Sanguine Knight (5e Martial Archetype)
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The Sanguine Knight subclass is part of the Z's Blood Magic sourcebook, and uses the mechanics and features presented therein.
While some Fighters pick up tidbits of arcane magic or learn to summon shadows of themselves from alternate timelines, others delve deep into ancient rites of Hemocraft, learning to utilize the blood spilled on the battlefield to their advantage.
| Fighter Level |
Proficiency Bonus |
Hemocraft Die |
Rites | Sacrifice Points |
Sacrifice Limit |
Maneuvers Known | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacraments Known |
Rites Known | ||||||
| 3rd | +2 | (1)d4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | (1)d4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 5th | +3 | (2)d4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6th | +3 | (2)d4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 7th | +3 | (2)d4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 8th | +3 | (2)d4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 9th | +4 | (2)d4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 10th | +4 | (2)d4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 11th | +4 | (3)d4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 12th | +4 | (3)d4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 13th | +5 | (3)d6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 14th | +5 | (3)d6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 15th | +5 | (3)d6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 16th | +5 | (3)d6 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 17th | +6 | (4)d6 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 18th | +6 | (4)d6 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 19th | +6 | (4)d6 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 20th | +6 | (4)d6 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
Contents
Sanguine Lore[edit]
When you select this Martial Archetype are 3rd level, you gain access to a few special rites of Hemocraft magic. Your power comes from harming yourself, a sacrifice you begrudgingly or gleefully make each day in order to unleash your ability. This Hemocraft is represented by a Hemocraft Die, which begins as a d4, and increases in size as you grow stronger and able to endure greater sacrifice, as shown on the Hemocraft Die column of the Sanguine Knight table.
Hemocraft[edit]
You gain the Hemocraft ability, allowing you to harm yourself to unleash ancient power, as is your birthright. You gain a Hemocraft Die, which you may use to Rend yourself in order to activate your blood magic; This also grants you a handful of Sacrifice Points that you may use to fuel your Hemocraft abilities. Additionally, you gain access to Corpse Magic, allowing you to manipulate the blood of the recently departed as well as your own.
When you reach your 5th character level, when you Major Rend, you may roll your Hemocraft Die twice, totaling the results. This increases to 3 rolls when you reach your 11th character level, and to 4 rolls when you reach your 17th character level.
You may add one-third (Rounded down) of your Fighter levels to your total Hemocraft level for the purposes of determining the size of your Hemocraft Die, and the number of Sacrifice Points you possess.
Bloodborne Sacraments[edit]
You learn how to use your blood to perform sacred - Or profane - Rites of hemocraft magic, awakening a primal connection within yourself, binding a magical force to your blood. You can unleash this force sparingly by merely living, but spilling your blood amplifies it further.
When you select this Martial Archetype at 3rd level, you gain access to a small number of Bloodborne Sacraments, from which you may learn a handful of Sanguine Rites, powerful invocations of blood magic that your can use by consuming your life force. The first Sacrament you learn must be a Basic Sacrament, but once you've learned a Basic Sacrament (Either from levels in a Hemocraft class, or from another source, such as the Hemocraft Initiate feat or the Hexborne Blessing of a Durlaanar), you may learn Advanced Sacraments. The number of Sacraments you may gain access to and the number of Rites you may learn from those Sacraments are both detailed in the Rites section of the Sanguine Knight table above.
Each time you gain a Fighter level, you may replace one Rite you know with another Rite you qualify for from one of your Sacraments.
Hemocraft Ability[edit]
Some blood magic abilities, such as Sanguine Rites, may require you to make an attack roll, or force a target to make a saving throw. Your Hemocraft relies on a combination or physical endurance, pain tolerance, and sheer strength of life force; Thus, Constitution is the ability you use for your Sanguine Knight Hemocraft. You use your Constitution whenever an ability refer to your Hemocraft ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Hemocraft ability you use, and when making an attack roll with one.
Hemocraft save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.
Hemocraft attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.
Secret of the Void[edit]
When you select this Martial Archetype at 3rd level, once per round, when Rending yourself would drop you to 0 hit points, you are dropped to 1 hit point instead.
Additionally, when you roll an 18 or higher on a death saving throw while under the effects of Decay or Enervation, you regain 1 hit point.
Crimson Superiority[edit]
When you choose this Martial Archetype at 3rd level, you learn maneuvers that are fueled by your Hemocraft.
You learn two Maneuvers of your choice from among those available to Battle Master Fighters. You learn additional maneuvers as shown in the Maneuvers Known column of the Sanguine Knight table.
Whenever a Maneuver calls you you to expend a Superiority Die, you must instead Minor Rend, treating the Rend Bonus of that Minor Rend as if it were the number rolled on the Superiority Die. For example, if you use the Ambush maneuver, when you roll a Stealth check or roll Initiative, you can Minor Rend yourself and add your Rend Bonus to the result of that roll.
Whenever a Maneuver forces a creature to make a saving throw, it uses your Hemocraft Save DC.
Wyrd Reconstruction[edit]
After many battles spend harnessing your adrenaline, you've learned to apply your reserves of inner strength to your Hemocraft in order to reinvigorate others, warping and melding their flesh back into a healthy, if twisted, whole. However, this technique is imperfect, and can harm just as much as it helps.
