Blood Assassin (5e Class)

Blood Assassin

Blood is a substance that fascinates, intrigues and disgust the human mind for ages. It bears the color red, the color of strong emotions, and symbolizes both life and death, both the process of birth and the painful death. For some, however, the power of blood goes beyond the symbolic and natural meanings attributed to it. Some sages seek in the blood the source for untamed and supernatural power, using it as a fuel for powerful magic.

Some of theses sages seek the secrets of blood for religious purposes, thinking that the red fluid has some connection to the divine; others pursue raw magical power. For Blood assassins however, the motivations are simpler, but not less relevant. They seek the power of blood to achieve a silent and certain death for their targets.

The origins of blood assassins remain a mystery, some arguing that they have ties with ancient vampires or a mystical clan of sorcerers. Despite their nebulous origins, these assassins are recognized by their abilities of infiltration, hunting and killing far beyond their non-magical competitors. They can control the blood inside ones veins, holding them still for a mortal strike; manipulate the body and even minds of a creature to get access to secure areas or force it to fight for them; and can draw the lifeblood inside the body of their victims to cure their battle wounds.

Scarlet Covenants

The tradition of blood assassination is more complex that a surface look can led one to believe. They are divided in lots of groups and cellular organizations with few contact with one another, but all those cells are connected to two main branches of Blood Magic. Those are called Scarlet Covenants, unions of blood assassins that specialize in one brand of blood magic, often competing with one another to prove the superiority of their chosen tradition.

Creating a Blood Assassin

When creating a blood assassin, ask yourself a few questions: how did you become a blood assassin? Have you been adopted by a monastery that serve as a hideout for a cell of blood assassins, or did you pursued one of their general quarters searching for knowledge and training? Or maybe you discover ancient scrolls containing the secrets of blood magic and learned by yourself.

For what purpose do you use the blood magic? Are you searching to increase the power of your selected Covenant, or you just kill for money or pleasure. There are many reasons why a Blood Assassin becomes an adventurer. Some of them are sent to dungeons and missions in order to grant access to funds and information to their masters, furthering their secrets and sinister purposes.

Quick Build

You can quickly build a blood assassin by following these steps: First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. The power of blood is an innate ability, controlled by both the force of your own self and by your vitality. A good amount of Dexterity is also useful, since acting first is a needed trait to avoid your victims the opportunity to flee or scream. Finally, choose the

Class Features

As a Blood Assassin you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Blood Assassin level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Blood Assassin level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: Thieves' tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, and Stealth

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a spear or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows or (b) a light crossbow and 20 bolts
• (a) a burglar's pack, (b) a dungeoneer's pack, or (c) an explorer's pack
• Leather armor, two daggers, and thieves' tools

Table: The Blood Assassin

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Blood Curses Known	Blood Curse Range
1st	+2	Blood Curses, Scarlet Covenant	2	15 ft.
2nd	+2	Wounding Blade, Transfusion, Control Internal Flow	2	15 ft.
3rd	+2	Covenant Feature	3	20 ft.
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	20 ft.
5th	+3	Covenant Feature, Blood Flow	4	25 ft.
6th	+3	Aura of Coagulation	4	25 ft.
7th	+3	Thick Blood	5	30 ft.
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	5	30 ft.
9th	+4	Blood Curses Improvement	6	35 ft.
10th	+4	Covenant Feature	6	35 ft.
11th	+4	Master of Curses	7	40 ft.
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	7	40 ft.
13th	+5	Bloodied Rebirth	8	45 ft.
14th	+5	Expertise	8	45 ft.
15th	+5	Covenant Feature	9	50 ft.
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	9	50 ft.
17th	+6	Blood Secrets	10	55 ft.
18th	+6	Covenant Feature	10	55 ft.
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	10	60 ft.
20th	+6	Red Hunger	10	60 ft.

Blood Curses

Starting at 1st level, you learn how to hurl blood curses at your opponents. You learn two blood curses at 1st level, and learn more as you gain levels in this class.

You can target creatures within 15 feet with your blood curse. You don't need to be able to see the creature unless otherwise stated, but you need to be able to detect the creature by some mean. The range of your blood curses increases as you gain levels in this class. Whenever a creature leaves the area covered by your blood curse, that curse ends if that curse has a duration.

You need to have at least one free hand to use a curse, since the curse requires somatic components, much like a spell. Also, you can't concentrate in spells while a blood curse is active. If you are under an effect that prevent you from cast spells, you can't also use a blood curse.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining your uses after finishing a long rest. At 5th level, you regain your uses after a short or a long rest.

Blood Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.

