[3.5] How would you re-make the Blood Magus?

[Frosty]

I've always considered the Blood Magus a weak PrC in 3.5...but one of my friends really likes the flavor. How would you change the BM class to make it more useful while retaining the same flavor? I'd like to keep as many of the features as possibles. In order or preference: Tweak feature --> remove feature/add feature.

I'm thinking of using the Red Wizard from the DMG as the inspiration. Sacrificing HP in order to enhance one's spells with Metamagic effects, give CL increases, maybe even bestow additional effects.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

First, lose all requirements except the "Die Before Entering" one. That's a rough enough PreReq that the others are just insulting. Second, make it either full-caster progression, or full-caster-1.
I'd say give it an ability to as a free action subtract Xd4 damage from itself to increase it's CL by X for the next spell, with x being maxed at it's class level. Alternatively, it can deal a number of d6= to it's class level as a Ranged Touch Attack, Standard Action, to increase it's next CL by the number of d6 dealt, to a max per day= to it's class level. All damage dealt by these attacks is non-healable for a number of hours equal to the number of dice of damage dealt to the target, cumulative.

It would be fluffed as pouring someones life force into a spell, whether they're willing or not.

[Frosty]

I'd also like the class to be able to do stuff with *other* peoples' blood as well? Like, if he severely damages an enemy, he can use their blood to help his spells maybe if he successfully mkaes a melee touch attack first or if he can gather up his enemy's blood first somehow. I'm in a rather Rokugan-mood might now o I'm trying to go for a slightly "Maho" feel, but without the evil.

Oh yeah, shall the CL increase NOT apply to spells like Holy Word? (I think one of the domains might grant that and there's Arcane Disciple...)

[Frosty]

I made the following changes. Tell me what you think.

Requirements:
Alignment: Any
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Heal 4 ranks
Feat: Any one metamagic feat
Special: Caster level 5th

Class Skills: As Sorcerer, plus Heal (Wis), two Knowledge skills of your choice.
Skill points at each level: 4 + Int modifier.

Spellcasting: +1 at every level except 5th.

Blood component (Su): You gain the feat Eschew Materials. You lose the benefits of the feat (but not the feat itself) whenever you are not bleeding (usually this means at full HP).

Staunch (Ex): A blood magus automatically stabilizes when his hit points drop below 0.

Scarification (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain the feat Scribe Scroll. You also gain the ability to scribe spells onto your skin instead of onto an actual scroll. A maximum of 6 spells may be scribed on your skin at once.

Blood sacrifice (Caster Level) (Su): At 3rd level, a blood magus may sacrifice hit points in order to augment his Caster Level of the spell he is casting. As part of the action to cast the spell, the blood magus cuts himself with a dagger or similar implement, dealing 1d4 damage (which bypasses all DR) per Caster Level increase. The maximum bonus to Caster Level is equal to half your class level, to a maximum of 5 at level 10. This ability can be used your class level times per day.

Gift of Blood (Su): At 4th level, if a blood magus is adjacent to enemy that he damaged anytime last round or even earlier this round (ongoing damage like from Melf’s Acid Arrow counts, as do spells like Blade Barrier) and the enemy is still bleeding, he may, as part of casting a spell with a casting time of no longer than a Standard action, make a melee touch attack that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If this attack is successful, the spell he is casting has a +1 bonus to Caster Level per 20 damage dealt to the enemy by you since the beginning of last round (minimum +1, maximum +3)

Blood Familiar (Ex): At 5th level, if the blood magus does not yet have a familiar, he creates one out of his own blood and sinews. By permanently sacrificing 1 hit point, the blood magus gains the service of a familiar chosen from the normal list of familiars (as the feat Obtain Familiar). Although the familiar’s appearance is different compared to normal familiars, the statistics are unchanged except that this familiar has hit points equal to three-fourths of the master’s maximum hit points instead of the normal one-half. This special familiar does not cost the blood magus any experience, should it die. In fact, the 1 hiy point is returned to the blood magus. The blood magus may simply create another one with a day’s work. This ability does not allow the blood magus to have 2 familiars at once.

