A bandit king is raiding caravans on the road. An ogre is pillaging the farms to the north. A sorcerer has kidnapped the mayor's son and hidden him somewhere in the marsh. And the soldiers of the king cannot seem to stem the tide. The terrified citizens have only one choice, and it isn't cheap. They call in a Bloodhound.

The Bloodhound tracks down wrongdoers and brings them to whatever justice awaits them. Low-level Bloodhounds depend on their keen senses and careful training to hunt their targets. As they gain experience, their obsessive determination gives them supernatural abilities that make them nearly unstoppable.

Most Bloodhounds work for money (usually a lot of it), but some accept jobs for justice, revenge, or enjoyment.  When a Bloodhound accepts a job, he designates his target as a mark. Thereafter, he does not abandon the case until it is finished, which occurs when the mark is apprehended or when either the mark or the Bloodhound dies (usually the mark).

Though some Bloodhounds leave calling cards or even brands on their marks, most don't kill their targets if they can help it. They prefer instead to subdue their marks and bring them in to whomever paid for their capture, or some relevant authority. For those of good alignment, this practice satisfies some deeply held belief in the cause of justice. For neutral and evil Bloodhounds, it ensures a steady stream of income from catching the same marks over and over when they break out of jail.  Still, sometimes the best solution at the time is just to bring back proof of the mark's death and negotiate the fee.

Bloodhound Magic

Starting at 3rd level, the you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Bloodhound Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.  You always have the spell hunter's mark prepared and it does not consume a spell slot.

Bloodhound Spells

I'll find you

Starting at 3rd level, a Bloodhound can target, or mark, an individual humanoid or monstrous humanoid foe to better hunt that enemy.  To do so, the bloodhound must focus on a creature who is present and visible, or on the depiction or description of one who is not, for 10 minutes. Any interruption ruins the attempt and forces the bloodhound to start the process again.  Once this study is complete, that target is called a mark.  A Bloodhound can have a number of marks equal to to their proficiency bonus at any given time.

A Bloodhound gains advantage on all Insight, Investigation, Perception, and Survival checks made against a mark or to determine the whereabouts of a mark and deals an extra 1D6 damage against the mark as if it were under the effect of the spell hunter's mark. Never willing to give up on tracking a mark, once per long rest a Bloodhound can focus on a specific mark and develop a "hunch" that indicates which rough cardinal direction to continue pursuit.  The Bloodhound can also move at normal speed while following tracks and does not suffer disadvantage on survival or perception checks when traveling at normal speed.

No escape

Starting at 3rd level, a Bloodhound knows how to keep pace with a mark to prevent escape and is not hindered by vertical terrain.  The Bloodhound climbs at their full normal speed and, while tracking a mark, can increase movement speed to equal to the mark's speed using the same means.  If a mark is moving on foot the Bloodhound can move on foot at the same speed, and if a mark is riding a transport, such as a cart or horse, the Bloodhound could force a similar transport to move at the same speed.  However the Bloodhound cannot prevent premature exhaustion or breakdown from pushing their means of transport beyond its limits.  Nor can the Bloodhound match the speed of a transport without using similar means, such as trying to match the speed of a horse while on foot.

Nowhere to hide

Starting at 3rd level, a Bloodhound learns how to move and survive in the gritty landscape of urban environments just as deftly as any natural setting.  The Bloodhound gains the same benefits of the Natural Explorer feature while in urban environments, such as cities and towns, just as if it were another natural terrain the Ranger is familiar with.  If the urban environment is a small town or village the Bloodhound need not travel for a full hour to gain the benefits of this feature. 

The Bloodhound may also make a reaction to prevent falling from a height that would cause damage, such as from a tall building.  Upon a successful dexterity save, the Bloodhound grabs something that prevents or reduces the fall, such as a ledge or handhold, and instead of taking damage is considered restrained until the Bloodhound uses an action to regain stable footing, or is forcibly knocked free from the handhold.

The Bloodhound is used to working in tight quarters with other creatures, even hostile ones, and can shove through their space at half their usual speed, even if the creature is not two sizes larger or smaller than the Bloodhound.  The Bloodhound cannot share space with a hostile creature, but must pass through to an unoccupied adjacent space or else be knocked prone at the opposing creature's feet.  Sharing space with an allied creature is possible with a successful Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, but both occupants have disadvantage on all checks and saves while sharing space.

I've got you

Starting at 7th level, the Bloodhound becomes keenly aware of how to avoid detection, moving quickly and quietly while sensing magical means of being spied on.  The Bloodhound can move at full speed while using stealth and can also detect magical divination spell effects such as scrying or arcane eye with a Wisdom save against the caster's spell DC.  If a spell or effect is detected in this manner it is not automatically known what spell, or even that magic, was used and the Bloodhound simply feels the suspicion of being watched in some way.  This feature grants advantage on saves to resist such effects, such as the Wisdom save to resist scrying.

Can't stop me

Starting at 7th level, the Bloodhound has enough grit to shrug off the effects of a mark's special abilities and does not feel fatigue while in pursuit of a mark.  The Bloodhound adds Constitution bonus to Wisdom saves and Wisdom bonus to Constitution saves made to resist the special attacks or spells of a mark.  Also, the Bloodhound is no longer subject to exhaustion from travel or strenuous activity made in pursuit of a mark.  These bonuses only apply when the situation is directly related to the pursuit of a mark, such as traveling without rest to catch up to a mark, or clearing heavy obstacles blocking the path to follow a mark.

I can smell you

Starting at 11th level, a Bloodhound becomes especially aware of a mark's movement and ignores effects of the spell pass without trace or any spell that applies the invisible condition to a mark.  This ability functions as a magical means of tracking a mark that cannot be negated by a spell, but the Bloodhound rationalizes this supernatural sense as simply an extension of their own perception, such as an exceptionally keen eye or sensitive sense of smell.

You're mine now

Starting at 11th level, the Bloodhound has become incredibly adept at keeping control of a captured mark and has advantage on any checks to keep a mark from escaping, to include being grappled or fastening bindings.  A Bloodhound's enemy has disadvantage on checks and saves to escape being restrained by the Bloodhound, to include being grappled or freeing themselves from any applied bindings.  These bonuses and penalties apply not just to physical restraints, but also magical spells and abilities, such as the spells hold person or ensnaring strike, as well as attacks granted by the Sentinel feat.

Out of my way

Starting at 15th level, a Bloodhound can't be deterred by magical effects that impede movement, as if affected by the spell freedom of movement.  A Bloodhound can push past magical doors or barriers such as wall of force by moving through such barriers at half normal speed.  The Bloodhound can ignore any damage from barriers such as wall of fire by treating the affected area as difficult terrain, provided the Bloodhound's turn does not end there.  This ability cannot be used to travel across planes of existence or teleport.