[3.5] The Blood Mage [WIP]

[TechnOkami]

The Blood Mage

http://www.stateoftheleague.com/storage/league-of-legends-skins/Blood%20Lord%20Vladimir%20Skin.jpg

Prerequisites
To become a Blood Mage, the race of the player character must have blood of some form (for instance, most living things can become a Blood Mage, elementals could not, skeletons cannot, but vampires could).

Alignment
Any non-good.

Hit Die
d12.

Class Skills
The Blood Mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (con), Craft (int), Decipher Script (int), Diplomacy (cha), Gather Information (cha), Heal (wis), Intimidate (cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (int), and Profession (wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level
(2 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
2 + Int modifier.

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells Known
1|+0|+2|+0|+2|Sanguine Pact, Vitality Boon |0 and 1st Level Spells
2|+1|+3|+0|+3||
3|+1|+3|+1|+3||2nd Level Spells
4|+2|+4|+1|+4||
5|+2|+4|+1|+4|Hemoretention|3rd Level Spells
6|+3|+5|+2|+5||
7|+3|+5|+2|+5||4th Level Spells
8|+4|+6|+2|+6||
9|+4|+6|+3|+6||5th Level Spells
10|+5|+7|+3|+7|Sanguine Sacrifice|
11|+5|+7|+3|+7||6th Level Spells
12|+6/+1|+8|+4|+8||
13|+6/+1|+8|+4|+8||7th Level Spells
14|+7/+2|+9|+4|+9||
15|+7/+2|+9|+5|+9||8th Level Spells
16|+8/+3|+10|+5|+10||
17|+8/+3|+10|+5|+10||9th Level Spells
18|+9/+4|+11|+6|+11||
19|+9/+4|+11|+6|+11||
20|+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Blood Lord|[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Blood Mage.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
The Blood Mage is proficient with all simple weapons and any one slashing or piercing weapon. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield.

Spells
A Blood Mage casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the Blood Mage spell list. A Blood Mage can cast any spell he knows without preparing for it. To prepare or cast a spell, a Blood Mage must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Blood Mage's spell is 10 + the spell level + the Blood Mage's Intelligence Modifier.

Unlike other spellcasters, a Blood Mage can cast, effectively, an unlimited amount of spells, as long as he has the hit points to cast them with. He sacrifices a certain amount of hit points per the spell's level. A Blood Mage can also utilize a foreign source of blood to their disposal for casting spells, though it costs twice as much normally to cast spells in this manner. The person from whom this source of blood is coming from must either be willing or helpless in order for this to work. All damage dealt this way cannot be healed for a full 24 hours, and all forms of hit point gain are rendered ineffective.

{table=head]Spell to Hit Point Conversion
0 Level Spells: 1 Hit Point
1st Level Spells: 1 Hit Point
2nd Level Spells: 3 Hit Points
3rd Level Spells: 5 Hit Points
4th Level Spells: 7 Hit Points
5th Level Spells: 9 Hit Points
6th Level Spells: 11 Hit Points
7th Level Spells: 13 Hit Points
8th Level Spells: 15 Hit Points
9th Level Spells: 17 Hit Points [/table]

When a spell is cast by a Blood Mage, the Blood Mage gains back half of the spell's cost in Hit Points, rounded down (one minimum, with the exception of zero and first level spells). For instance, if the Blood Mage were to cast Vampiric Touch, the Blood Mage would sacrifice 5 hit points and gain 2 hit points back.

Sanguine Pact (Ex):
The Blood Mage has undergone a pact with an outsider, granting him magical prowess through the sacrificing and regenerating of his life. However, such power does not come without a price. From now on, effects which would cause the Blood Mage to gain lost hit points, and not caused by the Blood Mage's class abilities, do not cause him to gain them back (with the following exception(s): health gained after a night's rest). Along with a healing inhibition, the Blood Mage will now have drastic consequences for dying. If the Blood Mage dies, his soul will become as property of the Outsider to do with as he wills. The Blood Mage will become an NPC controlled by the Dungeon Master. However, as the Blood Lord gains more power, the Blood Lord will slowly rely less and less on the Outsider's prowess until he reaches the peak of his own power. For every four class levels, if the Blood Mage happens to die, an avatar of the Outsider he serves will come to bring him back. All hit points he lost will be restored, any ailments he might be suffering will be removed, and any ability damage/drain/negative levels gained will be restored. If the Blood Mage dies more times than he can be resurrected in this way, his soul will belong to the outsider. Effects that would bring back the Blood Mage in any way, shape, or form, does not stop the Outsider's Avatar from coming, and thus expends the "free resurrection". If the Blood Mage's soul is taken by the Outsider, no spell can bring him back.

