Order of the Viper

"Bloodhunters belonging to the Order of the Viper do not simply end lives. Anyone can kill. Accidents can kill. But sometimes it's not just the death that matters—it's the means and the message. Armed with bows, daggers, and their silver tongues, the Viper's primary focus is the kill: tearing enemies down one at a time with systematic efficiency.

These venomous assassins remove problems with surgical precision. They hit where and when it hurts most, exposing vulnerabilities that allow their poison to do the rest. For the Viper, cold calculation matters more than raw speed or aggression, and every victory can improve the chances of success in the next. This order has been raised to an art form in the Chultan Peninsula, but its raw utility has ensured that it knows no borders. Where there are people, there are both clients and targets."

- An Account: In Shadow and Blood

Hailing from the war-torn lands of the Chultan Peninsula, the secret arts of the Viper were born of necessity, and have since given rise to a secretive breed of highly-trained combatants.

The vipers commonly use a combination of stealth and mobility to reach positions of advantage, be it a sniper’s perch away from enemy blades or behind an unsuspecting guard. Deadly and resourceful, Vipers can tip the balance of any strategic assault.

Silver Tongue

When you join this order at 3rd level, you gain serpentine charm which you can use to influence those around you. You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, and Persuasion. Furthermore, whenever you make a Charisma check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1).

Rite of Venom

At 3rd level, you learn the Rite of the Venom as part of your Crimson Rite feature. When you activate the Rite of the Venom, the additional damage dealt by your rite is poison damage. Furthermore, while that rite is active on your weapon, when you hit a poisoned creature with a weapon for which the Rite of the Venom is active, you roll one additional hemocraft die when determining the additional damage from the rite.

Contamination

At 7th level, you learn how corrupt your enemies internally to destroy them from the inside. While your Rite of Venom is active on your weapon and you hit a creature with it, you can attempt to poison them. That creature must succeed a Constitution saving throw against your Hemocraft save DC or become poisoned.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1) and you regain all spent uses when you finish a short rest.

Brand of Corruption

At 11th level, your Rite of Venom becomes so potent that it can now contaminate the most powerful enemies.

If your Rite of Venom is active on your weapon, your attacks and spells ignore poison resistance and resistance to the poisoned condition. Furthermore, if a target is immune to poison damage or the poisoned condition, you treat it as though it is only resistant.

Blood Curse of Infection

Beginning at 15th level, you hone your hemocraft to infect your enemies with disease and eliminate them with efficiency. You gain the Blood Curse of Infection for your Blood Maledict feature. This doesn’t count against your number of blood curses known.

As a bonus action, if your Rite of Venom is active on your weapon and you hit a creature with it, you can choose to attempt and afflict them with one of the following diseases:

• Wasting Fever. A sweltering fever sweeps through the creature's body. The creature has disadvantage on Strength checks, Strength saving throws, and attack rolls that use Strength.
• Digressive Spasms. The creature is overcome with uncontrollable shakes and spasms. The creature has disadvantage on Dexterity checks, Dexterity saving throws, and attack rolls that use Dexterity.
• Creeping Cough. The creature begins to cough and vomit blood violently. The creature has disadvantage on Constitution checks and Constitution saving throws. Furthermore, whenever the creature takes damage, it takes additional necrotic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1).
• Hysterical Humors. The creature loses their grip on their sanity. The creature has disadvantage on Intelligence checks and Intelligence saving throws, and the creature behaves as if under the effects of the muddled thoughts condition.
• Eye Rot. The creature's eyes are crusted shut. The creature has disadvantage on Wisdom checks and Wisdom saving throws and is blinded.
• Pallid Decay. The creature's flesh becomes pallid and starts to flake off. The creature has disadvantage on Charisma checks and Charisma saving throws and is vulnerable to poison damage.

The creature makes a Constitution saving throw against your Hemocraft save DC and on a failed save, is afflicted with the disease until the end of their next turn.

Amplify. The duration of the curse is increased to 1 minute. At the end of each of their turns, the cursed creature can remake the saving throw. On a success, this curse ends.

Exploit Weakness

Starting at 18th level, you can expose a creature's wounds to deal deadly damage. When you attack and hit a creature that is poisoned, and you have one or more crimson rites active, you can force it to make a Constitution saving throw against your Hemocraft save DC. On a failed save, double the damage of your attack against the creature, and all your active crimson rites end.

You can use this feature three times and you regain all spent uses when you finish a long rest.