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.

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
• Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
• Tools: None

• Saving Throws: Constitution and Charisma
• Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Religion, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a martial weapon or (b) two simple weapons
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two daggers
• (a) studded leather armor or (b) scale mail armor
• (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack

Hunter's Bane

Beginning at 1st level, 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 ability checks to recall information about them.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Blind Fighting

You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.

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. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Special: This does not apply to additional damage dice from your Crimson Rite.

Thrown Weapon Fighting

You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Primal Rites

Esoteric Rites

Order of the Ghostslayer

The Order of the Ghostslayer is the oldest of the orders, having originally 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 and how it can become corrupted by unholy powers to compel something to rise once more. Tuning their abilities to annihilate such abominations, these zealous blood hunters seek out the sources of such necromantic energies, intent on destroying them wherever they arise.

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 Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Hybrid Transformation

Upon choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you begin to learn to control the lycanthropic curse that now lives in your blood. As a bonus action, you can transform into your hybrid form for up to 1 hour. You may also activate your Crimson Rite feature with the same bonus action. You can speak, use equipment, and wear armor in this form. You can revert to your normal form earlier as a bonus action. You automatically revert to your normal form if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die. This feature replaces the rules for Lycanthropy within the Monster’s Manual, and is a magical transformation, so effects that exclusively affect shapechangers (such as Moonbeam) do not apply to you while shifted. If you are able to cast spells, you can't cast them or concentrate on them while shifted.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. While you are transformed, you gain the following features:

Feral Might. You gain a +1 to melee damage rolls. This bonus increases by 1 at 11th level (+2) and 18th level (+3). You also have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

Resilient Hide. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Damage dealt by silvered weapons ignores this resistance. While you are not wearing heavy armor, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC.

Predatory Strikes. You can apply your Crimson Rite feature to your unarmed strikes as a single weapon. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes. When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. You cannot make this attack if you make any attacks with a weapon on your turn. Your unarmed strikes while shifted deal 1d6 slashing damage. The damage increases to 1d8 at 11th level.

Bloodlust. If you begin your turn with half of your maximum hit points or less, you must succeed on a DC 8 Wisdom saving throw or move directly towards the nearest creature to you and use the Attack action against that creature. You can choose whether or not to use your Extra Attack feature for this frenzied attack. If there is more than one possible target, roll to randomly determine the target. You then regain control for the remainder of your turn.

Bonus Proficiencies

You gain proficiency with alchemist's supplies.

Formulas

You begin to uncover forbidden alchemical formulas that temporarily alter your mental and physical abilities.

Beginning at 3rd level, you choose to learn four mutagen formulas, which are detailed under "Mutagens" below. You gain an additional formula at 7th level, 11th level, 15th level, and 18th level.

Additionally, when you gain a new mutagen formula, you can choose one of the formulas you already know and replace it with a new mutagen formula.

Mutagencraft

At 3rd level, you can concoct a single mutagen when you finish a short or long rest. Starting at 7th level, the number of mutagens you can create when you finish a rest increases to two, and you can create three mutagens at 15th level.

As a bonus action you can consume a single mutagen, and the effects and side effects last until you finish a short or long rest, unless otherwise specified. While one or more mutagens are affecting you, you can use an action to focus and flush the toxins from your system, ending the effects and side effects of all mutagens.

Mutagens are designed for your biology and have no effect on other creatures. They are also unstable by nature, losing their potency over time and becoming inert if not used before you finish your next short or long rest.

Strange Metabolism

Beginning at 7th level, your body has begun to adapt to toxins and venoms, ignoring their corroding effects. You gain resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the poisoned condition on yourself.

Brand of Unveiling

At 11th level, your hemocraft has altered your Brand of Castigation to enforce a foe’s true nature. When you brand a creature, you immediately learn any damage vulnerabilities and resistances it has, as well as any damage or condition immunities it has. If the creature is hidden from divination magic, you sense that it has no damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities. Additionally, any illusions disguising or making a creature invisible when you brand them end, and they can’t benefit from such illusions while branded. If a creature branded by you is polymorphed, has changed shape, or attempts to polymorph or change shape, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or revert to their true form and be incapacitated and have their speed reduced to 0 for one round.

