Blood Mage (4e Class)

Blood Mage

“	Those who fear its power shun blood magic and ostracize its practitioners, but I am not afraid to unlock my true potential.	”
—Malarch, Wandering Wizard, The Secrets of the World

Class Traits

Role: Striker. You manipulate the blood around you to form powerful weapons and to create unseen assailants. Through the use of pulse acceleration or deceleration you can destroy your foes and aid your allies. You lean towards leader or defender as a secondary roll.

Power Source: Arcane. Through the ancient study of complex texts and the completion of rigorous pacts with otherworldly beings, you gain an arcane mastery of the sanguine.

Key Abilities: Constitution, Charisma, Intelligence

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth

Weapon Proficiencies: Simple Melee, Simple Ranged

Implements: Daggers, Staffs

Bonus to Defense: +1 to Fortitude. +1 to Reflex. +1 to Will.

Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution score

Hit Points per Level Gained: 5

Healing Surges per Day: 7 + Constitution modifier

Trained Skills: Arcana.  From the class skills list below, choose three more trained skills at 1st level. Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), History (Int), Insight (Wis), Religion (Int)

Build Options: Dominant Blood Mage, Anarchic Blood Mage

Class Features: Blood Covenant, Blood Lust, Blood Magic, Blood Ritual, Tainted Blood

Blood Mages use the power of blood, both theirs and that of their enemies, to damage, manipulate and heal. They must often keep their ways secret, for blood magic is rejected by much of society. Those who do learn blood magic learn most often from ancient texts, in addition to dangerous experiments and rituals. Many die pursuing this art, and many still go mad from the taint that comes with such power. Blood mages are power hungry, unpredictable and dangerous. Some blood mages choose to use their powers for manipulation; controlling the actions of their enemies and using their blood to heal the blood mage and its allies; others instead take the path of unbridled destruction.

Overview

Characteristics: You do not fear danger and take many risks damaging yourself as well as your enemies. Unlike other strikers, you take advantage of bloodied foes and using their own wounds to increase damage output. Your control over the sanguine allows you to strike before your enemies are even aware of their assailant.

Religion: Due to the hieratical practices behind blood magic, most blood mages do not worship the gods. Some blood mages have been known to worship the Raven Queen, seeing her connection to death as an extension of their dark art. Blood mages belonging to the Covenant of Chaos have been known to worship Orcus.

Races: Humans are the most common blood mages mostly due to their willingness to gain power in any way possible. Tieflings have been known to become blood mages because of their demonic origin. Rumours exist of Warforged who become blood mages in order to feel more “alive”.

Blood Mage Class Features

All Blood Mage share these class features.

Blood Covenant: In order to gain a manipulation over blood magic a blood mage enters a pact with one of two blood covenants; the Covenant of Chaos or the Covenant of Dominance, each carries their own benefit. Covenant of Chaos: If you or your target is bloodied, does extra 2d6 damage 11th level 4d6 and at 21st level 6d6. Covenant of Dominance: Whenever you bloody or reduce an enemy to 0 or fewer hit points your next use of Blood Magic against a non-bloodied enemy this Encounter does not cost Health.

Blood Lust: Continual use of blood magic allows one to sense blood, but when blood is sensed a Blood Mage experiences an almost insatiable craving to spill it. You can sense the presence and position of bloodied creatures that are up to five squares away. No further information about the creature may be known other than what square it is in. As long as there is a bloodied creature within five squares you gain a +3 bonus to attack roll and a -2 penalty to will if you chose the Covenant of Chaos or to reflex if you chose the Covenant of Dominance. You may spend a healing surge as a minor action at any time during an encounter to end both the beneficial and detrimental effects of this class feature for the remainder of the encounter.

Blood Magic: You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of Blood Mage powers equal to your Intelligence modifier. The bonus equals your Intelligence modifier + 3 at 11th level and your Intelligence modifier + 6 at 21st level.

Blood Ritual: You have the ritual casting feat as well as a book with one ritual in it. When you perform any ritual requiring a check you may lose a healing surge to gain a +5 bonus to the skills check. This bonus increases to 10 at level 11 and 15 at level 21.

Life Inoculation: Indulgence in such dark magic comes with a price; the corruption of the caster's blood. You regain half of the Hit Points that you would normally regain from any source except from powers and abilities that you used on yourself, but whenever you deal damage with a Blood Mage attack power you may regain Hit Points equal to your Constitution modifier.

Creating a Blood Mage

When unlocking the secrets of blood magic, one of two pacts are formed with greater beings. The first is the covenant of chaos; the blood mages that form this pact use blood magic for destruction. The second is the covenant of dominance, which gives the blood mage physical control over blood.

Anarchic Blood Mage

This build synchronizes best with the ritual of chaos. You use your magic to deal heavy amounts of damage to opponents. You steal health from your friends, yourself, and enemies to increase the damage of your spells. Many of your attacks target multiple enemies, which causes you to lean toward controller as a secondary roll. Constitution should be your primary ability, as it is the main source of attack and damage. Intelligence should be a second, because it helps with spells related to the Covenant of Chaos. Charisma works as a third ability if you wish to take some support oriented powers.

Suggested Feat: Arcane Cuts (Human Feat: Enraged Blood Lust )

Suggested Skills: Endurance, Religion, Intimidate

Suggested At-Will Powers: Syphon Blood, Open Wounds

Suggested Encounter Power: Bloodletting

Suggested Daily Power: Fountain of Blood

Dominant Blood Mage

This build sacrifices a bit of damage to reduce the amount you take from yourself and your friends. Your powers instead use your blood and the blood of your enemies to heal your friends and yourself as well. This build also allows you to position your enemies in a way that makes your allies more able to deal damage. You lean towards leader as a secondary roll and use constitution as your primary ability. You should take the Covenant of Dominance and make charisma your second best score, using it to heal yourself and your allies. Intelligence is a practical tertiary ability score if you want do deal some area damage every now and then.

Suggested Feat: Battle Link (Human Feat: Vengeful Blood )

Suggested Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Heal

Suggested At-Will Powers: Blood Syphon, Blood Control

Suggested Encounter Power: Grave Robber

Suggested Daily Power: Corrupt Blood

Powers

All Blood Mages powers are called spells and are channeled through blood. A list can be found Blood Mage Powers (4e Power List).

Feats

Heroic Tier Class Feats

Name	Description
Arcane Cuts	You increase the potency of your Covenant of Chaos.
Battle Link	A bloodied ally assists your attacks and you heal them in return.

Paragon Tier Class Feats

Name	Description

Epic Tier Class Feats

Name	Description

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