Necromancy Focus (Ex): At 5th level, the blood magus gets Spell Focus (Necromancy). If the blood magus already has Spell Focus (Necromancy), then he instead received Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy).

Boiling Blood (Ex): At 6th level, a blood magus adds Burning Blood as a level 5 spell to his list of spells known (if casting spontaneously) or gains the ability to spontaneously cast Burning Blood as a level 5 spell (if a prepared caster).

Blood sacrifice (metamagic) (Su): At 7th level, a blood magus may sacrifice hit points in order to augment (on the fly) his spell with one metamagic feat he knows without increasing the spell level. As part of the action to cast the spell, the blood magus cuts himself with a dagger or similar implement, dealing 2d6 damage (which bypasses all DR) per level increase the metamagic feat would normally require, up to a maximum of 8d6 damage to apply a +4 metamagic. This ability can be used one-half your class level times per day.

Spell Power (Su): At 8th level, you gain a +1 bonus to your Caster Level to one of your spellcasting classes.

Infusion (Ex): At 9th level, a blood magus prepares a special one-time distillation of his own blood. He gains a 2-point increase to his Constitution score.

Awaken Blood (Su): At 10th level, a blood magus adds Avasculate as a level 7 spell to his list of spells known (if casting spontaneously) or gains the ability to spontaneously cast Avasculate as a level 7 spell (if a prepared caster). This version of Avasculate does not contain the [Evil] descriptor, and requires a melee Touch attack instead of being a Ray.

Bloodwalk (Su): As described in the Complete Arcane (p. 28) except the damage is 15d6 and Fortitude save halves instead of negates.

[Smeggedoff]

This is a 20 level class written by a friend of a friend, looks pretty fun to me, but it's not quite the same as the blood mage

Sanguine Master (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=871751)

[Frosty]

I'll go take a look. But no one has any comments or balance concerns about this class?

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

I'd remake it something like this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90871).

[Rei_Jin]

It's an interesting rework of the class. The loss of one level of caster is probably worthwhile with it.

What hitdie would you give it? With the amount of damage they're taking to top out their spells, I'd hope it's a d6 instead of a d4...

[Frosty]

It's an interesting rework of the class. The loss of one level of caster is probably worthwhile with it.

What hitdie would you give it? With the amount of damage they're taking to top out their spells, I'd hope it's a d6 instead of a d4...

D6 definitely. I figure with as much damage as the BM is taking, it's gotta strain the resources of the cleric. Blodo Sacrificing is not something you do eveyr single turn.

[Rei_Jin]

Would you allow him to sacrifice the HP of his familiar, in place of his own damage? Something like that could be flavoured very nicely

[Frosty]

Probably not, unless I make the death of his familiar be somewhat painful.

[Rei_Jin]

I'd do it, but make the loss of a familiar reduce his hitpoints by 1 per hitdie. Very harsh cost, but that's what you get when you screw with your own blood.

[Fax Celestis]

Take the Psion Uncarnate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/psionUncarnate.htm). Remove psionic fluff, replace with Blood Magus fluff. Alter +powers to +spellcasting and do other general psionic-to-arcane conversion. Tinker with the abilities so they're assuming a blood-cloud form instead of becoming bodiless. Done.

[Arbitrarity]

You need a definition of what it means to be bleeding. This should probably be something like "less than full health, not dead", but it could be more specific.

Staunch and scarification are flavorful, but seem to be more flavor, which is actually fine and nice. Maybe give something to people who already have scribe scroll, when they get scarification? Nothing powerful, maybe reduce the time it takes to scribe, or cost reduction?

The prerequisites aren't bad, but are actually obtainable with multiclassing just by picking up Practiced Spellcaster. Ability to cast second level arcane spells might do.

Blood Sacrifice (CL) probably doesn't need a cap on uses per day. It hurts enough as is, and is fairly limited.

Gift of blood is OK. Remember to specify who is targetted by the touch attack.

