The Index Sanguinem
Table of Contents
| Page | Content |
|---|---|
| 3 | Optional Class Features |
| 6 | Deviant |
| 9 | Order of the Ironclad |
| 11 | Order of the Primordial |
| 14 | Order of the Sanguinarian |
| 16 | Credits |
This is version 2.0/Part 2 of the Compendium!
This second part of the Index Sanguinem Blood Hunter Compendium features four subclasses and variant features. Future installments might feature additional subclasses, unique magic items, and expanded lore entries for the new orders introduced in this collection.
Optional Class Features
You gain class features according to the Blood Hunter class details on D&D Beyond when you reach certain levels in your class. This section offers additional features that you can gain as a Blood Hunter. Unlike the features in D&D Beyond, you don't gain the features here automatically. Consulting with you DM, you decide whether to gain a feature in this section if you meet the level requirement noted in the feature's description. These features can be selected separately from one another; you can use some, all, or none of them.
Blood Curse Options
1st-level blood hunter feature
When you choose Blood Curse options, you have access to the following additional options.
Blood Curse of the Fending Rite
When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you forces you to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to roll one hemocraft die and add the number rolled to your result. You can choose to use this feature after rolling for the saving throw, but before the DM determines whether it succeeds.
Amplify. Choose another creature forced to make the same saving throw. The chosen creature's result increases by a number equal to the hit points lost to amplify this curse. Once you’ve amplified this blood curse, you must finish a long rest before you can amplify it again.
Blood Curse of Ringing
As a bonus action, you can momentarily surge blood into the ears of a creature within 30 feet of you, causing their eardrums to rupture. The target must make a Constitution saving throw or be deafened until the end of your next turn.
Amplify. This curse lasts for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the cursed creature can make another Constitution saving throw. On a success, this curse ends.
Blood Curse of Turbulence
As a bonus action, you can choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you that is paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned. The target creature is no longer paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned.
Amplify. The creature that paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned the creature suffers psychic damage equal to three times the hit points lost to amplify this curse. Once you’ve amplified this blood curse, you must finish a long rest before you can amplify it again.
Fighting Style Options
2nd-level blood hunter feature
Blind Fighting
You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Mutagenic Warrior
You learn one mutagen formula of your choice from among those available to the Order of the Mutant. Any reference to levels refers to levels in the Order of the Mutant. You can concoct a single mutagen when you finish a short or long rest, and can consume a single mutagen as a bonus action. Mutagens have no effect on other creatures, and become inert if not used before you finish your next short or long rest. Gaining the Mutagencraft feature doesn’t increase the amount of mutagens you can create until higher levels, as specified by that feature.
Thrown Weapon Fighting
You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon.
In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Unarmed Fighting
Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren’t wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8.
At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.
Crimson Reserve
2nd-level Blood Hunter feature
You've learned to sustain your Crimson Rite so long as it doesn't leave your person. Your Crimson Rite only ends if you finish a short or long rest, or if you aren't holding or carrying the weapon at the end of each turn.
Martial Versatility
4th level Blood Hunter feature
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to Blood Hunters. This replacement represents a shift of focus in your martial practice.
Hunter's Versatility
4th level Blood Hunter feature
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can do one of the following, as you shift the focus of your hemocraft practice:
- Replace a Crimson Rite you know with a different Crimson Rite.
- Replace a Blood Curse you know with a different Blood Curse.
- If you know any mutagen formulas from the Order of the Mutant, you can replace one formula you know with a different formula.
You must meet the prerequisite specified in any feature you wish to replace your previous option.
Optional Subclass Features
3rd-level Order of the Lycan feature, which replaces the Hybrid Transformation Features feature
If you have the Unarmed Fighting fighting style, you may replace your Predatory Strikes feature:
Ravenous Strikes. You can apply your Crimson Rite feature to your unarmed strikes as a single weapon. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes. A creature grappled by you while your Crimson Rite is active takes additional damage at the start of your turns equal to one hemocraft die.
At 11th level, the damage of your unarmed strikes increases to 1d8 on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d8 becomes a d10. At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.
3rd-level Order of the Primordial feature, which replaces the Elemental Appendages Properties feature
If you have the Unarmed Fighting fighting style, you may replace your Elemental Appendages Properties feature:
You can apply your Crimson Rite feature to your unarmed strikes as a single weapon. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes. A creature grappled by you while your Crimson Rite is active takes additional damage at the start of your turns equal to one hemocraft die.
