Z's Blood Magic (5e Sourcebook)/Magic/Bloodborne Sacraments

Sacraments are groups of abilities that are available to Blood Magi to use. Each Sacrament is a collection of Sanguine Rites, all centered around a general theme, such as an element or a sin.

Sanguine Rites

There are many different types of Rites that can be learned from a Sacrament. Their mechanics are detailed below. Each Rite (Other than Wills and Mercies) counts as a spell for the purposes of Dispel Magic, and the spell level is equal to half of your Hemocraft level, rounded down (maximum of 9th level spell). A Rite cannot be Counterspelled, unless is replicates a spell's effect.

Rite Damage and Rite Effect

Many Sacraments will denote a damage type and/or special effect tied to the Sacrament in question.

When you deal Rite Damage using a Rite belonging to one of these Sacraments, the damage is of the type specified by that Rite.

Rite Effects are conditions that apply to a creature that suffers the corresponding Rite Damage (Provided the creature possesses blood or a similar fluid in their body, and they are not immune or resistant to the type of damage dealt). These come in two forms - Critical Rite Effects, and Amplify Rite Effects. Some Rite Effects are both Critical and Amplify effects - Applying in either situation.

• Critical Rite Effects are Rite Effects that affect the target only when they are critically hit by the damaging effect, or roll a natural 1 on their saving throw against the corresponding effect. If a creature does not possess blood and/or is immune to critical hits, they cannot suffer from a Critical Rite Effect.

• Amplify Rite Effects are Rite Effects that affect the target only when the Rite used is Amplified - Such as casting and Amplifying a Sign. Unless the Amplify notation for the individual Rite specifies otherwise, if a creature does not possess blood and/or is immune to critical hits, they cannot suffer from an Amplify Rite Effect.

Some Rite Effects apply to all instances of Rite Damage you inflict, rather than only those from the corresponding Sacrament, as noted in their description.

Bonus Rites

Almost every Sacrament you can learn grants you one or more Bonus Rites, as listed in the Bonus Rites section immediately following a Sacrament's summary and Rite Damage/Rite Effects. These bonus Rites do not count against your number of Rites Known, and cannot be replaced when you gain a level, unless it is a level for which you gain the Crimson Versatility feature and choose to exchange the Sacrament in question for another Sacrament.

Will

Each Sacrament grants you the ability to tap into its Will, a fragment of primal power. Each Will is a cantrip; Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells; When cast in this way, these spells require no verbal, somatic or material components. In order to cast one of the Wills you know, you must not be Uninjured.

If you are Wounded or Critical, you may cast any Will you know as a Bonus Action.

Mercy

A Mercy is a miscellaneous or passive benefit you can gain access to, by means of a stronger connection to the corresponding Sacrament than most possess. A Mercy can be active all the time, or it can become active only after you use another ability or only while you are injured beyond a certain extent, as noted in the Mercy's description. Unlike most Rites, Mercies cannot be dispelled, unless they replicate a spell's effect.

Sign

A Sign is a crude invocation of a Sacrament's power in an attempt to directly harm a foe. Blood Magi can invoke any Sign they know as an action. Each Sign affects a single target the user can see within a range equal to twice the user's Corpse Magic range, and forces the target to make a saving throw against the user's Hemocraft save DC. On a failure, the target takes Rite Damage equal to one roll of the user's Hemocraft Die, plus the user's Constitution bonus; and on a success, the target takes only half damage. If the target is not immune to critical hits and rolls a natural 1 on the saving throw, the damage dice of the Sign are doubled as if it had critically hit, and the target suffers the corresponding Critical Rite Effect if they are eligible.

The damage dealt by a Sign you invoke increases to 2 rolls of your Hemocraft dice whenever you are Injured, and to 3 dice whenever you are Critical.

Amplify: Upon choosing to activate a Sign, but before resolving the Sign's effects, the Blood Magi can choose to Major Rend; Doing so Amplifies the Sign, increasing the damage of the Sign by an amount equal to the Rend Bonus of that Major Rend, and causing the Sign to fully affect creatures that do not possess blood, and those immune to critical hits.

Benediction

A Benediction is a helpful effect; A spiritual blessing of ancient might. A Blood Magi can choose to call upon one of the Benedictions they know; Once they do so, they cannot call upon another Benediction until they finish a short or long rest, or until they utter and amplify a Malison. Activating a Benediction typically requires an action, but some Benedictions can be activated with a bonus action or even as a reaction, noted in the Benediction's description.

Typically, a Benediction comes paired with an equal, but opposite, Malison. In these cases, learning the Benediction causes you to also learn the corresponding Malison - As noted in the Benediction's description - Without counting against your number of Rites Known.

Amplify: Upon choosing to activate a Benediction, but before resolving its effects, the user can choose to Minor Rend; In doing so, they Amplify the Benediction in a manner specified in the Benediction's description.

