Order of the Reaver

The Draconic Blood Hunters trace their origins to an ancient order that delved into forbidden knowledge, seeking to harness the raw power of dragons for their own ends. Legends speak of a bold group of adventurers who stumbled upon a hidden sanctum deep within the heart of a dragon's lair. Within this sanctum lay tomes and artifacts imbued with draconic magic, left behind by a forgotten civilization that once worshipped dragons as deities.

The founder of the Draconic Blood Hunters, known only as Draegon the Revenant, was a warrior of unparalleled tenacity and a scholar of arcane lore. It is said that Draegon spent years studying the forbidden tomes, deciphering ancient rituals that granted mortals the ability to channel draconic essence into their very blood. Through dark rituals and acts of sacrifice, Draegon and his disciples forged a pact with the essence of dragons, binding themselves to draconic power at the cost of their own life force.

**Philosophy**

The Draconic Blood Hunters adhere to a philosophy that embraces the duality of power and sacrifice. They believe that true strength comes from embracing the primal forces of life and death, channeling the relentless fury of dragons to overcome their enemies. Their teachings emphasize discipline, resilience, and the willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. Each member of the order undergoes rigorous training to withstand the physical and mental toll of wielding draconic magic, preparing themselves to harness its power without succumbing to its darker temptations.

**Dragonclaw Strike**

Central to the Draconic Blood Hunter's path is the ritualistic attunement known as Dragonclaw Strike. Through an ancient ritual involving the consumption of dragon blood or exposure to draconic artifacts, initiates of the order imbue their bodies with the essence of a chosen dragon type—be it the fiery wrath of a red dragon, the electrifying power of a blue dragon, or the venomous potency of a green dragon. This attunement manifests physically as draconic claws and scales, marking the Blood Hunter as a vessel of draconic power.

**Sacrificial Empowerment**

As Blood Hunters advance in their path, they learn to harness their draconic bond through acts of sacrifice. By channeling their own life force and embracing the volatile nature of draconic magic, they gain abilities that allow them to steal life force from their foes, regenerate their own wounds, and unleash devastating attacks empowered by the essence of dragons. This ability to draw strength from sacrifice is both a testament to their resilience and a constant reminder of the dangers they face in wielding such potent magic.

**Legacy of Draegon**

The legacy of Draegon the Revenant looms large over the Draconic Blood Hunters. His teachings and rituals are passed down through generations, ensuring that each new initiate understands the gravity of their pact with draconic power. Many outside the order view them with a mixture of awe and fear, for they are warriors who walk the line between mortal and draconic, embodying both the ferocity of dragons and the burden of their ancient knowledge.

**Enemies and Allies**

Enemies of the Draconic Blood Hunters include cults seeking to control dragons, rivals who envy their power, and creatures of draconic descent who view them as usurpers of their heritage. Their allies are often adventurers who appreciate their strength in battle, scholars intrigued by their arcane knowledge, and communities protected by their vigilance against draconic threats.

In summary, the Draconic Blood Hunter subclass is steeped in a rich history of forbidden knowledge, dark rituals, and the relentless pursuit of draconic power. Those who follow this path must tread carefully between the allure of power and the peril of corruption, all while embracing their role as guardians against the ancient terrors of dragonkind.

Dragon Blood

3rd-level Reaver feature

At the 3rd level of the Order of the Reaver, you experience an enhancement in your physical resilience due to your deep connection with dragons. This profound bond grants you the ability to communicate in Draconic, the language of dragons. Additionally, your maximum hit points increase by 3, and this increment occurs again every time you level up in this class, reflecting the ongoing strengthening of your vitality through your dragon affinity.

Dragonclaw Strike

At the 3rd level, as a member of this order, you gain access to Dragonclaw Strike. This ability allows each of your hands to transform into a powerful dragon claw, which can be utilized as a weapon when empty. The claw inflicts 1d8 slashing damage when successfully hitting a target. Additionally, when you take the Attack action and use a dragon claw, you can make an extra attack with the dragon claw once per turn. Furthermore, when your hit points drop to half or lower, attacks with your dragon claws have an increased chance of landing critical hits, occurring on a roll of 19 or 20. As you progress to the 10th level, the damage dealt by the dragon claws increases to 1d10. Your dragon claws are considered simple melee weapons with the heavy property, and when using them, you add your Strength modifier to both the attack and damage rolls. It's important to note that small creatures do not suffer from disadvantages on attack rolls when using Dragon Claws with the heavy property.

Dragon's Hunger

Starting at 7th level, you can unleash your hunger for life force, rending into your target with a primal ferocity. As an action, make a melee weapon attack with your Dragon Claw. On a hit, it deals an additional 1d8 necrotic damage, in addition to the normal damage, plus your Strength modifier. You can do this a number of times of your proficiency bonus Every short and long rest. You regain hit points equal to half the total necrotic damage dealt. It gained an extra 1d8 at level 11. Also, your Dragonclaw Strike are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Reaver's Draconic Bond

Starting at 11th level, you embrace the darker aspects of your draconic heritage, forging a bond that enhances your combat abilities through self-inflicted sacrifice. You gain the following benefits:

• Blood of the Dragon: When you hit with a melee weapon attack using your Dragon Claws, you can choose to deal additional necrotic damage equal to half your Blood Hunter level. This damage ignores resistance to necrotic damage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

• Sacrificial Resilience: As a bonus action, you can enter a state of Sacrificial Resilience, enhancing your combat abilities at a cost. While in this state, you gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

  • You gain temporary hit points equal to your Blood Hunter level at the start of our turns.
  • Your melee weapon attacks with Dragon Claws deal additional necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
  • You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.

  Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Blood Curse: Draconic Retribution

At 15th level, you learn the Draconic Retribution Blood Curse, allowing you to unleash a surge of draconic power against your enemies. As a bonus action, you mark a creature you can see within 30 feet of you with draconic runes of retribution. The marked creature remains marked for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points or dies.

• While marked, your weapon attacks against the creature deal additional damage equal to your Blood Hunter level of the type associated with your Dragon-Fury feature (e.g., fire, lightning, etc.).
• The marked creature has disadvantage on saving throws against your Blood Curses.
• Once per turn, when you hit the marked creature with a weapon attack, you can roll one additional damage die when determining the extra damage for your Crimson Rite feature.

You can use this Blood Curse a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

 

Draconic Rebirth

At 18th level, you achieve Draconic Rebirth, mastering the dark arts of the Reaver to enhance your combat prowess through draconic sacrifice. You gain the following benefits:

• Draconic Fury: Whenever you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack using your Dragon Claws, you regain hit points equal to your Blood Hunter level and deal additional necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus to the target.

• Draconic Siphon: As a bonus action, you can enter a state of Draconic Siphon for 1 minute. While in this state:

  • Whenever you deal necrotic damage with your Dragon Claws, you regain hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.
  • Your melee weapon attacks with Dragon Claws deal an additional 1d6 necrotic damage.
  • You gain advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.

  Once you use Draconic Siphon, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.