The Blood Magic Expansion

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## Blood Magic 1.1
The following is a preview of the Blood Magic Expansion. This is unfinished content cut together from several drafts, so don't take anything too literally yet, but feel free to add any thoughts or strong feelings.

### Limited Availability
Blood magic is not restricted by an special feat or requirement, but your DM may rule that there are special requirements to learn blood magic. The only inherent restriction is that to use *only* hit points to cast blood magic is restricted to the Hemomancer feat or the Occultist's Blood Magic rite.

### New Spells

##### Cantrips
* Blood Bolt^K^

##### 1st Level
* Blood Slash^K^
* Blood Transfusion^K^
* Crimson Poison^K^
* Hemorrhaging Curse^K^
* Sense Blood^K^

##### 2nd Level
* Bloody Burst^K^
* Blood Blade^K^
* Blood Storm^K^ 
* Blood Wave^K^ [New]
* Compelled Convulsion
* Morbid Puppet^K^

##### 3rd Level
* Blood Explosion^K^
* Crimson Tide^K^
* Sanguine Spears^K^
* Vampiric Blade^K^

##### 4th Level
* Blood Frenzy^K^
* Exsanguinate^K^
* Ichorous Blood^K^
* Macabre Marionette^K^

##### 5th Level
* Bloodline Curse^K^
* Explode Heart^K^
* Life Link^K^
* Life Support^K^

##### 6th Level
* Sanguine Doom^K^
* Stirge Swarm^K^

##### 7th Level
* Devouring Mist^K^

\columnbreak

### New Character Options

* **Occultist:** Tradition of the Cultist
* **Occultist:** Tradition of the Witch: Red Coven
* **Spellblade:** Blood Seeker
* **Warden:** Blood Forger
* **Warlock:** The Blood Bound

### Feats
* **Hemomancer**

### Blood Magic Items
* Sacrificial Dagger

> ## Testing Notes
> ___
> ##### Disclaimer: Sensitive Content
> Blood magic is an inherently somewhat dark subject matter that might not be suitable for all adventures or adventurers, even as a tool of the villains.
> 
> While this version of blood magic is intentionally fairly sanitized and does not include any graphic descriptions, leaving as much as practical to the collective imagination, this may be something you want to discuss with your table to see if it would be a valuable addition to your game before adding it.
> ___
> ##### Why Not Hit Dice?
> A popular solution to Blood Magic is to make it cost hit dice, but this tends to lead to an unhealthy design pattern of making casters even more powerful in a single fight, while further reducing the benefits of short resting for them, which is the opposite of what generally makes for balanced design. 
>
> Blood magic should be, as much as possible, a powerful new option rather than a way to spend resources as fast as possible for peak optimization (something it is already prone to by its nature).
> ___
> ##### Blood Magic Balance
> Blood magic is used by spellcasters because they want additional power. People don't sacrifice vitality just for fun if normal magic would do the job just as well (usually). This makes a natural challenge for game mechanics.
>
> The position of this document is that using the vitality of your own blood is balanced by the drawbacks of doing so, with a cost to it that roughly equals the benefit. A meaningful but neutral choice. Using blood from other creatures via sacrifice is not mechanically balanced in the same way: it's balanced vs. externalities (being restricted in access, and probably sort of evil). Most villains do evil things because it gives them power, and blood magic is no exception.

\pagebreakNum

## Blood Magic Spells

### Blood Components
Blood magic spells all have a material component that reads **"a drop [or splash] of blood worth [X] hit points"**.  If a a material component is "up to X '' number of hit points, it can be as little as 1 hit point up to the amount listed.

When you cast a blood magic spell, you take damage equal to the blood required for the spell, which you can draw as part of casting the spell (no additional action required). This blood must come from you, unless you have features or feats that allow you to use other sources of blood to power your magic.

If you cast a Blood Magic spell at a higher level, the minimum hit points increases to the level the spell is cast at.

You cannot spend more hit points than you have this way.

### Blood Damage
Damage taken from casting blood magics reduces your current hit points and bypasses any temporary hit points or damage reduction you have (as you need blood to power the spell).
> ___
> 
> ##### Concentration
> While not universally true, many blood magic spells lack the Concentration requirements of normal spells. This is intentional, and part of what makes them appealing options to mages, but is also somewhat necessary as blood mages often take small amounts of damage from casting their spells, making it easy for them to lose concentration to their own spell casting otherwise.

### Blood Magic Type
Spells with the (blood magic) tag are considered to be Blood Magic spells. The Blood Magic type is a subtype of Arcane, meaning all Blood Magic spells are considered to be Arcane type by default.

#### Blood Bolt
*Tramutation cantrip (blood magic)*
___
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a drop of your blood worth at least 1 hit point, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___

You transmute a drop of blood into a crimson dart and launch it at creatures within range, making a ranged spell attack. On hit, the target takes 1d6 piercing damage and 1d6 necrotic damage.

The piercing and necrotic damage increase by 1d6 at 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6). The blood consumed also increases when the damage increases at 5th (2), 11th (3), and 17th (4).

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#### Blood Slash
*1st-level transmutation (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth up to 2 hit points)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___
You create a blade of blood and fling at a creature you can see within range. Make a ranged spell attack. On hit, the creature takes 2d6 slashing damage and 2d6 necrotic damage.

**At higher levels.** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the slashing damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

#### Crimson Poison
*1st-level transmutation (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 bonus action
- **Range:** Self
- **Components:** S, M (a melee weapon and a splash of your blood worth up to 5 hit points)
- **Duration:** 1 minute
___
You sacrifice up to 5 hit points (included in the material components) and invest them into an ichorous crimson poison coating that coats a weapon you are holding. The next three times you deal damage with that weapon, it deals acid damage equal to the hit points invested. After dealing damage with the weapon three times, the spell ends. If the spell ends before dealing damage for a 3rd time, the blood dries, becoming non magical and harmless.

***At Higher Levels.*** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can invest up to 1 additional hit point in the casting for each slot level above 1st, up to a maximum of 10 hit points at 6th level.

#### Sense Blood
*1st-level divination (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Self
- **Components:** S, M (a drop of your blood worth at least 1 hit point, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 hour
___

You gain the ability to sense the blood of other creatures. For the duration, you gain advantage on your Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Insight) ability checks against living creatures with blood.

***At Higher Levels.*** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, the duration becomes 8 hours. When you use a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the duration becomes 24 hours.

\pagebreakNum

#### Blood Transfusion
*1st-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Touch
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth 5 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___
You infuse a creature you touch with life divested from the blood used in the material component of the spell, causing the target to regain twice the hit points expended.

***At Higher Levels.***  When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the amount of hit points consumed by the spell increases by 5 (and the amount of hit points restored increases by a corresponding amount).

