was separated into Spectral Footing and Supernal Phasing.
- The Ghostslayer's Gravesight feature was given a buff.
- Wraith Blood was added to the Ghostslayer.
- The Ghostslayer's Vengeful Spirit feature was reworded and given a slight buff.
- All of the Lycan's features were separated into their own features to avoid confusion and bad wording.
- The Lycan's silver vulnerability and prone to losing control were removed for not being needed and not being fun for a player. Some features were slightly changed in the subclass because of that.
- The Lycan's Feral Might from its Hybrid Form Feature was changed to be less of a numbers hassle.
- All of the Mutant's features were replaced with a different system to be more akin to the original Witcher series.
- Alchemical Reagent and Alchemical Adaption were added to the Mutant.
- The Profane has been heavily reworked.
Blood Curses
- Removed "Blood" from the name of every curse.
- Revised Curse of Binding and Purgation.
- Tweaked Curse of the Eyeless, the Fallen Puppet, and the Fending Rite.
- Removed Curse of Spell Sunder.
Artwork Used
The artwork used are from the following sources:
Blood Hunter
- Source: Artist's Artstation
- Artist: Vimes Art
- Image Located: 1
Daemancer
- Source: Artist's Artstation
- Artist: Y-mir
- Image Located: 8
Geralt of Rivia
- Source: Gwent (standalone game)
- Artist: Marek Madej
- Image Located: 7
Haunted Fengraf
- Source: Magic: the Gathering trading card
- Artist: Adam Paquette
- Image Located: 5
Long May He Reign
- Source: Artist's DeviantArt
- Artist: Zephyri
- Image Located: 10
Once Bitten
- Source: Minon Masters
- Artist: Unknown (edited by Cixal)
- Image Located: 6
Special Thanks
A million thank yous to the following people for support and that helped make this work happen.
- Izzy, for both listening to my rambles for the longest time and the most help in balancing the hunter in how it is today.
- Zo, for playtesting the tweaked version of the Ghostslayer.
- The Discord of Many Things, for overall support.
- Matt Mercer, for creating the blood hunter.