At 11th level, the damage of your unarmed strikes increases to 1d8 on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d8 becomes a d10. At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.
Blood Hunters and Unarmed Fighting
The Order of the Lycan and the Order of the Primordial are both designed around using unarmed strikes. The lack of an Unarmed Fighting fighting style at the time of creation for both of these subclasses meant that players that focus on unarmed strikes lacked a relevant fighting style most of the time. With the addition of Unarmed Fighting through Tasha's Cauldron to Everything, the native unarmed fighting features given in those subclasses could be replaced with features that better mesh with the fighting style.
Order of the Profane Soul Otherworldly Patron Options
You can strike a bargain with more otherworldly creatures of your choice: the Fathomless or the Genie in Tasha's Cauldron to Everything.
The Fathomless
You have chosen the Fathomless as your otherworldly patron.
The Genie
You have chosen the Genie as your otherworldly patron.
Rite Focus
3rd-level Order of the Profane Soul feature
The Fathomless
While using the Rite of the Frozen or Rite of the Oracle, a creature you hit has its speed reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
The Fiend
While using the Rite of the Flame or Rite of the Dead, if you roll a 1 or 2 on your rite damage die, you can reroll the die and choose which roll to use.
The Genie
Whenever you expend a use of your Blood Maledict feature, you can immediately fly up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Revealed Arcana
7th-level Order of the Profane Soul feature
The Fathomless
You can cast silence once using a pact magic spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
The Genie
You can cast phantasmal force once using a pact magic spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
Unsealed Arcana
15th-level Order of the Profane Soul feature
The Fathomless
You can cast sleet storm once without expending a spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
The Genie
You can cast protection from energy once without expending a spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
Deviant
Created by u/PersistentVariant
There is no greater fear among blood hunters than that of becoming like the monsters they hunt. This fear is the driving force behind their life of discipline and vigilance.
However there are some blood hunters, known as Deviants, who do not share this fear and restraint. Assumed to have fallen to the corruptive powers of hemocraft, they are thrown from the Order and often hunted along with the creatures they once trained to fell.
At your option, you can pick from or roll on the Becoming Deviant table to determine the cause for your exile.
Becoming Deviant
| 1d4 | I was exiled because... |
|---|---|
| 1 | I experimented with Hemocraft, much like the original founders of the Order. |
| 2 | I found an ally in a (fey, fiend, or undead), whose aid proved to be of great value. |
| 3 | I refused to continue to live in fear, instead embracing the development of my talents. |
| 4 | I discovered there were greater purposes for Hemocraft than simply hunting evil. |
Among the Hunted
You reap the benefits of having commonality with those hunted by the Order. You learn Abyssal, Infernal, and Sylvan.
Additionally, you have advantage on Charisma checks made to interact with fey, fiends, or undead.
Amplified Rite
You learn to draw more deeply from the wells of hemocraft, your eyes no longer clouded by fear of its consequence. Whenever you damage a creature with your Crimson Rite, you can amplify its effects. When you do so, you lose a number of hit points equal to one roll of your hemocraft die, and add that same amount to the rite damage for that attack.
Pariah's Haste
As an outcast of your former Order and society at large, you've learned to rely on the life-sustaining properties of hemocraft. As a bonus action, you can spend a number of your Blood Hunter Hit Dice up to half your Blood Hunter level. For each of your Blood Hunter Hit Die spent in this way, roll the die, add your Constitution modifier, and regain a number of hit points equal to the total. You can decide to spend an additional Blood Hunter Hit Die after each roll.
Dead Man's Slumber
Escaping the avid pursuit of your former Order has taught you to covet what little rest you get, knowing it might be your last. You regain one quarter of your Blood Hunter Hit Dice whenever you finish a short rest, and you regain all spent Blood Hunter Hit Dice whenever you finish a long rest.
Additionally, you have learned to perpetuate your Crimson Rite, sparing your weary body the cost of invoking it anew. Your Crimson Rite no longer ends when you finish a short or long rest.
Brand of the Lifeless
Your Brand of Castigation can siphon your foe's essence to sustain your hemocraft. Whenever you use your Amplified Rite or an amplified blood curse against a creature branded by you, you don't need to lose hit points to do so.
