Homebrew Base Class - The Haemomancer - OG Myth-Weavers

Notices


Gaming Discussion

For all things gaming related.


Homebrew Base Class - The Haemomancer

   
Homebrew Base Class - The Haemomancer

The Haemomancer


The Haemomancer is a master of a very dark art. Necromancers manipulate life force, binding the living and the dead to their will, but the magic of blood could be considered a yet darker force. Haemomancers control the very blood flowing through the veins of creatures, and with but a twist of their wrist can stop it in its tracks.
Blood magic is not overtly powerful and flashy like much of the magic of wizards, sorcerers and warmages. Its root lies in the source of all beings, and whilst it is difficult to master, it gives great power to those who master it.
Haemomancy is a silent art, and its most powerful servants are often to be found on the shoulders of kings, lightly armed and armoured, looking for all the world like little more than an advisor to the crown.
Until bodies begin bursting.

Haemomancers tend towards the neutrality inherent in the blood coursing through the veins of every living creature, although it is very easy for a haemomancer to stumble onto the path of evil. The powers they deal in are dark at the best of times, and at the worst, downright evil.

Paladins and clerics of good deities tend not to get on with Haemomancers, viewing them as abhorrent, and generally evil, and bards are distrustful of their silent magic. Barbarians generally do not understand them, but monks often appreciate their devotion to a higher art. Wizards tend to view them as jumped-up necromancers with no respect for the purer arts of magic, and sorcerers often envy their power.


Hit die: d6
Alignment: Any other than lawful good. Rarely good.
Skill points: 2+INT modifier, x4 at 1st level
Class skills: Craft, Concentration, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft
Age: As Wizard
Starting gold: As Wizard

Weapon and armour proficiencies: The Haemomancer is proficient with all simple weapons as well as the whip and bolas. The Haemomancer is proficient with light armour, but not with any shields.

Spells:
The Haemomancer may cast arcane spells like a wizard or sorcerer. As such, it is difficult for them to cast in armour, or whilst using a shield.
To learn or cast a spell, a Haemomancer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Haemomancer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the Haemomancer’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a Haemomancer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Haemomancer. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
The Haemomancer may cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time the way a cleric or wizard must. When a Haemomancer gains access to a new level of spells, he automatically knows all of the spells for that level listed on the Haemomancer spell list. Effectively, his spell list is the same as his spells known list.


Blood Magic:
A haemomancer is a master of one of the more sinister, silent, and deadly types of magic. Any material components, which do not have a specific cost, are immediately changed to a single drop of blood. This blood does not necessarily have to be the haemomancer's and the Haemomancer can fill a vial of blood with the blood of a fallen enemy using a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Expensive material components must still be bought as usual. Blood magic does not use verbal components, so spells with no somatic and only verbal components use only somatic components.
All haemomancer spells have a somatic component.

Armoured Mage (Ex):
Normally, armour of any kind interferes with an arcane caster’s gestures, which can cause spells to fail if the have a somatic component. A Haemomancer, however, due to his limited focus and specialised training allow him to, from 3rd level onwards, ignore the spell failure chance of light armour. This does not extend to any other forms of armour.

Blood Component (Su):
A Haemomancer, when casting a spell, can give some of his own blood to empower it. If a Haemomancer substitutes the regular blood component of one of his spells for a drop of his own blood, he may add his own life force to the spell’s casting.
The pinprick or minor cut required to draw the blood is a free action and deals 1 point of damage to the Haemomancer, but increases the spell’s caster level by 1. It cannot raise the Haemomancer's effective caster level by more than one. Damage reduction, if the player has any, does not apply to this damage.
If a spell has no material component, he may still use his own blood to empower the spell.

Tough Caster (Ex):
At 5th level, a Haemomancer has increased his control over his body so that pain has less of an effect upon his ability to cast. A Haemomancer gains a +4 bonus on concentration checks to cast spells after taking damage.

Craft Homunculus (Su):
From 7th level on, a Haemomancer may use his blood to give life to a new creature – a homunculus (see page 154 of the monster manual). A Haemomancer need not meet any of the given prerequisites to create the homunculus; however, a Haemomancer must permanently sacrifice 1HP per current hit dice as part of the creation process.
A homunculus advances by one hit die at every odd-numbered Haemomancer level after 7th, to a maximum of 6HD at 15th level. This gives all normal bonuses to the homunculus, e.g. skill points, feats, save bonuses, etc.

Staunch (Ex): From 10th level onwards, a Haemomancer has sufficient control over his body fluids to immediately stabilise should his hit points drop below 0. He still dies if they reach below -10.

Blood Control(Ex): From 13th level onwards, a Haemomancer has sufficient control over his circulatory system so that he gains immunity to any injury or contact-delivery poisons, and a +4 circumstance bonus on fortitude saves against other forms of poison.

