Order of the Runic Body (INT)

The Order of the Runic Body is a lesser known order of Blood Hunters. This order uses traditional runes inked and carved into their skin. Unlike other orders which fully take on the nature of the monsters they hunt, this order instead focuses on studying, channeling and evoking the might of giants, dragons, and primordials – those who write runes and words of power. Armed with ancient runic magic, bolstered by hemocraft, this order is dedicated to not only unearthing ancient knowledge, but keeping it alive, so that they are not forgotten.

Runic Magic

Beginning at 3rd level, you augment your combat techniques with the ability to cast spells. You’ve studied the workings of ancient magic and how to cast spells, channeling the magic through runes. To observers, you don’t appear to be casting spells in a conventional way; you appear to produce wonders from forgotten inscriptions fuelled by elements of hemocraft. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting, and see below for the runic spell list.

Somatic Components Required
You produce your runic spell effects through your body, as such you must provide somatic components when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature (meaning the spell has an ‘S’ component when you cast it). Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. Your spells always require a somatic component, and as such, you must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.

Spellcasting Focus.
Your body functions as a spellcasting focus for your runic spells, as you channel the power of magic through the runes on your body. As such, you don't need to provide material components, except for those components that have a specific cost or are consumed in the spells casting (as indicated in a spell's description).

Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the runic spell list. You learn an additional cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots. The Runic Body Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your runic spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

For example, when you are 8th level, you have two 2nd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell inflict wounds, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 2nd-level spell.

USING RUNES AS MAGIC

As an Order of the Runic Body Blood Hunter, you use your body and the runes inscribed upon it when you cast your spells. When describing your spellcasting, think about how you’re using your body and the runes tattooed or carved upon it to perform the spell effect. If you cast burning hands, you could be igniting an ancient rune of a gold dragon. The rune could appear on your hands, or forearms, or it might be placed upon your chest, like where a dragon's fire bellows. When you cast light, you could alight the rune that represents it, and inscribe it upon a creature or object you touch. The effect of the spell is the same as for a spellcaster of any other class, but your method of spellcasting is special.

The same principle applies when you learn your spells. As one of the Runic Body, you don’t study a spellbook, pray or innately know your spells. Instead, you work to inscribe runes representing the spell upon your body, writing glyphs and sigils you’ll later evoke to produce your effects. If you replace thunderwave with inflict wounds, you might be altering the method you use to inscribe that rune into your body — perhaps changing the way it is inscribed so that it channels dark necromancy as a rune of death, instead of evoking thunderous sound as rune of storm when activated.

Such details don’t limit you in any way or provide you with any benefit beyond the spell’s effects. You don’t have to justify how you’re using runes to cast a spell. But describing your spellcasting creatively is a fun way to distinguish yourself from other spellcasters.

 Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. At 3rd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the runic spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Runic Body Spellcasting table shows when you learn more runic spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table’s Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 13th level, for example, you learn a new runic spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the runic spells you know and replace it with another spell from the runic spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability. Intelligence or Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your runic spells; your understanding of ancient magic and runic application allows you to use spells and produce magical effects unlike any other spellcaster. You use Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Hemocraft modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a runic spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Runic Body Spellcasting

Runic Spell List
You cast spells as listed below in the runic spell list. These spells are represented on your body as runes, glyphs or other inscriptions – the power of which you evoke when you cast them. You are not required to take every spell from a certain type of rune. 

Rune	Cantrip	1st Level	2nd Level	3rd Level	4th Level
Cloud	Minor Illusion	Fog Cloud	Misty Step	Wind Wall	Greater Invisibility
Death	Spare The Dying	Inflict Wounds	Darkness	Animate Dead	Blight
Dragon	Thaumaturgy	Heroism	Magic Weapon	Protection From Energy	Locate Creature
Enemy	Vicious Mockery	Disguise Self	Arcanist’s Magic Aura	Bestow Curse	Phantasmal Killer
Fire	Produce Flame	Burning Hands	Scorching Ray	Fireball	Wall of Fire
Friend	Message	Speak with Animals	Warding Bond	Sending	Death Ward
Frost	Ray of Frost	Bane	Hold Person	Sleet Storm	Ice Storm
Hill	Druidcraft	Goodberry	Lesser Restoration	Magic Circle	Hallucinatory Terrain
Journey	Guidance	Longstrider	Pass Without Trace	Haste	Freedom of Movement
King	Light	Command	Calm Emotions	Beacon of Hope	Private Sanctum
Mountain	Shillelagh	Entangle	Spike Growth	Clairvoyance	Polymorph
Stone	Resistance	Sanctuary	Aid	Nondetection	Stoneskin
Storm	Shocking Grasp	Thunderwave	Gust of Wind	Lightning Bolt	Dimension Door

Pact Magic

Invisible placeholder for D&D Beyond spell slots to work as intended.

