Blood Caster

Blood Casters are unlike any other sorcerer. While others born with innate magic may have mastery over manipulating the elements or bringing fourth the powers of legendary beasts, these unique sorcerers are born with the ability to control the very blood that flows within the veins of countless living things. 

These spellcasters go to extreme lengths to harness their powers, sacrificing their very life to perform magical feats and give them an edge in battle. From stealing the life of others to boosting their capabilities in times of need, Blood Casters' abilities are incredibly unique and versatile.

Though many see these sorcerers as unholy or demonic, their powers are not necessarily malicious and many even use them for good. Of course there are those few who derived the power from demonic or unholy forces but these are few and far between.

Hemomancy

As a Blood caster, you magic is evidently fuelled by blood, transmuting it into other forms and states and elements to replicate the usual effects of spells.

Whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher granted to you by your Sorcerer class, you must take 1d4 damage, as well as consume 3 ounces of blood, per level of the spell as you draw on the blood from your own body. This damage cannot be reduced in any way. For example, when casting a 3rd level sorcerer spell, you must take 3d4 damage and consume 9 ounces of blood.

You don't need to take the damage if there is a source of the required volume of liquid blood within 5ft, such as a vial of blood, an open wound from a creature with blood, or a corpse killed no longer than 30 minutes ago. If the external source is a living creature, that creature takes the damage instead of you and the same volume of blood is consumed from them instead. If the blood is from a source such as a vial or pool, the required amount of blood is still consumed when casting the spell. 

Additionally, as an action, you can control any blood within 30 feet of you as if it were under the effects of the Shape Water cantrip with the same restrictions provided that this blood is outside of a living creature. This means that you choose an area of spilled or otherwise extracted blood that you can see within range and that fits within a 5-foot cube, and you can have no more than two of its non-instantaneous effects active at a time.

Blood Ward

At 1st level, you can sacrifice your blood in times of crisis in order to overcome the challenges. You have a number of Blood Dice equal your Charisma modifier + half your Sorcerer level (rounded up). Your Blood Dice are d4s, and when you spend a Blood Die, you must take damage equal to the value rolled on the d4. This damage cannot be reduced in any way. You regain all your Blood Dice during a long rest.

When you perform a saving throw, you may choose to spend any number of Blood Dice as a reaction and add the total rolled to the save. You may choose to spend Blood Dice in this way after the saving throw is rolled but before the DM declares the result. You must also declare how many Blood Dice you are rolling before doing so and roll them all at once -- you may not incrementally add them based on the total of previous Blood Die rolls. Additionally, as a reaction when being targeted by an attack roll, you can increase your AC by an amount equal to the number of Blood Dice you are willing to spend. This bonus AC lasts until the start of your next turn.

Whenever you spend a Blood Die, you don't need to take the damage if there is a source of at least 3 ounces of liquid blood within 5ft, such as a vial of blood, an open wound from a creature with blood, or a corpse killed no longer than 30 minutes ago. If the external source is a living creature, that creature takes the damage instead of you and the same volume of blood is consumed from them instead. If the blood is from a source such as a vial or pool, the required amount of blood is still consumed when the Blood Die is spent. These conditions apply per individual Blood Die -- one 3 ounce pool of blood is only enough to fuel a single Blood Die roll without taking damage, and any remaining unfuelled Blood Dice consume your own blood and deal damage as usual.

Life Drain

The first time you damage a creature within 15 feet of you on your turn with a spell of 1st level or higher, you regain a number of hit points equal to your Sorcerer level.

This range increases as you gain levels in this class. At 6th level it's 20 feet, at 14th it's 25 feet, and at 18th it's 30 feet.

Scarlet Magic

By 6th level, your skills as a Blood Caster have grown immensely and unlocked a plethora of new abilities. You must ration your use of these abilities carefully however, as they all consume your limited Blood Dice:

• You can spend up to your Charisma Modifier of unexpended Blood Dice and transform them into an equal number of Sorcery Points or vice versa as a bonus action on your turn. Remember to take damage when spending a Blood Die. Any Sorcery Points or Blood Dice you create with this feature vanish when you finish a long rest.

• When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can spend Blood Dice to cast it at a higher level without spending the higher level spellslot. If you choose to do so, take the damage from casting as normal, then spend an additional 2 Blood Dice for every level above the initial casting level. For example, you could cast Hold Person using a third level spellslot, taking 3d4 damage, and then spend an additional 2 Blood Dice to induce the 4th level effect i.e. a second extra target.

