Blood Caster, Variant 2 (5e Class)

Blood Caster

You were once a magic user (either wizard or sorcerer), manipulator of the arcane magic that flows through the world. However you felt... limited. Your limitations were so infuriating for you that you chose the only thing there was to do: You abandoned your ways. Now, freed of your limitation, you also freed yourself of your magical source but you found something new, you found the energy that flows through every being that can be bent for your magical purpose... and you learned to use it. You suffered a few losses regarding spells and power but your limitations are gone. Now you are out to see what your newfound powers can do.

What is a Blood Caster?

A Blood Caster is a magic user that uses their own life essence to cast their spells. They have a mostly hidden external source that always follow them, hidden from the normal eye. Along their journey they can decide to either strengthen the ways they influence the world with their spells or increase the possibilities of their external source for spells. Whatever way one chooses bending blood to cast spells is something mostly considered unnatural and often brought in connection to necromancy. Therefore it is not appreciated in many settlements and societies. However those that search for the dark secrets of death and power will likely be interested in a Blood Caster.

Creating a Blood Caster

First of all when creating a Blood Caster you have to keep in mind that you once were either a wizard/sorcerer. You either still feel bonds to other spell users of the same caliber since you once practiced the same ways as them or you broke all bonds, potentially even having developed hatred towards them. Next up most Blood Casters either boast strongly about the way they found to cast magic or they keep it a secret as well as possible, not showing to anyone what they are. Lastly you mostly work for your own benefit, not being interested in the well being of others that much. However you may still find people that you hold dear, though it usually takes you a bit longer to get used to them.

Quick Build

You can make a Blood Caster quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the Hermit background.

Class Features

As a Blood Caster you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Blood Caster level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Blood Caster level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: simple melee weapons, martial melee weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Investigation, Perception and Religion.

Equipment

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

• (a) 2 Daggers or (b) a Quarterstaff
• Leather Armor
• (a) an arcane focus or (b) a gaming set
• (a) Entertainer's Pack or (b) Dungeoneer's Pack

Table: The Blood Caster

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	Blood Fountain HP
1st	+2	Bloodcasting, Arcane Transfusion,Blood Fountain	3	4	5 + Con Mod
2nd	+2	Blood Restoration	3	4	10 + Con Mod
3rd	+2	Path Feature, Arcane Sensitivity	3	4	15 + Con Mod
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	5	20 + Con Mod
5th	+3	—	4	6	25 + Con Mod
6th	+3	Path Feature	4	7	30 + Con Mod
7th	+3	—	4	8	35 + Con Mod
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	9	40 + Con Mod
9th	+4	—	4	9	54 + Con Mod
10th	+4	Tides of Blood	5	10	60 + Con Mod
11th	+4	—	5	10	66 + Con Mod
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement, A Source to Bend	5	11	72 + Con Mod
13th	+5	—	5	11	78 + Con Mod
14th	+5	Path Feature	5	12	84 + Con Mod
15th	+5	—	5	12	90 + Con Mod
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	5	13	96 + Con Mod
17th	+6	—	5	14	119 + Con Mod + Wis Mod
18th	+6	A Body of Blood and a Mind of Iron, Path Feature	5	14	126 + Con Mod + Wis Mod
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	15	133 + Con Mod + Wis Mod
20th	+6	Absolute Focus	5	15	140 + Con Mod + Wis Mod

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This variant draws its material directly from its source class and its variant 1

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Bloodcasting

You are a Caster who uses their own life essence to fuel their spells.

Magic User

At 1st level, decide which spell list you'll be making use of between Wizard or Sorcerer Spell List. Once you chose your Spell List you cannot change it again.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the selected spell list. You learn additional cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Blood Caster table.

Blood Caster

To cast one of these spells, you must lose a certain amount of hit points descripted below in spellcasting ability or you may use a spell slot gained through another class. When you damage yourself this way, you do not make a concentration check, and you go to 1 hit point when you cast a spell that has a higher hit point cost than your hit points and the spell fails. You are unable to cast spells that directly heal your hit points through Blood Magic. As you cast your spells through Blood Magic, you do not need material components for any of your spells.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the Wizard/Sorcerer Spell List.

The Spells Known column of the Blood Caster table shows when you learn more spells of your choice from the Wizard/Sorcerer Spell List. Each of these spells must be equal or lower than the Max Spell Level on the Blood Caster Table. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose any number of the spells you know and replace them each with another spell from the Wizard/Sorcerer Spell List, which also must be of a level equal or lower than the Max Spell Level on the Blood Caster Table. At level 18 you can replace spells after a long rest as your body can now adapt more regularly to using its blood for power.

Spellcasting Ability

Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your Wizard/Sorcerer spells, your knowledge of the arcane has given you a natural understanding of magic requiring no spellbook to aid your magic. You use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Wizard/Sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Spell HP Cost = d10 = spell slot level

Spellcasting Focus

Your own blood is a spellcasting focus for your Wizard/Sorcerer spells.

