Blood Weaver
A human, visibly bloodied and seemingly injured, retains a stoic look on his face. Using his athame, he slices down his own arm, making it apparent that the injuries are of his own accord. His arm spills crimson and with an effortless flick of his wrist, the human manipulates the blood into a solid spike.
Seeing her comrade start to suffer the effects of his self-mutilation, a female gnomes makes a small cut on her shoulder. The blood flows through the air into her ally, filling his cuts and sealing his wounds.
Fleeing from an enemy archer, an orc allows his form to flow free, falling into a pool of blood to narrowly avoid an arrow.
Blood Weavers allow their blood to flow throw the Weave in addition to themselves. By connecting their arcane influence to their physical blood, blood weavers gain power from self-injury.
Focused and Resolved
Typically unconcerned with the world around them, blood weavers often have a vision to uphold. Be it a thirst for revenge, or insatiable curiosity about the intricacies of their own powers, they are always mindful of their objective.
Blood Weavers garner their powers early on in life, usually through some confusion or trauma growing up. While not everyone would look physically within for arcane abilities, those who do are rewarded with great power. Some blood weavers choose to attribute their magic to a deity, and will often offer their blood to keep their deity happy.
Creating A Blood Weaver
A blood weaver can follow any of a wide variety of ideals, it all depends on the principles your character follows. The story of how your character came to be a blood weaver is often the most telling trait of how your mage goes about adventures.
Also to consider is what alignment to choose. A blood ma>e can be vengeful, apathetic, or even just curious about the world. Typically a blood weaver will be at least somewhat grim due to the grief experienced to lead to this life, but that doesn't prohibit the will to be helpful.
Quick Build
You can create a blood weaver quickly by following these suggestions. If you choose Sacrifice of Flesh, you may want to consider Strength as a highest or second highest score despite the permanent decrease. If you choose Sacrifice of Mind, Intelligence will aid spellcasting. However, due to the self-harming nature of your magic, Constitution should be considered for a highest skill.
Class Features
As a blood weaver, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per blood weaver level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per blood weaver level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light
- Weapons: Simple weapons, Short swords, Whips, Hand Crossbows
- Tools: Athame
- Saving Throws: Constitution
- Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, Deception, History, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Religion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment:
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a Short Sword and a Whip
- (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- A potion of healing
The Blood Weaver
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Spells Known |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Affliction, 1st Level Spells | 1 |
| 2nd | +2 | Sacrifice Feature | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Siphon | 3 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 |
| 5th | +3 | 2nd Level Spells | 5 |
| 6th | +3 | Sacrifice Feature | 6 |
| 7th | +3 | Siphon Improvement | 7 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 |
| 9th | +4 | 3rd Level Spells | 9 |
| 10th | +4 | Sacrifice Feature | 10 |
| 11th | +4 | Siphon Improvement, Blood Break | 11 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 12 |
| 13th | +4 | 4th Level Spells | 13 |
| 14th | +5 | Sacrifice Feature | 14 |
| 15th | +5 | Siphon Improvement | 15 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 16 |
| 17th | +6 | 5th Level Spells | 17 |
| 18th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 18 |
| 19th | +6 | Siphon Improvement | 19 |
| 20th | +6 | Blood Break Improvement | 20 |
1
Affliction
By using your own blood as a medium through which to cast magic, you eschew most material components of spellcasting. Learning new spells involves carving into your skin with your athame in order to bypass the need of a spell book. These carvings are intertwined with your life, and will reappear on your body if they are damaged or removed. Your athame is required to learn new spells.
Spell Casting
Blood Weavers do not have Spell Slots, but instead are limited by their own hit points. Casting a spell requires first dealing some damage to yourself in order to gain enough blood to cast it. This requires a bladed or pointed weapon. Blood Dice are d4 of necrotic damage dealt to both your current and maximum hit points. It is impossible to have resistance or immunity to this damage type, making it effectively 'true' damage. In any spell, n refers to the amount of Blood Dice rolled for that spell. Maximum hit points are restored to their original value upon finishing a short rest.
