Blood Magic
Blood Magic
Blood magic, also known as hematomancy or sanguimancy, is a type of magic that involves the use of blood and life force in magical practices. It is often associated with dark magic and is is viewed as taboo or dangerous. In some traditions, blood magic is believed to be a powerful source of energy that can be harnessed for various purposes, such as performing spells or rituals, making offerings, or creating magical artifacts.
There are many different practices and beliefs surrounding blood magic, and the specific meaning and use of blood magic can vary greatly depending on the tradition or belief system in question. Some people believe that blood magic can be used to invoke spirits or deities, communicate with the dead, or gain supernatural powers.
Blood magic is not a universally accepted or understood practice, and it is often shrouded in secrecy. It is not recommended to engage in blood magic without a thorough understanding of the risks and potential consequences.
Evil Aligned Arcane casters gain access to Blood Magic.
Prerequisite: Evil Alignment, Access to Blood Magic, level 1 Arcane Caster
Benefit: When casting a spell, you can choose to activate Sanguine Empowerment by expending a number of hit points equal to twice the spell's level. This damage cannot be negated or reduced in any way. This damage cannot be healed by any means until the caster takes an 8-hour rest. This rest need not be consecutive but must be undertaken within a 24-hour period.
The empowered spell gains one of the following enhancements (chosen at the time of casting):
Extend: The spell's range is doubled, allowing you to target creatures or areas at a greater distance.
Expand: The spell's area of effect is increased by 50%, covering a larger area potentially affecting more targets.
Potency: The spell's effects are intensified, granting a +2 bonus to relevant spell DCs, duration, or damage rolls.
Special: The hit points expended for Sanguine Empowerment are subtracted from your current hit point total. If this reduces you to 0 or fewer hit points, you fall unconscious or die as normal.
You cannot use Sanguine Empowerment if you do not have enough hit points to pay the cost.
Sanguine Empowerment can only be used once per spellcasting, and the enhanced effects last for the duration of the spell.
Sanguine Empowerment cannot be combined with other metamagic feats or spell-enhancing abilities.
Note: The use of Sanguine Empowerment reflects the dark and dangerous nature of blood magic, requiring the caster to sacrifice their own life force for increased magical potency. Exercise caution when utilizing this perk, as the cost can be detrimental if not managed carefully.
Prerequisite: Evil Alignment, Access to Blood Magic, level 3 Arcane Caster
Benefit: As a swift action, an arcane spellcaster may choose to channel their life force into heightened cognitive abilities. By sacrificing hit points equal to twice their Hit Dice, they gain a +2 enhancement bonus to their Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma ability score of their choice for a duration of 8 hours.
This ability can be invoked multiple times, either to enhance the same ability score or different ones. However, the hit point cost stacks for each subsequent use, and the spellcaster cannot reduce or negate this damage by any means.
Special: The damage taken from Arcane Empowerment cannot be healed by any means until the caster undertakes an 8-hour rest. This rest does not need to be consecutive but must be completed within a 24-hour period. If a caster uses this ability while they already have an enhancement bonus to an ability score (from another source such as a magic item or spell), the effects do not stack. Instead, they overlap.
Note: While this ability allows casters to push their mental faculties beyond their normal limits, it comes at the risk of their own vitality. It is a testament to the lengths some mages will go to achieve greater power, even if briefly.