Malison

Malisons are powerful curses, that only grow stronger when the Blood Magi spills their own blood to fuel them. A Blood Magi can also choose to utter one of the Malisons they know; Once they do so, they cannot utter another Malison until they finish a short or long rest, or until they call upon and Amplify a Benediction. Activating a Malison typically requires an action, but some Malisons can be activated with a bonus action or even as a reaction, noted in the Malison's description.

Typically, a Malison comes paired with an equal, but opposite, Benediction. In these cases, learning the Malison causes you to also learn the corresponding Benediction - As noted in the Malison's description - Without counting against your number of Rites Known.

Amplify: Upon choosing to activate a Malison, but before resolving its effects, the user can choose to Minor Rend; In doing so, they Amplify the Malison in a manner specified in the Malison's description.

Torment

A Torment is an ability that alters your Blade of Blood, infusing it with primal power; As such, in order to learn a Torment, you must possess a Hemocraft level of 2 or higher. As a bonus action, you can awaken a Torment within any number of weapons you are currently wielding. This lasts for 1 minute, until the weapon(s) leave(s) your hand, until you are incapacitated, or until you choose to awaken the Torment of a different Rite within that weapon (In which case the new Torment replaces the old one); You can have multiple Torments active, but you can only have a single Torment active on any individual weapon. For the purposes of this ability, you treat all of your unarmed attacks and natural weapons as a single weapon.

A weapon bearing a Torment deals additional Rite Damage equal to the user's Hemocraft ability modifier (Min 1). On a critical hit, the target also suffers the Sacrament's corresponding Critical Rite Effect if eligible.

When you activate Blade of Blood to empower an attack made using a weapon bearing a Torment, the additional damage dealt is changed to the damage type to the corresponding Sacrament's Rite Damage, and the target also suffers the Sacrament's corresponding Amplify Rite Effect if eligible.

Brand

A Brand is a visible runic mark of Hemocraft magic, meant to bind and hinder a foe, or make them easier to track or harm. Immediately after striking a target with a Blade of Blood attack, you can use your Reaction to subject the target to one of the Brands you know, searing an arcane mark of hemocraft magic into its body. Unless otherwise noted, your Brand lasts for 1 minute, until you dismiss it, until it is dispelled, until you are incapacitated, or until you use this feature again.

Once you use a Brand, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use any Brand again.

Harvest

Some Hemocraft Rites and class or subclass features make use of your Corpse Magic, drawing power from the dead. Any Rite that allows or requires you to harvest a corpse as part of using that Rite will have the Harvest tag.

Sacraments

Below are the Sacraments that Blood Magi may gain access to and select their Rites from.

Basic Sacraments

The first Sacrament a Blood Mage gains access to is always a Basic Sacrament, chosen from those below.

• Sacrament of the Armaments - Physical damage and weapon spells.
• Sacrament of the Beyond - Force damage and transportation spells.
• Sacrament of the Dawn - Radiant damage and light spells.
• Sacrament of the Deep - Acid damage and earth spells.
• Sacrament of the Glacier - Cold damage and ice/water spells.
• Sacrament of the Grave - Necrotic damage and undeath spells.
• Sacrament of the Mind - Psychic damage and divination spells.
• Sacrament of the Pyre - Fire damage and fiery spells.
• Sacrament of the Song - Thunder damage and vocal spells.
• Sacrament of the Storm - Lightning damage and wind spells.
• Sacrament of the Wild - Poison damage and plant/animal spells.

Advanced Sacraments

These Sacraments cannot be chosen as the first Sacrament your Hemocraft user gains access to, but thereafter may be chosen normally.

• Sacrament of Avarice - Rites for covetous thieves and capitalists.
• Sacrament of Envy - Rites for mimicking what you wish you had.
• Sacrament of Gluttony - Rites for enjoying the best in life.
• Sacrament of the Hierophant - Rites for the divinely gifted hemophile.
• Sacrament of the Hunter - Rites for that search and destroy mission.
• Sacrament of the Legion - Rites for commanding the recently...Recruited.
• Sacrament of the Lifegiver - Rites for the martyr in, and all over, you.
• Sacrament of Lust - Rites for getting what you want.
• Sacrament of Pride - Rites for being the best at everything.
• Sacrament of the Reaper - Rites for harvesting the dead that aren't ripe yet.
• Sacrament of the Sage - Rites for tweaking your Signs into billboards.
• Sacrament of Sloth - Rites for doing things the lazy way.
• Sacrament of the Soulmonger - Rites for stealing more than just blood.
• Sacrament of Wrath - Rites for channeling your anger issues.

Virtue Sacraments

These specialized Advanced Sacraments have the additional requirement of possessing the Cardinal Virtue feature. Each of the Virtue Sacraments corresponds to a different Cardinal Virtue.

• Sacrament of the Cruorkeeper - Rites for bloody pets that need a boost.
• Sacrament of the Fleshmelder - Rites for pecs that can break swords.
• Sacrament of the Mindbreaker - Rites for giving someone your headache.
• Sacrament of the Steelseeker - Rites for improving your secret armory.