#### Blood Divination
*2nd-level divination (blood magic*)
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Touch
- **Components:** S, M (a drop of your blood worth at least 2 hit points which the spell consumes, and another creature's blood)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___
You can drop a single drop of your blood into a bloodstain or sample of another creature's blood while casting this spell to created a magical resonance. This tells you the creature's current condition (if it is alive, wounded, or dead), its creature type, its general distance from you (nearby, distant, or far away), and its general direction.

If the blood is more than 24 hours old, the spell becomes more difficult, and you must pass DC 10 spellcasting check to gain any information, with the DC increasing to 15 if the blood is more than a week old, and 20 if the DC is more than a month old.

#### Bloody Burst
*2nd-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a drop of your blood worth at least 2 points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___
You cause a creature's blood to erupt outward in a violent burst. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 4d6 necrotic damage, and any creature within 10 feet of the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 necrotic damage from the blood spray. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and the blood spray does not occur. A creature without blood is immune to this spell.

***At Higher Levels.*** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage to the target increases by 2d6, and creatures within 10 feet take an additional 1d6 damage for each level over 2nd.

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#### Blood Blade [New]
*2nd-level transmutation (blood magic)*
___
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 bonus action
- **Range:** Self
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 2 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minute
___

You create a glistening sword of blood in your hand. The magic sword lasts until the spell ends. It counts as a simple melee weapon, with which you are proficient. It deals 1d8 slashing damage and 1d8 necrotic damage on hit, and has the finesse and light property.

If you make an attack against a bloodied creature (one that has half of less of its maximum hit points), the attack roll gains advantage. The first time during the duration you land a critical hit with the weapon, you regain the hit points expended to cast it. The weapon disperses into red mist and the spell ends of you drop or let go the sword.

***At higher levels.*** When you cast this spell using a 3rd- or 4th-level spell slot, necrotic damgae it deals increases by 1d8 (to 2d8). When you cast it using a 5th- or 6th-level spell slot, the necrotic damage increases to 3d8. When you cast it using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the necrotic damage increases to 4d8.

#### Blood Storm [New]
*2nd-level transmutation (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Self or 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 2 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___

A slashing storm of blood forms a ripping vortex with a 15-foot radius around you or a point of your choice within range. Each creature (other than if you casting it with a range of Self) within range must make a Dexterity saving throw. On failure, they take 3d8 slashing damage. On success, they take half as much damage.

***At higher levels.*** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 3d8 for each slot level above 2nd.

\pagebreakNum

#### Blood Wave [New]
*2nd-level transmutation (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Spellblade, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Self (15-foot cone)
- **Components:** V, S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 4 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___
You release a wave of magical blood that spreads out in a 15-foot cone. Creatures in the path of the wave must make a Strength saving throw. On failure, a creature takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage and 2d6 necrotic damage and is knocked prone. On a success, it takes half as much damage and is not knocked prone.

When the wave passes over a creature that has died within the last minute or kills a creature, if that creature had blood, it strengthens the wave and causes it to travel and additional 5 feet (turning it into a 20-foot cone or more), up to a maximum of twice its original length.

***At Higher Levels.*** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the spell's range increases by 5 feet and the necrotic damage increases by 1d6 damage for each slot level above 2nd.

#### Compelled Convulsion
*2nd-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a drop of your blood worth at least 2 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___
You attempt to briefly take control of the blood of a creature within range you can see. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On failure, you can force the creature to use its reaction to move up to 10 feet (or its movement speed, whichever is less) and make a single weapon attack against a target of your choice within reach. Creatures without blood are immune to this effect.

**At Higher Levels.** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target an additional creature for each level above 2nd

#### Morbid Puppet
*2nd-level transmutation (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a drop of your blood worth at least 2 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** 1 minute
___
You can seize control of the blood within a freshly (within the last minute) deceased Medium or smaller sized corpse or unconscious creature. For the duration, as a bonus action you can make the corpse or creature move up to 20 feet, and make a single melee attack, using your spell casting modifier for the attack roll. If the corpse is carrying a weapon or has a natural weapon, it deals the weapon's damage (not gaining any special modifiers to that damage the living creature may have had with that weapon). Otherwise it makes a slam attack dealing 1d6 (or 1 for a Tiny sized creature) + your spellcasting modifier damage.

If a creature that was unconscious regains consciousness during the duration of the spell, they can make a Charisma saving throw at the end of each of their turns to regain control of their body. You can end this spell at any time (no action required).

***At Higher Levels.*** When you cast this spell with a 4th or higher level spell slot, you can target a Large sized corpse.

\pagebreakNum

#### Vampiric Blade [Updated]
*3rd-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 bonus action
- **Range:** Self
- **Components:** S, M (a melee weapon and a splash of your blood worth up to 10 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** 10 minutes
___

You drain your own life essence to empower the weapon used in the casing of the spell with life drinking power. You sacrifice up to 10 hit points (included in the material components). When you do so, your weapon attacks deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage, and you regain hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.

The spell ends after dealing damage a number of times equal half the hit points sacrificed (rounded down).

#### Blood Explosion
*3rd-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 3 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___

Targeting a Medium or larger corpse of a creature that had blood that has been slain within the last minute, you seize control of the blood within it causing it to explode into piercing crimson lances. Make a ranged spell attack against up to 4 creatures of your choice within 30 feet of the corpse. On hit, creatures take 3d8 piercing damage and 3d8 necrotic damage. A corpse cannot be targeted with this spell again.

***At Higher levels.*** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each spell slot level above 3rd.

#### Crimson Tide
*3rd-level conjuration (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Self (15-foot radius)
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 10 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** 1 round
___

You unleash a sweeping tide of blood along the ground, transforming the terrain into difficult terrain for all creatures but yourself until the start of your next turn. Creatures in the area when you cast the spell must make a Dexterity saving throw. On failure, they take 6d6 necrotic damage, or half as much on a success.

At the start of your next turn, the tide recedes as the spell ends, collecting the blood and returning it to you, restoring the 10 hit points used to cast the spell.

\columnbreak

#### Sanguine Spears
*3rd-level transmutation (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 6 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** 10 minutes
___
You transform some of your blood into three floating spears of crimson power. While you have one or more spear remaining, you can use an action or bonus action to launch one of the spears at a creature within range making a range spell attack. On hit, the target takes 2d6 piercing damage and 2d6 necrotic damage, and you regain 5 hit points.

***At High Levels.*** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, for each spell slot level above 3rd, you can sacrifice 2 additional hit points to create an additional spear.

#### Blood Frenzy
*4th-level enchantment (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Druid, Occultist, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Touch
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 4 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minute.
___
You touch a willing creature, launching them into an empowered frenzy. For the duration, all attacks against the target creature have advantage, but the target gains the following benefits:

* The target is immune to the charmed and frightened conditions.
* The target has advantage on melee weapon attack rolls.
* When taking damage would reduce the creature to 0 hit points, they must make a Constitution saving throw with the DC equal to half of the damage taken. On success, they are reduced to 1 hit point instead.

