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The black blood of Alkazed

Thought up in the darkest times of humanity, this vile concoction was created by the fallen mage during the arcane wars. In creating it, Alkazed sought to improve his body and mind, to push his own abilities to the limits. After the arcane wars, all known remaining vials where destroyed and his formula burned alongside him. And yet, some have managed to come into possession of this substance even today...

The black blood's effects on the body

The black blood causes mutation to the user's body.
As the potion is highly volatile it's effects on a humanoid body can be violent and many have not survived the potion. But those who have emerged stronger than before.

Depending on the way the potion is used, different DC's and effects apply. See the table below for reference or judge as you see fit.
Potion usage table
Usage DC Effect
Orally (Drinking) 20 Go through the procedure once
Intravenously 25 Go through the procedure twice, but add 2d12 to the poison damage dealt

Upon using the potion, affected creature has to make a Constitution saving throw of varying difficulty (see above). On a failed save the creature takes 2d12+1d12 per character level of poison damage and half as much on a successful one.

Roll on the effect table (or let your players role dice blindly) provided in the appendix to determine which alterations take place.

Using the potion differently

Black blood can be applied in many different ways. One does not necessarily need to drink it to experience its effects, people have also tried bathing in it or applying it intravenously. If you are unhappy with the ways presented here, feel free to make up your own benefits and consequences.

Going through the procedure

First, if you want to roll for a random result, you must decide on which table to roll. To do this, roll a d20 on the provided table in the appendix or come up with some other way to determine which table to roll on. After that, roll the appropriate die and describe how the character reacts to the procedure.

Differences between mental and bodily alterations

Bodily alterations have one level each, while mental alterations have two levels each. To attain the second level of a mental alteration, you first have to attain the first level. Normally a creature has to apply the potion more than once and hope to get lucky, but the black bloods formula can be altered to achieve differing effects (see below).

When a creature undergoes a mental alteration, in addition to the Constitution saving throw that always goes along with using the potion, the user also has to make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or gain a short-/longterm madness effect (see Dungeonmaster's Guide).

The Potions formula

The black blood's formula has been lost for ages. How has it reappeared? Was it found in the ancient tomb of an evil necromancer who sought to brew the concoction to enhance his power? Has it made its way into the world as ancient evils of a time long past seek to return? Was it discovered by a sage who planned to use it for the greater good, but fell to its effects.

The black bloods formula should include rare or even forbidden ingredients worth at least 2,500gp. Creating a vial of it takes 7 days.

Altering the formula

The black blood's formula can be altered to produce a specific mutation. How this is achieved is up to the DM to decide, be it through finding rare ingredients, or adding the blood from a special creature to the concoction or some other way. For example: To get the "Telepathy" mutation, one might have to add Mindflayer blood to the potion.

Social implications

As a DM, consider how others will respond to seeing someone with mutations they only know out of old horror stories. Will your players allies condemn them for using a potion with such a reputation? Will malevolent forces seek to steal the formula and plan to use it for themselves? How will society react? Will they try to capture your players or has the potion gone unused so long, that its signs and effects have been forgotten?

Appendix

Role 1d20 to determine which effect table to role on.
d20 Table
1-5 Bodily alteration table
6-10 Mental alteration table
11-15 Negative effect table
16-20 Neutral effect table
Mental alteration table
d4 Effect
1 Suppression
2 Emotional control
3 Telepathy
4 Neural restructuring
Bodily alteration table
d6 Effect
1 Cat eyes
2 Quickened reflexes
3 Sharpened senses
4 Adrenaline rush
5 Bone blade
6 Regeneration boost
Negative effect table
d6 Effect
1 Rot
2 Addiction
3 Repugnant
4 Enfeeblement
5 Mental decay
6 Phantom pain
Neutral effect table
d6 Effect
1 Aging
2 Unconsciousness
3 Memory loss
4 Intoxication
5 Energized
6 Joyousness / Sadness
 

Mental alterations

Suppression I: Take the pain

Reaction trigger: Once per short rest, when you are hit with an attack, you reduce the damage taken by half.

Suppression II: Mind over matter

Once a day, when you drop to 0hp, you can choose to gain one point of exhaustion and drop to 1hp instead.