Vitality Boon (Ex):
The use of Blood Magic upon the Blood Mage's body has begun to alter its physiology, making it stronger than before. Starting at first level, the Blood Mage may add her constitution score to her natural healing rate. Also starting at first level, the Blood Mage gains a +1 to his natural healing rate, increasing by one for every class level.

Hemorentention (Ex):
His body is filled with blood, and the arcane powers he wields through its sacrifice now readily works to keep it locked inside him, except when he wills it. The Blood Mage is no longer subject to bleeding effects, and gains the benefits of the Diehard feat, even if he does not fulfill the requirements.

Sanguine Sacrifice (Ex):
The Blood Mage's developed knowledge of the use of blood has enabled him to use the blood of others for his own purpose. The Blood Mage can now utilize the blood of someone other than himself to cast his spells. The source in question must either be willing or helpless to be used in this manner. However, using the blood of someone else is a dangerous and expensive method. Twice the amount of hit points are required to cast spells in this method. Furthermore, if the source of this blood were to be healed in any way after the Blood Mage begins casting from this external source, the Blood Mage can no longer utilize his blood until a full 24 hours has passed.

Blood Lord (Ex):
The Blood Mage has reached the pinnacle of his power. At level 20, the Sanguine Pact is fulfilled, granting the Blood Mage the freedom to do as he wills without fearing his soul being shackled to eternal servitude or torture. He gains the Native Outsider subtype, gaining all the benefits for being one as well as allowing him to create Sanguine Pacts of his own. His power over blood, life itself, has concentrated immense power inside of him, granting him immortality. He also gains the following: Immunity from Death Effects, Ablility Damage, Ability Drain, Disease, and Poison.

Spell List
0 Level Spells:
Daze
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Disrupt Undead
Read Magic

1st Level Spells:
Cause Fear
Charm Person
Command
Deathwatch
Detect Undead
Doom
Expeditious Retreat
Hide From Undead
Hypnotism
Inflict Light Wounds
Longstrider
Mage Armor
Obscuring Mist
Ray of Enfeeblement
Sleep
Summon Monster I

2nd Level Spells:
Daze Monster
Death Knell
Delay Poison
Desecrate
Enthrall
Gentle Repose
Hold Person
Inflict Moderate Wounds
Status
Summon Monster II
Touch of Idiocy

3rd Level Spells:
Animate Dead
Bestow Curse
Command Undead
Contagion
Dispel Magic
False Life
Remove Disease
Scare
Speak With Dead
Summon Monster III
Vampiric Touch

4th Level Spells:
Black Tentacles
Death Ward
Dimensional Anchor
Fear
Fly
Gaseous Form
Inflict Critical Wounds
Neutralize Poison
Poison
Slow
Solid Fog
Summon Monster IV

5th Level Spells:
Blight
Command (Greater)
Contact Other Plane
Disrupting Weapon
Dismissal
Dominate Person
Fatigue
Hold Monster
Inflict Light Wounds (Mass)
Planar Binding
Plane Shift
Rise Dead
Slay Living
Summon Monster V
Symbol of Pain
Symbol of Sleep
Telepathic Bond
Teleport

6th Level Spells:
Antilife Shell
Banishment
Circle of Death
Create Undead
Dispel Magic (Greater)
Eyebite
Forbiddance
Harm
Inflict Moderate Wounds (Mass)
Planar Ally
Summon Monster VI
Symbol of Fear
Symbol of Persuasion
Undeath to Death
Word of Recall

7th Level Spells:
Control Undead
Destruction
Disintegrate
Finger of Death
Hold Person (Mass)
Power Word Blind
Regenerate
Repulsion
Symbol of Stunning
Symbol of Weakness
Teleport (Greater)
Waves of Exhaustion

8th Level Spells:
Antimagic Field
Antipathy
Binding
Charm Monster (Mass)
Clone
Create Greater Undead
Dimensional Lock
Horrid Wilting
Inflict Critical Wounds (Mass)
Planar Ally (Greater)
Planar Binding (Greater)
Power Word Stun
Prying Eyes (Greater)
Spell Immunity (Greater)
Summon Monster VIII
Symbol of Death

9th Level Spells:
Astral Projection
Dominate Monster
Energy Drain
Gate
Hold Monster (Mass)
Implosion
Mage's Disjunction
Power Word Kill
Soul Bind
Summon Monster IX
Trap the Soul
True Resurrection
Wail of the Banshee

[TechnOkami]

-reserved-

[Sindri]

Overall a very interesting idea, but I have a few questions/concerns.