If you are the target of this spell, you automatically pass saving throws to maintain concentration on it as a result of taking damage.

\pagebreakNum

#### Exsanguinate
*4th-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 4 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___
You drain a creature of blood, causing it to burst forth from it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On failure, its current and maximum hit points are reduced by 6d6. On success, their current hit points are reduced by half as much, and their maximum hit points are not reduced. If the target is bloodied, their current hit points are reduced by an additional 6d6 hit points (pass or fail).

Any reduction to maximum hit points is removed when they complete a long rest, or by the effects of the *greater restoration* spell. A creature without blood is immune to this spell.

***At Higher levels.*** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the hit point reduction is increased by 1d6 for each level over 4th.

#### Ichorous Blood
*4th-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Self
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 4 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** 10 minutes
___
You transmute your blood into sluggish black ichor, which forms a layer of armor as you bleed. You gain 8 temporary hit points, and for the duration of the spell, you reduce any bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage you take by 4 (to a minimum of 1 damage), and any time you are hit with a melee attack, the attacker takes 4 acid damage.

***At Higher Levels.*** When you cast this spell with a 5th level or higher spell slot, the damage reduction and acid damage dealt to attackers increases by 1 for each level over 4th.

#### Macabre Marionette
*4th-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 4 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minute
___
You attempt to control a creature's movements by using the blood to marionette them to your commands. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the target fails their saving throw, for the duration of the spell you can use your bonus action force them to spend their reaction to move up to 20 feet (or their movement speed, whichever is less) and make a single weapon attack.

Until the target breaks free of the spell, they cannot use their own reaction. At the end of each of the target's turns, they can repeat the saving throw against the spell, ending it on success.

\columnbreak

#### Explode Heart
*5th-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 6 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___

You point at a creature and attempt to make their heart explode in a violent spasm. If the target creature has fewer than 20 hit points, their heart explodes and they die. If they have more than 20 hit points, the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw it takes 10d6 necrotic damage and are stunned until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, they take half as much damage and are not stunned. If this damage reduces them to 0 hit points, they die.

Creatures without a heart are immune to effect, though at your GM's discretion similar organs or functions (such as a golem's magic core) may qualify as a heart.

#### Life Link
*5th-level abjuration (blood magic)*

___
- **Classes:** Cleric, Occultist, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 5 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minute
___
You link the life of two creatures you can see within range for the duration of the spell, selecting either an life link or inverse life link, with the following effects based on which option you select:

* **Life Link:** When one target regains hit points so does the other target, and one target takes damage, the other target takes an equal amount of damage as necrotic damage.
* **Inverse Life Link:** When one target loses hit points the other gains and equal number of hit points, when one target regains hit points (other than from this effect), the other takes an equal amount of necrotic damage.

Regardless of the option, the link lasts until the spell ends, or the link has transfered 40 hit points of healing or damage to the other target.

***At Higher Levels.*** When you cast this spell with a 6th level spell slot or higher, the number of hit points the link can transfer increases by 10 for each level above 5th.

\pagebreakNum

#### Life Support
*5th-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Cleric, Occultist, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 reaction, which you can take when a creature is reduced to 0 hit points within range.
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 5 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minute
___
When a creature is reduced to 0 hit points, you can forge a link to them, bolstering their life force with your own. For the duration of the spell, they do not fall unconscious from being at 0 hit points and can act normally, and any damage they take is instead transferred to you.

If a creature regains hit points and is no longer at 0 hit points, the spell ends.

#### Sanguine Doom
*6th-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Cleric, Occultist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 120 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 6 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
___

You target a point within range. Darkness washes over an a 30 foot radius area extinguishing all lights (including lights caused by magical effects of a lower level spell) as blood rains down from above over the area. Creatures and objects that are not being worn or carried within the area take 4d6 acid damage, and creatures must make a Wisdom saving throw against being cursed with doom.

On failure, the creature gains the doomed curse, and the next time they are hit with an attack roll, that attack becomes a critical hit. On success, they suffer no further effect.

#### Stirge Swarm
*6th-level conjuration (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 10 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minute
___
You conjure a swirling swarm of magical Striges that swirl around within 20 foot radius of the target point. Creatures with blood other than the caster that start their turn within the area or enter it for the first time during a turn must make a Dexterity saving throw. On failure, they are drained of their blood by the swirling storm of Striges, reducing their hit points by 4d4 + 12 damage and restoring 4 hit points to the caster. On a successful save, they half as much damage and restore 2 hit points to caster.

As a bonus action on each of their turns for the duration of the spell, the caster and move the swirling swarm of Striges up to 30 feet in any direction.

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#### Devouring Mist
*7th-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 15 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** 1 round
___
You transform into a 15-foot radius swirling cloud of blood mist. While in this form, you have a 60-foot flying speed and you have resistance to all damage besides radiant, force, and psychic damage, but cannot take any actions.

The first time a creature is engulfed within the blood mist (including from your movement while transformed), it must make a Constitution saving throw. On failure, they take 6d8 necrotic damage, and you regain 10 hit points. On a success, they take half as much damage, and you regain only 5 hit points. You can regain a total of 50 hit points, after which you do not regain additional hit points from this effect.

At the start of your next turn, you reform into your previous form.

\pagebreakNum

### New Spells

#### Iron Blood
*1st-level transmutation (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** Occultist, Sorcerer, Spellblade, Warlock, Wizard
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Self
- **Components:** S, M (a splash of your blood worth at least 1 hit points, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** 8 hours
___

Your blood becomes thicker and more durable. For the duration, you gain the following benefits:

* All damage you take is reduced by one.
* You are immune to any effect that makes bleed. 
* You have advantage on death saving throws.
* When you complete a short rest you regain additional hit points equal to your spellcasting modifier as long you spend at least 1 hit die.

\pagebreakNum

## Feats

### Hemomancer
*Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic Feature*

___

You can sacrifice your essence to cast blood magic spells in place of expending a spell slot. To do so, sacrifice 5 hit points per level of the spell. These hit points sacrificed can count towards the hit point cost of the blood Material component of the spell.

You can cast a total number of spell levels in this manner equal to your character level, but casting a spell of 6th level or higher this way drains your vitality in a more profound way unless it has the blood magic tag, causing you to gain levels of exhaustion equal to the number of levels over 5th the spell is (1 level for a 6th level spell, 2 for a 7th level spell, etc).

You cannot cast spells this way over 5th level while you have any levels of exhaustion. You regain all levels of usage of this rite when you complete a long rest.

