Otherworldly Patron
The Blood Sovereign
The Sanguine Sovereign, once a beacon of life and healing, was forever altered in the twisted corridors of a cursed and forgotten realm. There, amidst the decay and desolation, they were forced to adapt, learning the intricate arts of blood magic to survive. This once noble entity transformed, finding power in the very essence of life: blood.
Emerging from their ordeal, the Sanguine Sovereign now dwells in a realm of moral ambiguity, wielding their newfound mastery over life force to both nurture and destroy. They offer their warlocks the ability to harness this primal energy, teaching them to manipulate their own lifeblood for potent magic. Warlocks of the Sanguine Sovereign walk a fine line, balancing the cost of their own vitality against the formidable powers they wield. This patron could be a fallen celestial, a corrupted spirit of nature, or even a deity of old, reshaped by their harrowing journey through death's shadow.
Blood Sovereign Features
| Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 1st | Blood Rite, Hemocraft Magic |
| 6th | Sanguine Shield |
| 10th | Life Leech |
| 14th | Blood Dominion |
Blood Sovereign Expanded Spells
The Blood Sovereign 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 | Crimson Claw, Blood Seek |
| 2nd | Ray of Enfeeblement, Blindness/Deafness |
| 3rd | Sanguine Lance, Life Transference |
| 4th | Blight, Death Ward |
| 5th | Blood Nova, Mass Cure Wounds |
Blood Rite
Starting at 1st level, you can channel your life force into your spells for increased potency. As a bonus action, you can expend hit points up to your Warlock level. For 1 minute after activating this feature, when you hit a creature with a spell attack, the attack deals extra necrotic damage equal to the hit points you expended. This additional damage applies to only one spell attack each turn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. Expended uses are regained after finishing a long rest. If you activate this feature again before its current duration ends, it doesn't stack; instead, the duration is extended for another minute.
Hemocraft Magic
At 1st level, you gain the "Sanguine Bolt" cantrip, which counts as a Warlock spell for you. This cantrip allows you to unleash a bolt of blood energy at a target, inflicting necrotic damage. You may choose to take necrotic damage yourself to increase the cantrip's damage.
Sanguine Shield
Starting at 6th level, you gain the ability to form a protective barrier of blood as a reaction to taking damage. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to gain temporary hit points equal to the damage taken. In addition, the attacker takes necrotic damage equal to your Constitution modifier.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses after completing a long rest.
Life Leech
Starting at 10th level, you gain the ability to siphon vitality from the necrotic damage you inflict. Once on each of your turns when you deal necrotic damage to a creature with a Warlock spell, you can regain hit points equal to your Warlock level. You cannot exceed this amount regardless of the total damage dealt.
Blood Dominion
Upon reaching 14th level, as an action, you can wield your mastery over blood to manipulate the life force of those around you. Choose any number of creatures within 60 feet of you, up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become "hematically linked" to you for 1 minute.
While a creature is hematically linked, you can use your bonus action on your turn to redistribute hit points among any of the linked creatures, including yourself. This redistribution can heal some while harming others, but the total number of hit points redistributed cannot exceed your Warlock level per turn. Hit points lost by one creature become hit points gained by another, and vice versa.
This revision of the feature not only changes its name to something more thematic but also allows for more strategic depth and versatility by including the Warlock in the pool of creatures that can benefit from or contribute to the hit point redistribution.
Pact Boon
At 3rd level, your otherworldly patron bestows a gift upon you for your loyal service. You gain one of the following features of your choice.
Pact of the Bloodbound Talisman
Your patron bestows upon you a talisman imbued with the essence of blood magic. This artifact serves as a reservoir for your life force and a conduit for your hemomantic powers.
Blood Reservoir: As an action, you can sacrifice a portion of your health to charge the talisman with your life force. You can reduce your current hit points by any number up to a maximum of half your Warlock level (rounded down). The sacrificed hit points are stored in the talisman and are represented as "Blood Points". You cannot store more Blood Points in the talisman than your Warlock level.
