[3.5] 1st level, non-evil "blood mage" build?

[Feddlefew]

Are there any non-evil, level 1 accessible options for building a blood-magic themed character?

[Tiri]

Blade of Blood is a 1st-level spell.

[Inevitability]

I advise you to refluff things, or, if your DM is a prick about such things, take Spell Thematics (Blood).

[Feddlefew]

So, there's no class or feats which would let char deal damage to themselves to empower or fuel their spells?

I'm okay with refluffing, but what I'm looking for mechanically is a character that can spend HP for spell casting benefits.

[Uncle Pine]

Blade of Blood is a 1st-level spell.

There are also Blood Wind and Discern Bloodline. YMMV, depending on whether or not you have an ally with multiple natural attacks and the tone of the campaign.


I advise you to refluff things, or, if your DM is a prick about such things, take Spell Thematics (Blood).

This is probably your best option. Also, remember that every spell components pouch contain lots of blood (should you need it for anything from house decorating to body painting).

EDIT:

I'm okay with refluffing, but what I'm looking for mechanically is a character that can spend HP for spell casting benefits.
Well, it isn't technically spellcasting but a psionic character with the Overchannel feat can spend hp to augment his powers.

Other than that, I think you're out of luck: there are some blood-themed feats (mostly heritage/bloodline feats) and spells, but I can't think of many ways to actively sacrifice hp in D&D (especially at low level and/or as a spellcaster). Among others: vicious weapons, Divine Sacrifice, Lifebond Vestment.

[Tiri]

So, there's no class or feats which would let char deal damage to themselves to empower or fuel their spells?

I'm okay with refluffing, but what I'm looking for mechanically is a character that can spend HP for spell casting benefits.

There's the Blood Magus PRC in Complete Arcane, which gives an increase in caster level for damage you deal to yourself. Taking a level in Crusader also gives you a boost in damage if you take damage, which is useful because most damaging spells have large numbers of damage dice. Crusader is also good for gishes if you want to do that.

[Uncle Pine]

I just remembered about Reserves of Strength. It's a feat similar to Overchannel, but for casters: you can increase your caster level by 1, 2 or 3. However, it doesn't actually cost you hp unless you are immune to stun effects, otherwise you are simply stunned (fluff says "exhausted") for 1, 2 or 3 rounds.

It's from Dragonlance Campaign Setting.

[Feddlefew]

I just remembered about Reserves of Strength. It's a feat similar to Overchannel, but for casters: you can increase your caster level by 1, 2 or 3. However, it doesn't actually cost you hp unless you are immune to stun effects, otherwise you are simply stunned (fluff says "exhausted") for 1, 2 or 3 rounds.

It's from Dragonlance Campaign Setting.

See, if it wasn't for the prerequisites and it was only 1, 2 or 1d4 points of damage to gain one (and only one) caster level, I'd be happy with that, since it's a big chunk of health for a first level wizard or sorcerer.

Maybe I should just homebrew something. But I'd feel kind of weird playing a homebrewed class that I personally made. :smallfrown:

[Uncle Pine]

See, if it wasn't for the prerequisites and it was only 1, 2 or 1d4 points of damage to gain one (and only one) caster level, I'd be happy with that, since it's a big chunk of health for a first level wizard or sorcerer.

The only other prerequisite is Iron Will (which is not the best feat, to be honest), but you can take it at 1st level anyway if you play a human or take a flaw. You could buy it for 3.000 gp, but I assume that you won't have that much money to invest at 1st level.
I can't honestly tell if you're concerned about the feat costing too much health at 1st level or it being overpowered, but I'll say this: in the former case remember that using the feat doesn't deal damage unless you are somehow immune to stunning (which probably isn't the case, as you're 1st level) so you don't risk to die, in the latter (again, unless you are somehow immune to stunning) the feat isn't really that overpowered because you'll probably end up using it to improve the duration of your and your party's daily buffs, as you don't want to stun yourself for too many rounds in combat.
In case you decide to take the feat, here's a last word of advice: under a strict RAW reading (and if you're immune to stun), Reserves of Strength is a great tool for Theoretical Optimization, as strictly RAW speaking it lets you break the level cap of spells you enhance with it.

