Bloodblade (3.5e Class)

Bloodblade

AUTHOR'S NOTE/TRIGGER WARNING: This class contains mature themes, is intended for mature players, and will not fit in all role-playing group. Talk to your group before including it.

Bloodblades use a variety of quick verbal and somatic rituals fueled by their own blood and pain to power their divine strikes and defenses. While the divine power is vaguely akin to that of a Cleric's prayers, it is quicker to perform, and far messier. While a Cleric may offer praise to Heronius to gain divine powers in battle, a Bloodblade will offer a three word prayer and a substantial amount of their own blood and life to Heronuius in order to smite their enemies.

Making a Bloodblade

As a Bloodblade, you have a unique ability in treating your Hit Points as a source of power. A Bloodblade's powers lend itself to facing the enemy head on, whether that be at a short range, or in melee'. While Bloodblades have several abilities that allow you to sustain yourself in the thick of battle, you will need the support of your teammates to avoid being overwhelmed.

Abilities: As your powers require you to take Hit Point damage, Constitution is key in not only increasing your ability to use your power, but increasing your survivability. Wisdom determines the Difficulty class of some of your abilities, while Strength or Dexterity will determine the accuracy of your attacks.

Races: Half-Orcs and Half-Elves are most commonly Bloodblades. Due to the dark nature of the powers of the Bloodblade, the users are often loners and outcasts, much akin to societal standards of the Half-Orcs and Half-Elves.

Alignment: Any Lawful or Any Chaotic. The extreme nature of the Bloodblade's rituals require a foundation of determination of some kind.

Starting Gold: 5d4x10.

Starting Age: Moderate (as Fighter).

Table: The Bloodblade

Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Bloodblade Rituals, Extra Hit Points, Sacrificial Smite (Ritual)
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Scarification (Ritual), Toughness
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Autopurity
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Bleeding Fury (Ritual)
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Toughness, Sacrificial Grace (Ritual)
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	Burst of Blood 10 Ft
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	Tortured Jaunt (Ritual)
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Toughness, Unending Torment 1/Day
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3	Stigmata Strike (Ritual)
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4	Burst of Blood 20 Ft, Bloody Critical (Ritual)
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	Toughness, Unending Torment 2/Day
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5	Hemmoraging Frenzy (Ritual)
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	Bloodsoaked
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6	Toughness, Unending Torment 3/Day
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Burst of Blood 30 Ft
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Fueled by Gore (Ritual)
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Planes), Knowledge (Religion), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

A Bloodblade uses self mutilating rituals to power their divine powers. While their power is divine in nature, offering one's own blood to Pelor is unusual; a Bloodblade's pragmatic philosophy involves treating every part of life as a tool with multiple uses. Thus, the Bloodblade's Hit points double as a source of power. All of the following are class features of the Bloodblade.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:The Bloodblade is proficient with all Simple and Martial Weapons. The Bloodblade is proficient with Light, Medium, and Heavy Armors, and with all Shields except for Tower Shields.

Bloodblade Rituals (Su:) A Bloodblade performs rituals in order to offer their life in exchange for their powers and their abilities. As such, any damage taken from a Bloodblade ability labeled as a Ritual is untyped damage and bypasses any damage reduction that the Bloodblade may have. If, for any reason, the Bloodblade does not take the requisite damage for the ritual, the ritual and its associated ability does not function.

A Bloodblade can activate multiple rituals per turn; their only limits are their Hit Points and their actions.

Extra Hit Points (Ex:) A Bloodblade's rituals involve self mutilation, which leads to dealing Hit Point damage to themself. A Bloodblade treats their Constitution Score as 2 higher for the purposes of gaining hit points whenever they gain a new level. This bonus only applies to levels gained in the Bloodblade class.

Sacrificial Smite (Ritual) (Su:) A Bloodblade's most rudimentary ritual allows them to offer a bit of their own life in order to add divine might to a single attack. Once per round, A Bloodblade can take an amount of damage equal to or less than their Wisdom modifier, and add that same amount as a bonus to their next attack roll and the associated damage roll. This requires no additional action.

A Bloodblade can treat this ability as the Paladin's Smite Evil ability for the purposes of qualifying for feats, prestige classes, or item requirements.