Sanguine Empowerment: When you cast a Warlock spell, you can expend any number of Blood Points to enhance the spell. For every 2 Blood Points you expend, you can either add +1 to the spell’s damage (if it deals damage) or increase your spell save DC by 1 for that casting.
Lifeblood Recall: As a bonus action, you can draw upon the talisman’s stored energy to heal yourself. You regain a number of hit points equal to the Blood Points stored in the talisman. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Bloodline Protection: When you are required to make a Constitution saving throw to take half damage from a source, you can use your reaction to expend Blood Points from the talisman, granting you advantage on the saving throw. The number of Blood Points expended must be at least equal to half the damage potentially taken from the source (before halving).
The Bloodbound Talisman is a magical item that only you can use. If lost, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a new talisman from your patron. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest.
Blood Points remain in the talisman until used or until you finish a long rest, at which point any remaining Blood Points are lost.
Eldritch Invocations
Blood Aegis
Prerequisite: 5th level, Blood Sovereign patron
You can cast "Armor of Agathys" at will, without expending a spell slot. When you cast it in this way, the spell's level is equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1st level). Additionally, the icy armor appears tinged with crimson and deals necrotic damage instead of cold damage.
Crimson Sight
Prerequisite: Blood Sovereign patron
You gain the ability to see the life force of creatures around you. As an action, you can activate an aura that allows you to sense the presence and location of living creatures within 30 feet of you. This ability functions similarly to the "Blindness/Deafness" spell's sensing ability but does not require concentration. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), regaining all expended uses after finishing a long rest.
Siphoning Blast
Prerequisite: Eldritch Blast cantrip, Blood Sovereign patron
When you hit a creature with your "Eldritch Blast" cantrip, you can choose to reduce the damage dealt by the blast by an amount up to your Constitution modifier (minimum reduction of 1) to regain that many hit points. This invocation can only be used once per turn.
Spells
Sanguine Bolt
Necromancy cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You unleash a bolt of dark, blood-infused energy at a creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 necrotic damage.
The spell’s damage increases as you gain levels. At 5th level, the damage increases to 2d8. At 11th level, it increases to 3d8, and at 17th level, it increases to 4d8.
Empowered Casting: When you cast this spell, you can choose to suffer necrotic damage to enhance its potency. For each 2 hit points of necrotic damage you take (which cannot be reduced or healed by other means until the start of your next turn), you add 1d6 to the spell’s damage. The maximum additional damage you can add in this way is 3d6.
Crimson Claws
1st-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Up to 1 minute
Your hands transform into claws of hardened blood. For the duration, your melee attacks with your claws deal 1d10 slashing damage, and you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to grapple. When you first cast this spell, and as a bonus action on subsequent turns, you can slash yourself to maintain the spell, taking 1d4 necrotic damage which cannot be reduced or healed until the spell ends.
Blood Seek
1st-level divination
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self (30-foot radius)
- Components: V, S, M (a drop of your blood)
- Duration: Instantaneous
You sense the life force of creatures around you. For the duration, detect the presence and location of creatures within 30 feet that are not behind total cover. You know the type of any being whose blood you sense, but not its identity. The spell can penetrate most barriers but is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.
Sanguine Lance
3rd-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You create and throw a lance of coagulated blood at a creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, it takes 4d8 necrotic damage. If the target is missing any hit points, it takes an additional 1d8 necrotic damage.
Blood Nova
5th-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self (30-foot radius)
- Components: V, S, M (a vial of blood)
- Duration: Instantaneous
You release a nova of blood energy in a 30-foot radius. Each creature in the area, except you, must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 8d6 necrotic damage and is blinded until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and isn't blinded.
The Blood Sovereign
Unleash your inner fury and bolster your allies with the Bloodsworn Pact, a Warlock subclass for the world's greatest roleplaying game.
Version: 1.0
Created by: Dave