• As an action, you can spend two Blood Dice to attempt to freeze a creature in place by controlling their blood. When you do so, choose one creature within 30 feet to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is paralyzed for up to 1 minute as long as you maintain Concentration (as if concentrating on a spell). A creature affected by this action can repeat the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on a success. For every extra 2 Blood Dice you spend, you can affect one additional creature. A creature must have blood to be affected by this feature.

• As a Bonus Action, you can spend a number of Blood Dice up to your Proficiency Bonus and choose one creature within 30 feet. That creature regains a number of Hit Points equal to the amount rolled on the Blood Dice.

Ranged Siphon

Also at 6th level, you are able to draw on blood from sources further than 5 feet away. For corpses or inanimate objects, the same rules still apply just with an increased range of 10ft. If you try to use blood from an unwilling living creature further than 5ft away (up to a maximum of 10ft) you force them to make a constitution saving throw. On a failure, you use their blood for casting the spell or fuelling your abilities and they take the required damage instead of you. On a success, they take no damage and they are immune to subsequent attempts to use their blood until the end of your next turn. The spell or ability still functions with you taking damage as normal on a success, however you also take additional psychic damage equal to the level of the spell or number of Blood Dice spent due to being rebuffed by the target.

The maximum range you can draw blood from increases to 20ft at 14th level, then to 30ft at 18th level. The target gains a +2 bonus to their saving throw for every additional 5ft of distance after first 10ft (+2 at 15ft, +4 at 20ft, +6 at 25ft, and +8 at 30ft).

Blood Aura

By 14th level, your mastery of the art of blood magic has advanced to the point that you can temporarily give yourself a significant boost in defensive abilities while drawing on others' life for your own abilities.

To activate your Blood Aura, you must use an action and spend 6 Blood Dice. Once activated, you gain the following benefits:

• Three rings of rapidly spinning blood circle around you, forming an aura that extends 5ft out from you. Any creature that starts its turn within the aura or moves inside its range for the first time during its turn must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking 1d6 slashing damage per blood ring on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. 

• As an action you can expend one of the blood rings to either heal yourself or an ally within 30 feet for 2d4 Hit Points. Alternatively, as a reaction when you are targeted by an attack roll, you can expend one ring to cast the Shield spell without spending a spellslot. If all three rings are depleted by this feature, the Blood Aura automatically ends.

• As a bonus action, may replenish or add 1 blood ring by expending 2 Blood Dice. Every additional ring increases the slashing damage of the first feature by 1d6, and you can have a maximum number of blood rings equal to your Proficiency Bonus.

• Targets of your Ranged Siphon feature no longer gain a bonus to their saving throw due to distance as long as your Blood Aura is active.

• Finally, while in this state, you instead heal hit points equal to your Sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier from your Life Drain feature.

You gain these benefits for one minute, after which this ability cannot be used again until you complete a long rest.

Crimson Control

By 18th level, your mastery of Blood Magic has made you a powerful combatant, able to aid foes, hinder enemies, and unleash ferocious bursts of power.

As a reaction when you expend a Blood Die on your turn and take damage, you can choose one of the following effects:

• Another creature within 30 feet takes the same amount of damage and has to minus 1d4 from its next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

• Another creature within 30 feet heals a number of hit points equal to the damage you took and adds 1d4 to its next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

• You can stockpile the d4. This means that every Blood Die you spend and use this reaction for can be added to a pool of Blood Dice instead of one of the above effects. Each Blood Die remains in the pool until you take a short rest. While you have these Blood Dice stockpiled, any number of dice from that pool can be spent to add the amount rolled to one of your damage rolls, no action required (you don't take damage from spending them in this way). If you take a short rest and any Blood Dice remain in the pool, they can be spent to regain the amount rolled as hit points (again, no damage taken from these rolls), with any excess becoming Temporary Hit Points that last for 8 hours or until a long rest. Any remaining Blood Dice in this pool then dissipate during the short rest and the pool is emptied.

Any of these effects only apply to a single Blood Die, even if you spend multiple at once. For example, if you spend 3 Blood Dice with your Blood Ward feature, the creature targeted by either of the first two effects only loses or regains a number of Hit Points equal to the number rolled on one of the Blood Die (you may choose which result to use). Similarly, only 1d4 can be added to the stockpile pool per turn.