Blood Hunter

Far from the judging eyes of society, Blood Hunters have mastered the secretive techniques of hemocraft, finding blood magic’s esoteric nature effective against evils that resist divine rebuke or arcane bindings. Through careful study and practice, Blood Hunters hone the rites of hemocraft into combat techniques that draw upon their own vitality to invoke blood curses, empower their weapons, and withstand supernatural threats. Willing to suffer the costs of their craft, these warriors turn blood magic into a weapon against the creatures they hunt.

Whether driven by the wish to make a difference, the need for vengeance, or the hope of finding a place to belong in an uncaring world, every Blood Hunter has their own reasons for undertaking the ritual that starts them on this path.

This version of the Blood Hunter builds on the 2020 revision while allowing each Blood Hunter to use either Intelligence or Wisdom as their Hemocraft ability. The class continues to revolve around exchanging some of its own vitality for power, but its resource progression and self-inflicted costs have been adjusted so that its defining features remain dependable without removing that sacrifice.

Blood Maledict now scales directly with Blood Hunter level rather than Proficiency Bonus, preventing multiclassing from increasing the feature independently of the class. Blood Maledict uses and Blood Curses Known increase together over the course of the class and recover on a Short or Long Rest. Amplifying a curse continues to require irreducible Necrotic damage.

Crimson Rite retains its health cost and elemental damage, while Weapon Mastery and the Fighting Style feat system bring the class into the current martial framework. Brand of Castigation remains central to the class, with Hunter’s Resilience, Brand of Sundering, Brand of Tethering, and Hardened Soul expanding its defenses and pressure against dangerous foes as the Blood Hunter advances.

Blood Hunter subclasses grant features at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level, allowing each Order to develop alongside the core Hemocraft progression. At 20th level, Sanguine Mastery improves the Hemocraft die, gives greater control over Hemocraft rolls, and restores Blood Maledict uses during combat. The aim is to preserve the class’s focus on martial combat, curses, and personal sacrifice while making its central mechanics more consistent across an adventuring day.

Becoming a Blood Hunter

As a Level 1 Character

Gain all the traits in the Core Blood Hunter Traits table.

Gain the Blood Hunter’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Blood Hunter Features table.

Choose Intelligence or Wisdom as your Hemocraft ability. This choice determines your Hemocraft modifier and Hemocraft save DC.

As a Multiclass Character

Gain the following traits from the Core Blood Hunter Traits table: Hit Point Die, proficiency with Martial weapons, proficiency with Alchemist’s Supplies, proficiency in one skill of your choice from the Blood Hunter skill list, and training with Light and Medium armor and Shields.

Gain the Blood Hunter’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Blood Hunter Features table.

Choose Intelligence or Wisdom as your Hemocraft ability when you gain your first Blood Hunter level.

Blood Hunter Features

Level 1: Hunter’s Bane

You have survived the Hunter’s Bane ritual, altering your blood and sharpening your senses against supernatural threats.

You gain the following benefits.

Hunter’s Lore

You have Advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to track Fey, Fiends, and Undead.

You also have Advantage on ability checks made to recall information about Fey, Fiends, and Undead. When you make such a check, you can use your Hemocraft ability in place of the ability normally used for the check.

Hemocraft

Choose Intelligence or Wisdom as your Hemocraft ability.

Your Hemocraft modifier is the modifier of the chosen ability.

Some Blood Hunter features require a creature to make a saving throw. Your Hemocraft save DC is calculated as follows:

Hemocraft save DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Hemocraft modifier

Your Hemocraft die is determined by your Blood Hunter level, as shown in the Hemocraft Die column of the Blood Hunter Features table.

Level 1: Blood Maledict

You can invoke blood curses through hemocraft magic.

Blood Maledict Uses

The Blood Maledict Uses column of the Blood Hunter Features table shows how many times you can use this feature.

You regain all expended uses when you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Blood Curses Known

You know one Blood Curse of your choice.

You learn additional Blood Curses as shown in the Blood Curses Known column of the Blood Hunter Features table.

Whenever you learn an additional Blood Curse, you can replace one Blood Curse you know with another Blood Curse available to you.

Invoking a Blood Curse

When you use Blood Maledict, choose one Blood Curse you know and resolve its effect.

Your Blood Curses can affect any creature unless a particular Blood Curse states otherwise. A creature doesn’t need to have blood to be affected.

Amplify

When you invoke a Blood Curse, you can amplify it before resolving its effect.

To do so, roll your Hemocraft die. You take Necrotic damage equal to the number rolled, and this damage can’t be reduced or prevented in any way.

The Blood Curse then gains its amplified effect.

Level 1: Weapon Mastery

Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery properties of two kinds of Simple or Martial weapons of your choice with which you have proficiency.

Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice weapon drills and replace one of those weapon choices with another eligible weapon.

Level 2: Fighting Style

You have honed your martial prowess and gain a Fighting Style feat of your choice for which you qualify.

Whenever you gain a Blood Hunter level, you can replace that Fighting Style feat with another Fighting Style available to Blood Hunters for which you qualify.

Level 2: Crimson Rite

You can invoke rites of hemocraft that infuse your weapons with elemental or esoteric power.