Ritual Casting

You can cast a wizard/sorcerer spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag if you have the spell prepared.

Blood Fountain

At 1st level, you have mastered a way to store blood in a source known only to you, called a Blood Fountain, that you can use to cast spells with. This Blood Fountain contains blood that you can use instead of your hit points for casting spells. It contains blood equal to (5 * Blood Caster level) + your Constitution modifier (minimum 1). Whenever you draw from your Blood Fountain for the first time during Combat it becomes visible as a sphere of blood. Its central point is 3 foot above your head and it has a diameter of 2 feet. It is hovering there. When you draw blood from your Blood Fountain, the diameter shrinks accordingly. So if you have only half of the total blood in it remaining the diameter shrinks to 1 foot. The diameter of a full Blood Fountain is always 2 feet, regardless of the amount of blood stored in it. The Blood Fountain vanishes 1 minute after the last time you pulled blood from it. You regain all blood in your Blood Fountain when you finish a long rest.

At 9th Level, the Blood Fountain increases in size, not visually but storage wise, so that it now holds blood equal to (6 * your Blood Caster level) + your Constitution modifier) (minimum 1).

At 17th Level, the Blood Fountain increases in size, not visually but storage wise, so that it now holds blood equal to (7 * your Blood Caster level) + your Constitution modifier + your Wisdom modifier) (minimum 1).

Arcane Transfusion

At 1st level you have mastered a way to use and bend life essence in a source known only to you, called Arcane Transfusion. Whenever you cast a damaging wizard spell. You can use your bonus action to change its type to necrotic and heal for half of the total damage dealt(rounded up) + Constitution modifier. You can't get HP above your maximum and this feature doesn't work against Undead, Oozes or Constructs.

Blood Restoration

At 2nd level when you see a corpse that has died within 30 minutes, you can choose to spend 10 minutes to gain hit points equal to half your hit dice. This feature doesn’t work against undead, oozes and constructs

At 12th level, the hit points gained is doubled.

Bloody Path

At 3rd level you can feel yourself being pulled in three different directions. Do you want to follow the Path of the Vampire to hunger for blood or the Path of the Monstrosity for beastly power or the Path of the Arcane to strengthen your spells? You receive a feature upon choosing one of the three Paths at 3rd level and again at 6th, 14th and 18th level. Once you chose your Path you cannot change it again.

Arcane Sensitivity

At 3rd level, Your use of blood magic has irreversibly changed your body, and made your eyes sensitive to even the faintest magical energy. You know of any spellcaster within 60 feet of your position.

At 10th level, you are permanently under the effects of the detect magic spell without need for concentration.

At 20th level, your use of blood magic has opened your eyes to the realm of magic. You now have Truesight out to a range of 120 ft.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Tides of Blood

At level 10, You understand the flow of blood in the bodies of your enemies. If you deal excess damage to a creature, you can then instead apply the excess damage and effects to another creature within 30 ft.

A Body of Blood and a Mind of Iron

Throughout your travels you have realized what the power of this magic ability has done to your body and how it somehow continues to function through infection and septicemia. In your strive the strongest magic capabilities, you have found a way to strengthen your own body with the blood from your Blood Fountain.

At 18th level you do not age anymore and do not require food or water as everything your body needs is covered by your Blood Fountain. Your body stops aging and freezes at your current age and you do not die of old age any longer. As you have figured out what your mind needs too and found that resource in the blood of your own pool you do not require to sleep any longer.

Absolute Focus

At 20th level you have gained perfection in your way of casting spells. You can now concentrate on two spells at once. You make concentration saves for both spells when you take damage or are otherwise forced to make a concentration save. You roll the concentration save for each spell individually.

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Path of the Arcane

//Unchanged from other variants
You chose to follow the Path of the Arcane, You wish to rekindle the magic that you once believed was strong. by using your newfound knowledge you started on making new ways to make the era of magic better.

Blood Memory

At 3rd level, when you choose this Path, When you use an action to cast a spell, you can use your bonus action to repeat the spell costing twice the hp you used.

Blood Endurance

At 3rd level, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage.

Sanguine Maneuvers

At 6th level, you learn to augment spells in a variety of ways. When you cast a spell with hit points, you can expend 1 hit die to augment its effects for this casting.

Blood Strings

- If a ranged spell attack misses you can expend the dice to add the half of what you roll(rounded down) to the attack roll.

Blood Clot

- You can cause your enemies blood to thicken making it harder for others on their save. You expend the dice to add half of what you roll(rounded down) to the DC

Cold Blooded

- You can cause your enemies blood to cool and reduce movement by the amount of what you roll (Round to the nearest 5 feet)

Blood Boiling

- You can cause your enemies blood to boil and deal extra damage equal to the roll to your spell.