Scarification (Ritual) (Su:) At 2nd level, a Bloodblade can briefly self immolate in order to scar their skin into a callous shell. As a swift action, a Bloodblade can take damage equal to their Wisdom Modifier to add 1 + 1/4 their class level (minimum +1) as an Enhancement bonus to their Natural Armor for a number of rounds equal to their Wisdom Modifier. (Reminder that any creature without Natural Armor has an effective Natural Armor bonus of +0.)

For example, a 2nd level Bloodblade would add a +1 enhancement bonus to their Natural Armor, while a 8th level Bloodblade would add a +3 enhancement bonus to their Natural Armor.

Toughness: At 2nd level, a Bloodblade gains the Toughness feat. A Bloodblade gains the feat again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level.

Autopurity (Ex:) At 3rd level, A Bloodblade's body begins to develop a reserve of blood and antibodies that can mend their wounds. A Bloodblade can heal a total number of Hit Points per day equal to their Wisdom Modifier x their Bloodblade level. The Bloodblade can divide the use of Autopurity between multiple uses; they need not use it all at once. Using this ability is a swift action.

This ability is not a ritual, and is an extraordinary ability.

Bleeding Fury (Ritual) (Su:) At 5th level, A Bloodblade can take a swift action to inflict a bleeding wound on themselves that grants them heightened combat prowess. The Bloodblade takes an amount of damage equal to or less than their class level (determined when the Bloodblade enters Bleeding Fury) each turn that Bleeding Fury is active, and gains an insight bonus to their Strength and Dexterity scores equal to half the amount of damage they take on each turn. This ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Bloodblade's Wisdom Modifier. The Bloodblade can end it prematurely if they wish.

A Bloodblade can treat this ability as the Barbarian's Rage ability for the purposes of qualifying for feats, prestige classes, or item requirements.

Sacrificial Grace (Ritual) (Su:) At 6th level, a Bloodblade can offer a small bit of their own willpower and flesh to their patron in order to gain increased defenses. As a swift action, a Bloodblade can take an amount of damage equal to or less than their Wisdom modifier to gain an equivalent bonus to all of their saves.

Burst of Blood (Su:) At 7th level, a Bloodblade's self inflicted mutilation can materialize in a small burst around them that harms their foes. When a Bloodblade takes damage as a result of any Bloodblade ritual, they can activate Burst of Blood. In a 10-ft radius area centered on the Bloodblade, any foe who fails a Fortitude save (DC: 10 + 1/2 Bloodblade level + the Bloodblade's Wisdom Modifier) takes damage equal to the amount of damage that the Bloodblade took from their Bloodblade ritual + the Bloodblade's Wisdom Modifier.

For example, a 7th level Bloodblade with 17 Wisdom (+3 Modifier) uses their Sacrificial Smite ability on a foe and elects to take 3 points of damage. The foe failed a Fortitude save of 16 (10 + 1/2 Bloodblade's level (3) + Bloodblade's Wisdom Modifier (3)), and takes 6 damage (Bloodblade's Wisdom Modifier (3) + amount of damage the Bloodblade took from their ritual (3)).

This ability is not a ritual, and is a supernatural ability.

At 13th level, the Burst of Blood radius extends to 20 feet, and at 19th level, it extends to 30ft.

Tortured Jaunt (Ritual) (Su:) An 8th level Bloodblade can teleport through the material plane by bringing significant harm to themselves. A Bloodblade can, as a move action, teleport a number of feet equal to (or less than) 5 x their Wisdom modifier. Using this ritual requires the Bloodblade to take 3 damage per 5 feet traveled.

Unending Torment (Ex:) At 10th level, a Bloodblade's body has been mutilated and repaired so much, that their body develops an autonomous way of quickly mending their wounds. Once per day, as a free action, a Bloodblade can activate this ability. Doing so grants them fast healing equal to their Constitution modifier. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to their Wisdom modifier. (Note that this ability is not a ritual and is an extraordinary ability)

At 14th level, this ability is usable twice per day, and at 18th level, this ability is usable three times per day.