Blood Curse of Corrosion

Starting at 15th level, your blood curse can wrack a creature’s body with terrible toxins. You gain the Blood Curse of Corrosion for your Blood Maledict feature. This does not count against your number of blood curses known.

Aether

Prerequisite: 11th Level
You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed for 1 hour.

Side Effect: You gain disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity ability checks for 1 hour.

Alluring

You have advantage on Charisma ability checks.

Side Effect: You gain disadvantage on initiative rolls.

Celerity

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, as does your Dexterity maximum. This bonus increases by 1 at 11th level (+3) and 18th level (+4).

Side Effect: You gain disadvantage on Constitution saving throws.

Conversant

You gain advantage on Intelligence ability checks.

Side Effect: You gain disadvantage on Wisdom ability checks.

Cruelty

Prerequisite: 11th level
When you use the Attack action, you can make an additional weapon attack as a bonus action.

Side Effect: You gain disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.

Deftness

You gain advantage on Dexterity ability checks

Side Effect: You gain disadvantage on Strength ability checks.

Embers

You gain resistance to fire damage.

Side Effect: You gain vulnerability to cold damage.

Gelid

You gain resistance to cold damage.

Side Effect: You gain vulnerability to fire damage.

Impermeable

You gain resistance to piercing damage.

Side Effect: You gain vulnerability to slashing damage.

Mobile

You are immune to the grappled and restrained conditions. At 11th level, you also are immune to the paralyzed condition.

Side Effect: You gain disadvantage on Strength ability checks.

Nighteye

You gain darkvision for up to 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, this increases its range by 60 additional feet.

Side Effect: You gain sunlight sensitivity (detailed in the Dark Elf section on page 24 in the Player’s Handbook).

Percipient

You gain advantage on Wisdom ability checks.

Side Effect: You gain disadvantage on Charisma ability checks.

Potency

Your Strength score increases by 2, as does your Strength maximum. This bonus increases by 1 at 11th level (+3) and 18th level (+4).

Side Effect: You have disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws.

Precision

Prerequisite: 11th level
Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Side Effect: You gain disadvantage on Strength saving throws.

Rapidity

Your speed increases by 10 feet. At 15th level, your speed increases by 15 feet instead.

Side Effect: You gain a -1 penalty to your AC.

Reconstruction

Prerequisite: 7th level
For 1 hour, at the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) if you have at least 1 hit point but no more than half of your hit points left.

Side Effect: Your speed decreases by 10 ft for 1 hour.

Resilience

Your Constitution score increases by 2, as does your Constitution maximum. This bonus increases by 1 at 11th level (+3) and 18th level (+4). If your Constitution modifier increases as a result of this mutagen, increase your hit point maximum by the necessary amount for the duration, but do not increase your current hit points automatically alongside it.

Side Effect: You gain disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.

Otherwordly Patron

When you reach 3rd level, you strike a bargain with an otherworldly being of your choice, choosing from the list of patrons available for a Warlock. You gain the benefits of your chosen patron’s Expanded Spell List feature, adding certain spells to the Warlock spell list for you. You do not gain any other benefits from your choice of patron.

Pact 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 of 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.

Spell Slots. The Profane Soul 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. At 3rd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Profane Soul 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.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Blood Curse of the Anxious

As a bonus action, you magnify the adrenaline in the body of a creature within 30 feet of you, making them susceptible to forceful influence. For 1 minute, all creatures have advantage on Charisma checks directed at the target creature.

Amplify. The next Wisdom saving throw the target has to make before this curse ends has disadvantage.

Blood Curse of Binding

As a bonus action, you can attempt to bind a creature you can see within 30 feet of you that is no more than one size larger than you. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or have their speed be reduced to 0 and they can’t use reactions until the end of your next turn.

Amplify. This curse lasts for 1 minute and can affect a creature regardless of their size category. At the end of each of its turns, the cursed creature can make another Strength saving throw. On a success, this curse ends.

Blood Curse of Bloated Agony

As a bonus action, you curse a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you to painfully swell until the end of your next turn. For the duration of this curse, the creature has disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity ability checks, and suffers 1d8 necrotic damage if it makes more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn.

Amplify. This curse lasts for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the cursed creature can make a Constitution saving throw. On a success, this curse ends.

Blood Curse of Corrosion

Prerequisite: 15th level, Order of the Mutant
As a bonus action, a creature within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make another Constitution saving throw. On a success, the curse ends.