Scarlet Covenant

Starting at 1st level, you choose a scarlet covenant, that define your training and specialty on the use of blood curses. Your covenant grant you features at 1st level, and again at 3rd, 5th, 10th, 15th and 18th levels.

Control Internal Flow

At 2nd level, you can control the flow of blood inside your own body, to enhance some abilities in detriment of another. As an action, you can give yourself advantage on all ability checks in exchange of having disadvantage on all ability checks on another. You can't have two abilities targeted by this feature at the same time.

Maintaining this feature active require concentration, as if you were concentrating on a spell. You can maintain this active for 1 hour, after which you must take a short rest before using it again, or suffer one level of exhaustion.

Wounding Blade

Starting at 2nd level, whenever you hit, get hit, or a creature that you can see within your Blood Curse range is hit by an attack, you can use your reaction and spend any amount of hit dice up to your proficiency bonus to increase the damage of that attack. The damage is increased by an amount equal to the rolled on the hit dice. The additional damage is necrotic.

If you have not hit dice, you can suffer 2d12 necrotic damage (that ignores resistances and immunities) to cause additional damage equal to the damage taken.

Transfusion

At 2nd level, you can make blood transfusion whenever you have a creature within the range of your Blood Curses.

You have a pool of transfusion dice equal to your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Your transfusion dice is a d4. You can use a bonus action and spend one die from that pool to cause one creature within range other than yourself to regain hit points equal to the number rolled + your Constitution modifier.

Alternatively, you can use your action and spend any amount of transfusion dice + any amount of hit dice you have to cure that creature by the amount rolled + your Constitution modifier.

Once your pool of transfusion is reduced to 0, you can't use it again until you finish a short or a long rest, unless you choose to suffer one level of exhaustion.

Blood Flow

Starting at 5th level, you can use your action to drain the vitality of wounded creatures nearby, by draining their blood. Choose one creature you can see within the blood curse range that has less than his maximum amount of hit points.

As an action, you force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw against your blood save DC. On a failed save, you roll a number of hit die from that creature equal to your proficiency bonus, and the creature take necrotic damage equal to that amount.

If this reduces the creature to 0 hit dice, you roll a d12 for each proficiency bonus point you have, and cause necrotic damage equal to that amount.

If you are under half your maximum amount of hit points, you regain hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. If you are over that amount, can regain hit dice equal to your proficiency bonus.

Aura of Coagulation

Starting at 6th level, wounded creatures in your presence can recover faster from their wounds. Any creature who spend a short rest within the blood curse range of you regains 2d4 hit points on the end of the rest. This increases to 3d4 at 9th level and 4d4 at 13th level.

Thick Blood

At 7th level, you become immune to disease, to the poisoned condition and to poison damage.

In addition, you gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws.

Blood Curses Improvement

Starting at 9th level, the power of your blood curses increase as you gather experience and hone your skills. Whenever you use a blood curse, you use it in its improved version.

Master of Curses

At 11th level, you take full control over one curse you have specialized in. Choose one of your known Blood Curses. You can use that blood curse without spending a use of this feature. In addition, if you use your Blood Flow feature, you can choose to not regain hit points or hit dice to use one blood curse that requires an action instead.

You still can't use more than one blood curse per turn.

Bloodied Rebirth

Starting at 13th level, you can infuse a creature with blood to bring her from the dead. As an action, you can choose one creature within your Blood Curse range that haven't been dead from more than 10 minutes.

You can spend an amount of hit dice equal to the level or CR of the chosen creature. That creature return to life with 1 hit point. If you don't have enough hit dice, you can gather them from any willing creature within range.

If you are reduced to 0 hit points and have all your hit dice, you can spend all of them to fall to 1 hit point instead.

You can't restore to life a creature that has died from old age, nor can this restore missing parts.

Expertise

Starting at 14th level, you can choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for the chosen proficiencies.

Blood Secrets

At 17th level, you unlock the secrets of blood magic, discovering the most powerful tools in the blood assassin arsenal. When you use a blood secret, you can't use this feature again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Blood Surge

As a bonus action, you can cause the blood inside your veins to run faster. For 1 minute, your speed greatly increases. You can use your bonus action in each turn to take two of the following actions: Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Hide or make a weapon attack with a weapon that lacks the heavy property. You can take the same action twice or different actions. In addition, if you dash, you gain a flying speed equal to your movement speed, that ends in the end of your turn.

Blood Control

You can use your action to attempt to take over control over a creature. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or is affected by an effect similar to the Blood Curse of the Puppet, but targeting any creature type and lasting for 1 minute. The target can make another saving throw at the end of each turn to end the effect.

