Birth, life, medicine, covenant, murder. In these things, we are all alike.
The Blood Mage[]
A murderer cleans their tools with once-white cotton, and bottles the cloth for later inspection and introspection.
A dancer bandages her hooves, bites her thumb, and wanders into a revolutionary riot.
A wrinkled old knight sips wine.
Profane Magic
Blood magic is, in most settings, fundamentally profane. It is not the domain of hedge witches. Blood mages are either furtive, fugitive, or stake their ground outside the reach of the common law or the common rabble. For most folk, blood magic on full display is the stuff of nightmares.
Creating a Blood Mage[]
When creating a blood mage character, think about how they learned the practices of blood magic. Perhaps they were taught in secret by an ailing noble parent, or maybe they discovered it themselves while trying to root out a family curse. Were they raised in an aristocratic lifestyle, or did they learn while desperately cobbling together a life in the wilderness?
Have they always been an adventurer? If not, how long have they been practicing blood magic, and to what degree have they kept it secret? Perhaps they have already experienced exile because of their art; perhaps they became an adventurer because they feared it.
- Quick Build
You can make a Blood Mage quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Constitution. Second, choose the Noble background. Finally, choose the prestidigitation, shocking grasp, and thorn whip cantrips, along with the 1st level spells cure wounds, inflict wounds, and magic missile.
By 2blind2draw, on Deviantart.
Class Features[]
As a Blood Mage, you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 2d4 per Blood Mage level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 2d4 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Blood Mage level after 1st
You have twice as many hit dice as you have levels. Your hit die is a d4; they can be expended individually.
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, scimitars, rapiers
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose 2 from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, History, Intimidation, Medicine and Religion.
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
- (a) two daggers or (b) any simple weapon
- (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- A taenite or nephrite knife
Table: The Blood Mage[]
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Spells Known | Cantrips Known |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +2 | Blood Meditation, Blood Magic | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | +2 | Blood Order | 4 | 3 |
| 3 | +2 | — | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | +3 | — | 7 | 4 |
| 6 | +3 | Blood Order feature | 8 | 4 |
| 7 | +3 | — | 9 | 4 |
| 8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 10 | 4 |
| 9 | +4 | — | 11 | 4 |
| 10 | +4 | Blood Order feature | 12 | 5 |
| 11 | +4 | Blood Arcanum (6th level) | 13 | 5 |
| 12 | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 14 | 5 |
| 13 | +5 | Blood Arcanum (7th level) | 15 | 5 |
| 14 | +5 | Blood Order feature | 16 | 5 |
| 15 | +5 | Blood Arcanum (8th level) | 17 | 5 |
| 16 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 18 | 5 |
| 17 | +6 | Blood Arcanum (9th level) | 19 | 5 |
| 18 | +6 | Blood Order feature | 20 | 5 |
| 19 | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 21 | 5 |
| 20 | +6 | Apotheosis of Blood | 22 | 5 |
Blood Meditation[]
You can enter a meditative state as a bonus action, which ends when you are incapacitated or take a bonus action to end it. While in your Blood Meditation, you gain the following benefits:
- You can cast your blood magic spells of 1st level and higher.
- If you would regain hit points, you gain that many temporary hit points instead, even if the hit points you would have regained would normally be in excess of your maximum hit points.
When your Blood Meditation ends, you lose concentration on any spell you're concentrating on and lose any temporary hit points you have. Then you may expend any number of hit dice. Roll those dice, add your constitution modifier that many times, and regain the total as hit points, up to a maximum equal to the temporary hit points you lost.
You can use Blood Meditation a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier. You regain any expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Blood Magic[]
Your spells comes from your life force, which you must expend piece by piece to cast them.
Cantrips[]
At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the blood mage spell list. You learn an additional blood mage cantrip of your choice at 4th level and another at 10th level.
Casting Spells[]
You can cast a cantrip at any time.
You can only cast Blood Mage spells of 1st level to 5th level while in your Blood Meditation. To cast one, you must expend hit points equal to 5 times the spell's level. When you expend hit points this way, you gain an equal number of temporary hit points.
You can cast a spell at a higher level by expending 5 hit points per additional spell level, up to a maximum of 5th.
For example, if you know the spell shadow blade, you can cast it by expending 10 hit points (and then you gain 10 temporary hit points), or cast it at 3rd level by expending 15 hit points (and then you gain 15 temporary hit points).
Temporary hit points are not hit points, and so can't be expended this way. Temporary hit points also don't stack - if you get some while you have some, you can keep whichever is more, not add them together.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher[]
You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the blood mage spell list.
