Base Class: Blood Hunter
Disease and decay are rampant in the world, and there are those who find themselves at the mercy of these illnesses. Whereas others see it as a weakness, the Order of the Leper sees it as a chance to turn weakness into strength. While the disease lives on in their bodies, it is at their beck and call, to be used against the creatures who would spread these diseases in the first place.
Utilizing new formulas of the Hunter's Bane mutagen, those already of the Order of the Leper can grant those with life-threatening diseases the ability to control and focus these illnesses into their own blood, making it toxic and vile. Only the bravest or most desperate of souls trudge down this path, for once you have begun upon it, there truly is no going back.
Tainted Blood
Your infected blood has taken on powerful properties as a means of keeping you alive and retaliating against those who would bring you harm.
At 3rd level, you gain immunity to disease.
Additionally, choose Rotting, Caustic or Venomous. You gain resistance to this type of damage, necrotic, acid and poison respectively. And when you are hit by a melee attack, the attacker takes damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die, the damage corresponding with your blood type.
At level 18, this damage increases to 2 rolls of your hemocraft die.
Caustic
Your blood is of a caustic nature, granting you resistance to acid damage and dealing acid damage when you are hit by melee attacks, equal to one roll of your Hemocraft die.
Rotting
Your blood is of a rotting nature, granting you resistance to necrotic damage and dealing necrotic damage when you are hit by melee attacks, equal to one roll of your Hemocraft die.
Venomous
Your blood is of a venomous nature, granting you resistance to poison damage and dealing poison damage when you are hit by melee attacks, equal to one roll of your Hemocraft die.
Mask of the Deathly Ill
As a result of your disease-ridden body, you’ve become an outcast in society, a pariah. To counteract this, your order has provided you with a magical mask, one that halts your body’s decay and guises your face and body in a veil of secrecy. At 3rd level, while wearing this mask, you gain disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks. The mask is a wondrous item requiring attunement. If the mask is lost or destroyed, you can take any mask and spend one hour to imbue the same powers into it, which can be done over the course of a short rest.
At levels 3, 11 and 18, you gain one of the following benefits applicable to your mask.
- Endurance: Your Max HP increases by 1 every level you have.
- Resolve: Your AC increases by 1.
- Knowledge: You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice, or expertise in one skill.
- Agility: You gain advantage on Athletics/Acrobatics check to resist grappled/restrained.
- Instinct: You gain a +1 to saving throws.
- Defiance: You gain advantage on Death saving throws.
Whenever you level up, you can change one of these benefits out for another. You cannot choose a benefit more than once.
Agility
You gain advantage on Athletics/Acrobatics checks to resist grappled/restrained.
Defiance
You gain advantage on Death saving throws.
Endurance
Your Max HP increases by 1 every level you have.
Instinct
You gain a +1 to saving throws.
Knowledge
You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice, or expertise in one skill.
Resolve
Your Armor Class increases by 1.
Decaying Recovery
At 7th level, your body has learned to reverse the inevitable decay that your disease causes, even going so far as to provide you defences. As a bonus action, you can activate this ability for 10 minutes. At the start of your turn, if you are below half of your HP, you regain HP equal to your proficiency bonus, so long as you are above 1 HP. While at or above half of your HP, you gain THP equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this ability once per long rest.
At level 15, you gain a second use of this feature per long rest.
Brand of Pestilence
Your control over your own body and its diseased aspects have increased to new heights. You can now utilise your Brand of Castigation in new ways.
At 11th level, as a reaction upon being hit by an attack, you can cause your blood to explode in an aura of pestilence, applying the brand of castigation to yourself in the process. Your aura surrounds you in a radius of 15 feet, and when a creature ends its turn within the aura, it takes damage equal to your Intelligence modifier in the type you chose in your Tainted Blood feature. This effect lasts for 1 minute.
Blood Curse of the Pathogen
Through great effort, you’ve learned how to affect enemies with your disease temporarily, causing searing pain for a short period of time.
At 15th level, you gain the Blood Curse of the Pathogen. This Blood Curse does not count against your total number of curses known.
As a Bonus Action, you can choose one creature within 30 ft. This creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a fail, they take 6d6 damage of the same type as your Tainted Blood feature, half as much on a success. For 1 minute after, they must make follow up Constitution saves. On a fail, they take that damage again. On a success, the disease passes on, ending the effect.
Amplify: You can choose three creatures within 60ft instead of one. Each of these creatures takes 4d6 damage of the same type as your Tainted Blood feature on a fail, half as much on a success. For 1 minute after, they must make follow up Constitution saves. On a fail, they take that damage again. On a success, the disease passes on, ending the effect.
Festering Immortality
Having been through hell, you have achieved mastery over your disease ridden body, so much so, that it has even brought your inevitable death to a grinding halt.
At 18th level, you gain the following benefits:
- Your tainted blood feature now deals 2 rolls of your hemocraft die in damage.
- You no longer age, as your body sustains itself from its constant decay.
- If you die, you will return to life after 1d6 days, so long as a piece of your body remains.
- Your Aura of Pestilence now deals damage equal to twice your Intelligence modifier.
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Posted Jun 17, 2026I don't think OP is active anymore, so I am going to try and make a better version that works! (Same stuff, but with some changes, and credit where credit is due.)
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Posted May 12, 2024First off, this is one of the coolest subclasses I've seen so far. It's got a very unique and thematic flavor to it- something a lot of the Blood Hunter subclasses (including the stock ones!) lack.
As to more practical feedback:
-Tainted Blood should be limited- either Proficiency bonus or Con Modifier rolls per short rest.
-The 'Endurance' feature on 'Mask of the Deathly Ill' should be limited to levels in this class.
-'Decaying Recovery' probably shouldn't give HP above half HP.
-The wording of 'Blood Curse of the Pathogen' is really non-standard for what it does. (On a more extreme note, I feel like this could have been rolled in with Brand of Pestilence as the 11th level feature, though that might leave you without a 15th level feature.)
-'Festering Immortality' should really specify how much of your body remains (and perhaps not work if you are killed by fire or radiant damage?).