Warlock Patron: The Blood Saint
The evlusive, mysterious Blood Saint is a creature of legend, of which very little is known. Scholars often debate if his nature is mortal or divine, and in which plane of existence he resides. One thing is sure, though: of all sinister and malevolent entities of the multiverse, he is one of the worst, extending the taint of his depravity wherever he can.
The Saint received his name from the fact that he seeks blood more than anything else, some speculate it's because he needs it to survive, other say that he use it in ignominious rituals to further increase his power. Whatever the reason, such is his thirst for blood that he often makes deals with demons and devils, as well as warlocks and really anyone willing to do so, in exchange for mighty gifts. One must beware though, for a pact with the Blood Saint is signed forever, and he has no mercy for ones who regret.
Expanded Spell List
The Blood Saint 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.
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | false life, rend flesh* |
| 2nd | bloodrush*, sanguine blade* |
| 3rd | feign death, revivify |
| 4th | death ward, septicemia* |
| 5th | contagion, hemorrhage* |
(*New spell, described later)
Blood Consecration
Beginning at level 1st, you can invoke your patron's power to produce a small amount of special blood for your use. This process requires one pint of fresh, or very well preserved, blood, and is performed with a 1 minute ceremony, at the end of which you end up with two rations of consecrated blood. This peculiar draught must be conserved properly, for example in a vial or a skin, and each ration requires its own receptacle. The dose maintains its magical properties until you perform a new ceremony, at which point it reverts back to normal blood. Once you perform the ceremony, you cannot do it again until you finish a long rest.
When you use this feature, you choose which blessing you ask your patron to infuse on each ration. The choice is between Renewal and Defilement.
Blessing of Renewal. Blood with this property is highly invigorating. A creature can drink it as an action to regain a number of hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + your warlock level.
Blessing of Defilement. Blood with this property contains a powerful toxin. A creature can anoint itself as a bonus action, spreading the blood on its armor, clothes and weapons. Whenever the creature is hit by a melee attack, the attacker gets spattered with the sacred blood, taking 1d4 poison damage. Also, the anointed creature deals an extra 1d4 poison damage when it hits with a weapon attack. This effect lasts for 1 minute.
At levels 9th and 15th, you produce ad additional ration of blood when you use this feature.
Offering to the Saint
Your patron is a very demanding one, and requires a tribute in blood to be paid in exchange for the influence he grants. To do so, you need to perform a ritual at least 10 minutes long, during which you sacrifice one living creature of small size or larger. Usual candidates are dogs, goats and sheep, but humanoids and other intelligent species are also well accepted, maybe even more so, if a little harder to source. During the ritual you are able to retrieve at least seven pints of blood for your use, even more if the size of the creature allows it, at the DM's discretion. Be careful though, for the blood will spoil rapidly if you do not preserve it adequately through magical or alchemical means.
You are asked to submit such an offering at least once a week. If you do not comply, at the eighth day at dawn, you lose the ability to cast warlock spells and all other features granted you by the warlock class, except this one, until you complete the next ritual.
Distillate Memory
At 6th level, you gain the ability to drink a tiny amount of a creature's blood to learn some information about it. The blood must be spilled no more than 30 minutes before you drink it, otherwise it will have no effect. You gain basic knowledge on the blood's owner and its psychology, such as name, age, race, its desires and fears, and who are its loved ones. Also, you have access to its memories up to a week before. This knowledge grants you advantage on Charisma skill checks against that creature.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Gift of Purity
At 10th level, your patron gives you new blood, one that cannot be tainted. You are immune to disease and the poisoned condition, and have resistance to poison damage.
Orgy of Bloodlust
At 14th level, you can instill an insatiable craving for blood into your opponents, making them fall to a mindless rage. As an action, you designate a point you can see. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet of that point must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become victim to the rage, using their actions and reactions only to attack the nearest creature, be it enemy or ally. They are entitled to use their movement only to get to the nearest target, and if no target can be reached before the end of the turn, they must attack themselves.
This effect lasts for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature can repeat the Wisdom saving throw to end this effect.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Warlock Spells
The following spells are available only to warlocks who make a pact with the Blood Saint, with the only exception being the preserve blood cantrip, which is added to the warlock spell list. However, wizards and clerics dwelling in dark practices might think that these spells are suited to their characters, and can add them to their spell list with the DM's permission.