You learn an additional blood mage spell of your choice at each level. Each of these spells must be of a level no more than half your Blood Mage level, rounded up, to a maximum of 5th. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Blood Mage spells you know and replace it with another spell from the blood mage spell list, which also must be of a level no more than half your Blood Mage level, rounded up, to a maximum of 5th.
Spellcasting Ability[]
Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your blood mage spells. The power of your spells comes from your own animating energy. You use your Constitution whenever a blood mage spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a blood mage spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
- Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
- Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
Ritual Casting[]
You can cast a blood mage spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus[]
You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your blood mage spells.
Blood Order[]
At 2nd level, you begin to gain features from the kind - and, potentially, organization - of blood mages you are part of. Choose from the Blood Knight, Blood Dancer, and Blood Wolf.
Ability Score Increase[]
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Blood Arcanum[]
At 11th level, your studies reveal to you a magical secret called an arcanum. Choose one 6th-level spell from the blood mage spell list as this arcanum.
You can cast your arcanum spell once without expending anything. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
At higher levels, you gain more blood mage spells of your choice that can be cast in this way: one 7th-level spell at 13th level, one 8th-level spell at 15th level, and one 9th-level spell at 17th level. You regain all uses of your Blood Arcanum when you finish a long rest.
Arcanum spells don't count against the number of blood mage spells you know. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can exchange one Blood Arcanum spell with another of the same level from the blood mage spell list.
Apotheosis of Blood[]
At 20th level, you have achieved the pinnacle of power. You can use your Blood Magic feature to cast any spells of 1st level or higher that you know, including your Blood Arcanum spells, up to a maximum of 9th level.
Blood Knight[]
Blood knights dedicate their training to the martial pursuit of spilling blood. They often, but not always, come from prestigious bloodlines that hoard the secrets of blood magic. Some blood knights fight you to punish wrongdoing or avenge the dead: others fight you because you're there.
Blood Knight Spells[]
Starting at 2rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Blood Knight Spells table. The spell counts as a blood mage spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of blood mage spells you know.
| Blood Mage Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 2nd | shield of faith |
| 3rd | aid |
| 5th | crusader's mantle |
| 7th | find greater steed |
| 9th | circle of power |
Bonus Proficiencies[]
When you choose this order at 2nd level, you gain proficiency with medium and heavy armor, shields, and martial weapons.
Blood Smite[]
Beginning when you choose this order at 2nd level, you can infuse your strikes with lifebreaking power. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend any number of temporary hit points to deal that much extra necrotic damage to the target.
Extra Attack[]
Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Blood's Mark[]
Beginning at 6th level, when you make an ability check that the Intimidation skill applies to, you can expend one hit die to add it to the roll, plus a bonus equal to your Constitution modifier.
Blood Shield[]
Beginning at 10th level, you have resistance to all damage except psychic damage while you have one or more temporary hit points.
Blood Strike[]
Starting at 14th level, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
Paragon of Blood[]
Beginning at 18th level, whenever you or a friendly creature within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll or saving throw while you are in your Blood Meditation, that creature can use its reaction and expend one hit die to add it to the roll, plus a bonus equal to their Constitution modifier. They can do this after they roll but before the result is determined.
Blood Dancer[]
Blood mages that embrace motion in their art are the deadly Blood Dancers, who weave their magic into the ceaseless rhythm of the heart.
Blood Dancer Spells[]
Starting at 2rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Blood Dancer Spells table. The spell counts as a blood mage spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of blood mage spells you know.
| Blood Mage Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 2nd | longstrider |
| 3rd | misty step |
| 5th | haste |
| 7th | freedom of movement |
| 9th | animate objects |
Bonus Proficiency[]
When you choose this order at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill. If you already have that proficiency, instead you gain proficiency with any one skill of your choice.
Unarmored Blood Defense[]
Beginning when you choose this order at 2nd level, while in your Blood Meditation and not wearing armor or wielding a shield, you can calculate your base AC as 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier.
Blood's Grace[]
Beginning when you choose this order at 2nd level, you can use your motion to transmute life energy into destructive power.
After you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, the space within 15 feet of you is visibly marked with blood for 1 minute. When you mark space this way, the next time you enter unmarked space, you lose any temporary hit points you have and add that much extra necrotic damage to your next damage roll within 1 minute.
Blood Domain[]
Beginning at 6th level, space marked with Blood's Grace is difficult terrain for your enemies.
Silent Blood[]
Beginning at 6th level, you can cast any blood mage spell without using verbal components. When you cast a spell this way, it gains a somatic component if it doesn't already have one.