Bloodspeak (Su):
At 16th level, a Haemomancer is capable of forming a very special link with the blood of living creatures. After a ritual lasting 24 hours, the Haemomancer cuts his own tongue out, dealing 3 points of permanent hit point damage. However, it confers the telepathy special ability on him permanently, with a range of 150 feet. He may use this to communicate with any living creature with a functioning circulatory system, as well as vampires and other similar creatures. This does not function on oozes.


The Haemomancer Spell list
0-level
Daze, Detect Poison, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue, Virtue (5)

1st level
Blade of Blood, Cause fear, Chill Touch, Detect Undead, Hypnotism, Jump, Ray of Enfeeblement, Sleep (8)

2nd level
Bear’s Endurance, Blindness/deafness, Bull’s Strength, Cure light wounds, Death Knell, Delay Poison, False life, Ghoul Touch, Inflict Light Wounds, Scare, Steel Veins* (11)

3rd level

Contagion, Hold Person, Neutralise Poison, Poison, Rage, Ray of Exhaustion, Remove Blindness/Deafness Remove Disease, Vampiric Touch, Water Breathing (10)

4th Level

Boil Blood*, Charm monster, Cure moderate wounds, Crushing Despair, Enervation, Fear, Haste, Inflict moderate wounds, Slow (9)

5th level

Cure Serious Wounds, Death Ward, Dominate Person, Hold Monster, Feeblemind, Inflict serious wounds, Slay living, Symbol of Pain, Waves of fatigue (9)

6th level
Acid Blood*, Bear’s Endurance, mass, Bull’s Strength, mass, Cure critical Wounds, Eyebite, Flesh to Stone, Inflict Critical Wounds, Symbol of Fear, Undeath to death (9)

7th level
Cure light wounds, mass, Finger of Death, Hold person, mass Inflict light wounds, mass, Insanity, Palm of Blindness**, Symbol of Stunning, Symbol of Weakness, Waves of Exhaustion (9)

8th level
Cure moderate wounds, mass, Destruction, Inflict moderate wounds, mass, Palm of stunning, Remove Circulation*, Symbol of Death, Symbol of insanity (7)

9th level

Cure serious wounds, mass, Dominate monster, Energy Drain, Hold monster, mass, Inflict serious wounds, mass, Palm of Death, Regenerate (7)

*Homebrew spell
**As equivalent Power word, but replace verbal component with somatic


*****************
Your thoughts? The initial aim was to create a class similar to the Blood Magus, but a base class. I've left a few of their features out, e.g. Bloodwalk, to make the Blood Magi special and unique.

Their spell list is based on the Blood Domain from the "A Tail Beyond" Setting, which can be found here.

I find it pretty nice. Sounds like something that could eventually lead, and was probably based from, the Blood Magus. It seems pretty balanced, but I'm not one to really ask that question . Do you mind if I use it in a game?

Quote:
The pinprick... ...deals 1 point of damage to the Haemomancer.
That must be one helluva pin.

This looks very nice, but as I'm not a major spellcaster kinda guy, I can't tell if it's balanced or not. One of the few sticklers someone might say would that be it's a powered up version of the sorceror, and that it knows about twice as many spells.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Poker View Post
That must be one helluva pin.
It's the same as the Blood Magus ability of the same name. I used the same wording.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Poker View Post
This looks very nice, but as I'm not a major spellcaster kinda guy, I can't tell if it's balanced or not. One of the few sticklers someone might say would that be it's a powered up version of the sorceror, and that it knows about twice as many spells.
You could say the same about the warmage, or the beguiler. Remember, it gets its entire spell list, but the Sorcerer has a much more versatile list. This guy can deal a hefty amount of damage, but he's got nothing to match a meteor swarm.

Or Wish.

Quote:
Your thoughts? The initial aim was to create a class similar to the Blood Magus, but a base class
Obvious.


So, let's see....

Blood Magic:

Either you like to roll concentration checks for ALL spells you cast, or you forgot to add the following : "Use of this ability does not force the Haemomancer to roll concentration checks for taking damage while casting a spell."

Blood Component: (...) and deals one damage to the Haemomancer, but increases the spell's caster level by 1.[/quote]

Haenry, the Haemomancer 4, casts Ray of Enfeeblement using the blood component ability. He inflicts 6 points of damage and casts the spell at caster level 10...

Not really, I think.
Either make it a maximum increase by 1 level, or add another maximum, by which a spell can be increased.

Additionally, see Blood Magic.

Blood Speak:

How does this ability fit with the theme ?
Blood and Telepathy have nothing in common, in my opinion.
Apart from that, you need to specify a range within which Telepathy functions.

Additionally, specify what you mean by "vampire and other similiar creatures". Can he speak with a lich (no living creature) or other intelligent undeads ? Elementals ? Outsiders ?

As a whole, I'd say the class should work - as long as the spell list is not expanded. One or two additional spell could be considered, but no more (compared to the blood magus, he looses stanch, awaken blood and bloodwalk but retains all caster levels).

After a quick scan over the spell list, the class might even be on the weaker side - but that would have to be determined by playtesting...

Blood Magic doesn't mean he is using his own blood. He can use literally any blood.

