Most of the materials associated with the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dungeons & Dragons franchise are public domain, which means players and fans are free to use the materials to create their own unique settings, characters, and adventures. That's when classes like the fearsome and deeply compelling Blood Hunter emerge from the pages of some ambitious homebrew.

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This is not an official D&D class, which means it's not endorsed by the Wizards of the Coast. It has its roots in Critical Role, not the Player's Handbook, and it's a class that delves into dark and forbidden magic. Only players with some experience should take on a Blood Hunter, and even then only with the guidance and blessing of your DM.

Updated December 8, 2021 by Kristy Ambrose: Homebrew creations have been a thing since the first tabletop RPG game, and the current variety of D&D-related resou🧔rce materials means the practice is thriving now more than ever. Blood hunter guides for 5e are showing up more often as players and Dungeon Masters get to know this D&D homebrew class. They blend magic with combat, a popular combination in role-playing games when it's time for a Blood Hunter multi- or dual-class. Players like Blood Hunters because of their compelling lore along with their exciting if gruesome abilities connected to the power and magic of Hemocraft.

14 What Is A ▨Blood Hunter?

Blood Hunter, picture and info from the supplement
Via Critical Role and Wizards Of The Coast

A Blood Hunter is a spell caster and a fighter, with armor proficiencies similar to Thieves and the ability to cast spells. Their school of magic is called Hemocraft, and it's related to blood, hence the name of the class.

As for t𝕴he Hunter part, this is a class that has dedicated their entire life to fighting a certain type of monster. This can range from a wider array of crea💛tures like the undead to specific enemies like vampires. Exactly what they fight and where they gained their powers depends on their past history.

13 ♛ The Origins Of Hemomacy 🌳

D&D Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Alternate Cover
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything by Wylie Beckert

Although the Blood Hunter's power relies on Intelligence, Hemomacy began as an intuitive type of magic. Humans living in the dangerous jungles of Chult discovered and developed this power out of 🌳a need for survival as opposed to something that an archmage concocted in a lab.

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Blood Hunters were responsible for protecting the fledgling human settlements from the merciless jungle surrounding th𓄧em. Even though the art was widely taught, even then it was a dark and profane knowledge that was kept quiet in the shadows.

12 The History Of The Bloodhunter 𝓀

jesper ejsing werewolf fight art dungeons and dragons
via: jesper ejsing

Mezro was the city where most of the Blood Hunter recruit꧅ing and training took place, and this is also where the Four Orders originated. These are the Bood Hunter subclasses, and they were developed to make the Blood Hunters more efficient protectors, seekers, and killers.

Naturally, other warriors and leaders came to Chult and Mezro seeking out the Blood Hunters and their secrets. Foreigners were welcome i📖n the Orders, and ma♍ny of them returned to their homelands to pass the knowledge on to their own countryfolk.

11 🐭 Racial Choices For Blood Hunters

drow hexblade paid for work
Hired Hexblade by Irina Nordsol

A Blood Hunter build needs a high score in both Dexterity and Intelligence, and there are a few races that either fit that bill o♛r can be fitted with some proficiency scores that can be. Strength and Constitution are also important, as this is primarily a martial class.

  • Aarakocra: (Elemental Evil Player's Companion) A +2 to Dexterity, plus some epic options for backstory, make this an interesting choice.
  • Abomination: (Homebrew) An unusual race that is created as opposed to born, Abominations have bonuses in all the right places - Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence.
  • Drakiin: (Homebrew) A creature that's lucky enough to have 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:both Fey and Draconic ancestry, their history is a complex one. They have bonuses in Intelligence and Dexterity.
  • Elf:.(Player's Handbook) The advantage here is the bonus to Dexterity and a natural Elven affinity and resistance to certain kinds of magic.
  • Gnome: (Player's Handbook) Choose a Deep Gnome subrace to get a Dexterity bonus on top of the Intelligence bonus all Gnomes have.
  • Human: (Player's Handbook) Humans get a+1 bonus to every ability score, plus an extra language and lots of possibilities for lore and backstory.
  • Kenku: (Elemental Evil Player's Companion) A race that is known for their talents with mimicry and forgery, Kenku's also get a Dexterity bonus of +2, a decent start for a Bloodhunter.