At 14th level, it increases to 2 hit dice and 3 hit dice at level 18

Potent Blood

At 14th level, All your spells now deals total extra damage equal to your constitution Modifier.

Life Drinker

At 18th level, By doubling the cost of a spell. You can cause it to deal maximum damage.

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Path of the Vampire

//Unchanged from other variants
You chose to follow the Path of the Vampire, making you hunger for blood forever. Your goal is only the self-preservation and you constantly search for ways to refill and expand your Blood Fountain. You found blood... a lot of it in a reliable source: Others.

Blood Pool

At 3rd level when you choose this Path you can collect the blood of any creature that died within 10 minutes in a 30 feet radius around you as an action. It will make you pull the blood of those creatures into your Blood Fountain, making you regain blood equal to half the Challenge Ratings of those creatures (minimum of 1).

True Transfusion

At 3th level Ones per long rest you can make your Arcane Transfusion heal you by full of the total damage dealt.

Sanguine Escape

At 6th level You have learned to merge yourself one with your Blood Pool. When you are attacked by a Fatal blow, you can use your reaction to instead ignore all damage until the start of your turn. You can only use this feature once per long rest.

Adept Transfusion

At 14th level you master the ways of taking blood. Using Arcane Transfusion now takes all of the damage dealt as hp and bypass resistances to necrotic damage.

Life Drinker

At 18th level, you have mastered the ways of bending life as you know it, You gain the ability to fully release your arcane capabilities with the cost of your life. You reduce your health to half and transform. This form lasts for 1 minute and you gain the following benefits:

• When you start your turn, everyone within 10 ft of you take necrotic damage equal to your constitution modifier and you gain hp equal the total amount of damage dealt.

• You have a climbing speed of 40 feet.

• Your spell save DC is increased by 2.

• You have resistance to all damage.

• When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you regain hit points equal to the spell’s level.

When your Life Drinker form ends, you can’t move or take actions until after your next turn, as your body recovers from the transformation. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

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Path of the Monstrosity

You chose to follow the Path of the Monstrosity, concentrating on using the blood to amplify yourself and your arcane ways. When you choose this path, you gain a pool of d8s equal to your Blood Caster level. You regain all dice after a long rest. At 6th level, the d8s turn into d10s. At 14th level, the d8s turn into d12s.

Blood Armor

At 1st level, you are able to manipulate your blood into making armor out of your blood.
As a reaction, expend a die from your dice pool when you get damaged. You can negate what is rolled, and that damage turns into temporary HP.

Blood for Blood

At 1st level, when using a damaging spell, you can choose to expend a dice from your pool to strengthen the damage by the amount rolled.

Blood Monster

At 3rd level, you give off an eerie aura, some may be unnerved by your presence. Your race type is now also a monstrosity. Your body is being affected, you darkvision and resistance to charm effects, and gain proficiency on intimidation.

Gore Feast

At 6th level, you gain the ability to feed through your blood. The ritual consists of your blood fountain attaching to your body and cranial organs to form a monstrous head.
As an action you begin a ritual, this takes 1 turn to prepare.
When prepared, as an action, you can expend a die from your dice pool to consume a corpse that has died in the last 10 minutes, refilling your blood fountain 1/4 * target HP + the amount rolled from your dice pool '(minimum of 1)'.
You won’t gain hp from undead, oozes and constructs.
You can not consume an entity larger than your race's size.

At 14th level, becoming more adept to this form, prep-time for the blood fountain to form, has decreased. Your instincts begin to take over as you no longer care if the blood in the corpse is fresh. This ability now takes a bonus action to prepare.
You can use your action, and a die from your pool, to consume a corpse refilling your blood fountain 1/4 * target HP + the amount rolled from your dice pool '(minimum of 1)'.
You won’t gain hp from undead, oozes and constructs.
You can not consume an entity larger than your race's size.

Advanced Transfusion

At 14th level, as the blood is becoming more corrupt, you no longer need to change your spells to necrotic when using Arcane Transfusion as they now all adapt the necrotic type.
You won’t gain hp from undead, oozes and constructs.

Bloody Hell

At 18th level you can use your action to use half your hp and at least 4d12 of your dice pool to unleash a Bloody Maelstrom.
This requires concentration.
You bring forth a maelstrom of blood contained within you that destroy those in it.
The maelstrom swirls on a circle of 80 feet diameter, any creature that starts it's turn in it must make a Constitution saving throw, on a failure they take 15d8 necrotic damage, 15d8 Bludgeoning damage and get knocked prone. On a success they only take half.
As a bonus action, on your turn you can move the maelstrom, anything in it's path must make the saving throw or take the damage.
Any creature that isn't inside the maelstrom but is at least 10 feet away from it and can see the spell must also make a Dexterity saving throw, if they fail they become sucked into the blood vortex.

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Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Blood Caster class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Wisdom, 12 Constitution

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Blood Caster class, you gain the following proficiencies: Arcana, History

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