Blood Mage, 2nd Variant (5e Class)

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Blood Mage

Pulling back her hand from the now lifeless corpse the elf looks over towards the rest of the goblin thieves wondering what spell she will test against the rest of her test subjects.

Slicing his palm with the jewel encrusted dagger and grasping the hand of the barbarian, the halfling smirks knowing he now has a new source of life for his spells.

Scratching at her wounded arm the tiefling mutters a few arcane words as the blood on her hands begins to burst into magical flames that she sends out towards the bandits that ambushed them in the night.

Blood Mages are magic users specialized in life but not by restoring it like many others but in manipulating it and ending it. They do this in many ways such as draining the life from both friends and foes, restoring their magic from their own life force and imbuing both creatures and objects with corrupted magic.

The Forbidden and Taboo

Blood mages are seldom stopped by what people deem forbidden or taboo. Necromancy, sacrifice and deals with evil beings are everyday things. This might cause a blood mage to come in conflict with the just and righteous people of the world.

Thirst for Knowledge and Power

Many believe that blood mages have their origin in wizards that went down a path of forbidden and taboo magic, because blood mages and wizards are similar in a lot of ways. Blood mages usually work the same types of jobs as wizards like being sages and keepers of arcane knowledge. But because of their reputation for being evil, be it true or not they normally have to hide away from society or at least keep the blood mage part of their lives a secret.

Some blood mages are fine settling down and keep doing their experiments but most travel far and wide in search of new knowledge and artifacts that can boost their power. And it might also give them a few bandits to test their magic on.

Creating a Blood Mage

Quick Build

You can make a Blood Mage quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the Sage background. Third, choose <!-elaborate on equipment choices->

Class Features

As a Blood Mage you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, shortbow, shortswords, sickles, slings
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine and Religion.

Equipment

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

• (a) a simple melee weapon or (b) a shortsword or (c) a shortbow and 20 arrows
• (a) leather armor or (b) scale mail (if proficient)
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• two daggers

Table: The Blood Mage

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
				1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Spellcasting, Blood Conversion, Corrupt Magic	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	—	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Blood Path	3	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Blood Bond	4	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	Blood Path Feature	4	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	Blood Network	4	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	4	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	Blood Path Feature	5	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	—	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	—	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	—	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	Blood Path Feature	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	—	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	—	5	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Blood Path Feature	5	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Spellcasting

See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spell Listing for the blood mage spell list.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the blood mage spell list. You learn additional blood mage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Blood Mage table. Preparing and Casting Spells The Blood Mage table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your blood mage spells. To cast one of your blood mage spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of blood mage spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the blood mage spell list. When you do so, choose a number of blood mage spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your blood mage level, rounded up (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 3rd-level blood mage, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Magic Missile, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of blood mage spells requires at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your blood mage spells; your understanding of the theory behind magic allows you to wield these spells with superior skill. You use your Intelligence whenever a blood mage spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a blood mage spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

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

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast a blood mage spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

Blood Conversion

Beginning at 1st level you can convert your own life into magical energy. As a bonus action you can convert a number of hit points into spell slots as seen in the Blood Conversion Table below. The converted spell slot needs to be of a level for which you have spell slots for. When you create spell slots you can surpass the normal amount you have of the spell slot level, you can create a maximum of additional spell slots past the normal amount you have of the spell slot level equal to your intelligence modifier. The created spell slots vanish at the end of a long rest.

Spell Slots Level	Hit Points Cost
1st	8
2nd	12
3rd	22
4th	34
5th	40
6th	44
7th	53
8th	67
9th	72

Corrupt Magic

Due to your dabbling with dark and evil magic your body has been corrupted and unable to heal others by ordinary means. You are unable to cast spells that regain hit points or increase a creatures hit point maximum from spells that aren’t on the Blood Mage spell list.

Subclass Feature

At 3rd level, you chose a Blood Path. Choose between Alchemical, Infusing, Vampiric or Networking, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, 15th and 20th level.

Ability Score Improvement

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.

Blood Bond

Beginning at 5th level you can create a bond between a creature and yourself. You can spend 10 minutes to create a bond on a willing creature or remove the bond on an already bound creature. While a bound creature is within 60 feet of you, you can use a bonus action to transfer hit points from a bound creature to yourself, this cannot exceed your hit point maximum and you can only transfer up to your Blood Capacity (Constitution modifier x Your Blood Mage level) hit points or the bound creatures current hit points, if it is less than you Blood Capacity. If the bound creature is unwilling when you transfer hit points it must make a Constitution Saving throw. On a success you transfer 0 hit points. You can have up to 2 bound creatures at a time.

