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Blood Shaman A half-elf, caked with dirt and muck and their eyes filled with a feverish vitality, charges into a swarm of goblins to lay into their foes with twin blades. Oddly, the flesh of their enemies seems to part before the blades even make contact. A dwarf in battered armour stands stalwart amidst a burning city, his thick shield holding back a band of pillagers as he lays his free hand upon a wounded citizen behind him. With a brief wince of pain, minor wounds open on his hand as the citizen's own injuries disappear. A human woman in flowing rags of earthy tones takes out her dagger and carves a thin line across her palm. As the blood pools, it begins to rise into the air and swirl, before catching aflame and shooting outwards. Masters of their own flesh and vitality, blood shamans make sacrifices of themselves in exchange for power.









































A Forbidden Art The use of blood magic is a frowned upon and shunned talent, its visceral capabilities horrifying in concept to the average citizen. For those willing to tap into its power -- for those willing to destroy themselves in search of what they desire -- the potential it unlocks can be staggering. Though unified by their shared source of power, blood shamans utilize that power in a wide variety of ways. Some extend their powers to harm those around them, and revel in the thick of battle. Others take the route of protector, taking upon themselves the injuries of those they care about. And others seek to warp reality itself, using their vitality as a framework to create and conjure. Forged in Solitude Whether or not a blood shaman looks for an isolated life is irrelevant, as they are often forced into it to avoid the stigma and fear surrounding their practice. They are the hermits in the woods, the decrepit wagon at the back of the caravan, the savages in the wilds. In adventuring, perhaps, they find a way of belonging. One more strange being among several. A transient, shifting lifestyle that allows them to move from place to place before local distrust overcomes fear. Or perhaps it is simply in the search for ever more power, ambition driving them into the darkest of dungeons and cruelest of landscapes. Creating a Blood Shaman As you create your blood shaman character, think about how they first learned of blood magic. Where did they learn of it's existence? Were they taught the art by another, or from an esoteric tome, or did they somehow stumble upon it themself? Above that, consider what drove them to teach themself blood magic. A harsh and hated skill, with violent repercussions upon those who use it, it is rarely something one takes a casual interest in. Are they seeking vengeance

2 The Blood Shaman Level Proficiency Bonus Features 1st +2 Transfusion, Sanguine Weave 2nd +2 Upon the Brink 3rd +2 Vein Stitching 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 5th +3 Sanguine Weave Feature 6th +3 Vein Stiching (x2) 7th +3 Moment of Recuperation 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 9th +4 Sanguine Weave Feature 10th +4 Vein Stitching (x3) 11th +4 Moment of Recuperation (x2) 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 13th +5 Sanguine Weave Feature 14th +5 Improved Upon the Brink 15th +5 Vein Stitching (x4) 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 17th +6 Immortal Heart 18th +6 Moment of Recuperation (x3) 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 20th +6 Sanguine Weave Feature against a powerful foe who wronged them? Did they lose something precious because they were not strong enough to keep it, and seek to close that gap? Due to the nature of their power and the means necessary to achieve it, blood shamans are often chaotic in alignment. Quick Build You can quickly make a blood shaman by following these instructions. First, make Constitution your highest ability score, followed by either Dexterity, Charisma, or Wisdom, depending on your archetype. Second, choose the hermit background. Class Features Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d12 per blood shaman level

1d12 per blood shaman level Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier

12 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per blood shaman level after 1st. Proficiencies Armor: Light armour, medium armour

Light armour, medium armour Weapons: Simple weapons

Simple weapons Tools: None Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma

Constitution, Charisma Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Medicine, Perception, and Persuasion Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple or martial weapon

(a) any martial weapon or (b) an arcane focus or (c) a component pouch or (d) a shield

(a) a scholar's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack

leather armour and two daggers Transfusion Through your mastery of your own life force, you can channel your own energy into others to heal them. As an action, you can touch a willing creature other than yourself and pay any number of your own hit points to heal that creature for that amount. Paying hit points in this manner doesn't count as taking damage, ignores any temporary hit points you have, and also reduces your maximum hit points by the same amount until you complete a long rest. You can’t pay more hit points than you currently have. This feature has no effect on undead and constructs. This reduction can't be removed until you’ve completed a long rest. Sanguine Weave Starting at 1st level, you decide upon an archetype that defines your mastery over blood. Choose one of the following, each of which is explained at the end of the class description: Weave of the Hunter

Weave of the Guardian

Weave of the Storm Upon the Brink Upon reaching 2nd level, you learn how to harness your own spilled blood to further protect yourself. As long as your hit points are equal to or less than three times your class level, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Starting at 14th level, you instead gain resistance to all damage types except necrotic, psychic, and radiant. Vein Stitching At 3rd level, you become capable of controlling the flow of your blood to recuperate from injury even in the heat of battle. As a bonus action, you may spend a Hit Die. When you do, roll the die and add your constitution modifier to it. You regain hit points equal to the total. When using this feature at 6th level or higher, you may choose to spend two Hit Dice instead of one, or up to three Hit Dice at 10th level or higher, or up to four Hit Dice at 15th level or higher. Add your constitution modifier an additional time for each additional Hit Die spent. 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.

