5e Homebrew Class Archetypes looking for critiques/criticism

[Mongobear]

Blood Magic Sorcerous Origin

Blood Mages are exactly that, spellcasters that have learned to infuse their magics with a small essence of their own life force, amplifying their effects. The practice is considered extremely taboo to some, shunning and even hunting down those who practice this art, but to those who know where to look, a Blood Mage can often accomplish feats of magical power unheard of by those of a more academic nature.

Spoiler: Class Features

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Hematurgy
Starting at 1st level, any time you cast a spell, you may choose to do so by sacrificing your own hit points, instead of expending a spell slot. This is done at the moment of casting the spell, and no additional action is required to do this. The blood cost of a spell is equal to 5 x the spell's level in hit points.
For example, say you wanted to cast Burning Hands at the 1st level with Blood Magic. You would sacrifice 5 of your own hit points to do so. But, if you wished to cast it at the 3rd level, it would cost 15 of your hit points.

Resilient Blood
At 1st level, a Blood Mage increases their maximum health by 2, and at each additional Sorcerer level, they gain an additional 2 maximum health. This stacks with other effects which provide a similar bonus.

Bleeding Spells
At 6th level, whenever a Blood Mage takes bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, they may use their Reaction and spend 2 Sorcery points to cast a spell with a casting time of one Action or one Bonus Action. If the spell deals damage, it must target the source of the triggering attack or include them in its area of effect.

Leaching Spells
At 14th level, as long as you are below half of your maximum health, whenever you reduce an enemy to 0 hp, you may spend 1 Sorcery Point to regain health equal to your Sorcerer level plus your Charisma modifier. You may activate this ability multiple times from the same spell, but not more than the number of enemies reduced to 0. You may use this ability a number of times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus.
This ability does not function against enemies without blood. (DM's discretion.)

Sanguine Control
At 18th level, you have mastered the art of Blood Magic, rivaling even the most legendary practitioners, for better or worse.
The amount of health required to spend for your Hematurgy ability is halved (rounded up), and the amount of health restored by Leaching Spells is doubled.
Additionally, you always restore the maximum amount of health whenever you expend a hit dice to recover health during a rest.

Blood Mage Bonus Spells
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Bonus Spells table. The spell counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

Sorcerer
Level Spells
1st Cause Fear, Charm Person
3rd Enthrall, Hold Person
5th Life Transference, Vampiric Touch
7th Shadow of Moil, Summon Greater Demon
9th Infernal Calling, Dominate Person

Primal Path of the Reaver Barbarian

Fueled by pure hatred and the desire to inflict pain, the Reavers have learned how to harness an ever so slight amount of Blood Magic to empower their attacks and physical forms, using the pain they inflict to revitalize themselves.

Spoiler: Class Features

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Voracious Fury
At 3rd level, once per round while raging you may have your attack deal an additional 1d4 Necrotic damage and restores that much health to you. This damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d12 at 14th level.

Profane Vitality
At 6th level, you gain resistance to Necrotic and Poison damage, and immunity to the poisoned condition. Additionally, your hit point maximum is increased by 1 per Barbarian level, including any future levels in the class.

Bloodbath
At 10th level, once per rage whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points while, you gain temporary hit points equal to your barbarian level plus your Constitution modifier.

Corrupted Blood
At 14th level, your blood becomes so volatile, that it damages creatures that comes into contact with it. Whenever a creature deals damage to you with a melee attack, they take necrotic or poison damage (your choice) equal to your proficiency bonus.

The Corsair Roguish Archetype

Corsairs are the kind of pirates you hear about in stories at the dockside bar. The ones that show up quickly, kill the entire crew, loot your ship, set it on fire, and leave a single witness adrift to spread the legend of their cruelty. Many a sailor has heard of them, few have ever met one and survived.

Spoiler: Class Features

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Scourge of the Seas
At 3rd level, while fighting on the deck of a ship at sea, or against targets submerged in open waters or large rivers, the Corsair can deliver their Sneak Attack even if they don't have advantage or an ally within 5 feet of their target.

Tricks of the Trade
At 3rd level, a Corsair gains proficiency with Sea Vehicles, as well as proficiency with the Pistol. (1d8 Piercing, Light, 60/240, 4 Rounds)

Additionally, whenever they use their Cunning Action ability to Dash or Disengage, they may also reload a firearm or to repair a jammed firearm they are holding as part of the same bonus action.

