```metadata
title: 'Warlock Subclass: The Bloodbound'
description: A Warlock blood pact for those brave of heart (or suicidal).
tags: ''
systems:
- 5e
renderer: legacy
```
# The Bloodbound
The pact with your patron involves sacrifices made through blood -- yours and that of your enemies. Through ritual sacrifice and slaying your enemies, you feed your patron, allowing them to grow stronger and, in turn, bestow greater gifts of power to you.
Bloodbound warlocks
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#### Bloodbound Warlock
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | Spell Slots | Slot Level | Max Invocations Known | Max Blood Curses | Hemocraft Die |
|:-----:|:-----------:|:--------:|:----------:|:------------:|:-----------:|:----------:|:-----------:|:-------------:|:------:|
| 1st | +2 | Pact Magic, Otherworldly Patron | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st | -- | -- | -- |
| 2nd | +2 | Eldritch Invocations | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1st | 2 | -- | -- |
| 3rd | +2 | Blood Maledict (1/rest) | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd | 2 | 1 | 1d4 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2nd | 2 | 1 | 1d4 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3rd | 2 | 2 | 1d4 |
| 6th | +3 | Blood Maledict (2/rest) | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3rd | 3 | 2 | 1d6 |
| 7th | +3 | -- | 3 | 8 | 2 | 4th | 4 | 2 | 1d6 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 9 | 2 | 4th | 4 | 2 | 1d6 |
| 9th | +4 | -- | 3 | 10 | 2 | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1d6 |
| 10th | +4 | Armor of Hexes | 4 |10 | 2 | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1d6 |
| 11th | +4 | Blood Maledict (3/rest), Mystic Arcanum (6th level) | 4 | 11 | 3 | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1d6 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 11 | 3 | 5th | 6 | 3 | 1d8 |
| 13th | +5 | Mystic Arcanum (7th level) | 4 | 12 | 3 | 5th | 6 | 4 | 1d8 |
| 14th | +5 | Hardened Soul, Master of Hexes | 4 | 12 | 3 | 5th | 6 | 4 | 1d8 |
| 15th | +5 | Mystic Arcanum (8th level) | 4 | 13 | 3 | 5th | 7 | 4 | 1d8 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 13 | 3 | 5th | 7 | 4 | 1d8 |
| 17th | +6 | Blood Maledict (4/rest) | 4 | 14 | 4 | 5th | 7 | 5 | 1d10 |
| 18th | +6 | Mystic Arcanum (9th level), Soul Syphon | 4 | 14 | 4 | 5th | 8 | 5 | 1d10 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 15 | 4 | 5th | 8 | 5 | 1d10 |
| 20th | +6 | Hemocraft Mastery | 4 | 15 | 4 | 5th | 8 | 5 | 1d10 |
## Pact Magic
Your arcane research and the magic bestowed on you by your patron have given you facility with spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the warlock spell list.
### Cantrips
You know two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn additional warlock cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Warlock table.
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```
### Spell Slots
The Warlock table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your warlock spells of 1st through 5th level. 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 5th level, you have two 3rd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell witch bolt, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd-level spell.
\page
### Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
At 1st level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Warlock 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 6th 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
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
**Spell save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
**Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
> ##### Alternate Spellcasting Abilities
> _Wisdom or Intelligence or Charisma?_
>
> Spellcasters in D&D 5e typically use Intelligence (Arcana-based, learned magic) or Wisdom (intuitive or divine magic) as their spellcasting ability. The notable exception is Bard, which uses Charisma (their magic comes through their performing ability.
>
> Warlocks are an interesting anomaly. Their magic is not learned (Intelligence) nor is it intuitive (Wisdom), but rather granted to them through their patron. Dungeons & Dragons solves this problem by making Charisma the spellcasting ability of choice for Warlocks.
>
> You may decide in your campaign that Charisma doesn't make very much sense for your Warlock patrons. Or you may think that your patron would grant magical ability through another ability. After all, being a persuasive speaker may not be what motivates your patron to grant you access to their magic. Per the DM's discretion, when it makes sense, the spellcasting ability for your Warlock may depend, instead, on the Warlock patron and the type of connection they have with the warlock, their access to magic or their source of magical ability and knowledge.
### Spellcasting Focus
Your arcane focus is your bloodsworn weapon.
