Bloodweaver

The Origins of the Bloodweaver

Long ago, deep in the shadowed halls of an ancient arcane academy, a forbidden art was whispered among those desperate for power. Hemomancy—the art of wielding life force itself—was feared and reviled, outlawed for its dangerous nature and the terrible price it exacted. Yet where others saw a curse, a young prodigy saw possibility.

This student, a wizard named Kaelith Morvayn, was born frail and overlooked, with neither the brute strength of warriors nor the cunning charisma of court mages. But Kaelith possessed one thing others lacked: a relentless determination to survive.

A Desperate Discovery

Kaelith’s obsession began during a siege on the academy. The invaders, a brutal mercenary band led by a warlock, overwhelmed the arcane defenses. Cornered and with no spells left to cast, Kaelith’s panic turned to desperation. Clutching a shard of broken glass, Kaelith carved arcane sigils into their own palm, sacrificing drops of blood to empower a desperate spell.

To Kaelith's shock and terror, the spell didn’t just work—it obliterated the attackers, surging with a potency far beyond anything Kaelith had ever cast. The cost, however, was agonizing: Kaelith collapsed, feverish and near death, but alive. That night, Kaelith realized that the life coursing through their veins could be harnessed as fuel—a limitless reserve of power for those daring enough to pay the price.

The Birth of Hemomancy

Kaelith’s experiments grew more sophisticated over time. Through trial and error, the young wizard discovered how to etch glyphs into their body to hold spells, how to form blood bonds with enemies to sap their vitality, and how to weave shields of life essence to protect allies. These innovations earned Kaelith both awe and fear from peers, who began referring to them as the Bloodweaver.

But the path of hemomancy was isolating. Others shunned Kaelith, terrified of the dark power’s implications. The academy branded Kaelith a heretic, banishing them to wander the world alone.

A Legacy Written in Blood

Kaelith, however, did not fade into obscurity. The Bloodweaver's teachings persisted, carried by whispered legends and discovered in hidden tomes. Those who walk this path are often individuals on the edge: desperate scholars, battle-weary adventurers, or those with nothing left to lose.

Bloodweavers share a common philosophy—power is not given, it is taken. Every drop of blood shed, every life spent, is a step closer to true mastery. Where other wizards fear pain, Bloodweavers embrace it, transforming suffering into strength. They are both feared and respected, for the cost of crossing one is often paid in life itself.

Thus, the legacy of hemomancy endures, a forbidden art that empowers the boldest and deadliest spellcasters to rewrite the rules of life and death.

Level 3: Crimson Arcanum

You gain skills and combat enhancements by drawing on your hemomantic talents.

• Sanguine Savant: Choose two skills from the following list to gain proficiency in: Arcana, Intimidation, Medicine, or Perception. Additionally, you gain proficiency with Constitution saving throws.
• Hemomantic Insight: Add your Intelligence modifier to your Initiative rolls.

Level 6: Bloodforged Memory

Replaces Memorize Spell
Bloodforged Memory: When you prepare your spells, you can bind a spell of 1st through 5th level into your blood. The boundspell can be cast up to your proficiency modifier without expending a spell slot or material components. When you cast the bound spell, you take necrotic damage equal to twice the spell's level, which cannot be reduced or avoided. Once all uses are expended the spell fades and you must choose a new spell via long rest

At 14th level Bloodforged Memory becomes Greater Bloodforged Memory

Replaces Memorize Spell
Greater Bloodforged Memory: When you prepare your spells, you can bind a spell of 6th to 8th level into your blood. The bound spell can be cast up to your proficiency modifier without expending a spell slot or material components. When you cast the bound spell, you take necrotic damage equal to seven times the spell's level, which cannot be reduced or avoided. Once all uses are expended the spell fades and you must choose a new spell via long rest.

Level 6: Sanguine Bond

You forge deadly and painful connections through hemomantic magic.

Bloodlink Curse: When a creature damages you, you can use your reaction to curse them for 1 minute. While cursed: They take psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier + proficiency modifier whenever they deal damage to you.When damage is dealt to the cursed creature, you regain Hit Points equal to your Intelligence modifier. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses after a long rest.

Hemomantic Precision: Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a spell, you can regain one expended spell slot of a level equal to the spell's level, when using spell slots under 3rd level. Above 3rd level you can regain one expended spell slot of a level equal to half the spell's level (rounded down). You must get the last hit and kill the target to benefit from this. AOE and target spells may be used with this, but if an AOE spell kills several you are still only granted one spell slot.

Example if you were to use a 9th level spell to kill a ten commoners, you would get back one level 4th level spell slot.

Level 10: Aegis of Sacrifice

You can sacrifice your vitality to defend yourself or an ally.

Shield of Blood: As a reaction when you or a creature you can see within 30 feet takes damage, you can lose Hit Points equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1) + your proficiency bonus + your Wizard level. The damage is reduced by three times the amount of Hit Points lost.

• If you use this feature to protect an ally, double the Hit Points lost to calculate the damage reduction.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses after a long rest.

Necrotic Resistance: You gain resistance to necrotic damage.

Level 14: Bloodletting Mastery

You reach the pinnacle of hemomantic control, unleashing devastating power.

Crimson Retribution: When you take damage, you can use your reaction to unleash a wave of hemomantic energy. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, they take necrotic damage equal to your Wizard level + proficiency modifier + twice your Intelligence modifier. On a success, they take half as much damage.

Once you use Crimson Retribution, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest unless you expend Hit Points equal to your Wizard level to use it again.

Lifeblood Synergy: When you regain Hit Points from any feature of this subclass, you can increase the amount healed by your Intelligence modifier.