## Occultist

### Occultist Rites

___

**Blood Rituals** *(Prerequisite: 5th level Occultist)*

Whenever you cast a ritual spell that requires a material component, you can instead use blood, draining the living vital essence of creatures to power the magic in a unique way.

Willing living creatures within 10 feet (including you) can expend hit points as part of casting the spell, with each 10 hit points sacrificed in this manner able to replace up to 100 gp of material components (for example, to replace a diamond worth 500 gold, 50 hit points would have to be expended in this manner).

Any creature that contributes a number o hit points greater than their character level (or CR if they have no level) to this ritual gains 1 level of exhaustion.

___

**Blood Fuel**

You cannot cast spells this way over 5th level while you have any levels of exhaustion. You regain all levels of usage of this rite when you complete a long rest.

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### Blood Cultist
The dark tradition of a Blood Cultist is one that seeks power at any cost. They are those prepared to give up everything for power, dedicated themselves to mysterious rituals, forbidden techniques, and whispered taboos in order to grasp hold of ancient and terrible powers. Masters of sacrifice, blood magic, and willing to cast aside their humanity (or relevant equivalent!) they are driven beyond what most would consider rational, natural, or even possible on their eternal quest to go beyond the limiting walls of mortality to find new dark powers.

> ##### Unusual Resources
> Cultists are a unique type of full caster. They sacrifice the majority of their spell slots to empower themselves, which would normally leave them with little room to cast spells, but make up for that shortcoming through being able to more freely sacrifice their own hit points through Blood Magic.
> ___
> 
> ##### Variable Casting Stat
> There's a reasonable argument for Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as a casting stat for the Cultist subclass. It's perfectly fine if you allow them to use any casting stat, but it's recommended to disallow multiclassing if allowing them to select casting stats other Wisdom.

#### Blood Casting
Starting at 1st level, you learn the *blood bolt^K^* cantrip and gain the following blood magic spells as you level, and can select additional spells from blood magic when you learn new spells.

| Occultist Level | Spells Learned |
|:---------------:|:--------------:|
| 1st | *crimson poison^K^*, *sense blood^K^* |
| 3rd | *compelled convulsion^K^*, *morbid puppet^K^*, |
| 5th | *blood explosion^K^*,  *vampiric blade^K^* | 
| 7th | *exsanguinate^K^*, *macabre marionette^K^*
| 9th | *explode heart^K^*, *life link^K^*

#### Dark Dedication
Starting at 1st level, your hit point maximum increases by 1 and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class and you gain the ability to sacrifice spell slots for dark boons. At the end of a long rest, select up to 2 sacrifices to make from the following list.

When you sacrifice a spell slot, that spell slot is expended and cannot be regained while the boon is active. The boon ends and regains the expanded spell slot when you complete your next long rest, unless you select the same boon again at the end of that long rest continuing its effect.

The number of sacrifices you can make to receive boons increases at 3rd level (to 3), 6th level (to 4), 9th level (to 5), 12th level (to 6), 15th level (to 7), and 18th level (to 8).

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##### Boon of False Life (1st level+)
You sacrifice a 1st level or higher spell slot, gaining 8 temporary hit points. When you complete a short rest under the effect of this boon, you regain 1d4 + 4 temporary hit points. You can sacrifice higher level spell slots, gaining an additional 2 temporary hit points on use, and an additional 1 temporary hit point when you short rest per level of spell slot sacrificed.

##### Boon of Demonic Claws (1st Level+)
You sacrifice a 1st level or higher spell slot, reforming one or more (based on the table below) of your arms into natural weapons in the form of demonic claws. The power of the demonic claw depends on the level of the spell slot sacrificed, gaining a larger damage dice and a growing bonus to attack and damage rolls.

When making attacks with your demonic claw, you can use your Spellcasting modifier in place of your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls. If you have more than one claw, you can make a single weapon attack with the second claw as a bonus action after making an attack with the first claw.

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| Spell Slot Sacrificed | Claw Damage | Attack/Damage Bonus | # of Claws |
|:---------------------:|:-----------:|:------------------------:|:----------:|
| 1st | 1d6 | +1 | 1 |
| 2nd | 1d6 | +1 | 2 |
| 3rd | 1d8 | +1 | 2 |
| 4th | 1d8 | +2 | 2 |
| 5th | 1d10 | +2 | 2 |
| 6th | 1d12 | +2 | 2 |
| 7th | 1d12 | +3 | 2 |

##### Boon of Swiftness (1st level)
You sacrifice a 1st level spell slot, increasing your movement speed by 10 feet.

##### Boon of Demonic Leaps (1st level)
You sacrifice a 1st level spell slot, tripling your jumping distance. You can use your Spell Casting ability score to determine your jumping distance instead of your Strength ability score.

##### Boon of Demonic Sight (2nd level)
You sacrifice a 2nd level spell slot, gaining a 60 foot darkvision. If you already have darkvision, the range of your dark vision increases by 60 feet.

##### Boon of Fiendish Talent (2nd level)
You gain proficiency in on skill or tool of your choice. If you were already proficient in that skill or tool, you gain expertise (meaning you can add twice your proficiency modifier to ability checks made with that skill or tool).

##### Boon of Frenzy (2nd level)
You sacrifice a 2nd level spell slot, gaining the Two-Weapon Fighting or Dueling Fighting Style of the Fighter class.

##### Boon of Burning Eyes (3rd Level)
You sacrifice a 3rd level spell slot, gaining the ability to cast *eyes of immolation^K^* at-will without expending a spell slot.

##### Boon of Fiendish Vigor (3rd level)
You sacrifice a 3rd level spell slot, gaining 5 current and maximum hit points. If you regain hit points by spending Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, you regain an extra 1d6 hit points.

##### Boon of Fury (3rd Level)
You sacrifice a 3rd level spell slot, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

##### Boon of Demonic Resistance (4th level)
You sacrifice a 4th level spell slot, gaining resistance to one of acid, cold, fire, or poison damage. You can select this boon multiple times.

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##### Boon of Telepathy (4th level)
When you gain this feature, you can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. Creatures you communicate with can reply in kind.

##### Boon of Unholy Strength (4th level)
You sacrifice a 4th level spell slot, making your Strength ability score equal to your Spell Casting ability score.

##### Boon of Resilience (5th Level)
You sacrifice a 5th level spell slot, gaining proficiency in a saving throw of your choice.

##### Boon of Unholy Weapon (6th level)
You sacrifice a 6th level or higher spell slot, increase the damage of your melee weapon attacks by 1d8 necrotic damage.

##### Boon of Demonic Wings (6th level)
You sacrifice a 6th level spell slot, causing demonic wings to erupt from your back. You gain a flying speed of 30 feet.

##### Boon of Unholy Nature (7th level)
You sacrifice a 7th level spell, gaining resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical sources.