Uncontrollable Bleeding

You can carve a deep wound on the creature, causing it to bleed profusely. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause additional 5d10 necrotic damage and force the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 4d10 necrotic damage and keeps bleeding. On a success it takes half damage and is not bleeding.

At each subsequent turn, the creature must succeed a saving throw, reducing 1d10 from the total die. The bleeding end after the damage die is reduced to 1d10 or after the target succeeds a saving throw.

Blood Grasp

You can use your action to bend the blood inside a creature's veins, generating different effects. Choose one target with Large size or lower within blood's curse range. For 1 minute, you can choose one of the following effects using your bonus action:

• Blood Eruption. You force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, blood erupts from the creature's vein, causing 5d6 necrotic damage.
• Controlled Movement. You force a creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is moved 30 feet in any direction within the blood's curse area.
• Blood Hold. You force the target to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is restrained. A restrained target must use its action to make another saving throw ending the effect. When you start your turn with a restrained creature, you can use a bonus action to cause internal bleeding on it, by using your bonus action to force the target to make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d10 necrotic damage on a failed save.

If the target of your Blood Grasp is reduced to 0 hit points and the duration hasn't ended, you can use your action to place Blood Grasp on another creature within the Blood Curse range.

Red Hunger

When you reach the 20th level, you achieve full mastery over your blood magic. Whenever you finish a short or a long rest, you regain hit dice equal to your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.

In addition, when you roll initiative, you regain hit dice equal to your Constitution modifier.

Archetypes

Crimson Blades

The covenant of the Crimson Blades believe that the power of blood magic is better used in conjunction with weapons. They are trained warriors who use the blood magic to enhance their endurance, skills and to gore their opponents with each weapon strike.

Bonus Proficiency

Starting at 1st level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and martial weapons.

In addition, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of your Strength or Dexterity, for attack rolls with weapons you are proficient with.

Fighting Style

Also at 1st level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Draining Strikes

Starting at 3rd level, once in each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you deal additional 1d4 necrotic damage. You gain temporary hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.

Strong Blood

At 3rd level, whenever you use your Transfusion ability, you heal the maximum amount of hit points to the creature, instead of rolling. In addition, you can heal your own hit points using the Transfusion feature.

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn.

Alternatively, you can replace one of these attacks with one use of your Blood Flow feature.

Red Shield

Also at 10th level, when you take the Dodge action or use your action to cast a Blood Curse, if you have a creature dead within blood curse range, you can create a shield of blood, granting you total cover until the end of your next turn or until you move. All creatures are considered behind total cover to you.

If you don't have a dead creature nearby, you can spend a hit die to do so.

Hemorrhagic Strike

At 15th level, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the target to bleed. The target takes the same amount of damage at the start of its next turn. The damage is necrotic.

Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Blood Rush

At 18th level, you can cause your blood to run quicker trough your veins, enhancing your speed. You can take the Dash, Dodge, Disengage and Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. If you are capable of making an attack using your bonus action, you can make it as part of the blood rush.

Puppeteers

The covenant of blood puppeteers prefer to use deception and lies to approach and slay their targets. They take control over important figures on places they need to access and control them as little puppets, talking trough their mouth and wearing people as clothes. For some, they master the cruelest form of blood magic.

Bonus Proficiencies

Starting at 1st level, you gain proficiency in the Insight, Deception, Medicine and Persuasion skills. Blood puppeteers are great anatomists and powerful manipulators.

Blood Strings

At 1st level, when a creature attack you or an allied creature within your Blood Curse range, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that attack, as you control the blood inside its veins to deflect the strike.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and regain your uses after finishing a long rest.

Blood Thickening

Also at 1st level, you learn how to use your blood magic to keep your puppets alive. You can touch a creature as an action. When you do so, that creature is cured from a disease or poison, or gain 1d8 temporary hit points.

Marionette

At 3rd level, you can take permanent control over the body of a creature. You can choose any creature of medium size or lower with a CR equal to 1/4 or lower that has blood in its veins (excluding constructs and oozes for example). As an action, you can spend two hit dice and force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw against your Blood Save DC. On a failed save, the creature is completely under your control. The creature keeps its mind, but their actions are under your control.

You can also spend two hit dice to creature a marionette from a corpse of medium size. You use the statistics of a zombie for that marionette.

Your marionette rolls its own initiative, but acts on your command. It obeys your commands while it is within your Blood Curse range. You can use your action or bonus action to command your marionette to take one action on its statblock or the Dash, Disengage, Hide, Dodge or Search.

Your marionette uses your proficiency bonus instead of its own, and also ads your proficiency bonus to its AC and damage rolls. It is also considered proficient in all saving throws.