10 Create A Unique 🀅Backstory

Dungeons and Dragons split image

The path of the Blood Hunter is a dark one, fraught with tragedy and sacrifice, and those characters who are driven to walk it have made a deeply personal choice. This can also depend on the module you're using as well, so make sure you ask your DM for guidance.

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Their class is often driven by a secret obsession, perhaps 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a thirst forꦑ vengeance or lust⛎ for power. Their determination might be connected to what drove them to be Blood Hunters in the first place or revealed to them through the Hunter's Bane.

9 What Is The Hunter's Bane?

Elves in Dungeons & Dragons artwork

Every Blood Hunter has to endure and survive a brutal initiation ritual when they first choose their class. The details of this ritual are determined by the Blood Hunter Order that administers them. Some are a secret, while others are obvious, even part of the Order's public image.

The Order of Lycan is one example. Their Hunter's Bane consists of a senior member deliberately infecting the hopeful member with lycanthropy, a prerequisite to joining the order. Should the acolyte survive, they'll learn how to control their affliction and use it to their advantage.

8 ▨ ♉ The Crimson Rite

hoard robber mtg d&d tiefling art
Hoard Robber by Anna Pavleeva

One of the unique powers of the Blood Hunter class is the Crimson Rite, a ritual the class uses to imbue their weapon with extra power at the expense of their own vitality. That means the character temporarily loses a few hit points as long as the Rite lasts. The Rites are various abilities granted to the Blood 🎀Hunter at certain levels. The Crimson Rite, for example, is granted at level 2 and allows൩ the player to invoke the rite of Hemocraft within their weapon.

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These extra powers are either Primal Rites or Esoteric Rite♏s. Primal Rites give your weapon the ability to do e🎶xtra fire, frost, or lightning damage. Esoteric Rites provide you with necrotic, thunder, or psychic damage.

7 Understanding Blood 🍌Curses 𒈔

split image, Tiefling Blood Hunter right, char sheet with bloody handprint on left

Blood Curses are the spells from the school of Hemocraft or the magic of blood. They are difficult to cast, use dark and malevolent forces, and take a heavy toll on the caster. Blood Hunters only know one Blood Curse until level 6, when they can learn a second. These𓃲 are comparable to the Crimson Rite as one of the abilities unique to t♋he Blood Hunter class that costs vitality in exchange for a powerful combat buff.

6 Make 🔯Wise Skill Choices

Split image, sorcerer/fighter with book on left, swashbuckler with scimitar on the right

There are several Skills available to customize the Blood Hunter build, but they can only choose three. Some of these choices are easier than others. The class already has a Survival bonus, for example, which is connected to their heightened sense of Wi🎉sdom. Any Skills that give you an advantage when it comes ♈to weapon proficiency, like Athletics, would also be ideal.

  • Athletics: Handy when characters need to do anything Strength-related that requires climbing, swimming, jumping, or brawling.
  • Acrobatics: The Skill that governs your ability to keep your balance and react to falls, projectiles, or other sudden events.
  • Arcana: A wise choice for a class that values their Intelligence ability score and knowledge related to the Arcane.
  • History: Another Skill based on Intelligence that's a result of intense academic study, it makes a good fit with a traditional, studious Blood Hunter.
  • Perception: An Intelligence-based Skill that's handy for finding hidden doors, lost objects, and animal tracks.

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5 ❀ The Blood Hunter Orders

Pathfinder Paladin With and without helmet

The type of Hunter's Bane Rite that your character has to endure depends on the Blood Hunter Order that they choose to join. Each Order takes its adherents down a different path, with some dedicated to fighting certain kinds of🐷 supernatural monsters, and others teaching a certain philosophy or lifestyle. There are only a few Orders but they are vastly different, so do your❀ research before making this permanent choice for your Blood Hunter build.

  • Ghostslayer: Dedicated to fighting the undead and to studying the moment spirits actually cross over, this is the oldest Blood Hunter Order.
  • Lycan: To join this Order means to endure one of the most difficult Hunter's Bane Rite, the Taming. A Blood Hunter is infected with lycanthropy and must learn to control their werewolf-related powers should they survive.
  • Mutant: Encourages its followers to use a mixture of arcane magic and alchemy to alter their abilities, similar to an Alchemist or the main character in another popular RPG, The Witcher.
  • Profane Soul: Often compared to the Warlock as this Blood Rager also chooses an otherworldly patron that grants them special abilities.