Bound to their oath by blood, Blood Oath Paladins draw their power not only from prayer alone but also through powers given to them in return for blood tributes to their deity. Through this practice, they learn the secrets of blood rituals and gain a better control over the life forces of their friends and foes in battle. Various blood oaths have been sworn over the decades with the binding factors only being blood sacrifices and a commitment to fulfilling the sworn oath to which one has bound themself. Their origins range from fanatic cults over tribal clans to powerhungry individuals and equally diverse are the sworn oaths to which the paladins bind themself.

Tenets of Blood

Service. Watch over those entrusted to you and work to fulfill the duties given to you through your Blood Oath. Obey those who have authority over you.

Sacrifice. Your deity demands regular blood sacrifices, either from your own blood or that of your enemies. Those include offerings of your blood to cast blood rituals.

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

Thirst for Blood. As a bonus action, you become overtaken with the thirst for blood from your deity. For 1 minute, once on your turn when you successfully hit a creature with a melee attack, you heal yourself by an amount of hitpoints equal to 1 + your proficiency modifier. Starting at level 11, the amount of healing received increases to 2 + your proficiency modifier. This effect is not triggered on undead, constructs, or creatures that are dead prior to the attack.

Turn the Sacrifice. As an action, the paladin is imbued by the desire for a worthy sacrifice to offer to their deity. Each creature of the paladin's choice which is within 30 feet of the paladin and which is at above half of its maximum hitpoints must make a Wisdom saving throw if it can see the paladin. The DC for the Wisdom saving throw is the paladin's spell DC. On a failed save, the target is frightened of the paladin for 1 minute.

If a creature frightened by this effect ends its turn more than 30 feet away from the paladin, it can attempt another Wisdom saving throw to end the effect on it.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Blood Oath Spells

Blood Ritual

Starting at level 3, you can cast ritual spells gained from the list of your Blood Oath Spells as rituals. You can do so a number of times equal to your Constitution Modifier (minimum of 1) and regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest. Each time you cast a spell as a ritual using this feature, you take damage equal to 1d4 per spell level of the ritual spell.

Aura of Tribute

Starting at 7th level, once per round when a creature either willingly moves within 10 feet of you or if a creature within 10 feet of you willingly moves further than 10 feet away from you, you can choose to immediately have that creature take necrotic damage equal to half your paladin level rounded up.

 At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Absorb Life

Starting at 15th level, whenever you reduce a creature to 0 through a melee weapon attack or a melee spell attack, you can use your reaction to gain temporary hitpoints equal to your Paladin level. These temporary hit points last until you finish a long rest. While you have these temporary hitpoints, you have advantage on Constitution Saving Throws. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma Modifier (minimum of 1) and regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest.

Circle of Ichor

At 20th level, you gain the ability to perform a ritual to control the life forces of nearby creatures. As an action, you project a circle of ichor with a 30 foot radius centered on yourself for 1 minute, granting the following benefits:

While enemy creatures are within 30 feet of you, they move as if they were in difficult terrain, including flying, swimming, and hovering enemies.

If a creature within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to instead have another creature within 30 feet of you take that damage as Necrotic damage.

Your melee attacks deal additional Necrotic damage equal to 2d12.

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.