Furthermore, you master forbidden hemocraft that lets you transcend the beckoning of death. If you take damage that reduces you to 0 hit points and doesn’t kill you outright, you don’t fall unconscious. While you have 0 hit points, you can’t use your Pariah’s Haste feature unless you’re stable, you must still make a death saving throw at the start of each of your turns, taking damage causes death saving throw failures as normal, and three death saving throw failures still kills you.
Macabre Edge
The caustic effects of your forbidden hemocraft have taught you to harness and weaponize your suffering; as your vitality dwindles, you are at your best. Whenever you hit with an attack while you have no more than half of your hit points left, roll all of the attack's hemocraft dice twice when determining the rite damage for that attack.
Additionally, you learn the Rite of the Ruined esoteric rite:
Rite of the Ruined. Your rite damage is acid damage.
Blood Curse of the Hollow
You gain the Blood Curse of the Hollow (see the sidebar) for your Blood Maledict feature. This doesn’t count against your number of blood curses known.
Those kept from death by virtue of the Blood Curse of the Hollow do not leave the endeavor unscathed. When the curse ends, any creature that was affected by it picks from or rolls on the Aspect of the Dead table.
Aspect of the Dead
| d10 | You develop... |
|---|---|
| 1 | an open wound that won't heal. |
| 2 | a shambling gait. |
| 3 | the incessant taste of dirt. |
| 4 | an obsession with The River Styx. |
| 5 | a detachable limb (effectively a Prosthetic Limb). |
| 6 | a rattling cough. |
| 7 | phantom pains of your mortal wound. |
| 8 | an unhinged, crooked, or twisted joint. |
| 9 | an empty gaze. |
| 10 | the stench of rotting. |
Blood Curse of the Hollow
Prerequisite: Deviant, 15th level
Just before you would otherwise die, you can use your reaction to curse yourself to instead have 1 hit point and become a Hollow One. However, when the curse ends after 8 hours, you cease to be a Hollow One and immediately die.
Amplify. Instead of targeting yourself, you curse another creature you can see within 30 feet of you who would otherwise die. When the curse ends after 8 hours, the cursed creature ceases to be a Hollow One, but does not immediately die.
Supernatural Gift: Hollow One
While a creature is a Hollow One, they gain the following traits.
Ageless. You don’t age, and effects that would cause you to age don’t work on you.
Cling to Life. When you make a death saving throw and roll 16 or higher, you regain 1 hit point.
Revenance. You retain your creature type, yet you register as undead to spells and other effects that detect the presence of the undead creature type.
Unsettling Presence. As an action, you can unsettle a creature you can see within 15 feet of you. The target has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes within the next minute. Constructs, undead, and creatures that can’t be frightened are immune to this feature. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Legendary Seal
You have become peerless in your ability to mark and stifle creatures with hemocraft. You can use your Brand of Castigation feature twice before a rest, rather than once, and can have up to two creatures branded at a time.
Monstrous Soul
The superstitions ring true. Your intimate relations with hemocraft have let it overcome you, supplanting your nature with that of the very monsters you once set out to hunt. Your creature type is replaced by the fey, fiend, and undead creature types, and you can't be charmed or frightened by fey, fiends, or undead.
Additionally, at your DM's option, fey, fiends, and undead have a more favorable starting attitude toward you than normal, as described in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's Guide: friendly rather than indifferent, or indifferent rather than hostile.
Having Multiple Creature Types
You are considered fey, fiend, and undead for the purposes of being detected or affected by spells and other effects, but not for being exempt from them. For example, you can be detected by a paladin's Divine Sense or affected by a cleric's Turn Undead, but you can still regain hit points from a cure wounds spell.
Order of the Ironclad
Of the many powerful and rare metals in the world, cold iron is famous for its efficacy against fey creatures and magic, as well as its difficulty in crafting. The Order of the Ironclad is an order of hunters and smiths dedicated to preserving the ancient and esoteric methods of creating cold iron through hemocraft. These hunters siphon a portion of the iron in their blood to create an innate connection to their weapons and armor. Their proficiency with iron has also granted these hunters a supernatural influence over magnetism, which they use to augment their rites and blood curses. Armed with blood and iron, the Order of the Ironclad can withstand any foe, whether it be mundane or magical.
