Order of the Degrading Soul

One of the risks associated with being a blood hunter is the loss of one's body and/or soul. The Order of the Degrading Soul, while a small and relatively young order, has decided that the loss of their soul can be further used to serve their own ends. Blood Hunters belonging to the Order of the Degrading Soul undergo a ritual called the 'rite of degradation' as part of their induction. While the specifics of this strange, esoteric rite are unknown, it is well known that those who choose this path slowly transform into an otherworldly creature, losing themselves (and their soul) in the process.

These Blood Hunters infuse themselves with an otherworldly creature in order to enhance their own powers, in return accepting the gradual decline and consumption of their soul and personality. These blood hunters hunt all manner of monsters but mostly serve in the Blood War in service of whichever faction they choose.

 

 

Author's note: this subclass is inspired by Ghostfire Gaming's transformation mechanic from Grim Hollow: The Campaign Guide and Grim Hollow: The Player's Guide. Features granted in this subclass are either altered versions of buffs granted in these books or inspired by them. If you intend to make use of Grim Hollow's transformation mechanic, it is recommended to not choose this subclass. Please support independent DnD content creators in their pursuit to bring new, awesome content to this game.

Otherworldly Imprisonment

Upon reaching 3rd level, you (either through force or bargain) merge yourself with an otherworldly creature, imprisoning that creature within you. You can choose one of the following:

• The Abberation
• The Devil
• The Demon
• The Spectre
• The Celestial

The Abberation

You have chosen an abberation as your otherworldly transfusion.

The Celestial

You have chosen a celestial as your otherworldly transfusion.

The Demon

You have chosen a demon as your otherworldly transfusion.

The Devil

You have chosen to bind a devil to yourself, becoming one with it.

The Spectre

You have chosen a specter as your otherworldly transfusion.

Gifts of Damnation

Starting at 3rd level, your body starts to adjust to the creature bound inside your body. Depending on your Otherworldly Transfusion, you gain the following benefit and flaw.

The Abberation

Aberrant Senses. You enhance your senses by morphing your sensory organs or growing new ones. You gain advantage on Wisdom (perception) checks relying on sight, smell, or hearing.

Chitinous shell. As a reaction, you can temporarily harden your skin by surrounding it with a crustaceous shell, adding a +1 to AC for the next minute. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Warping body. Your body is constantly warping and mutating to accommodate the aberration imprisoned inside you. You have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws and Death saving throws. When you die, your body loses its form and collapses into an amorphous blob. You can only be resurrected once your body is restored to its original (humanoid) form.

 

The Celestial

Angelic wings. You make use of the celestial trapped within you to gain angelic wings. You gain flying speed equal to your walking speed.

Celestial Valour. When you or an allied creature you can see within 30ft of you takes the attack action, you can use your reaction to amplify that creature's attack with your Hemocraft die +  You can use this feature once per long rest.

Divine retribution. The upper planes attempt to pull the celestial back to its home, damaging you in the process. When you roll a natural 1 on a saving throw against a damaging magical spell or ability, you take an additional 1d6 radiant damage per 4 Blood Hunter levels. When you die, your body is torn apart, allowing the celestial to escape. As retribution for attempting to usurp a celestial's power, your soul is banished to a lower plane of the DM's choosing. You can only be resurrected when your body is restored and your soul returned to the material plane.

The Demon

Abyssal blade. You can use your bonus action to summon a magical blade of abyssal origins which fuses to your arm. The blade dissipates after a minute and has the following properties:

• Attacks made with the blade deal an additional 1d6 slashing damage.
• When killing a creature with this weapon, you regain half your Hemocraft die + your Wisdom modifier of hit points.
• You can't be disarmed of this weapon.
• You can't change the weapon's form during combat or use another weapon during combat.

Uncontrollable hunger. When in combat, if you didn't hit a creature during your previous turn with your abyssal weapon, you must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you move towards the closest creature and take the attack action against that creature. 

When you die, your soul is consumed and your body is transformed and falls under the direct control of the demon. Your soul can only be restored by killing the demon and a spell that can revivify or resurrect you. 

The Devil

Branding Leash. As an action, you can summon a flaming whip to your hand and lash out at a creature you can see within 10ft of you. That creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Hemocraft Save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d4 fire damage and it becomes. On a succesful save, the creature takes half damage.