[Feddlefew]

I went through my source books; a re-fluffed Metal-specialized Wu Jen would fill most of my requirements.

Maybe I could whip together something that lets me replace their Spell Secret class feature with something that lets them Meta Magic from HP or HD, along the lines of Divine Meta Magic. Does that seem OP?

[mabriss lethe]

Words of Creation might help, but the prereqs are pretty steep (and I don't think you can qualify for it at 1st level)

[mabriss lethe]

Also thematically, you might consider giving a psionic character a try and just scribbling "sorcerer" in the corner. Both the Wilder's Wild Surge and the Overchannel feat are very much a "blood mage" sort of ability.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Maybe I could whip together something that lets me replace their Spell Secret class feature with something that lets them Meta Magic from HP or HD, along the lines of Divine Meta Magic. Does that seem OP?
Yes. As a general rule, any kind of repeatable metamagic cost reduction is too good, apart from really specific things like Arcane Thesis.

[Feddlefew]

Even if its 1dN hit points per spell level increased?

[Dgrin]

Even if its 1dN hit points per spell level increased?

If you are not trying to break it, it will not be broken for you.
But in general, yes. It is very abusable even if the damage is high enough.

If I was GM, I'd let my player have it if I am sure he's not going to abuse it and it is just to fulfill the theme. But there's a plenty of ways to make that kins of cost mostly irrelevant and turn it into what's basically infinite free metamagic

[ExLibrisMortis]

A homebrew version of Reserves of Strength that skips the whole stunning thing would not be more or less broken than the original. At low levels, where the CL boost is the biggest, the damage is significant and healing is limited. You would not use the feat in combat, and out of combat, the stunning is actually preferable to the damage. At high levels, many characters will be immune to stunning, so the regular and homebrew versions converge.

If you're worried about breaking the game by becoming immune to damage/stunning/blood payment, there are some ways to fix that. The easiest way is to copy the Hellfire Warlock: the damage is not backlash, it is payment (to Hell, or the god of blood, or your personal guardian spirit or whatever). If you're immune to the damage, you can't pay, and if you can't pay, you can't get your tasty caster level boost.

[Dgrin]

A homebrew version of Reserves of Strength that skips the whole stunning thing would not be more or less broken than the original. At low levels, where the CL boost is the biggest, the damage is significant and healing is limited. You would not use the feat in combat, and out of combat, the stunning is actually preferable to the damage. At high levels, many characters will be immune to stunning, so the regular and homebrew versions converge.

If you're worried about breaking the game by becoming immune to damage/stunning/blood payment, there are some ways to fix that. The easiest way is to copy the Hellfire Warlock: the damage is not backlash, it is payment (to Hell, or the god of blood, or your personal guardian spirit or whatever). If you're immune to the damage, you can't pay, and if you can't pay, you can't get your tasty caster level boost.

I was replying to the idea of making that damage a way of applying metamagic to spells which is more abusable. The idea to make the damage a payment is very nice but it does not fix everything (for example, you may take damage but not die from it or easily heal it back afterwards). That's basically DMM for every metamagic feat on Wizard spell list. It is very abusable

But I still think that you will not break the game if you are not actively trying to do it (There can be some exceptions but generally that's what I see).

[Grod_The_Giant]

Even if its 1dN hit points per spell level increased?
God yes. What you want, I think, is an arcane version of Overchannel (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#overchannel): d8 damage for +1 CL at 1st level, 3d8 for +2 CL at 8th level, and 5d8 for +2 CL at 15th level.

[Feddlefew]

I think I'll just shelve this character concept and go with something different. Thanks for the input anyway!

[Adam Meyers]

I apologize for the shameless plug, but have you tried Spheres of Power? (http://paizo.com/products/btpy96pr?Spheres-of-Power) It has a blood-magic tradition, meaning you can be a bloodmage exactly as you seem to be imagining it at level 1.

If you don't want to learn a new way of doing magic, I'd recommend checking out the Channeler: (http://paizo.com/products/btpy8z9g?The-Channeler) It's a class built around casting spells via doing damage to yourself.

Both options are built for Pathfinder and not 3.5, but the conversion back is a relatively simple one.