Order of the Ironclad Features
| Blood Hunter Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Blood-forged Blade, Armor Bond |
| 7th | Discrete Defenses |
| 11th | Brand of Attraction |
| 15th | Spell Resistance |
| 18th | Blood Curse of Metallica |
Blood-forged Blade
When you join this order at 3rd level, you can enhance the iron in your blood with hemocraft magic to coat your weapons with a layer of cold iron. You learn the Rite of the Ferrous esoteric rite (detailed below).
Rite of the Ferrous. Your rite damage is (magical) bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage, which is the same as the weapon's base damage type. While the rite is active, you gain the following benefits:
- Cardinal Senses. You always know which way is north.
- Cold Iron's Burn. Your weapon deals one additional hemocraft die of rite damage when you hit a fey
- Magnetic Activation. You can activate your Rite of the Ferrous on a weapon that has metal and is within 30 feet of you, causing it to immediately come to your hands. If the weapon is being worn or carried, an unwilling creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw or have their weapon immediately come to your hands. You must have at least one free hand to grab the weapon; otherwise, it falls to your feet. Furthermore, your weapon returns to your hands immediately after it is used to make a ranged attack.
Armor Bond
Starting at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor and smith's tools. In addition, you can create a bond between yourself and a suit of armor using a combination of cold iron smithing techniques and hemocraft magic. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short or long rest. The armor must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the armor and forge the bond.
Once you have bonded a suit of armor to yourself, you can don or doff the armor as an action. You must be within 30 feet of the armor in order to don it in this way.
Discrete Defenses
At 7th level, you have improved your armor bond ritual to better conceal your presence. While wearing your bonded armor, you and any items you carry cannot be targeted or observed by any divination magic. In addition, if your armor's type normally imposes disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, your bonded armor doesn't.
Advanced Armaments
When you reach 7th level, your cold iron techniques allow you to fuse weapons into your armor, turning you into a walking armory. You can store a number of weapons that have metal within your bonded armor equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). You can retrieve a weapon from within your bonded armor as part of the attack action you make with the weapon or as an object interaction. A weapon stored within your bonded armor is hidden unless a creature makes a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check as an action to spot it. A creature has disadvantage on its Strength (Athletics) check to remove a weapon stored within your bonded armor.
Whenever you activate your Rite of the Ferrous, you can choose to activate it on your bonded armor, which counts as a weapon for the purposes of activating your Crimson Rite. Any weapon you retrieve from your bonded armor in this way has a new Rite of the Ferrous activated on it without you losing hit points. Additionally, you may choose for a weapon you obtain using Magnetic Activation to become stored within your bonded armor instead of holding the weapon with a free hand or allowing it to drop to the ground in front of you.
Whenever you take damage from a creature that is within 5 feet of you while you have at least one weapon that lacks the two-handed property stored within your bonded armor, you can use your reaction to command your bonded armor to make an attack roll using the stored weapon. Your bonded armor uses your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attacks and damage rolls of the stored weapon. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all uses of this feature after you finish a long rest.
Brand of Attraction
Beginning at 11th level, your Brand of Castigation creates a magnetic tether that compels your foe towards you. A creature branded by you has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you, and must make a Constitution saving throw each time it attempts to move to a space that is more that 30 feet away from you; if it succeeds on this saving throw, this spell doesn't restrict the target's movement for that turn.
Spell Resistance
Starting at 15th level, your armor bond ritual has been perfected to repel the influence of magic. While wearing your bonded armor, you have advantage on saving throws against spells and to have resistance against the damage of spells until the beginning of your next turn.
Blood Curse of Metallica
Upon reaching 18th level, your blood curse can siphon the iron from a creature's body. You gain the Blood Curse of Metallica for your Blood Maledict feature. This does not count against your number of blood curses known.
Blood Curse of Metallica Prerequisite: 18th level, Order of the Ironclad
As a bonus action, a creature within 30 feet of you takes 4d10 necrotic damage at the beginning of each of its turns. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make another Constitution saving throw. On a success, the curse ends.
Amplify. The cursed creature suffers one level of exhaustion at the beginning of each of its turns. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to the amplified effect for the next 24 hours.
Order of the Primordial
A person's form is ever changing, as is the world around them. The Order of the Primordial fuses their form with the fundamental elements of the world around them to enhance their blood magic with the raw power of creation. Members of this order focus on developing the powers of their Crimson Rite, as well as being able to adapt their form to fit their situation. Many blood hunters in this order are Genasi or blood hunters that have either lost one or more limbs or do not have full control over them, as they have the most aptitude in manipulating the elements in order to morph their bodies. The Order of the Primordial uses their knowledge of the elements to destroy errant Elementals or Genies that have granted one too many wishes, seeking to return those beings back to realms of creation from which they originated.
