Witchblade (5e Class)

Author: Zhenra-Khal (talk) Date Created: 1/12/2020 Status: Tentative Completion Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Witchblade

Many forms of magic are more potent if you possess a piece of the creature you're attempting to target, due to that piece's lingering connection with the whole. By affecting the piece, you affect the whole - This is called empathetic magic, and has found applications in everything from tracking an outlaw via a clump of their hair, to torturing a prisoner by sticking pins in a doll of their likeness. This form of magic is very personal, usually painful, and often bloody, as obtaining a part of your target must either be done by sleight of hand, or by force. This forces dedicated practitioners of this type of magic to be sneaky, good with a blade, and strong of stomach.

Witchblades are these practitioners, practicing their bloody art in the dead of night, out of the sight of the normal folk who wouldn't understand.

Wicked Blades

Whether carving runes, draining blood, severing body parts, or fending off monsters and lynch mobs alike, Witchblades become intimately familiar with sharp objects from the moment they discover their knack for the art, and thus always keep a dagger or sword around for their craft. Ultimately, this leads most of them to become shadowy warriors of a sort, since most advancements in their craft are carved out like hacking a trail through the jungle - Cut by jagged cut.

Dark Rituals

As for the magic they practice in this manner, most Witchblades are trying to accomplish a specific purpose that drives them - Bringing a loved one back from the dead, bringing down the monster that killed their family, or recovering an ancient relic. The rest are studying their craft for knowledge's sake - They want to push the limits, see how far it goes, discover all the hidden connections in the world so they can understand why certain things happen.

Creating a Witchblade

When creating a Witchblade, keep in mind how they came to possess this power, and what drives them to perfect their craft. Did they discover sorcerous blood in their veins during an emotional outburst, or did they make a pact with a dark entity one night in the woods with their friends? Do they have some ultimate goal in mind, like toppling a corrupt empire, or are they just cutting the world open to see what makes it tick?

Quick Build

You can make a Witchblade quickly by following these suggestions.

• First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength or Dexterity.
• Second, choose the Haunted One background.
• Third, choose the Mage Hand and Green-Flame Blade cantrips, along with the following 1st-level spells for your spellbook: Absorb Elements, Compelled Duel, Shield, and Thunderous Smite.

Class Features

As a Witchblade, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 18 per Witchblade level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 18 + your Constitution modifier

Proficiencies

Armor: All Light armor and shields
Weapons: All Simple and Martial weapons
Tools: Thieves' Tools, plus one set of Artisan's Tools of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose three from Athletics, Acrobatics, Arcana, Perception, Stealth, Insight, Deception, Investigation, Survival, Medicine.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) A rapier, (b) A longsword, or (c) Any simple weapon
• (a) A component pouch or (b) An arcane focus
• (a) A burglar's pack, (b) Dungeoneer's pack, or (c) An explorer's pack
• Leather armor, a spellbook, two daggers, and Thieves' Tools.

The Witchblade

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Max Spell Level Known	Max Blood Pool	Max Blood Per Spell	Sneak Attack
1st	+2	Blood Magic, Nightstalker, Bladebond	2	1st	2	1	-
2nd	+2	Sneak Attack, Umbral Sight	2	1st	3	1	+1d6
3rd	+2	Witch's Cunning, Witch's Coven	2	1st	4	2	+1d6
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Bonded Doll	2	1st	5	2	+1d6
5th	+3	Extra Attack, Bloodletter	3	2nd	7	2	+1d6
6th	+3	Crimson Dodge, Blade Dance	3	2nd	8	3	+1d6
7th	+3	Witch's Coven Feature, Crimson Reaper	3	2nd	9	3	+2d6
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Evasion	3	2nd	10	3	+2d6
9th	+4	Grim Psychometry, Disappear	4	3rd	12	3	+2d6
10th	+4	Witch's Coven Feature	4	3rd	13	4	+2d6
11th	+4	Hungry Shadow, Borrowed Life	4	3rd	14	4	+3d6
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	3rd	15	4	+3d6
13th	+5	Cloak of Shadows, Eternal Bond	5	4th	17	5	+3d6
14th	+5	Wounding Blade	5	4th	18	5	+3d6
15th	+5	Witch's Coven Feature	5	4th	19	5	+3d6
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	5	4th	20	6	+3d6
17th	+6	Opportunist	5	5th	22	6	+4d6
18th	+6	Witch's Coven Feature	5	5th	23	6	+4d6
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	5th	24	7	+4d6
20th	+6	Bloody Rebirth	5	5th	25	7	+4d6

Blood Magic

Witchblades cast spells using blood to power their magic; these spells are drawn from the Witchblade spell list.