Every spell can be cast as a higher level, but only if you can know spells of that level. Casting a spell as a higher level requires you to use an appropriate amount of Blood Dice to match the level you are casting at. For example, at 5th Level, you may cast any 1st Level spell that you know as a 2nd Level spell, but you will roll 2 Blood Dice to cast it instead of 1.
Blood Dice ignore temporary hit points. If Blood Dice reduce your hit points to 0 or less, the spell is not cast and you fall unconscious unless some other ability keeps you conscious. If your max hit points are reduced to or below 0, you fall unconscious and may roll a hit die if available for your new max health. If you have no hit die remaining, your max health is set to 1.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for blood magic. Blood magic requires you to see all the intricacies of the Weave and manipulate them to produce the effects you intend, all while experiencing the pain introduced in casting the spell. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Blood Weaver spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Brands
A blood weaver has a number of persistent spells that can work passively without any additional self-injury beyond initial activation. There Brands take the form of carvings on your skin, though they are distinct from spell carvings. Brands are carved with your athame, and can only be activated by covering these carvings with your own blood.
Only one Brand can be active at a time. To activate a Brand, you must use your action to spill some of your own blood over the marking on your skin, taking 1d4 necrotic damage to current and maximum hit points (effectively one Blood Dice). When waking from a long rest, no Brand is active.
Blood Armor
You infuse your armor with blood, effectively making it a part of your own body. You may add your Constitution modifier to your AC while this Brand is active.
Blood Weapon
You coat your weapon in your blood, giving further control over your attacks. You may add your Constitution modifier to all attack hit rolls with your currently equipped weapon while this Brand is active.
Boiling Blood
You focus on your blood, allowing it to heat to a boil. Upon being attacked within melee range, the attacker must succeed a Constitution contest with you or take 1d4 fire damage.
Leech
You channel energy, attempting to draw blood nearer. While this Brand is active, upon dealing damage to a living creature with a non-magic attack, gain 1d4 maximum hit points. You cannot surpass your maximum hit points before reductions from spellcasting or other effects.
Siphon
At 3rd level, you can Siphon one creature per long rest. To Siphon requires a successful physical attack hit on the target creature. You can choose to use Siphon to deal an additional 1d8 + your Constitution modifier of necrotic damage and gain the additional damage dealt as hit points.
You can Siphon once per long rest. You gain the ability to Siphon once more per long rest at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th levels.
Blood Break
Starting at 11th Level, once per long rest, you may cast one spell that is not limited by normal spell level. This spell is limited by a maximum value of 10 Blood Dice. At 20th Level, you may use this ability an unlimited number of times. As normal, the spell is not cast if you fall unconscious from the damage dealt by Blood Dice.
2
Sacrifice
A blood weaver goes through great sacrifice to learn the interaction between blood and the Weave. At 2nd level, you start to see reparations for your sacrifice, gaining benefits depending on your sacrifice. You may choose only one Sacrifice when creating a blood weaver.
Sacrifice of Flesh
Your sacrifice comes in physical form; using your athame, you heavily mutilate yourself, taking a significant portion of flesh off your body in an attempt to become closer to the blood that drives your power. When creating a blood weaver, permanently reduce your Strength score by 1. This sacrifice involves the following features.
Feral Blood
Starting at 2nd Level, you become apathetic about your own well-being. When making an unarmed strike, you may choose to use your Constitution for the attack and damage rolls. This unarmed strike is considered magical.
Bloodied
Starting at 6th Level, your sacrifice grants you unholy strength when your body begins to fail. When you drop below half health, you have advantage on all Strength checks and melee attack rolls.
Iron Flesh
Starting at 10th Level, your sacrifice causes your body to become resilient to physical damage. Choose between bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. You are now resistant to that damage type.