Order of the Primordial Features
| Blood Hunter Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Fundamental Nature, Adaptive Rite, Elemental Appendages (Arms) |
| 7th | Evolving Form, Elemental Appendages (Legs) |
| 11th | Brand of Entropy |
| 15th | Elemental Chimera |
| 18th | Blood Curse of Absorption |
Fundamental Nature
Starting at 3rd level, your Hunter's Bane also applies to elementals. In addition, you can speak, read, and write Primordial.
Adaptive Rite
When you join this order at 3rd level, you become more adept at harnessing the elemental powers of your Crimson Rite. The choices for your Primal Rites and Esoteric Rites are replaced with the list provided as part of this subclass (detailed below). In addition, you now prepare your Crimson Rites instead of learning them. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you may replace your current Primal Rites with any two Primal Rites listed as part of this subclass. The number of Primal Rites you can prepare in this way increases to 3 at 7th level (which replaces learning a second Primal Rite) and 4 at 14th level (which replaces learning an Esoteric Rite). Also at 14th level, you may choose to prepare an Esoteric Rite that is listed as part of this subclass instead of one of your Primal Rites. You may prepare only one Esoteric Rite at a time.
In addition, you no longer lose hit points for changing an active Crimson Rite to a different rite type that you have prepared.
Primal & Esoteric Rites
The Order of the Primordial insists that the Crimson Rite should be more connected to the fundamental elements. Their Primal Rites are more aligned with the four elemental Inner Planes and their Esoteric Rites are powerful alterations to the basic elements found within the para-elemental and quasi-elemental Inner Planes.
Primal Rites
Rite of the Earthen. (Earth) Your rite damage is bludgeoning damage.
Rite of the Flame. (Fire) Your rite damage is fire damage.
Rite of the Frozen. (Water) Your rite damage is cold damage.
Rite of the Storm. (Air) Your rite damage is lightning damage.
Esoteric Rites
Rite of the Caustic. (Water) Your rite damage is acid damage.
Rite of the Sear. (Fire) Your rite damage is radiant damage.
Rite of the Roar. (Air) Your rite damage is thunder damage.
Rite of the Tremor. (Earth) Your rite damage is force damage.
Elemental Appendages
Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the ability to infuse your limbs with the primordial power of your Crimson Rite. You can create Elemental Appendages as a bonus action, which is part of the same bonus action used to activate a Crimson Rite.
Your arms gain the properties of corresponding Crimson Rite you activate from your list of prepared rites, which is in the Arms section of the Elemental Appendages Properties (detailed below). Your Elemental Arms count as a single weapon for the purposes of activating a Crimson Rite. Your clothes and worn magic items merge into your body whenever you create Elemental Appendages, unless you or your DM choose otherwise.
In addition, you can channel bursts of primordial power through your Elemental Appendages. Whenever you create Elemental Appendages, you gain access to that particular type's Elemental Surge, which is detailed in the Elemental Appendages List. You can only use an Elemental Surge whenever you have the corresponding type created as Elemental Appendages. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses whenever you finish a short or long rest.
Your Elemental Appendages last until you finish a short or long rest, or if you choose to dismiss them as a bonus action.
Elemental Appendages Properties
Your unarmed strikes using either Elemental Appendages as Arms or Legs deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage, in addition to the corresponding rite damage. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes. When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. The damage increases to 1d8 at 11th level.
