Blood Mage

Every mage can feel the dark lure of blood magic. Originally learned from demons, these dark rites tap into the power of blood, converting life into mana and giving the mage greater command over their spellcasting. Such power comes with a price, however; a blood mage must sacrifice their own health, or the health of allies, to fuel these abilities.

## Class Features

As a blood mage, you gain the following class features.

##### Hit Points

* **Hit Dice:** 1d10 per blood mage level
* **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 10 + your Constitution modifier
* **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per blood mage level after 1st

##### Proficiencies

* **Armor:** None
* **Weapons:** Staffs, daggers
* **Tools:** Herbalism kit, medicine kit
* **Saving Throws:** Constitution, Wisdom
* **Skills:** Choose three from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Religion

##### Equipment

* Your personal mage's staff (quarterstaff)
* (a) a scholars pack or (b) an explorer's pack
* (a) a sacrificial dagger or (b) a garrotte of barbed wire

### Spellcasting

Born a mage, you have a natural connection to the Dreaming. As a blood mage, that connection is made visceral and corporeal, and you cast spells using your own lifeblood as a fuel source.

#### Cantrips

At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the blood mage spell list. You learn additional blood mage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Blood Mage table.

#### Spell Slots

The Blood Mage table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Burning Hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Burning Hands using either slot.

#### Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the blood mage spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Blood Mage table shows when you learn more blood mage spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. 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 for which you have spell slots.

#### Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your blood magic spells, due to the willpower and strength of spirit needed to resist the temptations of the demons that are attracted to a blood mage's powers. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom 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 Wisdom modifier

**Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

#### Spellcasting Focus

You can use your mage's staff or any weapon capable of drawing blood as a spellcasting focus for your blood mage spells.

### Temptation

By making your connection to the Dreaming corporeal, you attract the attention of demons. This is the cost of your great power, and as a result, you may occasionally need to make temptation saving throws against the lure of demonic powers.

* **Temptation save DC** = 10 - your Wisdom modifier
* **Temptation saving throw** = 1d20 + previously failed Temptation saves

On a successful temptation save, you suffer no ill side effets. On each failed temptation save, your temptation saves is increased by 1 and you briefly give in to your malevolent urges. This may take the form of an abnormally vicious attack, cruel action, gluttonous indulgence, or other demonic act. Your failed temptation saves reset every long rest.

If ever your failed temptation saves equals your wisdom modifier or more, you are possessed by a demon and lose control of your character. You may be forced into a dark bargain for control of your body.

### Grave Robber

You are deeply in tune with the life force of all surrounding creatures, and can tap into that of others' when you draw their blood. When any living creature dies within 30 feet of you, you may expend a reaction to siphon off some of their life force, restoring you by expending one of your hit dice. Using this feature incurs a temptation saving throw.

### Hemorrhage

Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to sacrifice your own blood in order to recover your spells slots. As a bonus action, if you are able to draw your own blood, you may inflict damage upon yourself to recover one used spell slot. Your hemorrhage damage is determined by 1d10 per level of spell slot recovered. Using this feature also incurs a temptation saving throw.

### Sacrifice

At 3rd level, you gain finer control over the raw power released by your blood magic. You gain two of the following Sacrifice options of your choice. You gain another one at 10th and 17th level.

You can use only one Sacrifice option on a spell when you cast it, unless otherwise noted. Each sacrifice incurs a specific amount of damage and incurs a temptation saving throw.

### Ability Score Improvement

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.

### Furious Agony

Starting at 6th level, whenever you are knocked unconscious, you may instead choose to roll a temptation saving throw, and on a success, you are brought back with 1 hit point. On a fail, your unconscious body is possessed by a Wrath demon that will continue fighting on your behalf.

### Familiar Pain

Starting at 14th level, you've become inured to the consistent assaults on your mind, and have greater endurance against them. You now reset failed temptation saves on short and long rests.

### Unearthly Recovery

At 18th level, you gain the ability to overcome grievous injuries. Any healing you gain using the Grave Robber feature is now doubled.

### Sanguine Mastery

Upon becoming 20th level, you have honed your control over blood magic, mitigating your sacrifice and empowering your capability. Once per turn, whenever a blood mage feature requires you to suffer sacrifice damage, you can choose to the damage and choose the lower of the two results.