Blood familiar is cool, flavorful, and much nicer than normal familiar (if ugly).

Boiling Blood is meh.

Blood sacrifice (metamagic) is very interesting, and NICE JOB avoiding persist cheese. However, chain buffing cheese is still an option. The limited uses per day probably balances this out, however.

Infusion is an untyped bonus? Not inherent, but untyped? That's very nice, no balance problems.

Awaken blood is interesting and effective. Page reference, like the other spells?

Bloodwalk is classic.

Ah, looking at the original blood mage, there are definitely copied abilities.

[Frosty]

You need a definition of what it means to be bleeding. This should probably be something like "less than full health, not dead", but it could be more specific.

Staunch and scarification are flavorful, but seem to be more flavor, which is actually fine and nice. Maybe give something to people who already have scribe scroll, when they get scarification? Nothing powerful, maybe reduce the time it takes to scribe, or cost reduction?

The prerequisites aren't bad, but are actually obtainable with multiclassing just by picking up Practiced Spellcaster. Ability to cast second level arcane spells might do.

Blood Sacrifice (CL) probably doesn't need a cap on uses per day. It hurts enough as is, and is fairly limited.

Gift of blood is OK. Remember to specify who is targetted by the touch attack.

Blood familiar is cool, flavorful, and much nicer than normal familiar (if ugly).

Boiling Blood is meh.

Blood sacrifice (metamagic) is very interesting, and NICE JOB avoiding persist cheese. However, chain buffing cheese is still an option. The limited uses per day probably balances this out, however.

Infusion is an untyped bonus? Not inherent, but untyped? That's very nice, no balance problems.

Awaken blood is interesting and effective. Page reference, like the other spells?

Bloodwalk is classic.

Ah, looking at the original blood mage, there are definitely copied abilities.

Yes, BLEEDING usually means less than full hp. As for Scarification, Sorcerers and Clerics don't get Scribe Scroll for free, and Wizards can trade it away for a bonus feat like Improved Initiative (from Unearthed Arcana).

Do you think it's abad idea to let multi-class characters with the Practiced Spellcaster feat to take this class?

What do you mean that Blood Sacrifice (CL) is fairly limited?

Infusion is untyped bonus, yes. Blood Maguses need all the HP they can get.

The Avasculate spell, which Awaken Blood gives, is from the Spell Compendium (p. 19). I feel it's too strong of a spell as is, so I made it into a Touch range spell.

Yes, some of the abilities are copied ove rdirectly from the origina lBlood Magus. I/ wanted to keep as much of the original flavor as possible.

[Arbitrarity]

Ok, bleeding is defined. Excellent. (Mostly owing to abstract wound definition in HP systems. If I hit you with a Phantasmal killer, you fail your first save, succeed on the next, are you bleeding?)

Practiced spellcaster isn't bad exactly, I just wasn't sure it was intended. However, seeing as the class is primary caster, why should it matter if almost anyone can qualify? Multiclassing yields minimal benefits to a character taking this class. Heck, most full caster PrC's could use CL limits instead, along with hard-capped skills.

Blood Sacrifice (CL), while it boosts CL (good for a few spells, otherwise it's maybe a bit more damage), tends to have a minimal effect on the majority of spell effects. It helps with SR, dispelling, and blasting, as well as duration and range. Duration and range are rarely problems, though I suppose the others are useful, if limited in occurrence. Furthermore, the hard limits on CL boosting make the effect limited, as it cannot increase caster level to a great extent. Metamagic Blood Sacrifice can be used in a few ways, in combat, or to buff the party with chained spells.

I suppose it is useful for hours/level buffs.

Page references was nitpicking. Avasculate is a nice spell, and fits nicely.

[Frosty]

there are times when the DM will say "no, you're not actually bleeding" such from minor wounds from bruising or special things like phantasmal killer. But most of the time, yeah, you're bleeding when not at full HP, even if it's a minor cut. When your'e a BM, it's EASY to be bleeding like all the time.

And you know, I kind of like having a high CL. It makes being dispelled so much harder.