Cantrips

You learn two Cantrips from the Witchblade spell list. At 5th, 9th and 13th level, you may learn another cantrip from the list.

Spellbook

At first level, you gain a spellbook, containing 4 spells of your choice from the witchblade spell list. This spellbook is a repository of your spells (Except your Cantrips, which are always fixed in your mind). Your spellbook otherwise functions exactly as a Wizard's spellbook.

Blood Pool

At first level, you gain the ability to generate a pool of Blood Points, which are used to fuel your spells. The maximum amount of Blood Points you can have at any given time is determined by your level and shown on the table above.

Your Blood Pool begins play empty; In order to cast spells, you must fill it by generating Blood Points, which is done either by slaying a blood-bearing creature (A creature with blood in its body - this rules out Elementals, Undead, Plants, Constructs and Oozes), or by converting your own life essence (Hit dice) into Blood Points.

In the former case, when a blood-bearing creature dies within 60ft of you, you can use your reaction to harvest Blood Points from it. If it was of a CR equal to no less than half your character level, you gain 1 Blood Point from it; Otherwise, you gain nothing, as what little energy was there dissipated like mist after you harvested it.

In the latter case, as a bonus action on your turn, you can convert Hit Dice into Blood Points, or vice versa.

Converting Hit Dice Into Blood Points: By consuming one of your Hit Dice as if you had spent it during a short rest, you can gain 1 blood point. You can convert up to a number of Hit Dice equal to your Proficiency bonus with a single bonus action. Hit dice spent in this way are regained at the end of a long rest, as normal.

Converting Blood Points Into Hit Dice: You can also use the blood you've harvested to restore your own life force. By spending 2 Blood Points as a bonus action, you can regain one of your expended Hit Dice, as if you had regained it at the end of a long rest. You cannot create more hit dice in this manner than you could normally possess; Thus, a 2nd-level character could not have more than 2 HD at a time.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Witchblade table above shows how many Blood Points you can possess at a time, which are used to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a number of Blood Points equal to or exceeding the spell's level, but not exceeding the maximum number of Blood Points you can spend on a single spell, as noted on the table above. Each expended point exceeding the spell's level increases the spell's power as if it was cast from a spell slot 1 higher than normal.

You prepare the list of Witchblade spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of Witchblade spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your Witchblade level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you can cast, noted on the table.

For example, if you’re a 3rd-level Witchblade, you have up to 5 Blood Points, and your max Blood Points spent on a single spell is 2. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell magic missile, you can cast it using a 1 or 2 Blood Points, casting it as if from a 1st-level or 2nd-level spell slot, respectively. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Witchblade spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Witchblade spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Witchblade spell you cast, and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast a Witchblade spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don’t need to have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your Witchblade spells.

Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher

Each time you gain a Witchblade level, you can add one Witchblade spell of your choice to your spellbook. Each of these spells must be of a level you can cast. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook.

Nightstalker

You are particularly familiar with the night, and are adept at traveling and surviving in the dark.

While traveling for an hour or more at night or in another dark location, such as underground or on the Shadow Plane, you gain the following benefits:

• Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
• Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
• Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
• If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
• When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
• While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

Bladebond

At 1st level, you learn a ritual that creates a magical bond between yourself and one weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and forge the bond.

Once you have bonded a weapon to yourself, you can't be disarmed of that weapon unless you are incapacitated, and the weapon counts as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance or immunity. If the weapon is on the same plane of existence as you, you can summon that weapon as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand.

You can have up to two bonded weapons, but can summon only one at a time with your bonus action. If you attempt to bond with a third weapon, you must break the bond with one of the other two.

Sneak Attack

Beginning at 2nd level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack, if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.

You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

The amount of the extra damage increases by 1d6 at 7th, 11th and 17th level.

Umbral Sight

At 2nd level, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision from your race, its range increases by 30 feet.

You are also adept at evading creatures that rely on darkvision. While in darkness, you are invisible to any creature that relies on darkvision to see you in that darkness.

Witch's Cunning

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to take various kinds of actions outside of the norm, by expending your stored Blood Points. At 3rd level, you learn two Cunning Tricks from the list below; You learn an additional Cunning Trick from the list at 5th, 10th, 14th and 19th levels.

• Shimmering Blackness: You can spend 1 Blood Point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.

• Fleeting Shade: You can spend 1 Blood Point to take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action on your turn; When you do, your jump height is doubled for the turn.

• Blade Magic: When you use your action to cast a Cantrip, you can spend 1 Blood Point to make a single weapon attack as a bonus action.

• Improved Blade Magic: At 5th level, immediately after you perform the Attack action, you can spend 2 Blood Points to cast a Cantrip as a bonus action, as long as that Cantrip would ordinarily require an action to cast.

