Martial Archetype
Different fighters choose different approaches to perfecting their fighting prowess. The martial archetype you choose
to emulate reflects your approach.
Crimson Blade
A crimson blade combines the dark arts with masterful technique to dominate their foes. Crimson blades seek out sources of dark power and utilize them to strengthen themselves. Using this power, the've learned to to draw on raw, accursed magic from the blood of their enemies,
channeled through their grim bloodbound weapons.
Crimson blades are often servants to their power. Many are found as the loyal hounds of dark patrons, or the elite warriors of underground cults. Others, however, seek forbidden knowledge without the aid of a master.
Bloodbound Weapon
3rd-level Crimson Blade feature
You have learned the ritual to create a bloodbound weapon, an implement of dark magic that you use to perform sanguine arts. You perform the ritual while holding the weapon over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest.
You can only have one bloodbound weapon. If you repeat this ritual on a new weapon, your current bloodbound weapon loses this property.
Your bloodbound weapon has a pool of blood dice that you use to manifest your sanguine arts, which are d6s. When a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to gain 2 blood dice. If you choose not to take this reaction, you gain 1 blood die if your bloodbound weapon dealt the killing blow, regardless of range. Bloodless creatures, as well as creatures that don't pose a meaningful threat to you, do not grant blood dice when killed. Your bloodbound weapon can hold a maximum number of blood dice equal to your proficiency bonus x 2. Any unused blood dice are lost upon the completion of a long rest.
At certain levels in this class, your blood dice increases in size: at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), and 17th level (d12).
While holding or carrying your bloodbound weapon, you can expend blood dice to manifest the following sanguine arts. You must have a free hand to do so. If a sanguine art incurs a saving throw, your Sanguine Art DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.
Corrosive Ichor. When you take the Attack action, you can replace one of your attacks with a spray of acidic blood. Expend up to 2 blood dice and target a creature within 15 feet that you can see, or 2 creatures within 5 of each other within that range. A target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take acid damage equal to the roll's result.
Crimson Brand. As a bonus action, you touch a creature and impart on it an invisible magical brand. For a number of hours equal to a roll of your blood die, or until you use this art on another creature, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect it, Wisdom (Insight) checks to discern its motive, and checks to track its location. You can dispel this art early as a bonus action. Once you use this art, you can't do so again until you complete a short or long rest, unless you expend a blood die to use it again.
Intensify. When a creature you can
see within 30 feet of you takes damage,
you can use your reaction and expend a
blood die as you intensify their suffering and thin their blood. The target takes additional damage equal to one roll of your blood die. Bloodless creatures are immune to this art.
Bloodletting
3rd-level Crimson Blade feature
When you lack other methods, you are able to substitute your own blood for your sanguine arts. When a feature requires you to expend one or more blood dice, you can instead choose to expend hit points in their place. You take 10 points of necrotic damage for each blood die you choose to roll as part of this feature. This damage can not be reduced or prevented in any way.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses on a long rest.
Sanguine Adept
7th-level Crimson Blade feature
Your skill at wielding a bloodbound weapon has improved, and through dark magic, the weapon's power has been multiplied. Your bloodbound weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Additionally, you gain access to the following sanguine arts.
Hemokinesis. You can manipulate the blood inside someone's veins, holding them in place. As an action, you can choose a humanoid you can see within 30 feet of you and force it to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is paralyzed for one minute. It can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending this effect on a success.
Maintaining this effect requires focus, as if concentrating on a spell. Additionally, as a bonus action on your turn, you can move the target up to 10 feet in any direction, within the range of this art. A creature lifted upwards is suspended mid-air. Once you use this art, you can't do so again until you complete a short or long rest, unless you expend 4 blood dice to take it again. Bloodless creatures are immune to this art.
Boil Blood. You force a creature to feel incredible pain as the blood within it burns. As an action, you target a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see and expend up to half of your maximum blood dice, rolling them. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking damage equal to the result of the roll on a failed save, or half that on a successful one. Additionally, a target that fails this saving throw has disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of its next turn. Bloodless creatures are immune to this art.
Demoralizing Presence
10th-level Crimson Blade feature
You can manifest an aura of fear that fills foes with terror. As an action, you can expend 2 blood dice and target a number of creatures equal to or less than your Constitution modifier within 30 feet that can see or hear you, forcing them to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature is frightened of you for one minute. It can repeat this saving throw on the end of each of its turns, ending this effect on a success.
Dark Transfusion
15th-level Crimson Blade feature
You have learned to augment your healing with blood, using dark magic to regenerate. When you use your Second Wind feature, you can expend and roll up to 2 blood dice, recovering hit points equal to the result of the roll.
Blood Puppet
18th-Crimson Blade feature
You can manipulate the fresh blood of the fallen, turning them into puppets that do your bidding. As an action, you can target the body of a creature that has been dead for no more than one minute, and expend up to half of your maximum blood dice, rolling them. The creature is raised as an undead with a number of hit points equal to the result of the roll. The corpse of a bloodless creature is immune to this effect.
The creature regards you as an ally. It can take any action it could take in life, but can't speak or cast spells, and its movements are jerky and unnatural, as if pulled by invisible strings. As a bonus action, you can mentally command the creature while it is within 120 feet of you. It will follow your commands to the best of its ability until the task is complete. If it is given no order, it will defend itself from hostile creatures. The creature remains under your control for 1 hour, or until it is reduced to 0 hit points. In either case, the creature is destroyed, and can not be raised in this way again.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you complete a short or long rest.
Credits
Subclass by u/Parad0xxis
Art Credits
Blood Armor, Conor Burke
Speedpaint (Title Unknown), Conor Burke
Watercolor stains by Jared Ondricek (u/flammableconcrete)
