Blood Mage

Hemoturgy, the magic found within the blood of living, breathing things. A step down from Necromancy, but something just as dangerous, Your life energy fuels your spells, empowering them, and granting them new capabilities.

Unlike Wizards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, Bards, or Druids, this sort of mage is an outlier. Blood Mages are unlike any other magic user you may see about your adventure. They do not study to obtain magic, or require a gift or pact. They do not draw magic from outside of themselves at all. Something has lead them to turn the very Blood in their veins into magic power. The magic they create comes from themselves and nothing else, and no matter how painful it is, they continue to wield it.

But the truth of the matter is, Blood Magic is a long forgotten sort of magic. Unlike Blood Hunter's who go through the rituals to weaponize their blood to fight head to head with their foes, Blood Mages go through their own rituals. You might be able to find a teacher to see if you have what it takes to create your own magic. Blood Mages are put through tests to see how much pain they can take. The limits of their ability and what that ability can do is totally up to them.

Once they prove that they can overcome pain, they go through the Dark Blood Ritual. Soaking in a type of magical poison, if you survive the ritual, your Blood itself becomes a weapon. The sacrifice of it creates magic, not made from the weave at all. You now tap into the forces of creation, MAKING your magic come into being. Something which leads some Blood Mages to believing they are the superior casters.

You must have a Constitution score of 13 or higher in order to multiclass in or out of this class.

Creating a Blood Mage

Creating a Blood Mage may require your character to have gone through something terrible. Was it the death of a family member? A disgrace that lost you everything? Or did you simply desire to empower yourself beyond the capabilities of normal creatures? How did your character turn their Blood into a source of magic? Was it done through training? Was it a curse you choose to use for good? Were you born with a condition that left you touched by magic?

What calling do they feel? Is there any motivation that leads them to feel called to whatever path you wish to take? Do they feel bad if they are called to their particular paths based on draining life, bending others to your will, or simply just causing more pain? Perhaps deep down your character is simply thrilled that instead of study or needing a gift or pact, they can draw and create magic from the very forces that give them life itself.

Class Features

As a Blood Mage You gain the following class features

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d8 per Blood Mage level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution Modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Blood Mage level after 1st.

Proficiencies

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• Armor: None
• Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
• Tools: None

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• Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Religion

Equipment

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

• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• Two daggers

Spellcasting

As someone who has shaped your blood into a fuel for magic, you have etched your spells into your life energy itself

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the Blood Mage Spell List. You learn additional Blood Mage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Blood Mage table.

Spell Slots

The Blood Mage table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Blood Mage spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these Blood Mage spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Burning Hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Burning Hands using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the Blood Mage spell list. The Spells Known column of the Blood Mage table shows when you learn more Blood Mage spells of your choice. The Blood Mage table shows how many Spell Slots you have for each .

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

Preparing and Casting Spells

You prepare your lifeblood for Blood Mage spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of Blood Mage spells from your learned spells equal to your Constitution modifier + your Blood Mage level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you can learn spells of that level.

For example, with an Constitution of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Magic Missile, you can cast it at 1st-level or a 2nd-level. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your prepared spells.

You can change your prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new set of Blood Mage spells requires time spent preparing your Life Blood for the magic you are planning to cast, and the pain that comes from the casting of these spells: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell

Copying a Spell. When you find a Blood Mage spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your known spells, etching it into your life blood; if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher it. However, you must permanently reduce your Hit Point Maximum by rolls of your Hemoturgy Die equal to half the spell level (Rounded up). You may remove these spells to regain this loss during a short or long rest, losing knowledge of the spell and an inability to relearn it until seeing another spellbook or scroll containing it.

Hemoturgic Runes

Similar to a Wizard, the spells you know are engraved in your skin. Magical writing only you may read. If you take significant damage, these runes might become unintelligible, and thus means you need to rewrite them. This requires 10 gold per level of spell, and you taking 1 Hemoturgy Dice for every 2 levels (DM's discretion on when this applies). Any spells you have prepared cannot be lost through suffering damage

Spellcasting Ability

Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your Blood Mage spells, since the power of your magic relies on your life blood's power for a source. You use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Consritution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Blood Mage spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Spellcasting Focus

By taking 1 Roll of your Hemoturgy die as damage, you can use your body as a spellcasting focus for your Blood Mage spells for 1 Hour.

Hemoturgic Empowerment

At 1st level, you have transformed your blood into a deadly weapon, using it to fuel your magic and provide your body with enhancements to aid in your survival. When casting a Blood Mage spell that requires a costly material component, you can forego the component by taking 2d12 necrotic damage per 50 gp of the cost of the component. This damage can’t be reduced in any way. If this damage reduces you to 0 hit points, the spell fails but the spell slot is not expended.

Additionally, when rolling the damage for a spell, you may treat all 1s rolled as 2s. At 17th level, you may reroll all dice that you rolled 1s on instead.

