Order of the Serpent

For millennia the ancient Yuan-Ti empires have been nothing but crumbled stone and dust, but the favoured ones can still be found slithering within the cracks of society. Their apathetic influence can snake into the highest of ranks and bring entire nations toppling into oblivion. 

Potentially the closest any of the Orders has come to actually becoming the enemy, the Order of the Serpent doesn’t  stop after surviving the imbibing of the hunters bane. While the poisonous concoction still wracks them with pain, altering their life's blood, they undergo a ritual they call "The Shed". As darkness binds them on the righteous path, they bathe in snakes and blood, mimicking dark rituals the Yuan-Ti use to the serpentine evils of the outer planes slide their presence inside of them. However, before a Yuan-Ti is born within the writhing pit, the hunter tears themselves out of Merrshaulk's grasp with willpower alone. Taking the snake god’s gifts with them to the battlefield, the Order of the Serpent uses venom to cleanse the realm with a hurricane of blades and fangs.

Rite of the Fang

When you join this order at 3rd level, you learn the esoteric rite Rite of the Fang (detailed below).

Rite of the Fang. Your rite damage is poison type.

Debilitating Poison. On your turn, if you hit a creature with Rite of the Fang you can choose to, instead of dealing rite damage, force the target to make a Constitution saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Wisdom modifier). On a fail, the creature is Poisoned until your next turn.  A target can only be affected by Debilitating Poison once per turn, success or fail. 

Upon reaching 11th level, Debilitating Poison no longer negates Rite of the Fang’s damage. 

 

Undulating Dodge

Beginning at 7th level, your body can bend and move in unnatural ways, making you hard to hit. You can use your reaction to cause disadvantage on attacks of opportunity made against you. If the attacker already has disadvantage then the attack misses entirely.

In addition, during your turn, you can you can choose to suffer damage equal to your crimson rite damage die to to automatically free yourself from the Grappled, Restrained, or Paralyzed conditions. You can do this once every Short or Long rest.

 

Ophidian Form

Upon reaching 11th level, you've learned how to further harness the Yuan-Ti magic coursing through you, briefly altering your body in horrifying ways. As an action, you can transform into your ophidian form. This transformation lasts for 1 minute and you can do it twice per long rest. You can speak, use equipment, and wear armor in this form. Items you wear on the transformed areas will magically transform with you and be unaffected. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using an action on your turn. You automatically revert to your normal form if you fall Unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die. You can choose to change to a different form with each Blood Hunter level you gain. 

Choose from one of the ophidian forms below.

Constrictor Form. Your legs warp into a muscular serpentine tail. Your Speed increases by 10 feet. In addition you can attempt to constrict a target as an attack action. Your tail acts as an unarmed strike that does 2d6 bludgeoning damage. If struck and the target is of Large or smaller size they must make a Strength saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Strength modifier) or be grappled. The target takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns and you can’t constrict another target and move at half speed. The target can use an action to attempt to escape your constriction during their turn.

Cobra Form. Your head and neck ripple and change into that of a great cobra. As a bonus action you can now spit globules of deadly venom that do 1d6 acid damage. This is a ranged weapon attack with a distance of 40 feet and in which you are proficient. In addition, As an action you can exhale highly corrosive acid in a 15 foot cone.The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 4d6 acid damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. You can only use this once per transformation.

Adder Form. Your arms roil and stretch, becoming serpentine. When you make a melee attack on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal. As a bonus action you can make an unarmed strike with your offhand that deals 1 piercing damage plus your Rite of the Fang damage. 

 

Upon reaching level 18, Ophidian Form can be used 3 times per long rest.

Potent Venom

At 15th level, the eldritch poison that runs through your veins can surpass even the most resilient of constitutions, even harming the non-living. All poison damage you deal negates an enemy's poison resistance while enemies immune to poison damage act as if they have resistance. Those who are immune to the Poisoned condition can now also succumb to your deadly secretions.

In addition, you are immune to poison damage and the Poisoned condition. 

 

Anathema's Ascension

Upon reaching 18th level, every fibre of your being has been tainted by the snake god's vile magics. You no longer choose which form to take during Ophidian Surge, as all 3 activate at once. In addition, when you transform your body becomes coated in a slimy acid that lasts for 1 minute. A creature that touches you, hits you with a melee attack while within 5 feet of you, is hit by your tail attack, or begins their turn constricted by you takes 5 acid damage while you are coated. 

You also gain the Blood Curse of Slumber for your Blood Maledict feature. This does not count against your blood curses known.

Blood Curse of Slumber. As an action, you affix your gaze upon up to 5 creatures that you can see within 60 feet of you, magically slowing their heartbeat. Any targeted creature that can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) or fall into a deep magical sleep and are unconscious for 10 minutes. A sleeping target awakens if it takes damage or if someone uses an action to shake or slap it awake. This magical sleep has no effect on a creature immune to being charmed. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to this blood curse for the next 24 hours