Moment of Recuperation At 7th level, once you complete a short rest, you may regain one expended Hit Die. At 11th level, you regain up to two expended Hit Dice instead, and up to three expended Hit Dice at 18th level. Immortal Heart Starting at 17th level, you can manipulate your heart to keep beating despite grevious wounds. If you drop to 0 hit points and don't die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a long rest, the DC resets to 10. Blood Shaman Weaves Each blood shaman utilizes their art in a different form, unique to their personal desires and strengths. Weave of the Hunter Followers of the Weave of the Hunter revel in the violent dance and the spilling of blood. Wring Flesh Once you've chosen this archetype at 1st level, you become proficient with shields and martial weapons. In addition, you learn how to manipulate the flesh of your enemies. Once per turn when you hit an enemy with a melee weapon attack, you may have that attack deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage. If you do, attacks made against you have advantage until your next turn. This damage increases by an additional 1d6 at 5th (2d6), 9th (3d6), 13th (4d6), and 20th level (5d6). Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Bloodied Frenzy Once you reach 9th level, whenever an enemy within 5 feet of you hits you with an attack while you’re under the effect of Upon the Brink, you may use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack with advantage against that creature. Blur of Adrenaline Starting at 13th level, your walking speed increases by 15 feet while you aren’t wearing heavy armour, and enemies have disadvantage on opportunity attacks made against you. Lust for Blood At 20th level, your thirst for violence allows you to push yourself further. Whenever you miss with an attack on your turn, you may use a bonus action to immediately make another attack against the same target. Weave of the Guardian To choose the path of the Guardian is to understand the preciousness of life, and to seek to protect the wellbeing of those around you. Aura of the Bastion When you choose this archetype at 1st level, you gain proficiency with shields and heavy armour. In addition, you gain the ability to protect nearby allies from incoming harm. When another ally within 5 feet of you would be hit with an attack, you may use your reaction to make a Charisma saving throw with a DC of 10 + the difference between the attack roll and your ally’s AC. If you succeed, the attack is made against you and your AC instead, using the same roll. (ex: If the enemy had a total attack roll of 18 and your ally had an AC of 13, the DC would be 15.) Spare from Harm Starting at 5th level, you may use Transfusion as a bonus action. Sanguine Ward Beginning at 9th level, if you would take damage while under the effect of Upon the Brink, you may use your reaction to first gain an amount of temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + your class level. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and you regain spent uses upon completing a long rest. Bear the Burden Once you reach 13th level, enemies within 5 feet of you have disadvantage on attack rolls made against targets other than you. An enemy is immune to this feature if it can’t see or hear you. Hearts and Minds At 20th level, you are able to not only defy your own death, but that of your allies as well. You may use Immortal Heart on other creatures within 30ft in addition to yourself. When using it on another creature, you still make the check, and the DC increases are shared rather than unique to each creature. 3

4 Weave of the Storm Spellcasting Blood Shaman Level Cantrips Known Spells Known Spell Level 1st 2 2 1 2nd 2 3 1 3rd 2 4 2 4th 2 5 2 5th 3 6 3 6th 3 7 3 7th 3 8 4 8th 3 9 4 9th 3 10 5 10th 3 10 5 11th 4 11 6 12th 4 11 6 13th 4 12 7 14th 4 12 7 15th 4 13 8 16th 4 13 8 17th 4 14 9 18th 4 14 9 19th 4 15 9 20th 4 15 9 Spell Cost Spell Level Hit Points Cost 1st 4 2nd 6 3rd 10 4th 14 5th 20 6th 26 7th 34 8th 42 9th 52 Weave of the Storm Those who harness the power of their own life to warp the fabric of reality itself are known as the Weavers of the Storm. Spellcasting When you choose this archetype at 1st level, you gain the ability to cast spells. You start knowing two cantrips and two 1st level spells from the spell list below. The Spellcasting table above shows when you learn more spells and cantrips. Each of these spells must be of a level equal to or lower than the level in the Spell Level column. For example, when you reach 7th level in this class, you may learn a spell of 4th level or lower. Additionally, whenever you gain a level in this class, you may replace a spell you know with another spell from the list below. The new spell must be of a level for which you are capable of learning or lower. In order to cast spells, you must pay an amount of hit points shown in the Spell Cost Table above. Hit points spent this way don’t count as damage, ignore any temporary hit points you have, and also cause your maximum hit points to be reduced by the same amount until you complete a long rest. You can’t pay more hit points than you currently have. This reduction can't be removed until you’ve completed a long rest. Spells of 6th level and higher are particularly taxing to cast, and only one of each level can be cast per long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your spells, since you conjure spells through an innate understanding of the relation between life and reality. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. Spell save DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + Wisdom modifier Spell attack modifier = proficiency bonus + Wisdom modifier Sanguine Barbs Starting at 5th level, whenever you hit a creature with a spell attack, you may roll an additional 2d10 to deal that much necrotic damage to that creature and half that much damage to you. Lash of Pain Starting at 9th level, whenever an enemy within 5 feet of you hits you with an attack while you’re under the effect of Upon the Brink, you may use your reaction to deal 1d8 necrotic damage to that creature and have it make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it’s pushed 5 feet away from you in a straight line and knocked prone as its nerves lock up with intense pain. Rend Asunder Beginning at 13th level, when you hit a creature with a spell attack, you can use this feature to take hold of its organs and shred them. When you do, that creature takes 10d10 necrotic damage as it is torn apart from the inside. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. Hematic Mastery Upon reaching 20th level, your mastery over your own life force lets you cast spells at a reduced cost. Whenever you cast a spell using your class spellcasting feature, the hit points required to cast it are treated as though casting a spell of one level lower, except for 1st level spells, which cost 2 hit points. This doesn’t affect the restriction on how many spells of 6th level or higher can be cast per long rest.