Lore of The Ancients

Also at 3rd level, you gain access to the vast history and knowledge of ancient beings. Despite these ancient histories being entwined, and adopting similar practices, you specifically focus your study on either Dragons, Elementals or Giants. Your choice will grant you the following benefits:

• Your Hunter's Bane feature now applies to the creature type of your choice.
• You learn to speak, read, and write Draconic, Primordial or Giant depending on your choice.
• Finally, you learn comprehend languages, detect magic, and identify. The spells count as runic spells for you, but do not count against the number of spells you know. You can cast the spells using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Choose one spell out of the three. You can cast this spell without expending a spell slot or material components a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, before you require a long rest to cast it in this way again.

Draconic

Your Hunter's Bane feature now applies to Dragons. You also learn to speak, read, and write Draconic.

Giant

Your Hunter's Bane feature now applies to Giants. You also learn to speak, read, and write Giant.

Primordial

Your Hunter's Bane feature now applies to Elementals. You also learn to speak, read, and write Primordial.

Blood Runes

At 7th level, you can use the ancient magic of runes and hemocraft to enhance your body. You learn two runes. Each time you gain a level in this class, you can replace one rune you know with a different one from this feature. When you reach certain levels in this class, you learn additional runes, as shown in the Runes Known table.

Runes Known

Blood Hunter Level	Number of Runes
7th	2
11th	3
15th	4
18th	5

Whenever you finish a long rest, you inscribe a different rune onto your body, which remains on your body until you finish a long rest. A rune occupies a significant portion of body, and such, only one limb can bear a rune at a time.

You can activate a rune, as described in the rune and expend one use of this ability. When you activate the rune, you can choose to invoke the rune, expending two uses and taking necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die, bolstering the rune's effect.

Activating a rune requires a verbal component and somatic component, as such, you must be able to speak and have a free hand to activate a rune. You have a number of uses of Blood Runes equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses upon finishing a long rest.

The following runes are available to you when you learn a rune. If a rune has a level requirement, you must be at least that level in this class to learn the rune. If a rune requires a saving throw, it is the same as your spell save DC (8 + your proficiency bonus + your Hemocraft modifier).

Rune of Ancient Mind

As an action, you can active this rune. For 10 minutes, when you make an Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma check, you roll one hemocraft die and add it to the check's total.

When you activate this rune, you can choose to invoke it, gaining the previous benefits and improving its power. When you do, you take necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die (which cannot be reduced in any way) and for the duration of the rune, you also add the hemocraft die to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws, as well as Constitution saving throws made to maintain your concentration on a spell.

Rune of Arcane Reversal

You activate this rune as a reaction. When you are hit by a ranged spell attack, you can use your reaction to attempt to hold and redirect the spell's projectile. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your blood hunter level.

If you reduce the damage to 0, you can hold the spell's projectile. If you hold a projectile in this way, you can redirect the energy at a creature you can see within 60 feet of you. Make a ranged spell attack at the creature with the spell you just caught, as part of the same reaction.

When you activate this rune, you can choose to invoke it, gaining the previous benefits and improving its power. When you do, you take necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die (which cannot be reduced in any way) and reduce the damage of the spell by an additional amount equal to the necrotic damage taken + your hemocraft modifier. If you reduce the damage to 0 after invoking the rune in this way, you deal additional necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die + your hemocraft modifier on the ranged spell attack.

Rune of Great Ascent

Prerequisite: 15th-level Blood Hunter

As an action, you can active this rune. For ten minutes, you gain a 40-foot fly speed and you do not provoke opportunity attacks when you fly out of an enemy's reach.

When you activate this rune, you can choose to invoke it, gaining the previous benefits and improving its power. When you do, you take necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die (which cannot be reduced in any way) and for the duration of the rune, your fly speed increases to 80 feet. Also, while held aloft, you can reduce damage you take by a number equal to your hemocraft modifier.