##### Boon of Magic Resistance (8th level)
You sacrifice an 8th level spell slot, granting you advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.

#### Sacrificial Casting
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the Blood Fuel, granting you the feature and the included ability to cast Blood Magic spells with your hit points.

> ##### Rite: Blood Fuel
> 
> You can sacrifice your essence to cast blood magic spells in place of expending a spell slot. To do so, sacrifice 5 hit points per level of the spell. These hit points sacrificed can count towards the hit point cost of the blood Material component of the spell.
> 
> You can cast a total number of spell levels in this manner equal to your character level, but casting a spell of 6th level or higher this way drains your vitality in a more profound way unless it has the blood magic tag, causing you to gain levels of exhaustion equal to the number of levels over 5th the spell is (1 level for a 6th level spell, 2 for a 7th level spell, etc).
> 
> You cannot cast spells this way over 5th level while you have any levels of exhaustion. You regain all levels of usage of this rite when you complete a long rest.

\pagebreakNum

#### Sanguine Power
Beginning at 6th level, when you deal piercing or slashing damage to creature that has blood, the next time you cast a spell with the Blood Magic tag before the end of your next turn, you can reduce the amount of your own hit points you need to expend by the piercing or slashing damage you dealt to that creature with that attack (you can pick the highest damage piercing or slashing damage attack you made during that time).

#### Demonic Ascension
Starting at 14th level, you can fully invest into the rites of your dark faith, being granted a form of terrifying power. As a bonus action, you transform into a demonic form for 1 minute, gaining the following benefits:

* While in this form you have resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
* Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
* You optionally can become large sized for duration, increasing your weapon attack damage by 1d4.
* Each time you kill a creature, the duration of the demonic form increases by 1 minute.

Once you assume this form, you cannot assume it again until you complete a long rest.

### Cultist Specific Rites

**Abandoned Humanity** *(Prerequisite: Creature Type of Humanoid)*

You cast aside your humanity. Your creature type ceases to be humanoid. Select a new creature type from aberration, fiend, or monstrosity.

___

**Blood Leeching**

When you cast blood magic spell of 1st level or higher with Sanguine Power, if the spell does not consume all of the stored hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to the remainder.

___

**Boon Seeker**

You can make one additional sacrifice to receive a boon using your Dark Dedication feature.

___

**Cultist's Touch** *(Prerequisite: 7th-level Blood Cultist)*

When you use your action to cast a cantrip with a range of touch, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.

___

**Demon Within** *(Prerequisite: 15th-level Blood Cultist)*

The first time you drop to 0 hit points, you assume your Demonic Ascension form (not counting as a use of the feature) and regain half your maximum hit points. Once this effect is triggered, you cannot trigger it again until you complete a long rest.

___

**Empowered Blood Magic** *(Prerequisite: 5th level Blood Cultist)*

When you cast a spell that deals damage damage on cast and has a blood magic tag, you can add your Spellcasting modifier to the damage dealt.
___

**Sacrificial Absolution**

You can cast *lesser restoration* on a willing creature without expending a spell slot, however when you cast it in this way you suffer any condition or effect that spell cleared.

When you reach 9th level, you can instead cast *greater restoration* this way. It does not consume a material component when you cast it this way. If you remove a cursed item's effect (ending its attunement to creature), it instead becomes attuned to you.

___

**Unholy Gift**

Once per turn, when you expend your own hit points to cast a spell using Blood Magic, you can cause one allied creature other than yourself within 30 feet to gain temporary hit points equal to the sacrificed hit points.

___

**Wretched Resilience**

You gain immunity to diseases, and advantage on saving throws against the poisoned condition.

___

**Zealous Conviction**

You gain advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

___

**Zealous Dedication** *(Prerequisite: Zealous Conviction, 12th level Blood Cultist)*

When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can make a Spellcasting ability check with a DC of 5 + the damage taken. On success, you are reduced to 1 hit point instead.

On failure, you can expend a spell slot to increase the value rolled by an amount equal to the level of the spell slot, potentially during a failure into a success. Once you spend a spell slot to do so, you cannot do so against until you complete a short or long rest.

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### Witch Options
The witch subclass of the Occultist clas gains an additional coven option:

#### Coven: Red Coven
When you select your coven, you gain an additional option: the blood stained Red Coven.

##### Red Coven Spells
You learn the following spells at the following levels. They do not count against your spells known.

| Witch Level | Bonus Spells |
|:-----------:|:------------:|
| 1st | *sense blood^K^*, *hemorrhaging curse^K^*
| 3rd | *hold person*, *morbid puppet^K^*
| 5th | *blood explosion^K^*, *rupturing curse^K^*
| 7th | *exsanguinate^K^*, *macabre marionette^K^*
| 9th | *bloodline curse^K^, hold monster*

##### Familiar Bond: Red Coven
As a reaction to an allied creature taking damage while within 5 feet of your familiar, you can transfer up to four times your Occultist level of that damage (up to 12 at level 3 when you get this feature) to another willing creature within 60 feet of it. The damage transferred cannot exceed the current hit points of the target of the transfer. You can do this a number of times equal to your Spellcasting modifier, regaining all uses when you complete a long rest.

### Additional Witch Specific Rites

**Malicious Transfusion.** *(Prerequisite: Red Coven)*

When your familiar redirects damage, you can target an unwilling creature. When you do so, the target creature must make a Charisma saving throw. On failure, it takes the redirected damage as normal, and the amount transferred can exceed its current hit points. On success, it takes half the redirected damage, and you take the other half the redirected damage.

___

**Bathed in Blood.** *(Prerequisite: Red Coven)*

When you take damage as part casting blood magic (from contributing the material component or through the Blood Magic rite) it does not force a saving throw to maintain concentration if you are concentrating on a spell.

Additionally, expend hit points casting a spell with blood magic, you gain temporary hit points equal to hit points expended on its material components.

___

**Sanguine Sacrifice** *(Prerequisite: Red Coven)*

When you restore hit points with an Occultist spell, you can increase the hit points restored by up to your Occultist level by spending an equal number of your own hit points (equal to the total number of additional hit points restored across all targets if the spell targets multiple targets).

___

**Sanguine Secrets** *(Prerequisite: Red Coven, Hemomancer rite)*

You can cast spells without the Blood Magic tag using the Hemomancer rite.

___

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**Sanguine Vitality.** *(Prerequisite: Red Coven)*

Your rich diet of the blood of your enemies empowers you. Your maximum hit points are increased by 1 for each Occultist level you have.

