Base Class: Barbarian
Barbarians are often characterised by their raw fury as they channel the power of their emotions into their combat, an approach that harkens back to most ancient and feared of warriors. Some barbarians have gone one step further though and embraced the most ancient of magics to bolster their effectiveness in combat; blood magic.
These warriors cover their bodies in symbols drawn using the blood of their enemies. These blood hexes sap the spirit of their foes, cursing them whilst the barbarian unleashes their brutal and savage fury.
Blood Magic Rituals
When you take this class at 3rd level you can take 10 minutes and choose to use one of your rages for the day to perform one the following blood magic rituals
Blood Tracking. If you have a sample of a creature’s blood, once you perform the ritual, for the next hour you have advantage on survival checks to track the creature.
Primal Rite. You channel your inner savagery and become one with the beasts. For the next hour your teeth sharpen and you grow claws that count as natural weapons that do 1d4 piercing or slashing damage respectively. In combat you can use these to make an unarmed strike against a foe in place of one of your regular attacks.
Blood Tracking
If you have a sample of a creature’s blood, once you perform the ritual, for the next hour you have advantage on survival checks to track the creature.
Primal Rite
You channel your inner savagery and become one with the beasts. For the next hour your teeth sharpen and you grow claws that can do 1d4 piercing or slashing damage respectively. In combat you can use these to make an unarmed strike against a foe in place of one of your regular attacks.
Blood Hex
When you choose this path at 3rd level you begin to learn the power and curses associated with blood magic. Whilst you are raging and damage a creature with a melee weapon attack you can use your bonus action to mark yourself with a runic symbol using the creature’s blood placing a hex on the creature.
The effect this rune has depends on the which rune you choose to mark yourself with. When you pick this path at 3rd level you choose one of the runes below that you can use in combat. You can change your choice of rune whenever you gain a level in this class.
Rune of Mortality
When you mark yourself with this rune you mark a creature for death. Whilst your rage persists, once per turn, when you hit the target who’s blood you have marked yourself with you deal additional necrotic damage equal to 1d6 plus half your barbarian level.
Rune of Protection
This rune wards you against attack from your foes. When you hit a creature whose blood you have marked yourself with, that creature has disadvantage on attacks against you until the end of your next turn.
Rune of Transference
Whilst your rage persists, once per turn when you hit the target who’s blood you have marked yourself with, you roll a d4 and regain hit points equal to the roll. This improves to 2d4 at 10th Level, 3d4 at 15th Level and 4d4 at 20th level
Mask of the Hexer
At 6th level whilst you are raging and damage your blood hex target with a melee weapon attack you can use your bonus action amplify the effects of your blood magic. The effect depends of your chosen blood rune.
Rune of Transference. Your blood magic has weakened the resolve of your opponent. Until the end of your next turn, whilst you are raging the target of your blood magic must deduct your proficiency bonus from any attack roll they make against you.
Rune of Mortality. Whilst you are raging, until the end of your next turn when the target of your blood magic hits you with an attack they take damage equal to your rage bonus damage.
Rune of Protection. Whilst you are raging, until end of of your next turn you have resistance to all damage that you receive from your blood hex target.
Rune of Mortality
Whilst you are raging, until the end of your next turn when the target of your blood magic hits you with an attack they take damage equal to your rage bonus damage.
Rune of Protection
Whilst you are raging, until end of of your next turn you have resistance to all damage that you receive from your blood hex target.
Rune of Transference
Your blood magic has weakened the resolve of your opponent. Until the end of your next turn, whilst you are raging the target of your blood magic must deduct your proficiency bonus from any attack roll they make against you.
Enhanced Blood Magic Rituals
At 10th level using your own blood you can cast the following spells (but only as rituals and substituting your blood for any material components that are required) at the cost of using one of your rages and taking 1d12 slashing damage. If they are not ritual spells they none the less become ritual spells for you.
- Commune with Nature
- Detect Poison & Disease
- Greater Restoration
- Locate Creature
Blood Frenzy
At 14th Level, once per long rest, whilst you are raging and have a creature targeted by your blood hex, if you are hit by with an attack or spell effect that would cause you to drop to 0 hits points (and doesn’t kill you outright) you instead drop to 1 hit point and can move up to your speed and make two melee weapon attacks against your blood hex target.
Blood Frenzy
At 14th Level, once per long rest, whilst you are raging and have a creature targeted by your blood hex, if you are hit by with an attack or spell effect that would cause you to drop to 0 hits points (and doesn’t kill you outright) you instead drop to 1 hit point and can move up to your speed and make two melee weapon attacks against your blood hex target.