Juggernaut
Starting at 14th Level, when you would fall unconscious and not immediately killed, you may expend a hit die provided you have one, and gain half the amount rounding up in hit points. The remaining amount is added as temporary health. You may only use this once per long rest. This effect does not counteract the effects of Blood Break.
Sacrifice of Mind
Your sacrifice comes through mental damage from multiple sessions of self-harm to the head. This is done in an attempt to see the Weave more clearly. As a result, when creating a blood weaver, permanently reduce your Intelligence score by 1. This sacrifice involves the following featuers.
Mentally Dead
Starting at 2nd Level, your sacrifice has numbed your mind. You have advantage on all Wisdom, Charisma, and Intelligence saving throws against magic.
Undivided Attention
Starting at 6th Level, you become distracted much less easily due to a lack of mental capacity to focus on multiple things. You may add the amount of Blood Dice rolled for any instantaneous blood magic spell to your damage. In other words, you may add n to your total damage for any instantaneous blood magic spell.
Split Personality
Starting at 10th Level, your head injuries cause a duality in your persona. You can focus on up to 2 spells that require concentration at a time. If you lose concentration, concentration is lost for both spells.
Enhanced Focus
Starting at 14th Level, your tunnel vision further increases. Able to acutely focus on fine details, your spellcasting becomes much stronger. When making a spell attack, you may add the amount of Blood Dice rolled for that spell to your spell attack hit rolls. In other words, you may add n to your spell attack hit rolls.
3
Blood Magic Spells
Level 1
Carve
1st-level enchantment
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: Self
- Components: M (a bloodied weapon)
- Duration: Instantaneous
This may only be cast immediately before attacking with a melee weapon. Prior to attacking, you harden the blood on your weapon, giving it a dire looking serrated feature. On hit, deal nd10 slashing damage in addition to the attack's damage.
Ichor Spike
1st-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 150 feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
Blood spikes form above your head and fly towards a target creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On hit, the target takes nd10 piercing damage.
Red Cloud
1st-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: S, M (drops of dark blood)
- Duration: 30 minutes
You toss a few drops of blood at a point within range, at which they disintegrate into a heavy red fog. A 20n-foot-radius sphere of bloody mist is created around the point, causing the area to be heavily obscured. It lasts for the duration or until a wind of moderate or greater speed disperses.
Brooding Image
1st-level illusion
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 80 feet
- Components: S, M (a few drops of the caster's freshly spilled blood)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 20 minutes
Your blood thins and forms the hazy image of an object, creature, or some other visible phenomenon that is no larger than a 15n-foot cube. If appropriate, as a bonus action you may attempt to intimidate targets that are looking at the image, adding your spell attack bonus to the Intimidation check. You can use an action to move the image to any spot within range. Physical interaction reveals it to be an illusion. A creature can use its action to examine the image. If it does, it attempts an Investigation check against your spell save DC. A creature that succeeds discerns the image as an illusion and can see through it.
Blood Bolt
1st-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a bit of caster's bone)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You toss shattered bits of bone at the target, attempting to form an artificial vein between yourself and the target. Make a ranged spell attack against that creature. On a hit, the target takes nd12 necrotic damage, and on each of your turns for the duration, you can use your action to deal nd12 necrotic damage to the target automatically. The spell ends if you use your action to do anything else. The spell also ends if the target is ever outside the spell’s range or if it has total cover from you. If the target ends the spell by leaving its range, the target takes nd4 necrotic damage for severing the magical vein. Undead and constructs are unaffected by this spell.
Level 2
Carnage
2nd-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self (15-foot cube)
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
Blood pools at your feet, then forms spikes extending outward in all directions. All creatures within a 15-foot cube of you must attempt a Dexterity saving throw. On failing, the creature is knocked back 10 feet and takes nd10 bludgeoning damage. On success, the creature takes half as much as is not knocked back.