___

**Stolen Life** *(Prerequisite: 5th-level Red Coven)*

As an action, you can touch a recently deceased corpse, drawing last fragments of life out of it. When you do so, you recover hit points equal to the creatures CR or levels, and can optionally assume it's appearance as if by the *disguise self* spell, but with an indefinite duration. You can store a number of stolen appearances this way equal to your Wisdom modifier, assuming any of them as an action. You can end the illusion or assume a different stored appearance as an action.

___

**Witch's Fangs.** *(Prerequisite: Red Coven)*

As an action, you grow long canine fangs and attempt to bite a creature within 5 feet of you, making a melee spell attack. On hit, the target takes 1d4 piercing damage and 1d4 necrotic damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.

The piercing and necrotic damage increase by 1d4 at 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).

Starting at 6th level, you can apply your Witch's Touch feature to attacks made with this feature.

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#### Hemorrhaging Curse
*1st-level necromancy (blood magic)*
___
- **Classes:** N/A
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** S, M (something from the target creature (such as blood, hair, or scales) which the spell consumes and a drop of your blood worth at least 1 hit point, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minute
___
You curse a target with unclosing wounds. If the target has taken piercing or slashing since the end of their last turn or takes piercing or slashing damage for the duration of the spell, its hit points are reduced by 1d8 at the end of each of its turns for the duration. This damage cannot be stopped by first aid, staunching the wound, or any non-magical means, but is ended if the creature is restored to full hit points by magical healing or the spell ends.

#### Rupturing Curse
*3rd-level necromancy (blood magic, curse)*
___
- **Classes:** N/A
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (something from the target creature (such as blood, hair, or scales) which the spell consumes and a drop of your blood worth at least 2 hit point, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minute
___
You invoke a curse on a creature you can see within range, rupturing their tendons. For the duration, the creatures hit points are reduced by 2d4 for each 5 feet they move. Creatures without blood are immune to this curse.

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#### Bloodline Curse
*5th-level necromancy (blood magic)*

___
- **Classes:** N/A
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 120 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (something from the target creature (such as blood, hair, or scales) which the spell consumes and a drop of your blood worth at least 5 hit point, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 hour
___

You invoke a curse on a creature's bloodline. Up to 5 creatures of your choice (other than the target) of the same creature type within range are bound to that creature by a magical curse. If a creature is directly related (ancestor, descendant, or sibling) to the target creature, the range at which they can be cursed with this bond increases to 1 mile.

When that creature becomes bloodied (reduced to less than half its maximum hit points) and again if that creature dies, all creatures effected by the curse must make a Charisma saving throw, taking 5d6 + twice the cursed creature's CR (or level) necrotic damage on failed save, or half as much on success. This curse has no effect on creatures without blood.

***At Higher Levels.*** When you cast this spell with a 6th level slot or higher, the number of creatures you can target increases by 1 for each level above 5th. When using a 9th level spell slot, the range at which you can target a related creature can be unlimited, though you must be aware of the target's existence.

> ##### Self Targeted Curse
> It's intentional you can use this curse on yourself or an allied creature to target creatures of your choice that are not allied creatures but at the same creature type. It's naturally less value as you generally won't get both the death effect as well.

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## Warden

### Blood Forger
Blood Forgers are immediately different from other Wardens, drawing their power from something more visceral but no less primal than the forces of nature: the blood of creatures. Fundamentally tied to the essence of life that beats in the heart of every creature, they are tied to life itself, self-appointed guardians and gardeners of it, preserving, curating, and pruning.

The comfort with blood and death often makes creatures uncomfortable, but they can be as potent an ally as they are a dangerous enemy, capable of giving life as easily as taking it, able to keep the companions alive against all odds.

#### Blood Forge
Starting at 1st level, when you roll initiative or as a bonus action at any time, you can forge your blood into armaments. You can conjure up to two weapons or weapon and a shield at a time this way. Weapons and shields created this way are automatically equipped as part of the bonus action, and can be dismissed at any time (no action required). Shields act as a normal shield would, while weapons depend on the properties selected from the Blood Forged Weapon table below.

\columnbreak

If you become bloodied (reduced to half your maximum hit points or less), your Blood Forged weapons deal 1d4 additional necrotic damage. The size of this die increases at 5th (to 1d6), 11th (to 1d8), and 17th (to 1d10) level.

The damage die of these weapons are increased by any Warden class feature that increases the damage die of natural weapons. If the damage die of any d6 weapon is increased to a d8, it instead becomes 1d4 slashing and 1d4 necrotic damage. When the damage die of any weapon with multiple dice increases, you can select which damage die to increase.

#### Crimson Font
At 1st level, when you cast a blood magic spell, you can contribute hit points of blood up to your Warden Level to the spell without taking damage. Any hit points contributed beyond that reduce your hit points as normal. You are immune to any effect that drains your blood or makes you bleed.

#### Innate Magic
Additionally when you select this bond, you gain access to several innate magical abilities by channeling the power of your primal connection.

You gain the following spells at the listed levels, and can cast each spell once without components or spell slots. Once you cast the spell in this way, you cannot cast it again until you complete a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting modifier for these spells. You can cast a spell again before completing a long rest by spending 1 + the level of the spell Endurance Dice.

##### Blood Warden Spells
| Warden Level | Innate Spells (1/long rest each) |
|:-----------:|:------------:|
| 1st | *blood transfusion^K^*
| 3rd | *sense blood^K^*
| 5th | *morbid puppet^K^*
| 9th | *crimson tide^K^*
| 13th | *locate creature*
| 17th | *ichorous blood^K^*

#### Life Bond
Additionally at 3rd level, once per turn, when a creature within range of your Primal Interdiction takes damage, you can give one (or more if if multiple creatures take damage at the same time) resistance to the damage taken (no action required). When you do so, you take the same amount of damage (after the resistance is applied).

\pagebreakNum

#### Restore Vitality
Starting at 7th level, your Innate Magic ability to cast *blood transfusion* without expending a spell slot is refreshed when you complete a short rest. When you cast *blood transfusion* on a target other than yourself, you can expend hit points up to your Warden level (instead of up to 5), increasing the amount it heals the target based on the spell effect.

#### Reaper's Harvest
Additionally at 7th level, once per turn while you are bloodied (at less than half your maximum hit points) and deal necrotic damage to an enemy, you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier. This cannot restore hit points beyond half of your maximum hit points.

#### Life Control
Starting at 14th level, you are under the effects of *death ward* until the effect is triggered, ending the effect as normal. You regain this effect when you complete a long rest.

Additionally, when a creature makes a death save within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to turn the roll into a 20, allowing them to recover with 1 hit point. Once you do so, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.

#### Blood Domain
Starting at 17th level, as a bonus action you exert influence over the blood of creatures within 20 feet for 1 minute. All allied creatures of your choice within range gain resistance to slashing and piercing damage, while all hostile creatures in range bleed profusely when taking piercing or slashing damage, taking an additional 10 damage at the start of their turn if they've taken piercing or slashing damage since the end of their last turn.