Hemoturgic Calling

When you reach 2nd level, you feel a strange calling, shaping your blood and your magic in new and even more powerful ways. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

• Calling of Fountain Maker
• Calling of Life Sipper
• Calling of Blood Weaver
• Calling of Hemorrhaging

Hemoturgic Enhancement

At 3rd Level, you learn to channel a sudden burst of Hemocratic energy. You gain the ability to channel and sacrifice a part of your vital essence to empower your magic and create new effects through it. You may activate one of these effects by expending uses of this feature

• When you cast a spell using a Spell Slot of 5th Level or lower, you may cast it one level higher by taking damage equal to the higher spell level + 1 rolls of your Hemoturgy Dice, expending the lesser spell slot. (ie, 7 rolls to cast a 6th level spell using a 5th Level slot)
• By taking 2 rolls of your Hemoturgy Dice as damage, for 1 minute, you may add one roll of your Hemoturgy Die to the damage of any Cantrip you cast
• By taking 1 roll of your Hemoturgy Die as damage, you may add your Constitution Modifier to 1 Saving Throw made to maintain your Concentration.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus. This feature recharges upon a Short or Long Rest.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20.

Liquid Iron

At 18th Level, your Blood has gone through a change, turning the veins of your body Black. Your ability to pull yourself together when it comes to extreme pain increases, allowing you to gain the ability to reattach severed non-vital body parts.

Additionally, you gain resistance to Piercing and Slashing Damage.

An Eye for an Eye

At 20th Level, you have learned to share your pain with others. As an action, you may add up all the damage that was inflicted on you last round (Including by your own abilities), and you may inflict that damage onto other creatures + 2 rolls of your Hemoturgy Die. They must be within 60 feet of you. You may split the damage dealt if you select multiple targets. You may only use this feature once per long rest.

Calling of
Fountain Maker

Those who feel a calling to the more brutal and pain-inflicting ways of monsters and other more close range fighters. your Hemoturgy will allow you to get up close and personal to bathe in the fountains of Blood you make

Blood Warrior

At 2nd Level, you have learned of the pleasure of close ranged combat. you gain profiency with Light and Medium Armor, as well as the Spear, Javelin, Lance, Pike, Rapier, and Trident.

Ichor Weapon

At 2nd Level, you may use your own blood and your control of it to form a weapon you're profiencent with by taking 1 roll of your Hemoturgy die as damage. The weapon lasts 1 hour. This weapon deals the same damage as a normal forged one. Additionally, by taking 1 roll of your Hemoturgy die as damage, you may add your Constiution Modifier as Bonus Necrotic Damage. This effect can be applied to a normal weapon as well.

Extra Attack

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. However, you can take one roll of your Hemoturgy Die, and cast a cantrip instead of your second attack.

Piercing Spin

At 10th Level, your profiency with your weapon grows more fierce, and your desire for Blood Shed more intense. If a creature you have attacked with your weapon in the last 1 minute died, you may draw their strength into your weapon. You may use your Bonus action to put up your guard, spinning your weapon gracefully in your hands. Any creature who attacks will have the damage decreased by 2 rolls of your Hemoturgy dice. And if they attacked you with a weapon and fail a CON Saving Throw (Equal to your Spell Save DC), they will be moved back a number of feet equal to your weapon's range.

Improved Ichor Weapon

At 14th Level, you have mastered the ability to form and enhance your weapon of choice with your Blood and Magic. Your weapon counts as a +2 Magical Weapon, unless you use this ability on a Magical Weapon. If that is the case, you may add +1 to that weapon's attack and damage rolls. Additionally, by taking 1 roll of your Hemoturgy die as damage, you may add your Constiution and Intelligence Modifier as Bonus Necrotic Damage. This damage ignores resistance, and treats Immunity as resistance.

Calling of
Life Sipper

Those who feel a calling to the more vampiric and primal beings who feast on the source of Hemoturgy draws you to this class. Perhaps to regain something you feel you’re losing, or perhaps you simply have found a desire to feed on living things for the sake of understanding?

Essence Draining

At 2nd Level, you have learned to imbue your spells with life-sucking energy. Whenever a creature dies that took damage from your Spell Attack that took a slot, you regain a number of hit points equal to your Proficiency Bonus + Your Intelligence Modifier.

Blood Tracking

At 2nd Level, any creature you have hit with a Spell Attack now has its location exposed to you. You can see a faint red aura around the creature, which grows brighter as it moves away from you. If the creature is invisible, you treat it as if it is not. If the creature moves more than 60 feet away from you, you lose track of the creature.

Hunger for Survival

At 6th Level, if you are below half your maximum hit points, you gain the following effects:

• All healing Spells cast upon you have your Hemoturgy die added to their total.
• Your Movement Speed increases by 10 ft.
• Hostile Creatures have disadvantage on Attacks of Opportunity against you
• You have disadvantage on Saving Throws and Checks related to Charisma

Dark Frenzy

At 10th Level, if you are below half of your maximum health, and cast a spell with the range of touch that takes a Spell Slot, you may regain Hit Points equal to half your Blood Mage Level + Your Proficiency Bonus. The next saving throw you are forced to make is made with Advantage. Additionally, if that roll is a Constitution or Intelligence Saving Throw, you may add your modifier twice.