Stigmata Strike (Ritual) (Su): An 11th level Bloodblade can scar bloody holes in their hands and feet in order to add sizeable damage to their attack. The Bloodblade can take damage equal to or less than their class level as a free action at the start of their turn. In exchange, every attack that they make until the start of their next turn deals additional damage equal to the amount of damage that the Bloodblade took as a result of this ritual + the Bloodblade's Wisdom Modifier.

Bloody Critical (Ritual) (Su): At 13th level, a Bloodblade can power their most precise blows with their own suffering. When a Bloodblade rolls a critical threat, they may activate this ritual (this requires no additional action). The Bloodblade takes damage equal to twice their Wisdom modifier. The Bloodblade gains a bonus on their roll to confirm their critical hit equal to their Wisdom modifier. In addition, the Bloodblade's critical multiplier increases by 1, and the Bloodblade's critical hit affects creatures normally immune (such as constructs or undead.)

Hemmoraging Frenzy (Ritual) (Sp): A 15th level Bloodblade can activate a disturbing bloodletting ritual that results in them twitching and moving at supernatural speeds. A Bloodblade can, as a free action on the start of their turn, take damage equal to their class level to be under the effects of the Haste, Fly, and Freedom of Movement spells for one round.

The Bloodblade can use this ability on consecutive turns for a continuous effect.

Bloodsoaked (Ex): A Bloodblade becomes a gore-painted force in battle to the point that their anatomy changes to allow their organs and bones move more freely in order to bleed more. At 17th level, a Bloodblade's type changes to Ooze, and they gain DR 10\-. The Bloodblade retains their Intelligence score and sight when this change occurs (though they do gain the blindsight ability of the Ooze).

Additionally, the Bloodblade can freely change between the following size categories: Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge. Changing size requires a full round action.

This ability is not a ritual, and is an extraordinary ability.

Fueled by Gore (Ritual) (Su): At 20th level, a Bloodblade gains their final ritual, a legendary strike involving disembowling themselves. When a Bloodblade makes an attack roll, they can take damage equal to twice their class level to declare that their d20 result was a natural 20. This decision must be made before the die is rolled.

Ex-Bloodblade

A Bloodblade who ceases to be Lawful or Chaotic can no longer gain levels in the Bloodblade class. They do not, however, lose any class abilities. Should they return to a Lawful or Chaotic alignment, they may continue to gain levels in the Bloodblade class.

Should a Bloodblade ever lose their Consitution score (such as by becoming undead), they lose access to all Bloodblade rituals. Should they gain a Constitution score again, they gain access to their rituals.

Half-Elf Bloodblade Starting Package

Weapons: Scimitar, Shortbow, 20 arrows.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Bluff	4	Cha	-
Climb	4	Str	-4
Concentration	4	Con	-
Craft	4	Int	-
Disguise	4	Cha	-
Forgery	4	Int	-
Heal	4	Wis	-
Intimidate	4	Cha	-
Jump	4	Str	-4
Knowledge (Dungeoneering)	4	Int	-
Knowledge (Planes)	4	Int	-
Knowledge (Religion)	4	Int	-
Listen	4	Wis	-
Profession	4	Wis	-
Ride	4	Dex	-
Spot	4	Wis	-
Survival	4	Wis	-
Swim	4	Str	-8
USe Rope	4	Dex	-

Feat: Improved Initiative

Gear: Scale Mail, 2 torches, Flint/steel, 50ft Rope

Gold: 10 GP

Campaign Information

Playing a Bloodblade

Religion: The notion that Bloodblades give their own life for divine powers lends them to often be very religious. It is common for Bloodblades to revere gods whose portfolio includes violence in some way, such as Kord, Heronius, Hextor, or St. Cuthbert.

Other Classes: Bloodblades are generally shunned by other divine based characters. Their grisly rituals can often result in other warriors being wary as well. Spellcasters, however, often understand Bloodblades far more than others.

Combat: Bloodblades are warriors. Their role on the battlefield is to fight the enemies directly, either in melee' or at a distance. Their abilities augment this role very well, but only this role.

Advancement: Though uncommon, Bloodblades sometimes turn away from their grisly rituals in favor of more traditional divine powers. Thus, some Bloodblades may take up a holy symbol and take levels in Cleric or Paladin.

