Minor Blood Magic Updated
“Oh, you’re never quite unarmed. Even your blood can be a weapon. Here, I’ll show you…”
Art Credit: https://www.deviantart.com/missingtheground/art/Blood-Magic-%20I%20404976528
These spells were previewed some months ago, and since then we’ve been reacting to the feedback we got, and we’ve made a few changes to the spells as a result (as is likely to happen with many spells and subclasses that are previewed before they appear in a compendium). The changes to these spells were focused on slightly improving their power to make up for the loss of potential targets through the blood requirement. Because many enemies don’t have blood, the spells ended up a little too weak to be worth it for many characters in their previous form. One theme that we’ve focused on is the sheer pain caused by some forms of blood magic, which is represented here by the disadvantage to concentration saving throws that the two cantrips now share.
Blood spells are a new school of magic, but each Blood spell also has a conventional school of magic as well, so that the Blood affix is more of an additional tag added to spells, which enables them to work with the various blood magic class features and feat abilities that will come with them. Blood magic, along with lycanthropy, dark curses, vampires, soul magic, fallen heroes, and more will be available in The Impermissicon, one of the three planned compendiums, this one focusing on forbidden magic.
These three spells are from The Impermissicon, and are intended as a solid foundation of spells for the aspiring blood mage to cement his or her aesthetic. The gore spike cantrip offers a Constitution-based alternative to firebolt for simple damage; blood boil is a potent at-will (concentration) debuffing cantrip with short range and minimal damage; and blood extraction is a 3rd-level area spell that damages enemies over time, dealing more damage to bloodied foes, and absorbing the blood of defeated foes for your consumption.
Remember that these blood spells only work against foes with blood, which enables them to be very slightly stronger than similar spells without the same restriction. Most enemies have blood (including most fiends, dragons, angels, and aberrants), but many kinds of creatures lack blood, such as most undead, constructs, and elementals. However, intensely magical creatures have magical blood, and using blood magic upon such foes may have unpredictable and dangerous side-effects, depending on how your DM is feeling. They say unicorn blood has healing powers, so what does the dark magic found in the blood of a pit fiend do? What of the raw power of nature present in the blood of an archfey? Stay curious, and watch out!
PDF Link / D&D Beyond Links: Blood Boil, Gore Spike, Blood Extraction