Pool of Blood
2nd-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: Self
- Components: V
- Duration: Instantaneous
Choose a location you can see within 10n feet. You fall into a pool of blood on the ground about 5-feet in diameter and move to the location as long as there is an adequate path for thick liquid to flow there. You are unaffected by difficult terrain and avoid all opportunity attacks.
Lacerate
2nd-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 15n feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
A whip of blood erupts from your arm, slashing through the air towards a target within range. Make a ranged spell attack on the target. On hit, the target takes 2nd8 slashing damage. The next time the target is hit before the end of your next turn, the wound opens and the target takes an additional nd4 necrotic damage unless it is a construct.
4
Pinch Artery
2nd-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 90 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: n minutes
Roll 3nd8; the total is how many total hit points of creatures this spell can affect. Creatures within 20 feet of a point you choose within range fall unconscious in ascending order of their current hit points. Unconscious targets wake up when they take damage. Undead and constructs are unaffected by this spell.
Transmutation
2nd-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 15 feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
Blood leaves the pores of your hands and chest, flying towards a willing creature within range. They heal nd6 hit points. Undead and constructs are unaffected by this spell.
Crawling Blood
2nd-level illusion
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 20n feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
Choose a target within range. Their blood starts to crawl under their skin, causing extreme discomfort. The target attempts a Wisdom saving throw. On fail, the target must use its next action to make a single attack against itself (guaranteed hit) for half damage and run directly away from you. Targets who fail the saving throw for this spell get advantage on all future saving throws for this spell. Undead and constructs are unaffected by this spell.
Bone Swarm
2nd-level illusion
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: S, M (shattered bones)
- Duration: 1 minute
Bones accumulate in the target area, forming spikes in a 5-foot cube. A creature takes 2nd6 piercing damage when it enters the spell's area or starts its turn in it.
Level 3
Crown of Thorns
3rd-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 80 feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
A target creature within range has thorns start to form in a band around its head. The target attempts a Wisdom saving throw. On failure, the thorns fully embed themselves, causing the target to take nd4 piercing damage at the start of each of its turns for the duration. Additionally, the target gets disadvantage on all attack rolls for the duration.
Mist Form
3rd-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: V
- Duration: Concentration, up to 5n seconds
Your flesh disintegrates into a fine red mist, making you immune to physical damage for the duration. Your movement speed is reduced to half while in this form, and you get advantage on stealth while inside any other mist, smoke, or fog. You may not attack, cast other spells, or interact with any physical objects that would not be affected by a light wind. As a bonus action, or upon taking damage, the spell ends and you take flesh form at your current location. If this occurs while you are in a space that cannot hold your physical form, you are pushed to the nearest available space.
Chill Blood
3rd-level illusion
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: 20n-foot cone
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
All targets in a 20n-foot cone attempt a Wisdom saving throw. On fail, the target must spend its next action to Dash directly away from you in fear. On succeed, the target's movement speed is halved on its next turn. This spell has no effect on constructs.
Sanguine Spike
3rd-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 100-foot line
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
Blood shoots rapidly from your heart in a straight line. All targets caught in the target line must attempt a Dexterity saving throw and take 2nd8 piercing damage or half as much on a successful save.
5
Bloody Tears
3rd-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 150 feet
- Components: S, M (several drops of blood from the eyes)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
For the duration of the spell, blood accumulates in drops at the top of the target area and falls in a downpour in a 20-foot tall and 10n-foot radius cylinder. The area is heavily obscured, all flames in the area are doused, and all blood magic spells get advantage if they target a creature inside the area. If a creature is attempting to concentrate inside the area, the creature must make a successful Constitution saving throw or lose concentration.
Temporary Life
3rd-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 minute
- Range: Touch
- Components: M (pointed finger bone)
- Duration: Concentration, up to n minutes
Touch a creature who has been dead for no longer than 1 year and whose body is still mostly intact. Your fingers pierce the target's flesh, creating a conjoined network of blood flow between you two. The creature now has nd6 hit points while in contact with you for the duration. The target has disadvantage on all rolls and you both have half movement speed.