 

Promised Soul. You have disadvantage on death saving throws. If you die, your soul gets pulled into a layer of the Nine Hells of the DM's choosing. You cannot be revived by magical means except for the use of a Wish spell.

 

The Spectre

Spectral movement. Spectral essence is infused into your very being, allowing you to phase through your surroundings. You can pass through other creatures and objects and are unaffected by difficult terrain. If you end your turn in the same 5ft space as another creature, take 2d6 force damage and you are punted 5ft away in a random direction. You cannot be punted into a space occupied by another creature.

Haunting scream. You have learned to harness the power of a spectre to damage the mind of those around you. As an action, you can emit a ghastly scream. Each creature you within 15ft of you that can hear you must make a Constitution saving throw against your Hemocraft save DC. On a failed save, they take 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier of psychic damage and are frightened until the start of your next turn. You can use this feature once per long rest. 

Fading tether. The call of peaceful death continues beckoning to you, becoming harder to resist. You have disadvantage on death saving throws. If you die, you transform into an undead spectre under the GM's control.

 

Rite of Condemnation

Upon reaching 7th level, you can channel your otherworldly powers to unleash a short burst to inflict debilitating pain upon your foes. When a creature within 15ft of you that you can see makes an attack roll or saving throw, you can use a reaction to reduce an attack from a creature you can see within 15ft by your hemocraft die.

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

Boons of Perdition

Starting at 11th level, you become evermore entwined with the creature bound to you, granting you heightened powers at the cost of further deterioration. Depending on your otherworldly prisoner, you gain the following benefits and flaws.

 

The Aberration

Amorphous form. As an action, you can make your body stretch and morph to soften incoming blows, gaining resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning and slashing  damage for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Hideous appearance. Your body becomes more and more revolting, causing others to treat you with distrust and hostility. You have disadvantage on Charisma (persuasion, deception) skill checks. 

 

 

 

The Celestial

Divine protection.When you or a creature you can see within 60ft takes damage, you can use your reaction to reduce that damage by your hemocraft die + your Wisdom modifier. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain all charges after completing a long rest.

 

Untouched by darkness. Your angelic prisoner starts altering your ability to accurately judge and resist evil. You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks and gain vulnerability to necrotic damage.

The Demon

Savage consumption. Using an action, you can make a melee attack and bite down into a creature to gorge on its flesh. If you hit, the target takes 2d8 piercing damage and regain the inflicted damage in hit points. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short rest.

 

Ravenous appetite. You must feed on a living creature at least once a day. If you don't, you gain a level of exhaustion and gain a disadvantage on Constitution saving throws until you have fed.

The Devil

Brand of the Despoiler. As a bonus action, you can brand a creature within 30ft of you with a hellish mark. The target must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is branded for 1 minute and takes an extra 1d10 fire damage for as long as it is branded. The brand is ended early when the creature dies, falls unconscious, or is subject to the effects of a remove curse. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).

 

Infernal weakness. You gain vulnerability to damage from silvered weapons.

The Spectre

Draining gaze. As an action, you can choose target creature within 10ft with your gaze, draining their life force. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d8 necrotic damage and you gain half the amount as temporary points. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and you don't gain temporary hit points.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you complete a long rest. 

Broken Tether. As you merge with the spectre, your body becomes less and less of this world. You gain vulnerability to radiant damage. In addition, you have disadvantage on any saving throw against magical effects from a holy source and the Dispel Evil and Good spell.

Blood Curse of the Jailer

At 15th level, you hone your hemocraft to trap your enemies inside a volatile barrier. You gain the Blood Curse of the Jailer for your Blood Maledict feature. This doesn’t count against your number of blood curses known.

Blood Curse of the Jailer

As an action, you choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you and form a 10ft dome of sanguine energy around it, trapping it. The target must make on a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target cannot leave the dome and the target's attacks and spells can't pass through the dome. The target can attempt the save again at the end of its next turn. 
As an action, you can choose to attack the trapped target by launching sanguine spikes from the dome itself. Make a ranged weapon attack. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 force damage.

Amplify. You can choose to destroy the dome, causing it to explode. When the dome is destroyed, it explodes in a burst of force. Any creature within 10ft of the outside of the dome must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 force damage. Any creature within the dome has disadvantage on their Dexterity saving throw.

