General Prestige Class : Blood Magus

Death is the ultimate risk that spellcasters, like all adventurers, must contend with. Some are cut down before they have a chance at true glory; others find true peace only in the afterlife; and others are brought back from death by companions with the powerful magical resources to perform such a miracle. For a rare few such arcanists, this trip to the great beyond and back brings a new enlightenment - a comprehension of the body and its individual parts that transcends the understanding of those who have not experienced death and returned to tell the tale. These newly raised spellcasters say that the first sound they hear upon returning to life is the pulse of life-giving blood in their veins. To these fortunate few, this flow of blood through their veins is sweet music: the sound of life. They can feel it re-energizing every particle of their form, flushing death away and leaving life in its place. It is thick and warm, and they greedily embrace it.

Such arcane spellcasters become blood magi: formerly deceased spellcasters who, when returned to life, gain an understanding of their blood's importance, bequeathed by their close call. They learn to evoke magic from this vital fluid that sustains their lives. Blood magi cannot be trained, owing to the unusual nature of their enlightenment, and they are most likely to have first been sorcerers.

NPC blood magi are thus rarely, if ever, found in groups. They are more likely to be thinly scattered throughout a region's spellcaster population.

Adaptation: A twist on the blood magus as presented here would be to tie the class to some deity or entity. Whenever the blood magus works his blood magic, he also gives blood sacrifice to the deity or entity so named, and it is through this bloody patron that the blood magus powers his magic.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Blood Magus, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

Class Skills

The blood magus's class skills are Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Heal, and SpellCraft.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All the following are class features of the blood magus prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Blood magi gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each level except 5th and 10th, a blood magus gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (such as the bonus feat sometimes gained by a wizard). If he had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a blood magus, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.

Blood Component (Su): A blood magus can substitute a drop of his own blood for a spell's material components, if any, and in so doing increase the spell's power. The pinprick or minor knife cut to draw the requisite blood is a free action (just like using material components) that becomes a normal part of casting the spell. Using this ability deals I point of damage to the blood magus but raises the spell's caster level by 1. Damage reduction, if the character has any, doesn't apply to this damage. If a spell has a costly material component (greater than 1 gp), the component must still be provided. If a spell has no material component, a blood magus can still use this ability to enhance a spell if he desires.

Durable Casting (Ex): A blood magus has a knack for being able to concentrate on casting spells and maintaining them despite taking damage while doing so. For the purpose of making a Concentration check to cast, concentrate on, or direct a spell when he might be distracted by damage, a blood magus subtracts his level from any hit point damage dealt to him by an attack that strikes him during the action (or whenever he is subject to a source of continuous damage, such as Melf's acid arrow). A blood magus still takes all the damage dealt to him, but the damage is less likely to affect his ability to cast, concentrate on, or direct spells successfully.

For example, a 1st-level blood magus can "ignore" 1 point of damage from each source that damages him while casting a spell for the purpose of determining the DC of his Concentration check to cast successfully. If struck for 5 points of damage while casting a spell, he must make a Concentration check to successfully cast, but the DC is only 10 + 4 (damage dealt minus 1) + the spell's level. A 5th-level blood magus could ignore up to 5 points of damage dealt from each source that damages him during casting (and thus wouldn't have to make a Concentration check if struck for 5 points of damage or less).

Because of this ability, damage a blood magus takes from using his blood component and bloodseeking spell special abilities never requires him to make a Concentration check to finish the spell he is casting.

Stanch (Ex): A blood magus automatically becomes stable when his hit points drop below 0. He still dies if he reaches -10 hit points or lower.

Scarification (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a blood magus can inscribe spells on his own skin for later use. This process involves deeply scratching the skin (which deals no damage but often leaves scars). The scratches remain fresh until the inscribed spell is cast, at which time the wound heals normally. Effectively, a blood magus gains the Scribe Scroll feat using an alternative medium.

All rules, XP costs, and expenses that apply to Scribe Scroll also apply to this ability, likewise, "reading" a scar follows the same rules as reading a scroll, but only a blood magus can decipher his own scars. One's own skin leaves a limited amount of room to easily inscribe and "read" magical scars. Thus, a blood magus can have only six of these scars at any one time.

Death Knell (Sp): At 3rd level and higher, a blood magus has the ability to use death knell as the spell once per day.

Blood Draught (Ex): At 4th level, a blood magus learns how to store spells of up to 3rd level in his own blood. Effectively, he gains the Brew Potion feat using an alternative medium. All rules, XP costs, and expenses that apply to Brew Potion also apply to this ability, with the following exceptions.

Once "brewed," a blood draught remains in circulation within a magus's body. The maximum number of draughts he can store at one time is equal to his blood magus level + his Con score, but if he is ever slain, they are all immediately ruined - even if he is subsequently returned to life. Blood draughts are never accidentally lost through major blood loss or by a blood-draining attack.