Beginning at 7th level, as an action, you can use this feature to touch a willing creature (Including yourself) and expend a use of your Second Wind ability. The target regains hit points equal to 1d10 + your Fighter level, plus one roll of your Hemocraft Die. At 13th level, whenever you use this ability, the healing is increased by one additional roll of your Hemocraft Die.
Additionally, the amount of healing is increased based on the target's current Injury Level; If the target is Wounded, the healing is increased by one additional Hemocraft Die; and by two additional Hemocraft Dice if the target is Critical.
However, the target must also make a Constitution saving throw against your Hemocraft DC, as the technique warps their body. If they fail their saving throw, they begin to degenerate for 1 minute, losing hit points equal to one roll of your Hemocraft die. This is not damage, and cannot be reduced in any way - Their body simply begins to degenerate, as the restoration was unstable. At the beginning of each of their turns for the duration they must repeat the saving throw - If they succeed, they do not lose hit points that turn, and the degeneration ends; If they fail, they lose hit points again.
Gift of Birth[edit]
Beginning at 7th level, the first drops of blood that fall from your veins are your birthright, and awaken new power in you. Choose one of the following features; The benefits of that feature remain active as long as you are Bloodied.
Birth of Alacrity[edit]
You nimbly flicker in and out of reach, becoming an elusive foe once your blood has spilled.
You can take the Disengage action as a Bonus Action. You can also Minor Rend once per round to move faster; Doing so increases all of your movement speeds by 5 times the Rend Bonus of that Minor Rend, until the end of your current turn.
Birth of the Physical[edit]
Your muscles and metabolism are reinforced by every blow you suffer.
You can Minor Rend to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution ability checks. You must choose to do so before you make the check.
You can also Minor Rend to a single Strength, Dexterity or Constitution saving throw. You must choose to do so before you make the saving throw. Once you use this feature in this way, you must finish a Short or Lo0ng rest before you may do so again.
Birth of the Ephemeral[edit]
The taste of pain focuses your cunning, willpower and spirit.
You can Minor Rend to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma ability checks. You must choose to do so before you make the check.
You can also Minor Rend to a single Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma saving throw. You must choose to do so before you make the saving throw. Once you use this feature in this way, you must finish a Short or Long rest before you may do so again.
Birth of Control[edit]
You finely control your life force as it spills forth.
When you would roll one or more Hemocraft dice, you may choose to roll the Hemocraft Di(c)e in question twice, and choose which result to use; You can choose to do this before or after the dice are rolled. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until the start of your next turn.
Blade Hemocraft[edit]
Beginning at 10th level, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, you can activate one of your Signs, Benedictions or Malisons in place of one of those attacks, provided the Sign, Benediction or Malison in question requires an Action to activate. You can do so only once per Attack action.
Gift of Life[edit]
Beginning at 15th level, when you are bloody and weakened, your new life unfurls, growing to survive. Choose one of the following features; The benefits of that feature remain active as long as you are Wounded.
Life of the Slayer[edit]
Your life force seeks to overwhelm that of those you combat.
When you Major Rend a part of a Blade of Blood attack or as part of amplifying a Sign, if you roll the maximum result on at least one of the Hemocraft die rolled during that Rend, you can roll an additional Hemocraft die and add it to the Rend Result, thus increasing the bonus damage dealt (But not increasing the number of hit points you lose to the Major Rend). If this additional die rolls its maximum number, you may roll another additional die and add it to the total, and so forth, until a die rolls less than its maximum.
Life of the Duelist[edit]
Your familiarity with the dance of life and death aids you as you dance with your opponents.
While this feature is active, you gain the following abilities:
- Bloodied Strike: When you make an attack roll, you may Minor Rend as a Reaction, and add your Rend Bonus to the attack roll.
- Wounded Parry: When an enemy you can see targets you with an attack roll, you may Minor Rend as a Reaction, and add your Rend Bonus to your AC against that attack.
Life of the Survivor[edit]
When you sacrifice your life to stave off death, it armors you in red.
When you Rend while this feature is active, you gain a Barrier, whose current and maximum hit points are equal to half (Rounded down) of the number of hit points lost to that Rend; This Barrier persists for 1 minute, and is not broken when its hit points are depleted. While the Barrier persists, each time you Rend, the Barrier's current and maximum hit points increase by an amount equal to one-half of the number of hit points you lost to that Rend.
Life of the Martyr[edit]
Your sacrifice not only harms your foes, but revitalizes your allies.
When you Rend while this feature is active, you can choose one creature (Other than yourself) that you can see within your Corpse Magic range. That creature regains hit points equal to half (Rounded down) of the number of hit points you lost to that Rend.
Gift of Death[edit]
At 18th level, as your life flickers and you find your veins empty, you find your true power. Choose one of the following features; The benefits of that feature remain active as long as you are Critical.
Death of Weakness[edit]
While this feature is active, you gain immunity to the following conditions: Charmed, Exhausted, Frightened, Goaded, Poisoned, Restrained, and Stunned.
Death of Vulnerability[edit]
While this feature is active, you gain resistance to all damage you take, and healing you receive is not hampered by Decay or Enervation.
Death of Ineptitude[edit]
While this feature is active, when you use your Extra Attack feature, you may make two additional attacks; And when you activate a Sign, Benediction or Malison while this feature is active, you can choose to affect one additional target with that Sign, Benediction or Malison.
Death of Restraint[edit]
While this feature is active, you can take the Dodge action as a Bonus Action, and you can make one additional Reaction each round.
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