You can bind an additional creature when you reach 9th level and again at 15th level.

Blood Network

Beginning at 7th level on the same bonus action when using the Blood Bond feat you can transfer hit points from yourself to a bound creature, the amount of hit points you can transfer this way is the same as your Blood Capacity.

Alchemical

Using your own health to use magic is quite the hassle. You become too vulnerable to incoming attacks and it’s quite limiting. So why not create another source for your magic?

Blood Catalyst

Starting at 3rd level you can spend 2 hour and 40 gp (for material costs) to create one Catalyst. The Catalysts hit points can be used instead of your own to convert into spell slots. The Catalyst's hit points are equal to 4d6. You can have a maximum of 2 Catalysts active. You can spend an additional 1 hour and 20 gp when making the Catalyst to increase the hit points by 2d6, you can do this a maximum of 3 times.

You can have an additional Catalyst active when you reach 9th level and again at 15th level.

Supplementary Blood

Starting at 6th level you can use the Blood Bond feature on up to 2 Catalysts you have, these do not count towards the bound maximum.

You can bind an additional Catalyst when you reach 10th level and again at 13th and 16th level.

Living Catalyst

Starting at 10th level you can construct an altar to store blood in. You can spend an entire day and 100 gp to create a Living Catalyst. When created, the Living Catalyst starts with 0 hit points and has a hit point maximum equal to your Constitution Score x your Proficiency Bonus. Once every day the Living Catalyst regains 3d10 hit points. The Living Catalysts hit points can be used instead of your own to convert into spell slots, you do not have to be near it in order for this to work. You can only have one Living Catalyst active at all times. The Living Catalyst is of Huge size and cannot be moved. If the Living Catalyst reaches 0 hit points through any means other than through conversion it is destroyed.

Fountain of Youth

Starting at 15th level while you have a functioning Living Catalyst you do not age and can’t be aged by magical means. Additionally you can expend 30 hit points from your Living Catalyst to reduce the age of any willing living creature by 5 years.

Any creature within 30 feet of your Living Catalyst ages at half speed and gains advantage on any constitution check or saving throw.

Philosopher's Stone

Starting at 20th level the limit on how many times you can increase the hit points of a Catalyst is increased to 10 times.

You can spend 10 minutes and a catalyst to resurrect the remains of a dead creature that has been dead for no longer than 100 years and that died for any reason except old age. Any damaged or missing organs and limbs are replaced and all wounds are closed. The catalyst used needs to have at least 100 hit points at the time of use.

Infusing

Being able to use your life for magic is quite useful, but you feel like there’s something else you can do with it. Perhaps, what would happen if you used the raw life force on something else?

Blood Infusion

Starting at 3rd level you can spend a short rest or a long rest to infuse your equipment with blood. Additionally you can spend 10 minutes removing an infusion. Choose 2 infusions from the Blood Mage infusions table. Unless stated in the infusion description, infusions cannot stack. When creating an infusion, reduce your max hit points according to the infusion cost of the infusion used.

You gain an additional infusion at 6th level and again at 10th, 15th and 20th level.

Living Infusion

Starting at 6th level you can infuse yourself and other willing creatures with blood. You can infuse a non willing creature if they are conscious at which point they make a constitution saving throw against your spells save DC.

Limit of Life

Starting at 10th level you can now transfer hit points above your and others hit point maximum, hit points above a creature hit point maximum becomes temporary hit points. Additionally whenever you or a bound creature that you can see makes an attack that uses an attack roll you can convert 10 hit points to add an extra +1 to the attack roll.

Quick infusion

Starting at 15th level you can now as an action remove an infusion. Additionally you only need to spend 10 minutes infusing an item.

Master of the Trade

Starting at 20th level any weapon with an infusion now has a +1 extra to attack and to damage. Any armor or shields with an infusion now has a +1 extra to AC. Additionally you can infuse an item or creature without any cost, this can only be done once while the infusion is active.

Vampiric

You’ve learned to use your own life as a resource, but your life is not sufficient. So who says you can’t use other creatures to make it sufficient?

Leech

Starting at 3rd level you can make a ranged magic attack. On a hit you deal 1d6 + your spellcasting modifier necrotic damage to a creature within 10ft of you. You heal for half of the damage dealt.

The damage increases to 2d6 when you reach 6th level, 3d6 when you reach 14th level and 4d6 when you reach 17th level.