To consume a draught, a blood magus pricks his skin, automatically bringing forth the desired effect. This is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, like drinking a potion. Another individual can partake of a blood draught (if he or she has a strong stomach) by drinking 1 ounce of the blood magus's blood as a full-round action. The blood magus must have an open wound to share the effects of a blood draught with another creature; if he lacks one, the creature can inflict a wound that deals 1 point of damage to the blood magus as part of the action to consume the draught. A blood magus cannot store his blood in a container to share at a later time. The blood draught must be drawn fresh from his body, or it loses potency within 1 round.

Homunculus (Su): From 5th level on, a blood magus can use his blood to give life to a new companion creature - a homunculus. A blood magus need not meet any of the given prerequisites to create the homunculus; however, a blood magus must permanently sacrifice 1 hit point as part of the creation process. The process requires 1 hour.

A blood magus enjoys a stronger than normal link with his homunculus. By touching the homunculus, a blood magus can transfer his wounds to the creature (up to 1 hp per level with each touch). This is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

Each time a blood magus gains a class level, his homunculus advances 1 Hit Die, and it gains all the normal benefits of its increased Hit Dice (increased base attack bonus, saves, and so on). The homunculus advances to a maximum of 6 Hit Dice when the blood magus reaches 9th level.

If his homunculus is destroyed, a blood magus takes 2d10 points of damage, as noted in the creature description. A blood magus's death results in the death of his homunculus. A blood magus can have only one homunculus at any given time.

Bloodseeking Spell (Su): Beginning at 6th level, a blood magus can imbue his spells with the ability to draw blood from their targets. To use this ability, a blood magus must inflict a wound on himself; this is a free action that deals 3 points of damage to the blood magus and becomes a normal part of casting the spell. Damage reduction, if a blood magus has any, doesn't apply to this damage.

A bloodseeking spell deals an extra 1d6 points of damage to each target that takes damage from the spell. This extra damage applies only to spells that deal hit point damage, not to spells that deal ability damage, ability drain, or other kinds of damage. Constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, undead, and any creatures without blood or a similar substance within their bodies are immune to this effect.

Thicker Than Water (Su): At 7th level and higher, a blood magus's vital fluids are partially under his control. When a blood magus is injured, his blood withdraws from the wound, avoiding some damage that he would otherwise take. This ability gives the blood magus damage reduction 1/bludgeoning.

Awaken Blood (Su): At 8th level and higher, a blood magus can bestow momentary consciousness on an opponent's blood. If he hits a foe with a melee touch attack, the opponent's blood tries to get free of its confinement - all at once. The pressure disrupts the victim's tissues, dealing 10d10 points of damage. This ability is usable only once per day, but a blood magus can try to use it again later in the day if his previous attempt failed. The effect is instantaneous. Constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, undead, and any creatures without blood or a similar substance within their bodies are immune to this effect.

Infusion (Ex): Upon reaching 9th level, a blood magus prepares a special one-time distillation of his own blood. After partaking of the infusion, he gains a 2-point increase to his Constitution score.

Bloodwalk (Su): At 10th level, a blood magus becomes perfectly attuned to the song of blood. He gains the supernatural ability to transport himself great distances via the blood of living creatures. Once per day as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, he can seamlessly enter any living creature (except an elemental, ooze, plant, undead, or other creature without blood or a similar fluid) whose size equals or exceeds his own and pass any distance to another living creature on the same plane in a single round, regardless of the distance separating the two. A blood magus merely designates a direction and distance ("a living creature twenty miles due west of here"), and the bloodwalk ability transports him to a destination creature as close as possible to the desired location. He can't specify a named individual as the endpoint unless he has previously obtained a sample of that creature's blood and has it preserved in a vial that he carries.

The entry and destination creatures need not be familiar to the blood magus. A blood magus cannot use himself as an entry creature. If an intended entry creature is unwilling, he must make a successful melee touch attack to enter. (A missed touch attack does not use up the ability for that day.) When exiting a creature, a blood magus chooses an adjacent square in which to appear. Entering and exiting a creature is painless unless a blood magus wishes otherwise (see below). In most cases, though, the destination creature finds being the endpoint of a magical portal surprising and quite unsettling.

If he desires, a blood magus can attempt to make a bloody exit from the destination creature. He bursts forth explosively from the creature's body, dealing 10d6 points of damage unless the creature makes a Fortitude save (DC 10 + blood magus's class level + blood magus's Con modifier). When he makes a bloody exit, a blood magus must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round from the shock of his expulsion.

Blood MagusHit Die: d4
CLBABFortRefWillSpecialSpells
1st+0+2+0+0Blood component, durable casting, stanch+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
2nd+1+3+0+0Scarification+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
3rd+1+3+1+1Death knell+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
4th+2+4+1+1Blood draught+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
5th+2+4+1+1Homunculus-
6th+3+5+2+2Bloodseeking spell+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
7th+3+5+2+2Thicker than water+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
8th+4+6+2+2Awaken blood+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
9th+4+6+3+3Infusion+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
10th+5+7+3+3Bloodwalk-

Source: Complete Arcane
Tome and Blood

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General Prestige Classes