First, what's the point of saying that a 4th level spell (for example) costs 7 hp and then immediately heals you 3? Why not just say that it costs 4? Where is the healing coming from, and what effect does it actually have other than a straight reduction in cost of spells?

The last part of the Sanguine Pact feature is poorly worded. As far as I can tell, it gives you a number of free immediate resurrections equal to 1/4 you class level, and as soon as those run out your soul is taken and you're permanently dead?

Vitality Boon needs to be reworded. I think know what it means, but you should specify that it's the daily healing rate (assuming that it is, and if not make it say something entirely different). Also, why is it a +3 per four levels, rather than +1 per level or something? And for that matter why is there a maximum rate at all?

Hemoretention makes no sense. If the goal is to keep as much blood in them as possible, why give them a feat that allows them to keep fighting and casting spells while bleeding to death? Diehard basically gives you an extra 10hp, but when you're low you take damage every time you take a standard action, and you die immediately when they run out instead of having a nice buffer. It in no way prevents bleeding and for most adventurers increases the chance of death because it lets them keep fighting when they're closer to death, and accelerates the process. If you want to simulate the blood refusing to leave their body, give them immunity to bleeding effects (from negative hp, Wounding weapons, etc.), and maybe at higher levels DR 1/- or something, or possibly and automatic reduction of any damage-over-time effect.

I have a few questions about the spell list, with more probably to come later as I look at it in more detail. First is the question of why 0 level spells even exist for this class. As far as I can tell, they cost the same as first level spells. The only difference is that they have a save DC of 1 less, and are less powerful. There are some here that shouldn't be removed, like detect magic and detect poison, but why not just make those 1st level spells? There are others that just serve no purpose, like inflict minor wounds for the exact same price as inflict light wounds.
Vampiric Touch is a wonderful spell for this class thematically, but no more powerful for them than for everyone else (it doesn't actually grant any healing). So why in the world is it a 4th level spell here, when it's 3rd level for everyone else?

Spells per day is a huge issue. The way the spell system currently works, an uninjured blood mage can cast ridiculous numbers of spells (assuming about a 16 con, at 1st level they could cast 15 1st levels spells while nobody else gets more than about 3, at 3rd they could cast about 17 2nd levels spells before dropping to zero hp, and at 17th they can do an average of 18 9th levels spells in one day without dipping into negatives). On subsequent days, they get a much more reasonable number (about 4 at 1st, about 2 9th level spells at 17th). However, as soon as you start using your HP as health instead of just spell fuel, it all falls apart. Even if you're uninjured, a single hit at first level has a good chance of wiping out more than half your spells for the day and at higher levels you lose at least 2-3 of your most powerful spells every time you take damage. If you went all out the previous day it gets even worse, with any level of BM probably dead after the first attack. This is made worse by the lack of healing ability or defensive spells, meaning that without at least a week to rest between fights, a mountain of magic items, and a dozen minions to take hits for you, you're useless. With all of those things, you're more powerful than anything else in the game.
I really don't know how to fix this without redoing the entire class. One possibility would be to give them "blood points" in quantities similar to a psion's psi points or a sorc's spell points by the variant sp rules in unearthed arcana (or the srd), or a set number of spells per day like a normal caster, but then allow you to sacrifice HP to increase the power of your spells (like when a psion spends extra points on a power, but the extras come from hp instead of the normal pool to allow for more high powered spells each day in exchange for your blood). Another possibility is to remove the healing restrictions or give them more class features that heal you, but replace the spellcasting with warlock style abilities; that way you don't get the overpowering effect of infinite spellcasting but also don't die because you're immune to healing spells.

Like I said, a very interesting idea, but one that needs a lot of work before it becomes playable.

Edit: if you're looking for feedback, you might want to put [PEACH] in the thread title.