Vampiric Power

At 14th Level, your ability to absorb life essence has increased further. At the beginning of every turn, if you are below half of your maximum hit points, you may choose to regain 5 Hit Points.

Additionally, you gain an extra 10 Maximum Hit Points.

Calling of Blood Weaver

You feel a call to manipulate your life blood to an even further extent, manipulating the liquid of your blood itself. Making you an even deadlier foe, and an even more tremendous ally.

Blood Spears

At 2nd Level, as a reaction, whenever you take damage from an attack, you may choose three 5 foot cubes within 30 feet of you. As an action, any creatures within 5 feet of the 3 spots you have chosen must make a DEX Saving Throw (Equal to your Spell Save DC). On Failure, they take 3 rolls of your Hemoturgy Die as Magical Piercing Damage. On Success, they take half damage. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Profieciency Bonus.

Blood Armor

At 2nd Level, you may take 1 roll of your Hemoturgy Die as damage. For 1 minute, your blood covers your body and hardens into a hard armor. For the duration of the abilty, you may add your Profiency Modifier to your AC. Additionally, if you are forced to make a CON saving throw, where you would take half damage upon succeeding, You instead take no damage upon a success.

Improved Weaving

At 6th Level, your mastery of blood Manipulation increases. By using your action, you can attempt to manipulate the flow of blood in a foe's body within 60 feet of you. They must make a Constitution Saving Throw. Upon Failure, they take 1 roll of your Hemoturgy Die as damage and you may inflict one of the effects listed below. On success, they only take the damage.

• Their movement speed this turn drops to 0.
• You may send them 10 feet in any direction you choose.
• They have disadvantage on attack rolls against you this turn.
• You may inflict the Frightened Status effect on them (This lasts for 1 minute). They may repeat this saving throw as an action on their turn.

Countless Spears

At 10th Level, you may now choose six 5 foot cubes within 60 feet of you. As an action, any creatures within 5 feet of the 6 spots you have chosen must make a DEX Saving Throw. On Failure, they take 6 rolls of your Hemoturgy Die as Magical Piercing Damage. On Success, they take half damage.

Forced Clotting

At 14th Level, You have mastered the ability to weave your blood and that of others too. Using your reaction, if you or any creature within your sight takes damage, you may reduce that damage by 2 Rolls of your Hemoturgy die. Additionally, for the rest of the round, the target of the effect gains Resistance to that damage type.

Calling of
Hemorrhaging

The Call of Hemorrhaging is for those who wish to wreak destruction and as much pain as possible. Chaos follows those who take this deadly path, and you simply just go with it, happily enjoying the blood you shed.

Spell of Hemorrhaging

At 2nd Level, your spells now possess an extra effect. If you successfully hit a target, or that target doesnt succeed on their saving throw against your spell, you deal an additional 1d8 Necrotic Damage. The target must make a CON Saving Throw (Equal to your Spell Save DC). On failure, they take 1d8 Necrotic Damage every turn for 1 minute. This Saving Throw can be repeated once per turn. If they succeed, the effects end. You may only use this feature a number of times equal to your Profiency Bonus per long rest.

Hemorrhaging Mark

At 2nd Level, you have begun growing experienced with the casting of spells fueled by your own Life Blood. As a Bonus Action, when casting a spell targetting a creature under the effects of the Spell of Hemorrhaging, you may target a second creature with the spell.

Chaos Magic

At 6th Level, you have begun to embrace more of the chaos and Bloodshed you are feeling compelled to take part in. Whenever you cast a spell of 3rd level or Higher, you may choose to allow your spell to change and transform chaotically. Your spell’s target will be chosen by your DM if it is a Ranged Spell. If the spell has an area of effect, you become the center of that spell. You may move 15 feet before the spell deals damage, and you automatically succeed on the Saving Throw for that particular spell’s effects. In exchange, your spell deals an additional 1 damage die per spell level beyond 2nd.

Curse of Blood

At 10th Level, the necrotic damage inflicted upon those who suffer the Spell of Hemorrhaging now take 2d8 as damage. Additionally, your spells deal 2d8 Necrotic Damage instead of 1d8. Creatures still take damage on success or failure if your spell requires a Saving Throw. Any Foe inflicted with the effects of the Spell of Hemorrhaging will fall prone if they have been under the effects for 4 or more turns.

Hemorrhaging Life

At 14th Level, Your Spell of Hemorrhaging improves further. For every 10 feet of movement speed used, they take 2d8 Necrotic Damage.

Blood Mage Spell List

Artists credit

This class was created by Kain , with much appreciated help from highestzociety

Pictures Credit

Cover Page: by AugurandKeeper
image1: by TamVmaT
image2: Gamael the Dark Bishop by maurilustrador
image3: Ariella, Bloodline Maestro by LeonLeclerc
image4: by Blind2draw
image5: blood mage by ArchiaOryix
image6: by Marie Magny for Wizards of the Coast
image7: by anotherdamian
image8: by SBraithewaite