Roguish Archetype: Crimson Deadeye

“It drinks from me—and I drink from them.”

Legends tell of forbidden devices once crafted in the waning age of arcanoalchemy—firearms that did not rely on powder or arcane fuel, but on the blood of their wielder. These weapons, bound to life essence, were hidden or destroyed after their creators vanished. You have found—or made—one. A living weapon that bonds to your blood, reshaping you into something more than mortal, and less.

You are a Crimson Deadeye: a rogue who exchanges pain for precision, wounding yourself to make your shots bite deeper, and reclaiming vitality through death.

Bloodbound Caliber

When you choose this archetype, you bind yourself to a Crimson Firearm, a cursed and personalized weapon that runs on your life essence. You’re considered proficient with this firearm, and can summon or recreate it during a long rest by feeding it 10 HP worth of blood (cannot be healed magically, must be restored through rest).

The Crimson Firearm

Choose a form for your firearm:

• Bloodpiercer: (1d10 piercing, range 80/240, two-handed, reload [1], bloodcharged)

• Vitae Flechette: (2d4 piercing, range 40/120, light, reload [2], bloodcharged)

• Sanguine Raycaster: (1d8 necrotic, range 60/180, finesse, reload [1], bloodcharged)

Bloodcharged: To fire this weapon, you must take 1d4 damage per shot. This cannot be reduced, transferred, or prevented.

Crimson Sneak Attack

You can apply Sneak Attack using your Crimson Firearm. When you do, you may expend additional blood to enhance the shot:

• Hemorrhaging Shot: Deal extra necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

• Grasping Bleed: The target’s speed is halved until the start of your next turn.

• Sever Vitality: If the target is below half its hit point maximum, it cannot take reactions until its next turn.

You may use one of these effects once per turn when you hit with a Sneak Attack.

Bloodpiercer

Bloodpiercer: (1d10 piercing, range 80/240, two-handed, reload [1], bloodcharged)

Sanguine Raycaster

Sanguine Raycaster: (1d8 necrotic, range 60/180, finesse, reload [1], bloodcharged)

Vitae Flechette:

Vitae Flechette: (2d4 piercing, range 40/120, light, reload [2], bloodcharged)

Blood is a Blade

You've learned to bleed with purpose. When you fire your Crimson Firearm and take damage from it, you gain one of the following benefits (choose one at the moment of firing):

• Bloodstep: Immediately teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.

• Blood Veil: Gain resistance to the next instance of damage before your next turn.

• Lifeburst: Gain temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier + half rogue level.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier per long rest.

Crimson Overdrive

You’ve unlocked more power in your bonded firearm. Choose one upgrade to manifest permanently:

• Soul Cylinder: Reload [1] becomes Reload [2] and the first shot per round no longer costs HP.

• Thirsting Fangs: When you reduce a creature to 0 HP with a firearm attack, you regain 2d6 HP.

• Exsanguinate Bolt: Once per turn, when you deal Sneak Attack with your Crimson Firearm, deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage to every creature within 5 feet of the target.

Exsanguinate Bolt

Once per turn, when you deal Sneak Attack with your Crimson Firearm, deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage to every creature within 5 feet of the target.

Soul Cylinder

Reload [1] becomes Reload [2] and the first shot per round no longer costs HP.

Thirsting Fangs

When you reduce a creature to 0 HP with a firearm attack, you regain 2d6 HP.

Bloodstained Phantom

You and your firearm move as one, swift and spectral.

• When you roll initiative, you may immediately fire your firearm without consuming ammo or HP.

• Once per turn, when you take damage from your own weapon, you may force a creature within 30 feet to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Dex mod + proficiency bonus). On a failure, it takes necrotic damage equal to your Sneak Attack dice and is frightened until the end of your next turn.