Parasite

Starting at 6th level you can as an action force a non willing creature with a CR above 0 within 60 feet to make a Constitution Saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure you can use the Blood Bond feature to instantly create a bond for 1 minute, you can only have one creature at a time bound like this. On a success the creature takes 1d4 necrotic damage. If a creature has succeeded on the save or 1 minute has passed that creature cannot be targeted by Parasite for 24 hours.

Cursed Presence

Starting at 10th level your very being starts to corrupt from the life force of the creatures that you have drained. You and any bound creatures you have become cursed. Whenever you successfully hit with Leech or create a bond with a creature that creature is also cursed. Whenever a living creature comes into contact with any bodily fluids or is hit with necrotic damage from a living cursed creature, that creature also receives the curse. If you're within 30 feet of the corpse of a cursed creature you instantly create a Blood Bond, the corpse always counts as willing. A bound cursed corpse has hit points equal ¼ of its hit point maximum from when it was alive and can only be drained, this does not count towards the bound maximum.

Vampirism

Starting at 15th level you can spend 15 minutes and 30 hit points to turn a cursed corpse into a minion under your control, this can only be done if the corpse has not been drained, you can only have up to 3 minions under your control at a time. A minion under your control retains the curse and can spread it further. When converting a cursed corpse into a minion roll a d10, on a 1-5 the corpse becomes a zombie, on a 6-10 the corpse becomes a vampire minion. The minion is not bound to you through Blood Bond.

Corrupt Blood

Starting at 20th level whenever you use Leech on a cursed creature, you heal for all damage dealt instead of half of it. Additionally whenever you use Blood Conversion to convert a 5th level spell or lower you can spend half of the hit points required for the spell slot. This can be done 3 times per long rest.

Networking

You’ve always wondered if you can somehow connect yourself with others, sharing each other's life energy. What could you do with that?

Bound by Blood

Starting at 3rd level you can during a short rest create a bond between you and a willing creature. Whenever you use any magical effect or cast any spell you can do so with the bonded creature as the origin point for it, you need to be able to see the end point for the magical effect or spell, additionally the bonded creature can do the same with you or any other Bound by Blood creatures as the origin point.

You can bind an additional creature when you reach 9th level and again at 15th level.

Expansive Web

Starting at 6th level any Bound by Blood creature can use Blood Bond in order to transfer hit points from a bound creature to itself. The Bound by Blood creature can transfer hit points up to half your Blood Capacity.

Network Expansion

Starting at 10th level the range in which you can transfer hit points using Blood Bond increases by 30 feet. You can now use Blood Bond through a Bound by Blood creature. Additionally you can bind 2 additional creatures with Blood Bond.

Blood Flow

Starting at 15th level you can add your Intelligence score to your Blood Capacity. Additionally whenever a bound creature takes damage from an attack you can as a reaction use Blood Bond to transfer hit points to the damaged creature.

Forest of Life

Starting at 20th level the range in which you can transfer hit points using Blood Bond increases by 30 feet. You can bind 2 additional creatures with Blood Bond. Additionally once per long rest you can as an action merge together the hit points of every bound creature. When using this feature, add together the max hit points of every bound creature. Whenever a bound creature takes damage, subtract the damage from this pool instead of the creature's hit points after damage calculations. When the pool depletes every bound creature falls unconscious. This effect lasts for 10 minutes or until the pool depletes.

Blood Mage Spell List

You know all of the spells on the basic Blood Mage spell list.

Cantrips

acid splash, chill touch, control flames, create bonfire, dancing lights, fire bolt, frostbite, green-flame blade, infestation, light, lightning lure, mage hand, magic stone, mending, mind sliver, minor illusion, poison spray, prestidigitation, ray of frost, resistance, shocking grasp, spare the dying, thorn whip, thunderclap, toll the dead, true strike

1st Level

2nd Level

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3rd Level

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4th Level

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5th Level

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6th Level

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7th Level

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8th Level

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9th Level

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Boiling Blood

Infusion cost: 8

Item Infusion

Item: A simple or martial weapon

When making an attack with this weapon you can use your reaction to deal an extra 1d4 fire damage.

Creature Infusion

An infused creature gains cold resistance and takes 3 less damage from cold damage.

Cold Blood

Infusion cost: 8

Item Infusion

Item: A simple or martial weapon

When making an attack with this weapon you can use your reaction to deal an extra 1d4 cold damage.

Creature Infusion

An infused creature gains fire resistance and takes 3 less damage from fire damage.