• Greater Blade Magic: At 14th level, when you use your action to cast a spell, you can spend 3 Blood Points to make a single weapon attack as a bonus action.

• Lashing Shadows: As a reaction when you are attacked in melee, you can expend 1 Blood Point to make an attack of opportunity against that target. The first time you use this in combat against any individual creature, the attack of opportunity is also made with advantage; Thereafter, the attack of opportunity is made as normal.

• Slip Away: You can spend 1 Blood Point to take the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn.

• Profane Gift: You can spend 1 Blood Point to take the Help action as a bonus action on your turn, and may do so at a range of 10ft.

• Forbidden Sight: You can spend 1 Blood Point to take the Search action as a bonus action on your turn.

• Uncanny Forethought: You can spend 1 Blood Point to Ready an action as a bonus action on your turn, and if the Readied action is a spell, you gain advantage on all Constitution checks made to retain concentration on that spell. Additionally, while using Uncanny Forethought, you are immune to effects that would prevent you from taking a reaction.

• Ninja Vanish: As a reaction to being knocked prone, pushed any distance, or attacked while prone, you can spend 1 Blood Point to vanish in a puff of shadowy smoke and teleport up to 20ft. If you were knocked prone or attacked while prone, you automatically stand up, though doing so reduces your movement by half on your next turn; If you were pushed, you teleport just before the push occurs.

Witch's Coven

At 3rd level, you are initiated into a Coven of Witchblades, chosen from the list below, at which point you begin training in their specific traditions and techniques. Up until this point, you were just a hedge witch, testing your powers, and - Likely unknowingly - Proving your worth to the oft-unseen but usually-present elders of the Covens, who will each approach you at their leisure and ask you to join their Coven.

Your choice of Coven grants you a subclass feature at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th level.

(3 official and unofficial Witchblade Covens.)

Witchblade Coven	Features	Summary	Source
Coven of the Servant	Otherworldly Patron, Expanded Spell List, Eldritch Invocations, Mystic Arcanum, Servant's Gift, Servant's Blessing, Servant's Champion	You are a Witchblade who has stolen power from an otherworldly patron.	Zhenra-Khal
Coven of the Silver Mirror	Expanded Spell List, Light Of Truth, Shard of Moonlight, Bridge The Veil, Bond of Transference, Howling Feast, Walk The Veil, Eyes Of Moonlight	A coven that focuses on using their blood magic to heal the injured and reveal the truth.	Zhenra-Khal
Coven of the Thousand Blades	Expanded Spell List, Blood Maledict, Storm of Blades, Crimson Masochism, Red Tide, Bloodsoaked Style, Sanguine Rage	A coven more bloodthirsty than most, they revel in destruction for destruction's sake.	Zhenra-Khal

Bonded Doll

At 4th level, you learn how to create a bond between an object and a creature. As a 10-minute ritual, you can craft a featureless doll, made of cloth and stuffed with all manner of leaves, grass, feathers, wool, and the like. As a bonus action, you can expend 1 Blood Point and select a target you can see within 60 feet that you would like to Bond the doll to. That target must make a Wisdom saving throw; If they fail, they are bonded to that doll for 1 minute, and the doll takes on the appearance of a miniature, stuffed version of the creature. You can, of course, bond to the doll yourself, in which case you may simply choose to fail the save. When you choose to Bond a creature to a doll, you can choose either a Baleful Bond or a Beneficial Bond.

The doll can be attacked or knocked out of your hand; It has AC equal to 10 + the Witchblade's proficiency modifier + the Witchblade's Dexterity modifier, and hit points equal to the Witchblade's character level, plus their Intelligence modifier. If the doll is destroyed, the bond ends and the Witchblade must make another doll before they can use this feature again. If the Witchblade uses this feature on a different creature - Using either the same doll or another doll they've created - While a bond is already in place, the previous bond breaks.

If you choose to form a Baleful Bond, you can attack or cast spells on the doll, rather than the Bonded creature, in order to affect the creature; To do so, you must have the doll in-hand. Other creatures can use the doll as well, if they have either the Bonded Doll class feature, or proficiency with the Arcana skill. The doll is merely a means of targeting the creature; You must still beat the creature's AC, and the creature must fail saves on its own, and so forth. Each time you use the doll to target a creature with a spell or attack, the target makes a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail, the spell or attack affects the target regardless of distance or plane, including dealing damage or triggering a saving throw, and so forth. If they succeed, any attack roll against the target made via the doll is made at disadvantage, and the target gains advantage on any saving throw they make against a spell or attack used against them via the doll. Any spell cast via the doll must affect only a single target, and that target must be the creature you have bonded the doll to.