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### The Bloodbound
You have made a pact with a powerful, but weakened entity that demands sacrifice through blood in order to regain their power. As you pay tribute to your patron, your patron’s power grows and they are, in turn, able to bestow greater gifts unto you.
Your patron has gifted you with a weapon or artifact through which they are able to absorb the blood of your fallen enemies. This is known as your Bloodsworn Weapon (or artifact). You cannot abandon, drop, or sell your bloodsworn weapon. If you attempt to do so, you will inevitably find the weapon again. Repeated attempts to abandon your bloodsworn gift will only anger your patron. Permanent loss of the weapon (for example, through a wish spell or similar) will result in a total loss of all your Warlock abilities and sever your connection with your patron.
### Expanded Spell List
The Bloodbound lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
### Bloodbound Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|:---------------:|:---------:|
| 1st | shield, wrathful smite |
| 2nd | blur, branding smite |
| 3rd | call lightning, elemental weapon |
| 4th | phantasmal killer, staggering smite |
| 5th | banishing smite, cone of cold |
### Bloodsworn’s Curse
Starting at 1st level, you gain the ability to place a baleful curse on someone. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target is cursed for 1 minute. The curse ends early if the target dies, you die, or you are incapacitated. Until the curse ends, you gain the following benefits:
* You gain a bonus to damage rolls against the cursed target. The bonus equals your proficiency bonus.
* Any attack roll you make against the cursed target is a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
* If the cursed target dies, you regain hit points equal to your warlock level + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 hit point).
You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
### Blood Warrior
At 1st level, you acquire the training necessary to effectively arm yourself for battle. You gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.
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The influence of your patron also allows you to mystically channel your will through a particular weapon. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch one weapon that you are proficient with and that lacks the two-handed property. When you attack with that weapon, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls. This benefit lasts until you finish a long rest. If you later gain the Pact of the Blade feature, this benefit extends to every pact weapon you conjure with that feature, no matter the weapon's type.
### Eldritch Invocations
In your study of occult lore, you have unearthed eldritch invocations, fragments of forbidden knowledge that imbue you with an abiding magical ability.
At 2nd level, you gain two eldritch invocations of your choice. A list of the available options can be found on the Optional Features page. When you gain certain warlock levels, you gain additional invocations of your choice, as shown in the Invocations Known column of the Warlock table.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you could learn at that level.
If an eldritch invocation has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the invocation at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
### Blood Maledict (1/rest)
At 3rd level, you gain the knowledge to channel, and sacrifice, a part of your vital essence to curse and manipulate your enemies. You gain one blood curse of your choice, detailed in the 'blood curses' section below. You learn one additional blood curse of your choice, and you can choose one of the blood curses you know and replace it with another blood curse, at 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, and 20th level.
For Bloodsworn Warlocks, blood curses are a form of Eldritch Invocations. As you gain curses or invocations, you may add or remove curses or invocations from your list of those known. However, you may never exceed the maximum number of eldritch invocations for your level, and you may never exceed the maximum number of blood curses for your level. In addition, blood curses take 1 eldritch invocation slot, such that you can only ever have _a sum total_ of 8 blood curses and eldritch invocations at level 20.
When you use your Blood Maledict, you choose which curse to invoke. While invoking a blood curse, but before it affects the target, you must pay in blood, suffering damage equal to a roll of your hemocraft damage die. Creatures that do not have blood in their bodies are immune to blood curses (DM's discretion).
You can use this feature once at third level. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. Beginning at 6th level, you can use your Blood Maledict feature twice between rests, at 11th level you can use it three times between rests, and at 17th level, you can use it four times between rests.
### Blood Curses
The Blood Curses are presented in alphabetical order.
#### Blood Curse of Binding.
As a bonus action, you can attempt to bind an enemy no more than one size larger than you within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) or have their speed be reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn.
#### Blood Curse of the Eyeless.
When an enemy who is not immune to blindness within 60 feet makes a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.
#### Blood Curse of the Fallen Puppet.
The moment a creature falls unconscious or dies within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to give that creature a final act of aggression. That creature immediately makes a single weapon attack against a target of your choice within its attack range. After the attack, the creature returns to being unconscious or dead.