Otherworldly Anathema

Upon reaching 18th level, you have become fully fused with your otherworldly prisoner, allowing you to temporarily loosen the reins of control over your prisoner in return for temporary power. Depending on your choice of otherworldly prisoner, you gain the following feature:

The Aberation - Abominable transformation

Abominable transformation. As an action, you can allow your body shift and reform itself, fully becoming an aberration for a minute. You gain the following benefits and flaws:

• Your creature type becomes Aberration.
• You are immune to the poisoned and grappled condition.
• You gain immunity to poison damage.
• You gain resistance to acid, cold, fire and lightning damage.

Once your transformation ends, you drop to 0 hit points. In addition, you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 18). On a fail, you are considered dying, have 1 failed death saving throw, and your appearance partially remains that of an aberration. Your humanoid form can only be restored by a Greater Restoration or a similar magical or spell effect. On a success, you revert back to your humanoid form and are considered stable (you still remain unconscious). 

Your transformation ends after one minute or when you fall unconscious.

The Celestial - Empyreal Aura

As an action, you can surround yourself with celestial energy for 1 minute, bolstering your allies and yourself. You gain the following benefits:

• When you or an ally within 10ft of you takes a critical hit, you can choose to turn that critical hit into a normal hit.
• When you or an ally within 20ft of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to make that creature drop to 1 hit point instead. A creature can only benefit from this effect once per long rest.
• You emit bright light in a radius of 30ft, removing all non-magical darkness.
• As a bonus action, you can choose to heal a creature within 10ft of you, using your Hemocraft die + your Wisdom modifier. 

This feature ends after 1 minute. It ends early when you fall unconscious or become stunned.

The Demon - Unstoppable savagery

Unstoppable savagery. When you are reduced to 0 hit points in combat without being killed outright, you can use your reaction to continue taking turns as though your hit points were conscious. While in this state, taking damage still causes death saving throw failures. When you have 3 death save failures, you still die.
While in this state, you can only use melee weapon attacks or spell attacks.
This effect ends when you die or at the end of that combat. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Devil - Ashen Curse

When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can turn that creature into an ashen statue. The statue has an AC of 12 and can be destroyed by taking more than 10 damage from any source. You can only turn a creature into an ashen statue by a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. In addition, you can have no more than 3 statues at the same time. You can command the ashen statue to do any of the following:

• Move. As a bonus action, you can make a statue of your choice move 10ft in any direction
• Detonate. As an action, you can make a statue of your choice explode. All creatures within 10ft of the statue must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 fire damage. On a successful save, they take half damage.
• Protect. As a reaction, when you are hit by a melee or ranged attack that would reduce you to 0 hit points, you can have a statue within 10ft of you take that damage instead.
• Enthral. As an action, you can attempt to enthral a creature within 15ft of you. A creature of your choice within 15ft of a statue must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or become enthralled. During its next turn, an enthralled creature can only attack that statue until it is destroyed. In addition, it must move as close as possible to that statue.
• Rekindle. As an action, you can destroy a statue within 15ft of you to regain 2d8 + your Wisdom modifier of hit points.
• Collapse. As a bonus action, you may have a statue collapse and reshape itself into jagged rocks in a 20ft radius. Any creature entering or already in this radius must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 piercing damage. This 10ft radius is considered difficult terrain.

When you fall unconscious or complete a long rest, all statues are destroyed. You regain all uses of this feature after completing a long rest.

The Spectre - Possession

As an action, you can attempt to enter the body of another creature and take control of it. That creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your Hemocraft save DC. On a fail, the target becomes incapacitated, loses control of its body and you take control of its body. You use the possessed creature's stats except for Charisma, Wisdom and Intelligence and don't get access to the target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. You control the target on its turn. At the start of its turn, the creature can attempt to force you out by succeeding on a Wisdom Saving Throw.

While possessing a target, your body falls prone and you can't take actions, bonus actions, or reactions for as long as you are possessing a target.
A possessed target can attempt the saving throw again at the end of its next turn to force you out. When you are forced out, you return to your body.
The Possession ends early if you die or when you choose to end it early as a bonus action.

Once used, you can't use this feature again until you complete a long rest.