Rune of Ignited Reckoning

As an action, you can active this rune. All creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes fire damage equal to three rolls of your hemocraft die and falls prone, or doesn't fall prone, and takes half as much damage on a successful one.

When you activate this rune, you can choose to invoke it, gaining the previous benefits and improving its power. When you do, you take necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die (which cannot be reduced in any way). The fire damages objects within range and ignites flammable objects that aren't being worn or carried. On a failed save, the fire causes a creature to ignite in nonmagical flames. An affected creature has its speed reduced by half for one minute, and takes fire damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die at the start of each of its turns for the same duration, or until a creature uses an action to put out the flames.

Rune of Restorative Soul

As an action, you can active this rune. For 1 minute, when another creature restores hit points to you, you roll one hemocraft die and add it to the total number of hit points you receive. In addition, whenever you are dying but become stabilised, you regain hit points equal to one roll of your hemocraft die + your hemocraft modifier.

When you activate this rune, you can choose to invoke it, gaining the previous benefits and improving its power. When you do, you take necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die (which cannot be reduced in any way) and for the duration of the rune, each time you receive necrotic damage, you can choose a creature within 30 feet of you (other than yourself) to also regain hit points equal to the necrotic damage taken (no action required).

Rune of Spell Breaking

Prerequisite: 15th-level Blood Hunter

You activate this rune as a reaction. When a spell is cast within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the caster. If your attack hits, you cast counterspell at its lowest level without expending a spell slot, using the same reaction.

When you activate this rune, you can choose to invoke it, gaining the previous benefits and improving its power. When you do, you take necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die (which cannot be reduced in any way) and if your counterspell requires a spellcasting ability check, you add the number rolled on the hemocraft die to your check. If your counterspell successfully counters the spell being cast, you regain one spent pact magic slot.

Rune of Unrelenting Step

As a bonus action, you can active this rune and mark a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. For the next minute, whenever that marked creature ends its turn within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to teleport to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of that creature.

When you activate this rune, you can choose to invoke it, gaining the previous benefits and improving its power. When you do, you take necrotic damage equal to one roll of your hemocraft die (which cannot be reduced in any way). The target creature can now be within 60 feet, and you can take necrotic damage equal to two rolls of your hemocraft die instead of using your reaction whenever you teleport to the creature.

Brand of Revelation

Starting at 11th level, your knowledge from your ancient studies lets your Brand of Castigation reveal untold knowledge of your foe. When you brand a creature, you see glyphs appear on its body, giving you insights. You immediately learn one of the following things about the creature; its skill and saving throw proficiencies, if it has any; its Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores; its damage resistances, immunities and vulnerabilities; its condition immunities; its creature type; or its alignment.

Each time the branded creature takes damage, you learn an additional piece of information of your choice.

Blood Curse of the Rune Carvers

At 15th level, you hone your runic magic to imbue yourself with primeval power, and make the cursed creature suffer for it. You gain the Blood Curse of the Rune Carvers for your Blood Maledict feature. This doesn’t count against your number of blood curses known.

Blood Curse of the Rune Carvers

As a bonus action, you choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you, carving a rune into their body until the end of your next turn. Whenever you activate or invoke a Blood Rune while within 30 feet of the creature, it takes 2d6 radiant or necrotic damage (your choice). For the same duration, weapons you are wielding are inscribed with runes, and you add your hemocraft modifier to weapon attack and damage rolls against the cursed creature.

Amplify. This curse lasts for 1 minute. Once per turn, when you hit the cursed creature with an attack, you regain one use of your Blood Runes ability. The cursed creature can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the curse on itself on a success.

Magic of The Ancients

Upon reaching 18th level, your study into ancient draconic, elemental or giant knowledge of an age forgotten grants you secrets of and protection against such magics.  

• You have resistance to damage from spells and other magical effects, and cannot be magically aged.
• You can use an action to end a spell or magical effect on yourself or another creature or object that you touch. You must spend a use of Blood Runes when you use this action.
• You learn one spell of 3rd level or lower, and can cast using spell slots, or by expending a use of Blood Runes. This spell can be from any spell list or spell school, and counts as a runic spell for you, and doesn't count against the number of spells you know. You can change the spell after completing a long rest.