Arms
| Appendage Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Air (Lightning, Thunder) | Your arms take the shape of whirling cyclones, fizzling bubbles, or stormy clouds. Shocking Strike. Whenever you hit a creature with a melee attack, you expend one use of your Elemental Surge to deal a hemocraft die of rite damage, and it can't take reactions until the start of its next turn. |
| Earth (Bludgeoning, Force) | Your arms take the shape of coarse rocks, shifting sand, or jagged crystals. Sturdy Defenses. Whenever another creature damages you, you can use your reaction to expend one use of your Elemental Surge and roll a hemocraft dice to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your hemocraft dice + your Constitution modifier. |
| Fire (Fire, Radiant) | Your arms take the shape of smoldering fire, flowing lava, or crackling explosions. Extra Firepower. Whenever you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one use of your Elemental Surge to deal a hemocraft die of rite damage to the creature and all other creatures within 5 feet of it. |
| Water (Cold, Acid) | Your arms take the shape of watery tentacles, chunks of ice, or your own blood. Redirect Flow. Whenever another creature hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction and expend a use of your Elemental Surge to make a unarmed attack using your Elemental Appendages if they are within your range. If you hit, you add a roll of your hemocraft die of rite damage to the attack's damage roll. |
Legs
| Appendage Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Air (Lightning, Thunder) | Your speed increases by 10 feet. Air Walk. When you move, you can expend a use of your Elemental Surge to glide, maintaining the same vertical height as the point on the surface you jumped off of. You fall to the ground if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft. |
| Earth (Bludgeoning, Force) | Moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. Resilient Stance. You can expend a use of your Elemental Surge to stand your ground. You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, you can attempt to grapple or shove a creature as a bonus action, and your speed is 0. |
| Fire (Fire, Radiant) | You can take the Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, including the bonus action used to create this Elemental Appendage. Burning Wake. When you move, you can expend a use of your Elemental Surge to leave behind a fiery trail on the spaces that you move through that lasts until the start of your next turn. The area covered in the trail is considered difficult terrain. When a creature moves into or within the area, it takes a roll of your hemocraft die of rite damage for every 5 feet it travels. |
| Water (Cold, Acid) | You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed. Slippery Escape. When you move, you can expend a use of your Elemental Surge to allow your body to collapse into a puddle until the beginning of your next turn, allowing you to move any space as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. This movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. |
Evolving Form
Upon reaching 7th level, your improved mastery over your Elemental Appendages has their effectiveness. You may now choose from the Legs section of the Elemental Appendages Properties when creating Elemental Appendages. Your Elemental Legs count as a single weapon for the purposes of activating a Crimson Rite. Your Elemental Appendages require separate activations of your Crimson Rite to create both Elemental Arms and Elemental Legs. In addition, your unarmed strikes using your Elemental Appendages have an additional 5 feet of reach.
Brand of Entropy
At 11th level, your Brand of Castigation siphons off your target's defenses. A creature branded by you loses resistance to the damage types associated with the Crimson Rites that you have prepared. If the creature is immune to one of those damage types, they lose their immunity to that damage type and instead have resistance.
Elemental Chimera
When you reach 15th level, you master the ability to combine your body with elemental power. You can maintain up to four different types of Elemental Appendages at once. Whenever you create Elemental Appendages, you can choose to create two different types of Elemental Arms and Elemental Legs. You can activate your Elemental Arms and Elemental Legs at the same time, but you still suffer two rolls of your hemocraft die for activating the rites. You gain the properties of all of the active Appendage Types, but must have the corresponding Crimson Rite types prepared. Whenever you change your Elemental Appendages, you can change any number of them at once.
Blood Curse of Absorption
Starting at 18th level, you can take nearby elemental energy and use it to rapidly transform your body. You gain the Blood Curse of Absorption for your Blood Maledict feature. This does not count against your number of blood curses known.
Blood Curse of Absorption. Whenever you or another creature you can see within 30 feet takes damage associated with the Crimson Rites that you have prepared, you can use your reaction to grant immunity to the triggering damage.
Amplify. In addition, you may choose to create an Elemental Appendage of the same damage type of the triggering damage. Whenever you create an Elemental Appendage in this way, you do not lose hit points from activating the Crimson Rite, but you still lose hit points from amplifying the curse. The Elemental Appendage you create can create can replace one or both of your Elemental Arms or Elemental Legs, your choice.
Order of the Sanguinarian
Those who seek to refine their craft look upon the ways of the old masters. The archaic Order of the Ghostslayers, while certainly proficient in their craft, did not dare to delve into the realm of possibilities found in studying hemocraft's oldest master, the vampire. The Order of the Sanguinarian is a splinter group that sought to push the limits of their blood magic at the cost of their humanity. While some still cling onto the goal of destroying undeath's grip upon the body and soul, others give into their dark thirst.