Ebb and Flow... of Blood[]
Beginning at 10th level, you gain the following benefits while in your Blood Meditation:
- While you are in space marked by Blood's Grace, attacks against you have disadvantage.
- While you are not in space marked by Blood's Grace, your attacks have advantage.
Blood's Finale[]
At 14th level, you can take an action to immolate all the space marked with Blood's Grace using the life energy it contains. Each creature in currently marked space rolls one hit die and adds its constitution modifier, then makes a Dexterity saving throw against your blood mage spell save DC. On a failure, a creature takes fire damage equal to the total of all the hit dice rolls, or half as much on a success. You are immune to this damage.
After you use this feature, all the space marked with Blood's Grace becomes unmarked.
If a creature doesn't have a hit die, its roll equals its constitution modifier.
Blood Mastery[]
Starting at 18th level, when you cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action, you can use a bonus action instead.
Blood Wolf[]
Some blood mages fall – or leap headfirst – into the primordial origins of blood's old power, from whence it drives warriors and predators alike. The are named Blood Wolves, for their hunger and their cunning.
Blood Wolf Spells[]
Starting at 2rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Blood Wolf Spells table. The spell counts as a blood mage spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of blood mage spells you know.
| Blood Mage Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 2nd | hunter's mark |
| 3rd | alter self |
| 5th | fear |
| 7th | stoneskin |
| 9th | commune with nature |
Bonus Proficiency[]
When you choose this order at 2nd level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons.
Blood Hunter[]
When you choose this order at 2nd level, you gain proficiency and expertise in the Survival skill, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it.
Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track creatures that are missing any hit points.
Blood Fury[]
Beginning when you choose this order at 2nd level, whenever you take damage while in your Blood Meditation, you can set aside a hit die.
When your Blood Meditation ends, rather than choose a number of hit dice to expend, you can instead expend all the hit dice you've set aside. If you do, the hit points you regain can exceed any temporary hit points you lost, and you enter a blood fury. Either way, all your hit dice cease to be set aside.
Your blood fury lasts for 1 minute, or until you are unconscious or end it as an action. For the duration:
- You can't cast spells or enter Blood Meditation.
- You can't be charmed or frightened.
- You have advantage on attack rolls using Strength.
- You can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
Blood's Vigor[]
Beginning at 6th level, you have additional d4 hit dice equal to your Constitution modifier. This doesn't increase your maximum hit points.
Taste of Blood[]
Beginning at 6th level, when you hit a creature that's below its hit point maximum with a weapon attack, that creature takes an extra 2d4 necrotic damage.
Additionally, when a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a weapon attack against them.
Seething Blood[]
Beginning at 10th level, immediately after you enter a blood fury, you can cast one spell you know with a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action by expending your reaction and the spell's normal costs. The spell must target only you when you cast it.
You can cast a Blood Magic spell this way despite not being in Blood Meditation, and if you do, you get the temporary hit points as normal.
This is the only means by which you can cast a spell during a blood fury.
Bloody Frenzy[]
Beginning at 14th level, when take the Attack action while in a blood fury and below half your maximum hit points, you can make an additional attack. If you are below a quarter of your maximum hit points, you can make another additional attack.
Ignore temporary hit points when determining what fraction of your maximum hit points you are at.
Wild Blood Fury[]
Beginning at 18th level, when you enter a Blood Fury, rather than expend the set aside hit dice, you can regain all your hit points.
After you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
Spell List[]
Level -> source -> alphabetical.