Amplify. The cursed creature suffers 3d6 necrotic damage, and suffers this damage every time it fails its Constitution saving throw to end this curse at the end of its turn.

Blood Curse of Exorcism

Prerequisite: 15th level, Order of the Ghostslayer
As a bonus action, you can choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you that is charmed, frightened, or possessed. The target creature is no longer charmed, frightened, or possessed.

Amplify. The creature that charmed, frightened, or possessed the target of your curse suffers 3d6 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Page 1: The Witcher by Tom Cage
Page 2: The Crow by Anato Finnstark
Page 5: Paintover Old Artwork by Trung Tin Shinji (Pinterest link used because the artstation link appears to have expired)
Page 8: Hunter Bloodborne artwork by Big Mart
Page 9: Hunter Bloodborne artwork by Big Mart
Page 10: Unknown by Kalmahul (link to Artstation account because exact image link couldn't be found)

Class Features

• Proficiencies: Removed Shield and Alchemist’s Supplies proficiencies, changed Saving Throw proficiencies to Wisdom and Charisma, replaced Arcana with Perception in skill proficiency choices, and ordered skill proficiency choices alphabetically
• Starting Equipment: Replaced the hand crossbow and bolts option with two daggers, added the option of a dungeoneer’s pack in place of the explorer’s pack, and added a starting wealth entry for 5d4 x 10
• Hunter’s Bane (1st): Moved Hemocraft Save DC to Blood Maledict, Hemocraft Save ability changed from Intelligence to Wisdom (this change will also replace Intelligence with Wisdom for the following: Brand of Castigation’s additional damage, Dark Augmentation’s bonus to saving throws, the duration of Ghostslayer’s Ethereal Step, the number of uses for Mutant’s Exalted Mutation, the spellcasting ability for Profane Soul, and the bonus granted to a cursed creature’s attack roll for the amplified version of the Blood Curse of the Fallen Puppet)
• Blood Maledict (1st): Added text about Hemocraft Save DC, changed progression of learning additional Blood Curses to be once every four levels
• Fighting style (2nd): Added Blind Fighting and Thrown Weapon Fighting to the list of available options
• Crimson Rite (2nd): Added additional Primal Rites (Rite of the Caustic and Rite of the Venom), allowed Rites to be applied only to melee weapons (was previously any weapon), and added the ability to apply multiple Rites with the same bonus action
• Brand of Castigation (6th): Damage changed from "each time the branded creature deals damage to you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you" to "each time you deal damage to the branded creature with your Crimson Rite feature while it is within 60 feet of you", DC for Dispel Magic changed from natural scaling to your Hemocraft DC
• Brand of Tethering (13th): If the creature is attempting to teleport 60ft or less, they only take 2d6 damage rather than 4d6 (any teleportation attempts of a longer distance or to another plane would take the 4d6 as normal), and replaced “A branded creature can’t take the Dash action” with “When you strike a branded creature with an Attack of Opportunity, its speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the turn”
• Hardened Soul (14th): Added “If you fail a save against an effect that causes you to be charmed or frightened, and the effect originated from a Fey, Fiend, or Undead, you can use your action to end the effect.”

Blood Hunter Orders

General Changes

• Wisdom saving throw proficiency replaced with Constitution saving throw proficiency
• Wisdom 13 multiclassing requirement replaced with Constitution 13
• Hemocraft Save DC changed from Wisdom-based to Constitution-based
• Crimson Rite duration changed from until the end of your next rest to one hour, no longer requires you to be holding the weapon to sustain the rite, and specifies that other creatures do not gain the benefits of the rite if they pick up your weapon
• Brand of Castigation damage changed from Wisdom-based to proficiency bonus, damage changed from all hits to once per turn
• Dark Augmentation changed from Wisdom bonus to 3 physical saving throws (Str, Dex, Con) to Constitution bonus to Strength and Dexterity saving throws
• Brand of Tethering damage changed from doubling Brand of Castigation (Was 2 x Wisdom) to increasing it by your Constitution modifier (PB + Con total)
• Hardened Soul wording changed to match new wording introduced by Monsters of the Multiverse
• All base class and subclass features unified to work off of Constitution (Was previously Wisdom, though some features were still written as going off of Intelligence, from before the initial class revision had it's secondary ability score changed)