Bloodblades in the World

“	They hate me. Hell, why wouldn't they? I'm a bloody mess! Bwahaha!	”
—Kivit the Half-lived, Half-Elf Bloodblade

Bloodblades are rarely accepted in any society, and, as such, either live in solitude, or in hiding. It is not uncommon for Bloodblades living in any sort of village or city to dress their bodies in makeup to disguise their wounds.

Daily Life: A Bloodblade who lives in proximity to others likely will take up work in cosmetics, as they often use makeup to dress their self inflicted wounds. If a Bloodblade is not secretive with their rituals, others will shun, exile, or even hunt down the Bloodblade. The rituals are long lost in favor of traditional divine magic, so commoners knowing that one participates in self mutilation in exchange for power will (often correctly) assume that it is the work of Vecna.

Notables: Kivit the Half-Lived is a retired Bloodblade who lives in solitude on the edge of the port town Sand's Kiss. He is known to run a small temple to Heronius, complete with an apocethary station and smithy, both of which he operates. He is the last known member of the Monks of Mortification.

Organizations: The Monks of Mortification were the only sect of divine churches that taught members the rituals of the Bloodblade. Though they mainly revered Pelor, it was known that they also revered Heronius and Kord. Despite revering gods of good and mercy, the Monks were borderline militant with their rituals, which involved forsaking any and all forms of activity aside from prayer. Often, they spend weeks performing rituals of praise, with only a gallon of water to drink, no food, and no contact with anyone. They believed that if they were close enough to the heavens, they would be granted angelhood upon entry to the upper planes. As time went on, their numbers dwindled due to the extreme nature of their worship, to the point where the last members were those who knew the rituals of the Bloodblade. These members slowly killed themselves off in their worship, to the point where but one is left alive and practicing.

NPC Reactions: Commoners and nobles will almost universally pan Bloodblades, and may even order them exiled or killed if they are found out. Thus, many Bloodblades learn skills of deciet.

Bloodblade Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Religion) or Knowledge (Planes) can research Bloodblades to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Religion) or (Planes)

DC	Result
10	Bloodblades harm themselves in divine rituals of worship.
15	Bloodblade rituals can only be learned from recorded history. No known person teaches it.
25	Some scholars believe that Bloodblades gain their powers from Vecna, wether they worship him or not.

Bloodblades in the Game

Bloodblades may seem like ideal villians, and, while that is absolutely true, they also may act as NPC guides and allies to the players.

Adaptation: This class can be easily adapted to a villainous cult. Should they act as antagonists, perhaps grant abilities that allow them to cooperatively use rituals

Sample Encounter: Kivit the Half-Lived is a solitary Bloodblade, and the last member of the Monks of Mortification.

EL 7: Kivit the Half-Lived is the last remaining member of the Monks of Mortification. He lives on the edge of a perilous forest filled with monstrous magical beasts and defensive fey. His house doubles as a temple to Heronius with a smithy and an alchemist's lab. While very freindly, he is very defensive of his various forms of prayer and rituals, and will defend them to his dying breath. Anything that leads him to believe that his guests are skeptical of his rituals will cause him to attack, likely due to a large price on his head from those who misunderstand his practices.

Kivit the Half-Lived, LG Half-Elf Bloodblade 7

STR: 13, DEX: 12, CON: 14, INT: 8, WIS: 16, CHA: 10

AC: 23 (10 + 1 DEX + 9 Armor, +3 Shield), Flat-Foot: 22, Touch: 11, Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +5

HP: 7d12+27 (76 HP), BAB +7, Grapple +8, Initiative +5, Speed 20ft (30 unarmored)

Attack: +1 Longsword: +9, 1d8+2

Full Attack: +1 Longsword: +9/+4, 1d8+2

Special attacks: Sacrificial Smite, Burst of Blood (DC: 16)

Special Abilities: Extra Hit Points, Scarification (+2), Autopurity (21 HP), Bleeding Fury, Sacrificial Grace

Special qualities: Half-elf traits

Skills: Craft (Weaponsmithing) +9, Diplomacy +12, Spot +9, Listen +9, Gather Information +2, Search +0

Feats: Power Attack, Toughness (x2), Improved Initiative

Equipment: +1 Longsword, +1 Full Plate, +1 Heavy Steel Shield, Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds (x2), Shortbow (20 arrows)

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