Homebrew Blood Angel Species Details

You are neither an emissary of Heaven, nor a monster of Hell, but an uncanny mix between the two. Most blood angels are born through the unholy union of a tiefling and a fallen angel.

Physical Description

Depending how one hears the name, you might be inclined to think of an angel bathed in blood. Well, blood angels certainly have blood red wings and, occasionally, skin the color of blood. These wings are still made of feathers but some are known to be seen dripping blood. Some have even bloody looking horns curling out from their temples and other have eyes with no whites, just red. All blood angels have varying hues of red hair, sometimes so dark they are black. They typically stand with a wider variance of human heights, from 5 feet to over 6 feet. They are commonly light in build.

History

Blood angels are beings born of union of a tiefling and fallen angel. No one knows who gave birth to the first blood angel, but all remember his appearance in legend. During a war between two neighboring countries, an angel-like being with blood red skin and wings and long black hair appeared and slaughtered all who attempted to fight him. He was not aligned with either side, but the nations did not know that, and sent many forces to fight him, resulting in heavy casualties for both sides. Following the 86th battle in the war, he disappeared. However, by then, both sides of the fight agreed to lay down their arms, as the angel alone had crippled their forces so.

Blood angels are known to appear during wars and are heavily recognized as a sign that the conflict is due to end. The true result is often unknown, whether it is victory, loss or a draw for any one side. Throughout history, blood angels tend to either decimate all participating forces mercilessly or appear in places left ravaged by the violence to heal wounded. They seem to have a liminal presence which invites attacks from all around, as they are often unaligned. However, their appearance leaves such heavy losses everyone is forced to reckon with that it usually promotes cooperation between affected parties. Thus, it is believed blood angels serve as deterrent for war and a sign for understanding the weight of bloodshed.

Theorists like to speculate that, in a battle lost to time, a wounded tiefling stumbled upon the home of a fallen angel, not knowing the latter's true identity. The angel nursed the tiefling to health and, over the time the tiefling spent off the battlefield, they began to feel an affinity for each other. The angel, fallen and disillusioned, found war and such bloodshed wasteful, as it often prevented people from joining together to tackle bigger threats in life. The tiefling came to see that worldview as acceptable, admirable, even. The two of them, according to theorists, consummated and thus came to be the blood angel. The fallen angel's philosophy carried on in the descendants, who now then seem to strive to end bloodshed. This theory is often lambasted in major scholarly circles because it cannot explain why blood angels spill so much blood themselves very well.

Society

Blood angels are a rarity, so no specific society of blood angels exists. However, they are known to frequent countries that are either not in war, or deep in the thick of it. When they do so, they may try to hide their true nature to peruse in secret. People fear blood angels due to their reputation for mass murder. Some cities have a cult following for this race, however. They are believed to be bringers of peace by blood. By spilling blood, the path is cleaned for an era of nonviolence. Blood angels are sometimes complicit in these activities, making them criminals.

 

Blood Angel Names

A blood angel usually takes its name after its tiefling parent.

Male: Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, Iados, Kairon, Leucis, Melech, Mordai, Morthos, Pelaios, Skamos, Therai, Gordon

Female: Akta, Anakis, Bryseis, Criella, Damaia, Ea, Kallista, Lerissa, Makaria, Nemeia, Orianna, Phelaia, Rieta, Rosetta

 

Blood Angel Traits

Blood Angel Traits Your unique heritage provides you with a rare combination of traits few others posses. Your kind are rare throughout the world and most blood angels are children of tiefling and angel parents that have settled in the mountains away from large civilizations.

Infernal Legacy

You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip and Hellish Rebuke.

Healing Touch

As an action you can touch a living creature, causing it to magically regain hit points equal to your level. Alternatively, instead of causing the creature to regain hit points, you can cure that creature of any poisoned, blindness, or deafness conditions currently affecting it. Once you have used this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. 

Angel Wings

You have blood red wings similar to that of an angel but yours are notably smaller. These grant you a flying speed of 45 feet and a swimming speed of 25 feet. Whilst wearing heavy armor, these speeds are halved. As a bonus action you can retract or bring out your wings from your back.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 2.

Age

Blood Angels mature relatively early into life reaching adulthood at age 20 marked by the sprouting of your crimson wings that resemble those of your angelic parent yet are smaller in stature. Blood Angels have a large lifespan living up to 10,000 years.

Alignment

Most Blood Angels are aligned as Chaotic Good. They inherit a strong desire to do good in the world from their Angel parent yet the nature of their Tiefling parent leads actions of Blood Angels to often be Chaotic. Many Blood Angels that live separated from parents tend to be neutral as the have no morals influenced by parents.

Size

Blood angels are usually between 5' 5" and 6' 5". Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet. You have a fly speed of 45 feet and a swim speed of 25 feet provided by your wings that can propel you through air or water.

Damage Resistance

You have resistance to Radiant and Fire damage due to your heritage.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Celestrial and Draconic. Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants.

 

Mind link

You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic messages, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language or be telepathic itself.

As a bonus action when you’re speaking telepathically to a creature, you can give that creature the ability to speak telepathically to you until the start of your next turn. To use this ability, the creature must be within 60 feet of you and be able to see you.