The shift from Wisdom to Constitution is the subject of a very long debate from when I was first revising the class. Of all the abilities to use, Charisma and Wisdom likely make the most sense, with Charisma implying your ability to invoke the natural power of your blood much like a sorcerer, and Wisdom implying your abilities coming from your experiences much like a ranger. Constitution is a relatively weak contender in comparison, though still has some place since many of the class features revolve around your manipulation of your own vitality and the curses placed upon you. Ultimately though, the decision to change the class's secondary ability came mostly as a result of testing builds and finding that the class was very heavily MAD (Multiple Ability Dependent). Being a class that can (and to some degree, should) deal damage to itself for various benefits, it's the only class where I would genuinely consider a good Constitution score a requirement rather than just a strong suggestion. As such, I decided to change the ability score dependence for the class to line up a little more to free up build space, especially in a system where keeping up even just a second ability is already quite difficult.

Order of the Ghostslayer

• Blood Curse of Exorcism: Name changed from Blood Curse of the Exorcist because it sounds better

Order of the lycan

• Bloodlust saving throw DC changed from 12 to 8 due to the class's loss of Wisdom saving throw proficiency and the secondary ability of the class shifting from Wisdom to Constitution
• Slight change to Resilient Hide wording

Order of the Mutant

• Brand of Unveiling: Stun changed to incapacitation and speed recuded to 0, wording cleared up a little
• Perfected Mutation: Uses per rest changed from Wisdom modifier to Constitution (to match the rest of the class) and wording cleared up slightly
• Resilience Mutagen: Name changed from Sagacity, ability increased changed from Wisdom to Constitution, side effect changed from Constitution saving throws to Dexterity Saving throws, and temporary hit point maximum interaction explained
• Celerity mutagen side effect changed from Wisdom saving throws to Constitution saving throws
• Potency Mutagen side effect changed from Dexterity saving throws to Wisdom saving throws

Order of the Profane Soul

• Spellcasting ability changed from Wisdom to Charisma, matching Warlock rather than the rest of Blood Hunter, matching how Arcane Trickster and Eldritch Knight use the same casting ability as their "parent" class (Wizard)

Blood Curses

• Blood Curse of the Anxious: Changed to all Charisma checks from Intimidation and Deception checks only
• Blood Curse of Exposure: Wording changed on amplification to clarify that the immunity reduction is in addition to resistance negation, and wording changed to "treating it as having resistance" instead of "having resistance" so that there is no argument about the unamplified effect then applying to the weakened immunities
• Blood Curse of Fury: Replaced Blood Curse of the Fallen Puppet (When a creature you can see within 30 feet dies, you can use your reaction to make that creature immediately make a single weapon attack against a target of your choice within its attack range. Amplify: You can first move the cursed creature up to half their speed, and you grant a bonus to the cursed creature’s attack roll equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).). Fallen puppet was a very interesting concept/flavor, but it's use case was incredibly narrow. Fury was added to fill a similar niche, but without having to kill something first, and it now has the benefit of being realistically usable on allies as well.
• Blood Curse of the Howl: Sight requirement removed from excluding creatures from the effect
• Blood Curse of the Marked: Changed from a bonus action to a free action to help action economy on TWF builds, and altered rest of wording slightly
• Blood Curse of the Muddled Mind: Changed from a bonus action to a reaction when a creature begins concentrating on a spell, and duration changed from until the end of your next turn to the end of the targets next turn
• Blood Curse of the Souleater: Changed from "a creature that isn’t a construct or undead" to "a creature that has a soul"

New Blood Curses

Shoutouts to this blood hunter revision , which I took Blood Curse of Purgation from and took inspiration from for Blood Curse of Vengeance and Blood Curse of Spellrending. If you know the author of this document, please let me know so I can credit them properly!

Order of the Mutant

• Strange Metabolism changed from immunity to poison damage and poisoned to resistance to poison and advantage on/against poisoned.

Order of the Lycan

• Added an additional use of Hybrid Transformation per short rest at 7th level (cumulative with the increase at 11th level, for 3 total per short rest at that point)

Blood Curses

• 1/long rest restriction removed from Curse of the Anxious
• Curse of the Eyeless last line changed from "The creature is immune if it is immune to blindness" to "The creature is immune if it has no eyes" (ignored when amplified)