Emotional control I: Neural dampening

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

Emotional control II: Guardian

As an action, you can mentally connect with an ally within 30ft. that is either charmed or frightened. You may roll a saving throw against the effect as if you where affected by it. If you succeed, your ally is no longer charmed or frightened. If you fail, your ally is no longer charmed or frightened, but you are now affected by that effect.

Telepathy I: Minor Telepathy

You can telepathically communicate with a creature within 30ft. that has an intelligence of at least 5. The creature cannot answer you, and you may only transmit emotion if the creature is not capable of higher thought.

Telepathy II: Greater Telepathy

You can telepathically communicate with a creature within 120ft. The creature cannot answer you. Any creature with an Intelligence score of at least 4 can understand your message.

Neural restructuring I: Efficient thought patterns

If you don't already have it, you gain proficiency in the Investigation skill and your Intelligence score is increased by 2 (up to a maximum of 24).

Neural restructuring II: Empathic improvements

If you don't already have it, you gain proficiency in the Insight skill and your Wisdom score is increased by 2 (up to a maximum of 24).

Bodily alterations

Cat eyes: If you don't already have it, you gain 60ft of darkvision. Once a day you can focus your unnatural eyes and imitate the effect of the "See invisibility" spell.

Quickened reflexes: Reaction trigger: When hit by an attack, you can increase your AC by 2 until the start of your next turn.

Sharpened senses: You have adventage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smelling or hearing.

Adrenaline rush: Once a day, as an action, you can trigger an adrenaline rush imitating the effect of the "Haste" spell.

Bone blade: Your body forms a blade of sharpened bone that retracts into one of your forearms. (statistics see below)

Regeneration boost: As a bonus action, you can expend hit dice to heal in battle

Boneblade

Attack: 1d20+Dex./Str. - Mod + Proficiency Bonus

Damage: 1d6+Dex./Str. - Mod

Negative effects

Rot: As your body decays from within, your maximum hitpoints are permanently decreased by 1d6 per character level. If this brings your hitpoint maximum to 0 or lower, you die and cannot be resurrected unless the "True Resurrection" or the "Wish" spell is used.

Addiction: When you felt the rush of power the black blood granted you, one thing was certain: You MUST have more! And you will go to any lengths to get some.

Repugnant: The potion disfigures the body and face, scaring and burning it. Your Charisma score is decreased by 1d10 (to a minimum of 1) and you have disadvantage on all skill checks that rely on it.

Enfeeblement: The potion disintegrates your muscles, making you much weaker. Your Strength score is decreased by 1d10 (to a minimum of 1) and you have disadvantage on all skill checks that rely on it.

Mental decay: By altering your brain, the potion has left your mind highly unstable. You loose your memory of the last 3d10 days, have disadvantage on all skill checks that rely on Intelligence and gain one permanent point of madness (see Dungonemaster's Guide).

Phantom pain: Whenever you try to rest, unnatural pain fills your body often waking you in the middle of the night. When you take a long rest, you must rest an additional 2 hours to receive the benefits of a normal long rest.

 

Neutral effects

Aging: Your body visibly ages by 2d10 years. Your lifespan is unaffected by this.

Unconsciousness: You fall unconscious for 3d10 hours.

Memory loss: You loose your memory of the last 1d10 days.

Intoxication: You enter a mental state similar to that achieved by heavy drinking. This effect lasts for 1d6 hours.

Energized: You are full of energy and cannot think about rest, or even sleep. This rush is comparable to high doses of caffeine. This effect last for 1d20 hours, you cannot take long rest within this time.

Joyousness / Sadness: Your emotions, especially joy and sadness are strengthened for the next 3d10 hours, causing you to have emotional outbursts.

"Changelog"

Black blood of Alkazed v1.2 by Schmille (untested)

Unearthed Arcana style version: click here

Version 1.2
  • added neutral effects
  • added social implications
  • added chagnelog
  • fixed some spelling mistakes
  • added some spelling mistakes
Version 1.1
  • added negative effects
  • fixed some spelling mistakes
  • fixes spacing
Version 1.0
  • initial release