Blood mages are some of the most feared spellcasters on battlefields. Their prowess with magic is nearly unmatched, and the damage they unleash upon their enemies is world-renowned for being horrifyingly effective. However, this power comes at a cost. Blood mages can infuse their spells with great power, but their body slowly withers away from exposure to the dark arts. Forbidden in many nations for the toll it takes upon its practitioners, blood magic entices mages with promises of unmatched spellcasting for the simple price of spilled blood, but it slowly corrupts the soul of these greedy mages who sacrifice too much of their mortality, ultimately making most regret ever walking the scarlet path of the sanguine arts.

Unlike folklore would have one believe, the scarlet arts do not simply use blood to fuel their power. Instead, they feed on the pain and suffering of their casters, making sacrificed loved ones much more valuable than an unknown individual. As such, blood mages are more powerful the more empathetic and emotional they are about the deaths they cause and the suffering they inflict upon themselves.

Walking a path avoided by most, blood mages suffer not only from the damage they cause themselves, but the hatred they receive from nearly everyone else, and the fear of the few wise enough not to provoke their anger.

 

Level 3: Sanguine Exchange

3rd-level Blood Mage feature.

You unlock the ability to increase the power of your spells by channeling your own suffering as part of a spell's casting.

When you cast a spell with a level equal to or greater than 1, you can choose to take necrotic damage equal to twice the level of the spell slot you used (this damage can't be reduced in any way except for the Touch of Sacrifice feature and ignores resistance and immunity) to empower it in one of the following ways:

• Cast it as if it was cast with a spell slot one level higher than the one used.
• Deal damage to up to three of the spell's targets equal to the damage taken. This damage can either be Necrotic or the same type as the spell that was cast if it dealt damage. This damage is applied before the spell's effects take place.
• Cast it without Verbal, Somatic or Material components, except those that have a specific value or are consumed when the spell is cast.
• Multiply the spell's total duration by 1.5, rounded up.
• Allow the spell to bypass any resistance the target has to the spell's effects, including advantage on saving throws and resistance to damage dealt by this spell.
• Grant up to two targets of the spell temporary hit points equal to the damage taken. These temporary hit points last until the spell ends or 10 minutes have passed.
• Double the spell's range.
• Increase your DC or Spell Attack modifier by one for that casting of the spell.

Whenever a spell that deals damage is cast in this way, the spell's damage can instead be replaced with Necrotic. Using this feature a number of times equal to twice your Wizard level or more (between long rests) causes you to permanently lose two maximum and current hit points. If this feature reduces your current hit points below 0, you immediately die and explode, dealing 5d6 Necrotic damage to all creatures within 5 feet. They also regain an expended spell slot of a level equal to your highest-level spell slot, if they have one.

Level 3: Ritual Weapon

3rd-level Blood Mage feature.

You gain the ability to use any simple melee weapon that deals slashing or piercing damage as your spellcasting focus, called your "ritual weapon". You can alternatively use a shortsword. When you deal damage with your ritual weapon, you can also deal additional necrotic damage to the target of your attack equal to your spellcasting modifier, and it can't recover hit points until the end of your next turn.

Level 6: Enhanced Trade

6th-level Blood Mage feature.

Having mastered the art of harnessing the magic power in blood, you can now consume your mortality in place of your spell slots.

When you use your Sanguine Exchange feature, you can instead take four times the spell's level to cast it without consuming a spell slot. if the spell dealt damage, it instead deals Necrotic damage and can't be empowered as per the usual usage of the feature. You can only use this feature on spells with a level equal to half your highest spell slot, rounded down (so if a mage can use up to 5th level spells, he can only use Enhanced Trade on first and second level spells). This feature can be used a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus per long rest, rounded down

Level 10: Touch of Sacrifice

10th-level Blood Mage feature.

You have now learned the ability to infuse your spells with other's blood.

If you have a ritual weapon as your spellcasting focus, you can make a special attack with it against a creature within range that can either feel pain or has blood. You can use an action to make a weapon attack against the creature. If the attack hits, then you can cast a spell with Sanguine Exchange that would normally require an action as a bonus action and substitute half the damage dealt from the total damage you receive (rounded down). If the creature is an ally, you can instead use all the damage dealt to the target.

This feature can only be used twice per Long Rest.

Level 14: Crimson State

14th-level Blood Mage feature.

Your mastery over blood magic now allows you to enter a state of heightened magical power. As a bonus action, you can cause a surge of magic in your blood and enter the Crimson State.

While in this state, Sanguine Exchange allows you to choose two modifications to apply to your spells, and Enhanced Trade allows you to cast spells that aren't in your spellbook, from any class's spell list, but deals five times the spell's level as damage if the spell isn't prepared. The state ends after 10 minutes or until you use another bonus action to end it early.

If you drop to 0 hit points while in this state, or because of your Sanguine Exchange Features, you immediately die, but your magic preserves your soul. You cause an explosion that deals 5d6 Necrotic damage to all creatures within 10 feet as your body is destroyed. All items in your possession are dropped in your space, and an orb of magic envelops your heart. The orb has an AC of 16, hit points equal to your Wizard level, and immunity to Necrotic and Poison damage. After 2d100 days, your heart casts Resurrection on itself. However, your maximum hit points are reduced by 15 and can't cast spells for three days after being resurrected in this way. Any other attempts at resurrection before that fail, except for a Wish spell. If the sphere is destroyed before it can be reborn, your soul is lost forever.