Bloodrush
2nd-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V
- Duration: 1 minute
Choose a willing creature with blood within range. Until the spell ends, the target has advantage on Strength and Dexterity checks and saving throws, and its movement speed is increased by 10 feet. However, as a side effect caused by the increased blood flow, the target has vulnerability to poison damage, and disadvantage on saving throws against disease and being poisoned for the duration.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level, the target also doubles its proficiency bonus on attack rolls for the duration.
Hemorrhage
5th-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You open devastating wounds inside the body of a creature. The target takes 6d8 necrotic damage as it vomits dirty blood, then it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, its movement speed is halved, and becomes poisoned for the duration. At the start of each of the target's turns before the spell ends, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 necrotic damage, or half that much on a successful one. Once the target succeeded on two Constitution saving throws, the spell ends.
If you maintain your concentration on this spell for the entire possible duration and the target is still alive, its hit points are reduced to 0.
This spell has no effect against creatures without blood.
Preserve Blood
Trasmutation cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
This spell stops the natural deterioration of blood, keeping it intact and unspoiled for one week, after which it continues rotting as normal. You can affect a maximum of 2 gallons
of blood at a given time with this spell.
Rend Flesh
1st-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Istantaneous
Your magic lacerates the flesh of a creature, spilling blood like a fountain. Make a melee spell attack against a target you can reach. On a hit, the target takes 3d4 slashing damage immediately and 2d4 slashing damage at end of its next turn. This spell scores a critical hit on an attack roll of 19 or 20.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage (both initial and later) increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.
Sanguine Blade
2nd-level trasmutation
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S, M (a small amount of blood)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You crystallize a mass of liquid, fresh blood into a solid and razor-sharp blade, which lasts for the duration. You can use your action to make a melee spell attack with the blade. On a hit, the target takes 3d8 slashing damage.
The blade demands more blood, and strengthen itself with each blow. Every time you deal damage to a creature with blood with the blade, the damage it deals increases by 1d8, up to a maximum of 5d8. If, however, you do not deal damage with the blade for an entire round, you take 1d8 necrotic damage at the start of your next turn, and the blade damage reverts to the initial amount.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level, both the initial and the maximum damage of the blade increase by 1d8.
Septicemia
4th-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 90 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You contaminate the wounds of a creature, causing a virulent infection and gangrene. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, or suffer its effects for the duration. A target with no open wounds automatically succeed on the save. This spell has no effects on creatures without blood.
A creature affected by this spell is poisoned, cannot regain hit points, has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws, and takes an extra 1d8 poison damage when hit by a weapon attack.
A heal or greater restoration spell ends the effect.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level, the duration is 8 hours.
Eldritch Invocations
Bloodseeking Weapon
Prerequisite: Blood Saint patron, Pact of the Blade feature
Once on each round, when you make an attack with your pact weapon, you can do so with advantage if your target hit points are less or equal than half their maximum.
Innocent Blood
Prerequisite: Blood Saint patron, Pact of the Chain feature
With a carefully performed ritual, you can slaughter your familiar to prove your unwavering loyalty to your patron. The entire procedure requires 1 hour to be performed, and must be done at night. After that, you forget the find familiar spell, can never learn such spell again, and cannot regain a familiar with any other means. In exchange for your sacrifice, the Saint offers you a special place among its servants.
Whenever you obtain sanctified blood via your Consecrated Blood feature, you get an additional ration with a more powerful effect: If you choose the Blessing of Renewal for that ration, the healing it provides is doubled. If you choose the Blessing of Defilement, the damage dealt by it increases to 2d4 for that ration.
Macabre Inscription
Prerequisite: Blood Saint patron, Pact of the Tome feature
Using a bit of blood as ink, you can write a warlock spell you know into your Book of Shadows. You can cast that spell once at the maximum spell level you can cast, without expending a spell slot, after which the inscription disappears from the book.
Once you inscribe a spell with this invocation, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Mirror of the Saint
Prerequisite: 9th level, Blood Saint patron
You can perform a 10 minute ceremony in which you pour at least five pints of fresh or preserved blood in a proper vessel. If you do, you are able to see distant things in the reflecting pool of blood. This invocation replicates a clairvoyance spell, except that the range is 10 miles.
Once you use this invocation, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Rapid Coagulation
Prerequisite: Blood Saint patron
You have advantage on death saving throws. In addition, when you are hit with a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to halve the damage you received. You can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Credits
Art used in this homebrew is property of Wizards of the Coast.
Authors:
- Front page: Seb McKinnon
- Third page: Joseph Meehan