Cantrips[]
Player's Handbook:
- Blade ward
- Dancing lights
- Light
- Mage hand
- Mending
- Poison spray
- Prestidigitation
- Resistance
- Shocking grasp
- Spare the dying
- Thaumaturgy
- Thorn whip
- True strike
Xanathar's Guide to Everything:
- Control flames
- Primal savagery
- Shape water
- Thunderclap
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything:
- Booming blade
- Green-flame blade
- Lightning lure
- Sword burst
1st Level[]
Player's Handbook:
- Animal Friendship
- Armor of Agathys
- Arms of Hadar
- Bane
- Burning Hands
- Command
- Cure Wounds
- Detect Magic
- Detect Poison and Disease
- Dissonant Whispers
- Ensnaring Strike
- Expeditious Retreat
- Faerie Fire
- False Life
- Fog Cloud
- Hail of Thorns
- Hellish Rebuke
- Inflict Wounds
- Mage Armor
- Magic Missile
- Protection from Evil and Good
- Ray of Sickness
- Searing Smite
- Sleep
- Thunderwave
- Witch Bolt
Xanathar's Guide to Everything:
- Absorb Elements
- Cause Fear
- Ice Knife
- Zephyr Strike
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything:
- Tasha's Caustic Brew
2nd Level[]
Player's Handbook:
- Aid
- Alter Self
- Augury
- Blindness/Deafness
- Blur
- Cloud of Daggers
- Crown of Madness
- Darkness
- Darkvision
- Enhance Ability
- Enlarge/Reduce
- Flame Blade
- Flaming Sphere
- Gentle Repose
- Hold Person
- Lesser Restoration
- Locate Animals or Plants
- Magic Weapon
- Melf's Acid Arrow
- Misty Step
- Nystul's Magic Aura
- Protection from Poison
- Ray of Enfeeblement
- Scorching Ray
- See Invisibility
- Spider Climb
- Spike Growth
- Warding Bond
Xanathar's Guide to Everything:
- Dragon's Breath
- Earthbind
- Shadow Blade
3rd Level[]
Player's Handbook:
- Animate Dead
- Aura of Vitality
- Bestor Curse
- Call Lightning
- Counterspell
- Dispel Magic
- Elemental Weapon
- Fear
- Feign Death
- Gaseous Form
- Glyph of Warding
- Haste
- Hunger of Hadar
- Lightning Arrow
- Lightning Bolt
- Magic Circle
- Nondetection
- Protection from Energy
- Remove Curse
- Revivify
- Slow
- Speak with Dead
- Vampiric Touch
- Water Breathing
- Aura of Life
- Aura of Purity
Xanathar's Guide to Everything:
- Erupting Earth
- Flame Arrows
- Life Transference
- Melf's Minute Meteors
- Summon Lesser DEmons
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything:
- Spirit Shroud
- Summon Shadowspawn
- Summon Undead
4th Level[]
- Blight
- Compulsion
- Confusion
- Death Ward
- Divination
- Dominate Beast
- Evard's Black Tentacles
- Fire Shield
- Freedom of Movement
- Locate Creature
- Stone Shape
- Stoneskin
- Wall of Fire
Xanathar's Guide to Everything:
- Elemental Bane
- Guardian of Nature
- Shadow of Moil
- Storm Sphere
- Summon Greater Demon
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything:
- Summon Abberation
- Summon Elemental
5th Level[]
Player's Handbook:
- Antilife Shell
- Cloudkill
- Cone of Cold
- Contact Other Plane
- Contagion
- Creation
- Dispel Evil and Good
- Dominate Person
- Geas
- Greater Restoration
- Hold Monster
- Mass Cure Wounds
- Planar Binding
- Scrying
- Telekinesis
- Wall of Stone
Xanathar's Guide to Everything:
- Danse Macabre
- Enervation
- Far Step
- Holy Weapon
- Immolation
- Maelstrom
- Negative Energy Flood
- Steel Wind Strike
- Synaptic Static
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything:
6th Level (Blood Arcanum)[]
Player's Handbook:
- Blade Barrier
- Chain Lightning
- Circle of Death
- Create Undead
- Disintegrate
- Eyebite
- Flesh to Stone
- Forbiddance
- Harm
- Heal
- Magic Jar
- Otiluke's Freezing Sphere
- Sunbeam
- True Seeing
- Wall of Thorns
Xanathar's Guide to Everything:
- Bones of the Earth
- Create Homonculus
- Investiture of Flame
- Investiture of Ice
- Investiture of Stone
- Investiture of Wind
- Primordial Ward
- Scatter
- Soul Cage
- Tenser's Transformation
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything:
- Summon Fiend
- Tasha's Otherworldly Guise
7th Level (Blood Arcanum)[]
Player's Handbook:
- Divine Word
- Finger of Death
- Fire Storm
- Prismatic Spray
- Regenerate
- Simulacrum
- Symbol
Xanathar's Guide to Everything:
- Crown of Stars
- Power Word Pain
8th Level (Blood Arcanum)[]
Player's Handbook:
- Antimagic Field
- Antipathy/Sympathy
- Clone
- Dominate Monster
- Earthquake
- Feeblemind
- Incendiary Cloud
- Mind Blank
- Power Word Stun
- Sunburst
- Tsunami
Xanathar's Guide to Everything:
- Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
- Maddening Darkness
9th Level (Blood Arcanum)[]
Player's Handbook:
- Foresight
- Imprisonment
- Mass Heal
- Meteor Swarm
- Power Word Heal
- Power Word Kill
- Shapechange
- Storm of Vengeance
- Weird
Xanathar's Guide to Everything:
- Invulnerability
- Psychic Scream
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything:
- Blade of Disaster