Activating a Rite

As a Bonus Action, choose one weapon you are holding and one Crimson Rite you know.

Roll your Hemocraft die. You take Necrotic damage equal to the number rolled, and this damage can’t be reduced or prevented in any way.

The chosen rite becomes active on the weapon.

Rite Damage

While the rite is active, attacks you make with the weapon deal extra damage equal to one roll of your Hemocraft die. The damage type is determined by the rite you chose.

A weapon can bear only one of your Crimson Rites at a time, and another creature can’t gain the benefit of your Crimson Rite.

The rite lasts until you finish a Short or Long Rest or until you dismiss it as a Bonus Action.

Rites Known

When you gain this feature, choose one of the following Primal Rites:

• Rite of the Flame. The extra damage is Fire damage.

• Rite of the Frozen. The extra damage is Cold damage.

• Rite of the Storm. The extra damage is Lightning damage.

At Blood Hunter level 7, you learn a second Primal Rite of your choice.

At Blood Hunter level 14, you learn one of the following Esoteric Rites:

• Rite of the Dead. The extra damage is Necrotic damage.

• Rite of the Oracle. The extra damage is Psychic damage.

• Rite of the Roar. The extra damage is Thunder damage.

Level 3: Blood Hunter Subclass

You gain a Blood Hunter subclass of your choice.

A subclass represents the Order through which you have developed your Hemocraft and hunting techniques. Your subclass grants features at Blood Hunter levels 3, 7, 11, 15, and 18.

Level 4: Ability Score Improvement

You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.

You gain this feature again at Blood Hunter levels 8, 12, and 16.

Level 5: Extra Attack

You can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Level 6: Brand of Castigation

When you damage a creature with an attack using a weapon bearing your active Crimson Rite, you can mark that creature with a Brand of Castigation. No action is required.

You gain the following benefits against the branded creature.

Tracking

While the branded creature is on the same plane of existence as you, you always know the direction in which it is located.

Retribution

Whenever the branded creature damages you or an ally you can see within 5 feet of yourself, the branded creature takes Psychic damage equal to your Hemocraft modifier, with a minimum of 1 damage.

Duration

Your Brand of Castigation lasts until you dismiss it, brand another creature, or the brand is ended by Dispel Magic.

You can use Brand of Castigation once, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Level 7: Hunter’s Resilience

Your Hemocraft helps you resist the supernatural creatures you hunt.

When you fail a saving throw against an effect created by a Fey, Fiend, or Undead, you can take a Reaction to roll your Hemocraft die and add the number rolled to the saving throw, potentially turning the failure into a success.

When you use this feature, you take Necrotic damage equal to the number rolled on the Hemocraft die. This damage can’t be reduced or prevented in any way.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Level 9: Grim Psychometry

Your study of violence, death, and supernatural corruption allows you to sense traces left behind by significant events.

You have Advantage on History and Investigation checks made to learn or recall information about the violent, sinister, tragic, or supernatural history of an object or location. When you make such a check, you can use your Hemocraft ability in place of the ability normally used for the check.

In addition, you can spend 1 minute concentrating on an object you are touching or on your current location. At the end of that minute, you receive a brief psychometric vision connected to a significant event associated with the object or location.

The vision consists of truthful sensory impressions, but the information can be incomplete or fragmentary. The DM determines the event revealed and the details perceived.

Once you receive a vision with this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Level 10: Dark Augmentation

Hemocraft magic permanently strengthens your body.

Your Speed increases by 5 feet.

In addition, whenever you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw, you gain a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Hemocraft modifier, with a minimum bonus of +1.

Level 11: Brand of Sundering

Your Brand of Castigation exposes a creature to the full force of your Crimson Rite.

Whenever you hit a creature branded by your Brand of Castigation with an attack using a weapon bearing your active Crimson Rite, roll one additional Hemocraft die when determining the extra damage dealt by the rite.

Level 13: Brand of Tethering

Your Brand of Castigation becomes capable of restricting a creature’s movement and escape.

It gains the following benefits.

Increased Retribution

The Psychic damage dealt by your Brand of Castigation increases to twice your Hemocraft modifier, with a minimum of 2 damage.

Tethered Movement

The branded creature can’t take the Dash action.

If the branded creature attempts to teleport or leave its current plane of existence, it takes 4d6 Psychic damage and must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Hemocraft save DC.

On a failed save, the attempt fails and the creature remains in its current space and plane of existence. On a successful save, the movement or planar travel occurs normally.

Level 14: Hardened Soul

Your exposure to unnatural and supernatural forces has hardened your mind.

You have Advantage on saving throws against the Charmed and Frightened conditions.

Level 19: Epic Boon

You gain an Epic Boon feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.

Level 20: Sanguine Mastery

Your mastery of Hemocraft reaches its peak.

You gain the following benefits.

Perfected Hemocraft

Your Hemocraft die becomes a d12.

Hemocraft Control

Once per turn, when a Blood Hunter feature causes you to roll one or more Hemocraft dice, you can reroll one of those dice and use either roll.

Maledict Renewal

Whenever you roll Initiative, you regain one expended use of Blood Maledict.