Bloodline Sorcerer (3.5e Alternate Class Feature)

Bloodline Sorcerer

Unlike most sorcerers, you draw your power from an arcane connection with a creature other than dragons.  Please note that this ACF was inspired by one designed for the Pathfinder Sorcerer, but was made more reasonable and appropriate in power to a wizard.

Class:  Sorcerer

Level:  1st

Replaces:  If you select this class feature you do not gain a familiar and you can cast and know one less spell of each level.

Benefit:  Select one of the following bloodlines below.  Upon unleashing your bloodline, you gain a bloodline arcana that changes how you cast spells in some fashion.  Additionally, you get to add one class skill to your list of class skills, and at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20 you may choose a bonus feat from the feats listed under your bloodline.

Aberrant

There is a taint in your blood, one that is alien and bizarre. You tend to think in odd ways, approaching problems from an angle that most would not expect. Over time, this taint manifests itself in your physical form.

Class Skill:  Knowledge (Dungeoneering).

Bonus Feats:  Combat Casting, Improved Grapple, Iron Will, Silent Spell, Skill Focus (Knowledge).

Bloodline Arcana:  Whenever you would use any summon monster spell to summon a celestial or fiendish creature, you instead summons a pseudonatural version of that creature. For example, by casting summon monster IV, you could summon a pseudonatural dire wolf.  This adds the pseudonatural template to the summoned creature.  Because of this, you give up the ability to summon non-pseudonatural creatures with a summon monster spell.  For instance, the alienist described above couldn't summon a mephit or howler with the same spell.  In order to do so, you must cast the spell with a spell level one higher than normal; thus summon monster IV would require a 5th-level spell slot.

Arcane

Your family has always been skilled in the eldritch art of magic. While many of your relatives were accomplished wizards, your powers developed without the need for study and practice.

Class Skill:  Use Magic Device.

Bonus Feats:  Combat Casting, Improved Counterspell, Spell Focus, or any one metamagic or item creation feat of choice.

Bloodline Arcana:  Whenever you apply a metamagic feat to a spell that increases the slot used by at least one level, increase the spell’s DC by an equal amount.  This bonus does not stack with itself and does not apply to spells modified by the Heighten Spell feat.

Celestial

Your bloodline is blessed by a celestial power, either from a celestial ancestor or through divine intervention.  Although this power drives you along the path of good, your fate (and alignment) is your own to determine.

Class Skill:  Diplomacy.

Bonus Feats:  Dodge, Extend Spell, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Knowledge), Weapon Finesse.

Bloodline Arcana:  Whenever you cast a spell of the summoning subschool, the creatures summoned gain DR/evil equal to ½ your sorcerer level (minimum 1).  This stacks with any DR the creature might have.

Fiendish

Generations ago, a demon spread its filth into your heritage. While it does not manifest in all of your kin, for you it is particularly strong. You might sometimes have urges to chaos or evil, but your destiny (and alignment) is up to you.

Class Skill:  Bluff.

Bonus Feats:  Augment Summoning, Cleave, Empower Spell, Great Fortitude, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Knowledge).

Bloodline Arcana:  Whenever you cast a spell of the summoning subschool, the creatures summoned gain DR/good equal to ½ your sorcerer level (minimum 1).  This stacks with any DR the creature might have.

Djinni

You were born with the power of genies, and the magic of the djinn is strong in you.

Class Skill:  Tumble.

Bonus Feats:  Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Spring Attack.

Bloodline Arcana:  Whenever you cast a spell that deals energy damage, you can change the type of damage to electricity. This also changes the spell’s descriptors to match this energy type.  Upon doing so, you can fly for one round just as if you had also cast swift fly' (CAdv) simultaneously.

Elemental

The power of the elements resides in you, and at times you can hardly control its fury.  This influence comes from an elemental outsider in your family history or a time when you or your relatives were exposed to a powerful elemental force.

Special:  Choose one particular elemental affinity from cold (water), electricity (air), fire (fire), or force (earth).  This affinity is permanent once chosen.

Class Skill:  Knowledge (The Planes).

Bonus Feats:  Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will, or any metamagic feat with an elemental aspect, such as Energy Admixture.

Bloodline Arcana:  Whenever you cast a spell that deals energy damage, you can change the type of damage to match the type of your bloodline.  This also changes the spell’s type to match the type of your bloodline.  If you chose earth as your element, the damage dice used by the spell are lowered by one step; thus a fireball would do Xd4 force damage rather than Xd6 fire damage.

Fey

The capricious nature of the fey runs in your family due to some intermingling of fey blood or magic.  You are more emotional than most, prone to bouts of joy and rage.

Class Skill:  Knowledge (Nature).

Bonus Feats:  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, or any metamagic or item creation feat of choice.

Bloodline Arcana:  Whenever you cast a spell of the charm or compulsion subschools, increase the spell’s DC by +2, and your effective caster level increases by an equal amount.

Psychic

Psychic power runs thorough your blood, whether it be from a familial predisposition to psychic power or exposure to a powerful psychic phenomenon. Whatever the source of this power, your mind is a dangerous weapon.

Class Skill:  Knowledge (Psionics).

Bonus Feats:  Heighten Spell, Iron Will, Persuasive, Quicken Spell, Spell Focus (Knowledge).

Bloodline Arcana:  You can overwhelm the minds of those nearby.  You can target one creature within 30 feet that you can see; that creature must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC = 10 + ½ your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier) or it takes 1d6 points of psychic damage + 1 point for every 2 sorcerer levels you possess and becomes shaken for 1 round.  You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

Shadow

Spirits from the shadow plane dally at times in the world of light, and such as these lay with your ancestors once upon a time, imparting the mystery of shadow-stuff into your lineage.  You are often sullen and withdrawn, preferring to skulk at the fringes of social circles and keep to yourself, cultivating an air of mystery and majesty that is all your own.

Class Skill:  Hide.

Bonus Feats:  Blind-Fight, Dodge, Quick Draw, Silent Spell, Still Spell, Weapon Finesse.

Bloodline Arcana:  Whenever you cast a spell with the [darkness] descriptor or the shadow subschool, you gain an unholy bonus on Hide checks equal to the spell’s level for a number of rounds equal to ½ your sorcerer levels (round up).

Undead

The taint of the grave runs through your family. Perhaps one of your ancestors became a powerful lich or vampire, or maybe you were born dead before suddenly returning to life.  Either way, the forces of death move through you and touch your every action.

Class Skill:  Knowledge (Religion).

Bonus Feats:  Diehard, Endurance, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Knowledge), Spell Focus, Toughness.

Bloodline Arcana:  Some undead are susceptible to your mind-affecting spells.  Corporeal undead that were once humanoids are treated as humanoids for the purposes of determining which spells affect them.  Additionally, whenever you cast a spell from the school of necromancy, you gain damage resistance equal to the level of the spell/— for a number of rounds equal to ½ your sorcerer level.  This DR does not stack with itself.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Character Options → Alternate Class Features