You don't need to communicate with the marionette to make your commands or pass information, since you can do that trough your blood curse.

A living marionette suffers one level of exhaustion for each day controlled by you. If your marionette is destroyed or dies, you must finish a short or a long rest before you can create another.

Suit of Flesh

At 3rd level, you can take over the mind of your living marionettes. As an action, you can assume fine control over the marionette, being able to speak naturally, act and sense trough its senses. When you do so, the range of your Marionette control increases to 1000 feet.

You become blind to your own senses when inside your suit of flesh. In addition, you can read your Marionettes mind as if you had probe deeper with a detect thoughts spell.

Blood Hunger

Starting at 5th level, whenever you use your Blood Flow feature, you can command the target to move and attack the target of your blood flow as part of the same action.

Gory Maintenance

At 10th level, you learn how to conserve and take care from your marionettes. Whenever your marionette have one or more levels of exhaustion, you can use transfusion on that creature without spending Transfusion Dice. You treat zombies as having level of exhaustion for that purpose.

Mass Transfusion

Starting at 15th level, whenever you use your Transfusion feature, you can choose a number of creatures equal to your proficiency bonus in the area to benefit from the healing, without spending extra die.

Theater of Puppets

Starting at 18th level, you can create one additional Marionette. You can control one trough Blood Hunger or your action and another using your bonus action.

Blood Curses

Blood Curse of the Predator

At the start of your turn, you can use your blood curse without using an action to smell, taste, or sense the creature's blood and discover information about it. You learn the creature's amount of hit dice, hit points, its Constitution score and any damage resistances, damage immunities and damage vulnerabilities.

In addition, you mark the scent of that creature for 1 hour, being able to track that creature while you are within 1000 feet from it. This range is multiplied by 10 if the creature is under half its maximum of hit points.

At 9th level, you mark the scent on the creature for 8 hours or until you finish a short rest.

Blood Curse of the Hemorrhagic

You cause a creature within range to start to bleed. That creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or loses 1d12 necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns for 1 minute. That creature must regain 1 hit point or succeed on a Wisdom (Medicine) check against your blood save DC to end the effect.

At 9th level, you can target two creatures with this curse.

Blood Curse of the Pain

Curse one target creature. You can use your bonus action to cause your attacks to become specially painful to cursed creature. For 1 hour or until you use this blood curse again, whenever you hit the creature with an attack, you cause additional 1d4 necrotic damage. In addition, that creature has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws.

If you reduce the cursed creature to 0 hit points while the curse is still active, you can use a bonus action on subsequent turns to place this curse on another creature within range. At 9th level, the damage increases to 2d4.

Blood Curse of the Invisible Knife

You cause the blood inside the creature's skin to pour, tearing its flesh. As an action, you deal 2d6 necrotic damage and 1d6 slashing damage to the creature within range, without requiring a saving throw. At 9th level, you deal 3d6 necrotic damage and 2d6 slashing.

Blood Curse of the Puppet

You can use your action to take control over an humanoid or beast with a CR of 1 or lower. The creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or you take over its body.

On a success and as an action at each subsequent turn, you can take control over that creature's body. If you do so, you can act as the creature on the creature's turn, using its movement, actions, bonus actions and reactions. You can't cast spells while controlling its form, but can use any other action on its statblock.

If you don't use your action to control that creature, the creature stand, unmoving, and is considered paralyzed. This effect lasts for 1 hour, until you dismiss it using your action or when you use this curse again. At 9th level, the CR increases to 6.

Blood Curse of the Bleeding Tear

As a bonus action, you can choose a creature within range. That creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or you pop some veins in the creature's eyes, making it blind until the end of your next turn, unless the creature use its action to wipe the blood. You target two creatures at 9th level.

Blood Curse of the Deafened

You cause blood to pour and coagulate inside the creature's ears. At the start of your turn without taking an action, choose 1d4 creatures within range. Those creatures become deafened until the end of your next turn. At 9th level, this lasts for 1 minute.

Blood Curse of the Mute

As a reaction when a sound is made by a creature or a spell is cast within your blood curse radius, you can cause all creatures to become mute inside the radius, preventing the sound of being made. This lasts until the end of your next turn. A creature can end it earlier by succeeding on a Constitution saving throw on the beginning of its turn. At 9th level, this lasts for 1 minute. The target can make a Constitution saving throw in each turn to end the effect.

Blood Curse of Torment

You cause the blood inside a creature's head to start to pulse violently, causing a powerful head ache. That creature have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks for 10 minutes. At 9th level, you target two creatures with this curse.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the blood assassin class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Constitution, 13 Charisma.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the blood assassin class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, simple weapons, and thieve's tools.

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