Order of the Sanguinarian Features
| Blood Hunter Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Vampirism, Hemocraft Savant |
| 7th | Misty Escape, Analyze Essence |
| 11th | Brand of Siphoning |
| 15th | Blood Curse of Domination |
| 18th | Vampiric Ascension |
Vampirism
When you join this order at 3rd level, your body is forever altered by vampirism. You gain the following features:
- Bite. Your canine teeth become long, sharp fangs. Your fangs are considered a simple melee weapon for you, and you add your Constitution modifier to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with it. Your bite deals 1d6 piercing damage on a hit. When you use your bite and hit a creature that has blood, you can steal a portion of their blood to use for your hemocraft techniques, which becomes inert if not used before your finish your next short or long rest. Whenever you amplify a blood curse or activate one of your Crimson Rites, you may choose to not lose any hit points. Once you use this feature of the bite, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
- Superior Darkvision. You gain darkvision out to a range of 120 feet.
- Enigmatic Charisma. You become proficient with one of following skills: Deception, Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen skill.
- Supernatural Resistance. You are immune to diseases and effects that would reduce your hit point maximum.
Hemocraft Savant
Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your study of the old masters yields powerful results. You gain an additional use of your Blood Maledict feature. Furthermore, you learn two additional blood curses.
Misty Escape
Upon reaching 7th level, you can reuse some of your spent vitality from invoking a blood curse to briefly transform into a bloody cloud of mist. Whenever you amplify a blood curse, you can teleport to an unoccupied space within 15 feet of you as part of invoking the blood curse. You can teleport before or after the blood curse affects the target.
Analyze Essence
Beginning at 7th level, you discerning taste for blood allows you to understand a creature's current health status. Whenever you make a bite attack against a creature that has blood or drink a sample of blood obtained within the past week as an action, you can learn certain information about its vitality. The DM tells you about two of the following characteristics of your choice:
- Constitution score
- Current hit points (bite attack only)
- Dexterity score
- If the creature is being affected by any diseases, poisons, or curses, as well as the nature of the affliction(s)
- Strength Score
- The creature's age and natural life expectancy (estimated in decades)
- The creature's type(s)
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all uses of this feature after you finish a long rest.
Brand of Siphoning
At 11th level, your Brand of Castigation now allows you to absorb a creature's lifeforce in order to fuel your blood curses. Whenever you target a creature that is branded by you with an amplified blood curse, they take necrotic damage equal to the amount of hit points you lose for amplifying the blood curse. Their hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and you regain hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until they finish a long rest.
Blood Curse of Domination
Upon reaching 15th level, your mastery over blood grants you total command over the blood in another creature's body. You gain the Blood Curse of the Domination for your Blood Maledict feature. This doesn’t count against your number of blood curses known.
Blood Curse of Domination Prerequisite: 15th level, Order of the Sanguinarian
As an action, you exert control over a creature by manipulating the blood in its body. A creature that is Medium or smaller that you can see within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or fall under your control. The creature takes only actions you choose, and doesn't do anything that you don't allow it to do. A creature takes no actions unless you use your action on subsequent turns to control it. You can also cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well. This control lasts for a number of turns equal to your Intelligence modifier, or if you choose to end it early (no action required).
Each time the target takes damage, it makes a new Constitution saving throw against the curse. If the saving throw succeeds, the curse ends. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to this blood curse for the next 24 hours.
Amplify. This curse can affect a creature regardless of their size, and you grant a bonus to the cursed creature's attack and damage rolls equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1).
Vampiric Ascension
At 18th level, your hemocraft knowledge has perfected your form. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year.
In addition, you can drain any creature of their vital essence. Once per turn whenever you hit with a weapon attack empowered by your Crimson Rite or a bite attack, you heal a number of hit points equal to half the damage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all uses of this feature after you finish a short or long rest.
Credits
Cover Art: "Fire Blade" by bradlyvancamp
Deviant Blood Hunter designed by u/PersistentVariant
Order of the Ironclad, Order of the Primordial, and Order of the Sanguinarian designed by u/rice_barrelgun
Variant Class Features designed by u/rice_barrelgun and u/PersistentVariant
Blood Hunter created by Matthew Mercer
Other Blood Hunter subclasses and features that inspired the creation and expansion of this project:
u/PyroLance's Order of the Gloaming - https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LKA6X_9Qe9TpjVbBT6F
u/Sir_Billiam_the_3rd's Order of the Vampire - https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana /comments/g2htvp/order_of_the_vampire_blood_hunter_subclass_now/ ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
u/niveksng Tasha's Update for Blood Hunter - https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana /comments/klj4wa /matt_mercers_blood_hunter_tashas_cauldron_style/ ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3