#### Blood Curse of the Fending Rite.
When an enemy casts a spell that requires a Dexterity saving throw, you can use your reaction to deflect the spell with your crimson rite. You gain a bonus to the initial saving throw against that spell equal to your Wisdom Modifier (minimum of 1). This curse is invoked before the saving throw is rolled.
#### Blood Curse of the Marked.
As a bonus action, you can mark an enemy within 60 feet. Until the end of your turn, all crimson rite damage you deal to the target is doubled.
#### Blood Curse of Mutual Suffering.
As a bonus action, you can link to a creature within 30 feet for up to a minute, forcing them to share in the pain they inflict upon you. The next time the cursed creature damages you with a weapon attack, this curse deals necrotic damage to the cursed creature equal to half of the damage you suffered. This curse then ends.
#### Blood Curse of Purgation.
As a bonus action, you can manipulate the vitality of a creature within 60 feet to expunge a corruption in their blood. The target creature can immediately make a saving throw against a poisoned condition afflicting it.
#### Blood Curse of Spell Sunder.
When an enemy casts a spell within 60 feet that requires a spell attack roll and targets you, you can use your reaction to rend the spell from the air, imposing disadvantage on the spell attack roll.
## Eldritch Versatility
4th-level warlock optional feature
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can do one of the following, representing a change of focus in your occult studies:
* Replace one cantrip you learned from this class's Pact Magic feature with another cantrip from the warlock spell list.
* Replace the option you chose for the Pact Boon feature with one of that feature's other options.
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* If you're 12th level or higher, replace one spell from your Mystic Arcanum feature with another warlock spell of the same level.
If this change makes you ineligible for any of your Eldritch Invocations, you must also replace them now, choosing invocations for which you qualify.
## Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
## Blood Maledict (2/rest)
At 6th level, you can use your Blood Maledict ability twice between rests.
## Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
## Armor of Hexes
At 10th level, your hex grows more powerful. If the target cursed by your Hexblade's Curse hits you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to roll a d6. On a 4 or higher, the attack instead misses you, regardless of its roll.
## Blood Maledict (3/rest)
At 11th level, you can use your Blood Maledict ability three times between rests.
## Mystic Arcanum (6th level)
At 11th level, your patron bestows upon you a magical secret called an arcanum. Choose one 6th-level spell from the warlock spell list as this arcanum.
You can cast your arcanum spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
At higher levels, you gain more warlock spells of your choice that can be cast in this way: one 7th-level spell at 13th level, one 8th-level spell at 15th level, and one 9th-level spell at 17th level. You regain all uses of your Mystic Arcanum when you finish a long rest.
## Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 12th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
## Mystic Arcanum (7th level)
At 13th level, your patron bestows upon you a magical secret called an arcanum. Choose one 7th-level spell from the warlock spell list as this arcanum.
You can cast your arcanum spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
## Hardened Soul
When you reach 14th level, you can no longer become Frightened, and you have advantage on saving throws against magical Charm effects.
## Master of Hexes
Starting at 14th level, you can spread your Hexblade's Curse from a slain creature to another creature. When the creature cursed by your Hexblade's Curse dies, you can apply the curse to a different creature you can see within 30 feet of you, provided you aren't incapacitated. When you apply the curse in this way, you don't regain hit points from the death of the previously cursed creature.
## Mystic Arcanum (8th level) PHB p105
At 15th level, your patron bestows upon you a magical secret called an arcanum. Choose one 8th-level spell from the warlock spell list as this arcanum.
You can cast your arcanum spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
## Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
## Blood Maledict (4/rest)
At 17th level, you can use your Blood Maledict ability four times between rests.
## Mystic Arcanum (9th level)
At 18th level, your patron bestows upon you a magical secret called an arcanum. Choose one 9th-level spell from the warlock spell list as this arcanum.
You can cast your arcanum spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
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## Soul Syphon
When you reach 18th level, you learn to sacrifice the souls of powerful foes to your dark patron in exchange for immediate power. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an attack, kill the creature, and they have a challenge rating of 15 or above, you recover an expended spell slot.
## Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 19th level you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
## Hemocraft Mastery
Upon becoming 20th level, your ability to harness your pain, and the pain of your foes, is perfected. When you are below one fourth of your current maximum hit points, all of your blood curse and invocation damage dice are maximized.
In addition, when you critically hit with a weapon attack that bears your blood curse, you regain a use of your blood maledict feature.