The spell ends if any of the following occur:
-Any creature within melee range uses its action to attempt a Strength contest with you to rip your hand out of the target.
-You move more than 5 feet away from the target. This cannot occur by accident, as it requires some force to take your hand out.
If any effect causes your hand to leave the target or end the spell, the target's body disintegrates.
Level 4
Blood Shard Storm
4th-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 300 feet
- Components: S, M (bloodied bits of bone)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
For the duration of the spell, blood accumulates in shards at the top of the target area and falls in a downpour in a 20-foot tall and 10n-foot radius cylinder. The area is heavily obscured, difficult terrain, and all flames within are doused. All blood magic spells get advantage if they target inside the area. If a creature is concentrating inside the area, it must make a successful Constitution saving throw or lose concentration. Additionally, all creatures starting a turn within or entering the area must succeed a Dexterity saving throw or take nd10 bludgeoning damage.
Drain
4th-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
This spell can only be cast immediately prior to an unarmed attack against the target. On hit, for every 5 hit points missing from your maximum hit points, deal n necrotic damage instead of normal damage. The target attempts a Constitution saving throw. On fail, you gain nd3 hit points unless the target is a construct.
Manipulate Blood
4th-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 80 feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 3n minutes
Initiate a contest of your Constitution versus the target's Strength. On success, you suspend the creature no more than 10 feet in the air, binding all of its limbs by holding the blood inside them. You may move the creature 5n feet per turn as a bonus action. The creature cannot attack, and all melee attacks against it get advantage. At the beginning of its turn, it can attempt the same contest to break free. If you voluntary end this spell, you may slam the creature into a nearby surface for nd6 bludgeoning damage. This spell has no effect on constructs.
Symbiotic Stake
4th-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 5 feet
- Components: V, S, M (athame)
- Duration: n minutes
You aim to stab your athame into the target's heart. Make a melee spell attack against the target. On hit, the target takes nd6 damage and has its blood bonded to yours. While the target is within 30n feet, your athame will twist in the target's heart whenever you take damage. The target will roll any damage you take from any source, including Blood Dice (not including this spell). If the target leaves this spell's range, the athame removes itself and is dropped at that location. The athame also removes itself at the end of the spell duration. The target may use an action to attempt a contest of its Strength versus your Intelligence to remove the athame. Should they succeed, they remove the athame from their heart and end the spell, and the target takes 1d12 piercing damage. Brands cannot be used while this spell is active.
6
Level 5
Mass Hemorrhaging
5th-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60-foot cone
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
Each creature within the target cone attempt a Constitution saving throw. Each target that fails has their skin erupt into several wounds, each spouting blood, and the target takes 2nd8 necrotic damage. Targets that succeed take half as much damage. This spell has no effect on constructs.
True Transfusion
5th-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 hour
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S, M (a significant amount of flesh from a willing creature; several fingers, a forearm, a foot, etc)
- Duration: Instantaneous
Touch the body of a creature that has been dead for no more than 50n years. As long as that body has no more missing flesh than that offered for the ritual, the body is filled with life with full hit points and all non-physical disabilities cured. Any missing flesh is filled with that offered, and the rest of the offering turns to dust.
Wall of Flesh
5th-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a small bit of battered flesh)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You toss a bit of flesh which split into 2n pieces. Each crawl off to target locations within range, growing into 2n 10-by-10-foot panels made of flesh and bone, each 6 inches thick. Each panel must be contiguous with at least one other panel. Creatures are pushed to one side (of your choice) of the wall of when it springs into existence. Walls have 5 AC and 15n hit points. Once a wall is destroyed, the flesh crumbles to dust. As an action, you may tap into any panel within 5 feet and gain nd4 temporary health, destroying that wall in the process. Enemies enclosed on all sides by walls of flesh have disadvantage against all blood magic spells. You have advantage on all blood magic spells when enclosed on all sides by walls of flesh.
7