Additionally, once during the effect as an action, you can exert your full control over the field to cast to cast *hold monster* or *hold person* at the 5th level without expending a spell slot targeting a creature (or creatures if the spell targets multiple creatures) affected by the domain. When you cast it this way, if a creature passes their saving throw against the effect, they are under the effect of *slow* until the start of your next turn.

Creatures without blood are unaffected by the blood domain. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

\pagebreakNum

## Spellblade

### Sanguine Sword
Spellblades of the Sanguine Sword are rare and feared lot, blood seekers that fuel their bloody rampages with the blood they spill. They slash their way through hordes in a never ending flurry of blood, magic, and blade, their fallen foes feeding further violence.

Those that follow the Sanguine Sword are not inherently evil - or at least not all view themselves as such - but the slaughter fueled nature of their powers provide a dark path of temptation, the next kill always offering a temptation to drive the slaughter further. Even their staunchest ally may give them a wide berth on the battlefield, while many will dismiss them as more savage beast than hero, regardless of their goals and intentions.

#### Sacrificial Blade Spells
You learn the following spells at the following levels. The following are Spellblade spells for you, but do not count against your spells known. Additionally, all spells with the "Blood Magic" tag are added to the Spellblade spell list for you.

| Spellblade Level | Spells Learned |
|:----------------:|:--------------:|
| 3rd | *blood slash^K^*
| 5th | *bloody burst^K^*
| 9th | *vampiric blade^K^*
| 13th | *exsanguinate^K^*
| 17th | *explode heart^K^*

#### Blood Stained Blade
Starting at 3rd level, when you select this archetype, you gain special affinity when wielding a blood-coated weapon. For 1 minute after a melee weapon deals 1 more points of damage to a living creature that has blood, you can use use your Intelligence modifier, instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls with that weapon. A weapon bloodied in this way is consider magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance to non-magical damage.

You can sacrifice 1 of your own hit point at any time (no action required) to bloody a blade activating this effect.

#### Sanguine Surge
Starting at 3rd level, you gain a new option for your Arcane Surge feature:

* When you cast a spell with the Blood Magic tag, you can expend an Arcane Surge to gain temporary hit points equal to your spellcasting modifier + half your spellblade level (rounded down).

#### Catharsis of Carnage
Starting at 7th level, when you make an attack that is a critical strike or that bloodies or kills a creature that is CR 1/4 or higher, you regain one use of Arcane Surge.

If you are bloodied when you trigger this ability, you additional regain hit points equal to your proficiency spellcasting modifier.

\columnbreak

#### Gore and Gibblets
Starting at 15th level, your score a critical strike on a 19 or 20 when making an attack roll.

Additionally, when your attack kills a creature, damage dealt by Splash Damage is to nearby creatures is increased to 2d8.

#### Red Eyed Rampage
Starting at 20th level you fall into a bloody-crazed trance of slaughter (no action required). For the duration, you gain a truesight of 120 feet against bloodied creatures and have advantage on attack rolls against them. Once per turn for the duration, when you trigger Catharsis of Carnage, can immediately take an additional action.

\pagebreakNum

## Warlock

### The Bloodbound
The Bloodbound Patron is an ancient and powerful entity of blood. Ancient vampires or other creatures that feast on the power of blood are most often, but there is a primordial power to blood that has created many ancient entities with deep ties to the secrets of life and death that may be sought for the impressive eldritch powers. As a warlock with a Bloodbound Patron, you gain unique abilities to manipulate blood and the life force of creatures.

#### Blood Patron Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|:-----------:|:------:|
| 1st | *inflict wounds*, *false life*
| 2nd | *bloody burst^K^*, *compelled convulsion^K^*
| 3rd | *crimson tide^K^*, *invest life^K^*
| 4th | *blood frenzy^K^*, *vital surge^K^*
| 5th | *dominate person*, *life support^K^*

#### Life Drain
At 1st level, you gain the ability to drain the vitality of other creatures through their blood. When you hit a creature with an attack, you can use your bonus action to drain their life, dealing additional necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier and regaining life equal to the necrotic damage dealt.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses when you complete a long rest.

#### Beating Hearts
Starting at 1st level, you can sense the beating heart of life in creatures around you. You can use your spellcasting modifier, instead of your Wisdom modifier, for making Perception and Insight checks against living creatures with blood, and to your passive scores to sense living creatures.

You can heighten this sense further by casting *sense blood* without expending a spell slot or material component, but once you do so, you cannot do so this way again until you complete a long rest.

####  Sanguine Empowerment
Starting at 6th level, you can sacrifice your hit points to empower your magic. When you expend a Pact Magic spell slot to cast a spell that has an effect that scales with spell level, you can expend a number of hit points equal 1 + to the level of the spell to increase the level at which you cast the spell by one level (for example, if you cast the 2nd level spell *hold person* using a 3rd level Pact Magic Spell slot, you could expend 3 hit points to cast it at the 4th level).

When you cast a cantrip, you can scale the cantrip to its next level of power (for example, casting it as if you were 11th level) by spending 3 hit points this way. This works even when you are 17th level, and the cantrip would generally not scale further (adding an additional die or firing an additional beam in the case of eldritch blast).

You can spend a total number of hit points this way equal to your Warlock level, after which you cannot spend more hit points to empower your spells until you complete a long rest.

\columnbreak

####  Vital Reserves
Starting at 10th level, your maximum hit points are increased by your Warlock level.

#### The Hunger
Beginning at 14th level, you can temporarily transform into a powerful blood avatar that devours blood. As an action, you assume this form for 1 minute, gaining the following powers:

* You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks.
* You have advantage on attack rolls against bloodied creatures (creatures with less than half of their maximum hit points).
* You can use Life Drain without expending uses of the feature.
* When you use Sanguine Empowerment, you gain temporary hit points equal to the hit points expended.

This form ends early if you end your turn without dealing or receiving damage since the start of your last turn or if you become incapacitated. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

\pagebreakNum

## Greater Blood Rituals

[Coming Soon]

## Blood Magic Items

##### Assassin's Token

*Wonderous Item, Common*

A glittering garnet necklace. As an action, you can use this necklace to absorbs all shed blood within 50 feet, including that from bloodstains, cleaning blood from a surfaces, objects, or and creatures within range without a trace. This effect does not cause any damage or stop a creature from bleeding.

##### Blood Stone
*Wonderous Item, Rare (requires attunement)*

A glittering ruby gem set into a pendant that stores vital energy. Each time you cast a spell with the Blood Magic tag, the ruby gains charges equal to the number of hit points expended to cast the spell, up to a maximum of 20.