Blood component is meant to imply that he can't deal more damage, but dealing more damage to himself could be a little silly. Anyhoo, editing to make it more clear.

Bloodspeak is designed to be that he can communicate with any creature which has blood in its veins, using nothing but his control over it. And a bit of magic. Vampires do have blood, lichs don't, IMO.
Range will be 150ft.

Does anyone think they should get the Staunch ability, as the blood magus, at, say, 10th level or thereabouts? Maybe lower, maybe higher.

Quote:
Blood Magic doesn't mean he is using his own blood. He can use literally any blood.
So, for clarification, the Blood Magic ability's only mechanical influence is, that it changes all of his spell's components to
a) have a somatic component
b) replace any inexpensive material components with a drop of blood.

The rest is pure fluff.

Quote:
Blood component is meant to imply that he can't deal more damage, but dealing more damage to himself could be a little silly. Anyhoo, editing to make it more clear.
I assumed as much. But intention and rules text vary - and most often, that's what leads to broken or unbalanced stuff.

Quote:
Vampires do have blood, lichs don't, IMO.
Difficult, as that would be setting specific; IRRC, vampires in Ravenloft do have blood - but only right after feeding and for some hours, while other settings might have different rulings on this.

You might consider to rewrite the ability to mention any creature with blood in it's veins (as that is more clear than "a circulatory system" - which, depending on point of view, would include plant(creature)s). But that would be mostly for clarifying and aiding other DMs using the class.

Quote:
Does anyone think they should get the Staunch ability, as the blood magus, at, say, 10th level or thereabouts
Staunch was the stabilizing ability, right ?
Then, level 10 would be appropriate (to avoid concentrating too much on the first couple of levels).

Firstly, this seems to be encouraging characters to play an evil class (or neutral, but I think a lot of people agree that neutral tends to be much closer to evil than good, especially when powerful magics are involved). As a base class, that's not something I personally would encourage. I wouldn't be too shocked if there were other base classes that encouraged the player to be evil (the rogue doesn't count!), but as a general rule I think it's a bad idea. Whether it leads to randomly slaughtering peasants, or the PC becoming an NPC, it doesn't end well.

As far as I know I don't have the book with the Blood Magus in, but it's possible I've overlooked it. Either way, I don't know the specific class features of it. With that established, you seem to have taken a large amount of features from it. Doesn't this invalidate the Prestige Class? Even if half of its abilities are gone, that means that you're taking 10 levels in a PrC to get half the abilities you already have. Now, I know you can argue other casters can take the PrC, but they can also take this base class. I'm just not sure what niche this class fills.

I'm also not sure that the healing magic fits with this class. Inflict (insert degree of) wounds fits, sure, but I don't think healing does. Sure, there's platelets and all in the blood, oxygen being carried alowing the body to function, but really I wouldn't class that as blood magic. It's not desperately needed, what with d6HD and armoured mage (incidentally, is there reasoning behing the class having this?).

Finally, is there anywhere to view these homebrew spells? If anyone does want to play the class, may as well open up the whole spell list to them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by elpollo View Post
Firstly, this seems to be encouraging characters to play an evil class (or neutral, but I think a lot of people agree that neutral tends to be much closer to evil than good, especially when powerful magics are involved). As a base class, that's not something I personally would encourage. I wouldn't be too shocked if there were other base classes that encouraged the player to be evil (the rogue doesn't count!), but as a general rule I think it's a bad idea. Whether it leads to randomly slaughtering peasants, or the PC becoming an NPC, it doesn't end well.
They still have more classes to choose from. We're working on all alignments, and this is just one of them . No worries . . .

And I always tell my players, "You can play an evil character if you want, just be prepared for the consequences."

Quote:
As far as I know I don't have the book with the Blood Magus in, but it's possible I've overlooked it. Either way, I don't know the specific class features of it. With that established, you seem to have taken a large amount of features from it. Doesn't this invalidate the Prestige Class? Even if half of its abilities are gone, that means that you're taking 10 levels in a PrC to get half the abilities you already have. Now, I know you can argue other casters can take the PrC, but they can also take this base class. I'm just not sure what niche this class fills.
I myself have not looked at Blood Magus and cannot comment on this. I'll inform Mortis.

Quote:
I'm also not sure that the healing magic fits with this class. Inflict (insert degree of) wounds fits, sure, but I don't think healing does. Sure, there's platelets and all in the blood, oxygen being carried alowing the body to function, but really I wouldn't class that as blood magic. It's not desperately needed, what with d6HD and armoured mage (incidentally, is there reasoning behing the class having this?).
I'm in agreement here. Will have to, as the previous quote, wait for Mortis to reply on this one.

Quote:
Finally, is there anywhere to view these homebrew spells? If anyone does want to play the class, may as well open up the whole spell list to them.
It's actually in the OP. =)

http://www.myth-weavers.com/showpost...5&postcount=34





Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Last Database Backup 2024-03-28 05:19:56pm local time
Myth-Weavers Status