Chum the Waters
At 9th level, whenever the Corsair delivers a Sneak Attack using a firearm they are proficient with to a target aboard a ship at sea or swimming in water, the bonus damage dice are changed to d8's instead of their normal d6's.

Born to the Sea
At 13th level, the Corsair gains expertise with Sea vehicles, adding double their proficiency bonus to ability checks involving their use. Additionally, they have advantage on all Charisma ability checks when conversing with folk who make their livelihood on the sea, as well as with Aquatic creatures. While aboard a Sea Vehicle, they have advantage on Initiative checks, and ignore difficult terrain caused by harsh weather and rough waters.

Scarlet Wake
At 17th level, whenever a Corsair delivers a Sneak Attack with a firearm they are proficient with, the minimum damage of each dice rolled is equal to their Dexterity modifier.

[JNAProductions]

Blood Magic Sorcerous Origin

Blood Mages are exactly that, spellcasters that have learned to infuse their magics with a small essence of their own life force, amplifying their effects. The practice is considered extremely taboo to some, shunning and even hunting down those who practice this art, but to those who know where to look, a Blood Mage can often accomplish feats of magical power unheard of by those of a more academic nature.

Spoiler: Class Features

Show

Hematurgy
Starting at 1st level, any time you cast a spell, you may choose to do so by sacrificing your own hit points, instead of expending a spell slot. This is done at the moment of casting the spell, and no additional action is required to do this. The blood cost of a spell is equal to 5 x the spell's level in hit points.
For example, say you wanted to cast Burning Hands at the 1st level with Blood Magic. You would sacrifice 5 of your own hit points to do so. But, if you wished to cast it at the 3rd level, it would cost 15 of your hit points.

Resilient Blood
At 1st level, a Blood Mage increases their maximum health by 2, and at each additional Sorcerer level, they gain an additional 2 maximum health. This stacks with other effects which provide a similar bonus.

Bleeding Spells
At 6th level, whenever a Blood Mage takes bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, they may use their Reaction and spend 2 Sorcery points to cast a spell with a casting time of one Action or one Bonus Action. If the spell deals damage, it must target the source of the triggering attack or include them in its area of effect.

Leaching Spells
At 14th level, as long as you are below half of your maximum health, whenever you reduce an enemy to 0 hp, you may spend 1 Sorcery Point to regain health equal to your Sorcerer level plus your Charisma modifier. You may activate this ability multiple times from the same spell, but not more than the number of enemies reduced to 0. You may use this ability a number of times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus.
This ability does not function against enemies without blood. (DM's discretion.)

Sanguine Control
At 18th level, you have mastered the art of Blood Magic, rivaling even the most legendary practitioners, for better or worse.
The amount of health required to spend for your Hematurgy ability is halved (rounded up), and the amount of health restored by Leaching Spells is doubled.
Additionally, you always restore the maximum amount of health whenever you expend a hit dice to recover health during a rest.

Blood Mage Bonus Spells
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Bonus Spells table. The spell counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

Sorcerer
Level Spells
1st Cause Fear, Charm Person
3rd Enthrall, Hold Person
5th Life Transference, Vampiric Touch
7th Shadow of Moil, Summon Greater Demon
9th Infernal Calling, Dominate Person

Primal Path of the Reaver Barbarian

Fueled by pure hatred and the desire to inflict pain, the Reavers have learned how to harness an ever so slight amount of Blood Magic to empower their attacks and physical forms, using the pain they inflict to revitalize themselves.

Spoiler: Class Features

Show

Voracious Fury
At 3rd level, once per round while raging you may have your attack deal an additional 1d4 Necrotic damage and restores that much health to you. This damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d12 at 14th level.

Profane Vitality
At 6th level, you gain resistance to Necrotic and Poison damage, and immunity to the poisoned condition. Additionally, your hit point maximum is increased by 1 per Barbarian level, including any future levels in the class.

Bloodbath
At 10th level, once per rage whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points while, you gain temporary hit points equal to your barbarian level plus your Constitution modifier.

Corrupted Blood
At 14th level, your blood becomes so volatile, that it damages creatures that comes into contact with it. Whenever a creature deals damage to you with a melee attack, they take necrotic or poison damage (your choice) equal to your proficiency bonus.

The Corsair Roguish Archetype

Corsairs are the kind of pirates you hear about in stories at the dockside bar. The ones that show up quickly, kill the entire crew, loot your ship, set it on fire, and leave a single witness adrift to spread the legend of their cruelty. Many a sailor has heard of them, few have ever met one and survived.