The first time you would be reduced to 0 hit points, you instead are reduced to 1 hit point, and then instantly regain a number of hit points equal to the charges stored by the ruby.

The ruby cannot regain additional charges until dawn the next day. If the ruby has any charges at dawn, it loses 5 charges.

##### Sacrificial Dagger
*Dagger, Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires attunement by an evil creature)*

A wicked dagger eternally stained with blood. When you hit a living creature with it, that creature takes an extra 1d6 necrotic damage.

When you kill a creature (that is not an undead or construct) with this dagger you can fuel an ongoing Greater Blood Ritual with a Ritual Focus within 30 feet, granting a value equal to the creatures CR (or level) in ritual points.

> ##### Balanced by Evil
> The sacrificial dagger is an obviously overpowered item. Evil villains wouldn't (generally) be evil if it didn't make them more powerful - that's why they are evil. If you play a game without alignment or concern for morality (or the players are playing villains), the item should be considered as a Very Rare rarity instead.

\pagebreakNum

## Changelog

### [v0.8](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-N6TyN_Qs5QRWiB-BcDN/-NORndRCdLhpzA846ysY)

#### Feats
* **Hemomancer** feat added.

#### Spells [+8 Spells]
* **Tranfuse Life** changed to 1d8 from spellcasting modifier.
* **Exsanguinate** damage increased by 1d6/2d6
* **Crimson Poison** duration increased to 1 hour.
* **Bloodline Curse** duration increased to 1 hour.
* **Ichorous Blood** completely rewritten (again).
* **Explode Heart** changed.
* **Blood Divination** added.
* **Compelled Convulsion** added.
* **Sanguine Spears** added
* **Macabre Marionette** added.
* **Life Link** added.
* **Sanguine Doom** added.
* **Stirge Swarm** added.
* **Devouring Mist** added.

#### Bloodforger
* **Crimson Font** reworked.
* **Consume Vitality** renamed **Reaper's Harvest** and reworked.
* **Undying Will** renamed **Life Control.**

#### Occultist
* **Blood Magic** rite renamed **Hemomancer**. Can now only be used to cast Blood Magic spells. Functionality is the same as the feat, just easier for Occultists to get. No longer requires Blood Rituals to take.
* **Blood Rituals** no generates a level of exhaustion if you contribute more hit points than your charcter level/CR.

#### Red Coven
* **Sanguine Vitality** rite added.
* **Witch's Fangs** revamped to no longer use non-SRD spells.

#### Cultist
* **Blood Fuel** renamed **Sanguine Power**; reduced to damage equal to half the piercing or slashing damage dealt.
* **Boon of Frenzy** can now grant **Dueling** or **Two Weapon Fighting**.
* **Boon of Fiendish Talent** added
* **Boon of Unholy Nature** added.
* **Boon of Burning Eyes** added.

\columnbreak

### v0.9
* **Blood Warlock** subclass added.

#### Feats
* **Hemomancer** nerfed for spells above 5th level.

#### Red Coven
* **Bathed in Blood** clarified that it is temporary hit points equal to the material component (so if you use hit points in place of the spell level, you don't gain 5 x level temporary hit points as well).
* **Stolen Life** clarified that it takes an action.

#### Rites
* **Hemomancy** nerfed for spells above 5th level.

#### Spells
* **Blood Bolt** now has a scaling half cost. There's no such thing as free damage after all. This makes it not necessarily an always go-to spell cantrip.
* **Blood Clone** removed. This was ultimately deemed not worth fixing, as almost all uses of it were just various ways to abuse mechanics.
* **Crimson Poison** converted to Bonus Action, with the duration and scaling nerfed. This makes the spell more wieldy and easy to use, particulary at lower levels.
* **Sense Blood** made concentration to better limit usage and match to similar features.
* **Blood Transfusion** changed to double the hit points restored, more like life transference and less like cure wounds. This is a buff, though a small one (since previously it was 4.5 + 5 and now its 2 x 5), but means its more reliable.
* **Vampiric Blade** increased to 3rd level and no longer has an upcast effect, but converted to a bonus action. Duration shortened to 10 minutes. Converting it to a bonus action is a large buff in practice, even with the other factors.
* **Exsanguinate** bonus damage now happens regardless of save if the target is bloodied.
* **Sanguine Spears** damage buffed, but given a duration of 10 minutes to limit spell slot shenanigans.
* **Devouring Mist** hit point recovery doubled, but capped at a maximum of 50 hit points.
* **Life Link** nerfed to 40 hit points (from 50 hit points).
* **Bloody Burst** added.
* **Crimson Tide** added.
* **Blood Frenzy** added.
* **Life Support** added.

\pagebreakNum

### 1.0
* **The Blood Seeker** Spellblade subclass added

#### Bloodbound Warlock
* Name updated from the placeholder "The Blood" to "The Blood Bound".
* Made **Sanguine Empowerment** somehow more convoluted, but probably more functional in practice.

#### Blood Cultist
* **Cultist** renamed **Blood Cultist** just to make it a little less odd to have a Cultist class for Occultist, as well as because it's blood magic themed.
* **Abandoned Humanity** added.
* **Leeching Power** added.
* **Sacrificial Absolution** added.
* **Wretched Resilience** added.

#### Blood Forger
* **Innate Spells** adjusted. Cure Wounds replaced with Blood Transfusion and Hold Person replaced with Crimson Tide.
* **Restore Vitality** correspondingly tweaked to work with Blood Transfusion instead of Cure Wounds. This is effectively a buff as now it restores double the sacrificed hit points, giving Blood Forgers more incentive to expend their hit points and drop into the bloodied range.

#### Items
* **Assassin's Token** added.
* **Blood Stone** added.

#### Spells
* **Vampiric Blade** tweaked. The math is ultimately similar, but this should be easier to track, since now you don't need to do as much math and tracking, just count the number of times you hit.
* **Blood Storm** added.
* **Blood Blade** added.

### 1.1

#### Sanguine Sword
* Renamed.
* Revamped.
* **Sanguine Surge** has been changed, restoring a more standard amount of hit points and making it someone flexible. This nerfs the strongest use cases, and buffs the average use case of it.
* **Catharsis of Carnage** reworked by replacing the entire effect with the 15th level ability.
* A new 15th level ability brought in, **Gore and Gibblets**. This doesn't really fit the mold of Spellblade 15th level abilities, but indirectly does, as it fuels more Arcane Surges, and mostly just fits the carnage theme and slaughter themes.
* **Red Eyed Rampage** is unchanged, but better synergizes with Catharsis of Carnage due to the new 15th level ability (since critical strikes are twice as likely).

#### Spells
* **Blood Wave** added.

\pagebreakNum

## License

##### 5e SRD Content
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of
the Coast LLC and available at:

[https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document](https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document).

The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at:

[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode](https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document)

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