Adrenaline

Infusion cost: 12

Item Infusion

Item: A simple or martial melee weapon The weapon has 3 charges. You can expend one charge to make an extra attack with the weapon.

The weapon regains one charge after a long rest.

Creature Infusion

An infused creature gains advantage on dexterity saving throws and gains an extra 5 feet of movement.

Sanguination

Infusion cost: 12

Item Infusion

You can infuse this item an additional time. This infusion can stack and does not count towards the max number of infusions on an item.

Creature Infusion

You can infuse this creature an additional time. This infusion can stack and does not count towards the max number of infusions on a creature.

Lifeline

Infusion cost: 52

Item Infusion

The infused item will slowly mend any damage done to it. A creature holding the item can remove the infusion to heal for half of their max hitpoints, if the infusion is removed in this way it loses any infusions on it and can no longer be infused.

Creature Infusion

Prerequisite: A dead creature

The infused creature is revived and continues to stay alive while this infusion is active or until it dies again. If the creature dies while the infusion is active, the infusion is removed and the creature cannot be revived by this infusion again.

Blind Eye

Infusion cost: 21

Item Infusion

Item: A cloak or robes

While wearing the item a creature can use their action to turn invisible to one creature of their choice.

Creature Infusion

The infused creature is hidden from divination magic. It can't be targeted by such magic or perceived through magical scrying sensors.

Thick Skin

Infusion cost: 21

Item Infusion

Item: A set of armor or a shield

While wearing or wielding this item you gain an additional +2 to your AC on top of the item's normal protection.

Creature Infusion

The infused creature gains resistance to non magical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage as their skin grows thick and durable, able to diminish the blows of incoming attacks.

Corruption

Infusion cost: 52

Item Infusion

Choose up to your intelligence modifier creatures, they are not affected by this infusion. If a creature touches the item roll a d6. If the infusion is removed, any curses caused by this infusion that is affecting a creature is dispelled. The creature receives a curse according to the table below.

1	Nobody remembers the cursed between meetings. Each time they encounter someone, that person believes it is the very first time.
2	The cursed must only answer questions with lies, unless they are asked about the reason for their behaviour (ex: “are you cursed?” “Are you lying on purpose?”) In which case they must respond in the affirmative.
3	The cursed must spend 10 hours to gain the benefits of a long rest.
4	The cursed takes 1 damage whenever a creature within 30 feet of them takes any damage.
5	The cursed begins to weep tears of blood uncontrollably, reducing their hit point maximum by 1 for every hour the curse remains active. The curse reduces hit points to a maximum of half their original maximum hit points.
6	The cursed cannot see anyone within 10 feet of them.

Creature Infusion

Prerequisite: A non cursed creature

The infused creature chooses one between ability checks, saving throws and attack rolls, the creature gains disadvantage on the chosen check. Whenever the creature fails an ability check, saving throw, or an attack roll it can choose to instead succeed. This can be used three times per long rest.

Ossification

Infusion cost: 34

Item Infusion

The item has 2 charges. Whenever you take damage you can expend one charge to reduce damage taken by (your spellcasting modifier + your proficiency bonus).

The item regains 1 charge every dusk.

Creature Infusion

The infused creature gains +1 AC when it first drops below half its maximum hit points after a long rest. The creature gains an additional +2 AC when it first drops to 1 hit point or lower after a long rest.

The creature loses any AC gained from this infusion after a long rest.

Vaccine

Infusion cost: 43

Item Infusion

Item: A needle or a syringe

The item has 5 charges. You can as a bonus action expend one charge to remove one condition or curse effect from a creature that you can pierce with the item and that is within reach.

The item regains 1d4 charges every dusk.

Creature Infusion

The infused creature gains advantage on any saving throw against magical condition effects. Additionally the creature can roll for a saving throw against magical condition effects that otherwise does not have a saving throw, this cannot benefit from advantage.

Amnesia

Infusion cost: 34

Item Infusion

Choose up to your intelligence modifier creatures, they are not affected by this infusion. If a creature breaks eye contact with the item they must make an intelligence saving throw against your spell save DC. On a fail they forget everything about it. On a success nothing happens. A creature regains their memories of the item if they see it again.

Creature Infusion

The infused creature can use its entire turn to make every creature, excluding the infused creature, within 300 feet forget the past 5 minutes.

This ability can only be used once and recharges after every noon.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into or out of the blood mage class, you must meet these prerequisites: Constitution 15 and Intelligence 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the blood mage class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor.

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