Spoiler: Class Features

Show

Scourge of the Seas
At 3rd level, while fighting on the deck of a ship at sea, or against targets submerged in open waters or large rivers, the Corsair can deliver their Sneak Attack even if they don't have advantage or an ally within 5 feet of their target.

Tricks of the Trade
At 3rd level, a Corsair gains proficiency with Sea Vehicles, as well as proficiency with the Pistol. (1d8 Piercing, Light, 60/240, 4 Rounds)

Additionally, whenever they use their Cunning Action ability to Dash or Disengage, they may also reload a firearm or to repair a jammed firearm they are holding as part of the same bonus action.

Chum the Waters
At 9th level, whenever the Corsair delivers a Sneak Attack using a firearm they are proficient with to a target aboard a ship at sea or swimming in water, the bonus damage dice are changed to d8's instead of their normal d6's.

Born to the Sea
At 13th level, the Corsair gains expertise with Sea vehicles, adding double their proficiency bonus to ability checks involving their use. Additionally, they have advantage on all Charisma ability checks when conversing with folk who make their livelihood on the sea, as well as with Aquatic creatures. While aboard a Sea Vehicle, they have advantage on Initiative checks, and ignore difficult terrain caused by harsh weather and rough waters.

Scarlet Wake
At 17th level, whenever a Corsair delivers a Sneak Attack with a firearm they are proficient with, the minimum damage of each dice rolled is equal to their Dexterity modifier.

Spoiler: Blood Magic

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Hematurgy
This NEEDS to specify Sorcerer spell. Multiclass into Cleric, and a Healing Word with 18+ Wisdom heals for 5 guaranteed, netting you infinite healing.
Hell, start Blood Sorcerer for the Con Save, then do Cleric the rest of the way-Heal does 70 HP healed for 30 HP spent.

Resilient Blood
Compare to Draconic Sorcerer, and note that this is miles better when combined with Hematurgy.

Bleeding Spells
Nothing leaps out as broken, but I'm sure some combos exist.

Leeching Spells
Bag of rats problem.

Sanguine Control
This is nuts, even without multiclassing. Killing a rat nets you 46 HP, which you can use to cast TWO Ninth Level Spells.
That's absolutely insane.

Extra Spells
I wouldn't give two more per level-only one.

Overall
This is entirely busted.

Spoiler: Reaver

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Voracious Fury
I'd make it per turn, not round. Otherwise fine.

Profane Vitality
Seems fine.

Bloodbath
Also fine.

Corrupted Blood
Okay.

Overall
This feels really undertuned-not enough going on.

Spoiler: Corsair

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Sea Scourge
Niche-as in, either a ribbon or blanket SA approval. But since SA is supposed to be easy to get, not a big deal.

Tricks Of The Trade
Okay.

Chum The Waters
This is REALLY specific. Have to use a specific weapon that won't always be available, and the target has to be shipboard or swimming.

Born To The Sea
Again, specific. Too specific.

Scarlet Wake
And this is OP. That is 51 damage minimum on a Sneak Attack.

Overall
This is much too specific. You need to broaden it out a bit, so it's not OP on the seas and UP off.

[Mongobear]

Lots of critiques

Thanks for the input.

I guess a little context helps, the setting I'm designing has an extreme naval/piracy theme. So in a vacuum, Corsair may seem extremely niche, the 'on a ship/in the water' requirements for some of its features are going to be rather common. Same with firearms, while bows and crossbows still exist, firearms are common enough and have begun to take over.

Do you have an suggestions for The final class feature? I want it to be something that shows getting Sneak Attacked by these guys is just not a good experience. Would auto-crits at that level be too good? Assassin can get it at 3, would Corsair just having "if youre on a boat/in the water you always crit with firearms" be too OP?


The Barbarian feedback is surprising. Tbh I thought it was the more powerful one, that's a lot of self-healing and damage output. How would you buff it? Just increasing numbers?

The Sorcerer is intended to be Sorcerer only. I just missed specifying that. Similarly, I trust my group not to abuse the "bag of rats" issue, altho I have used the clause "an enemy of sufficient challenge" before, so maybe I should add it here. I don't want them squashing bugs just to heal massive chunks of HP.

For Hematurgy, instead of potential infinite spell slots via selfheals, how does spending HP to update sound? Example, spend 5 HP to cast a spell 1 slot level higher, but it still uses the normal slot. Can be used with Sorcerer Cantrips too, spend 5 hp, boost your cantrips to the next tier.