If the target of the Baleful Bond dies while bonded, and is a blood-bearing creature, you automatically gain Blood Points from it as if you'd spent your reaction to harvest them, though you need not actually expend your reaction, and the creature need not be within 60ft of you when it dies.

If you choose to form a Beneficial Bond, when the Bonded target would be subject to damage or a saving throw, they may use your reaction to transfer the effect to the doll instead. In the case of damage, the doll takes damage in their place; If the damage dealt is greater than the doll's remaining hit points, the doll is destroyed, but the Bonded target does not suffer any ill effects associated with the attack. In the case of a saving throw, the Bonded creature negates the effect that triggered the saving throw. In doing so, the doll takes damage equal to the DC of the saving throw; If this damage would exceed the doll's remaining hit points, doll is destroyed, and the Bonded creature doesn't suffer any ill effects from the effect that triggered the saving throw.

If the target of the Beneficial Bond dies while bonded to the doll, the doll (Should it remain intact) can be used in place of their body to restore them to life. When this is done, the doll grows and shifts, becoming their new body and losing its magic in the process, but the doll bears no ill effects that would've prevented the target's resurrection (Such as poison, disease, curses, or decapitation), and the penalty for being raised from the dead in this manner is reduced by 2, to a minimum of 0.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Bloodletter

Beginning at 5th level, you get better at stealing the life force from other creatures. Whenever you successfully score a critical hit or sneak attack against a blood-bearing creature, you gain 1 Blood Point. Additionally, when you use your reaction to harvest Blood Points from a dying creature, you gain 1d4 Blood Points if the creature was of a CR of no less than half your character level; Otherwise, you gain 1 Blood Point.

Crimson Dodge

Beginning at 6th level, when a creature attacks you, as long as you have at least 1 Blood Point remaining, you can use your Reaction to reduce the damage dealt by that attack by half.

Blade Dance

Beginning at 6th level, when you take the Attack Action while wearing light or no armor, your speed is hard for your target to follow, preventing them from launching an effective retort. Whenever you take the Attack Action, and both attacks damage the same creature, that creature suffers disadvantage on attack rolls against you until the end of its next turn.

Crimson Reaper

At 7th level, when you use your reaction to harvest Blood Points from a dying creature, you can instead harvest Blood Points from every creature within 60ft of you that has died since the beginning of your last turn. You cannot harvest Blood Points from a target you have already harvested Blood Points from.

Evasion

Beginning at 8th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a Red Dragon’s fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Grim Psychometry

When you reach 9th level, you can take 10 minutes to meditate on an object to discern vague details regarding any lingering evil or wicked past surrounding it. Make a Wisdom ability check. Based on the result, the DM may reveal obscure information about dark events that may have previously surrounded the object, or hints toward a sinister purpose. This feature has no effect on objects untouched by evil. An object can only be targeted by this feature once, and future attempts reveal no further details. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Disappear

Beginning at 9th level, you learn to slip away when flame, ash, and dust fills the air, obscuring your foe's sight of you. Whenever you succeed at a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you may use your reaction to move up to half your movement speed and perform the Hide action. This may only trigger once per round, however.

Hungry Shadow

Beginning at 11th level, your magic hungers for the blood you have spilled before you even manage to absorb it. Whenever you land a successful critical hit or sneak attack against a blood-bearing creature, that creature suffers disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes against one of your spells or class abilities, provided the save is triggered within 1 round.

Borrowed Life

Your theft of life energy allows you to life on while others die. At 11th level, when you are reduced to or below 0 hit points, you can expend 1 Blood Point (No action required) to remain at 1 hit point instead.

Cloak of Shadows

By 11th level, you have learned to become one with the shadows. When you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible. You remain invisible until you make an attack, cast a spell, or are in an area of bright light.

Wounding Blade

At 14th level, your weapon's thirst leaves every wound it makes dry, brittle, and rotten. Your Bonded Weapon(s) become(s) a Wounding weapon, in addition to any other magical properties it may possess, regardless of whether or not the weapon in question is a sword.

Opportunist

At 17th level, you can exploit a creature's momentary distraction when it is hit by an attack. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack made by a creature other than you, you can use your reaction to make an attack of opportunity against that creature.

Bloody Rebirth

At 20th level, the life you have stolen allows you to resist death. When you have to make a death saving throw at the start of your turn, you can instead spring back to your feet with a burst of red-black energy. All your remaining Blood Points are consumed, causing you to regain 1d4+1 hit points per Blood Point that was consumed by this feature, and then you stand up if you choose. Each creature of your choice that is within 60 feet of you takes necrotic damage equal to the number of Blood Points that were consumed by this feature, plus your Intelligence modifier, and is Frightened until the end of the current turn.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Multiclassed Witchblades

Witchblade uses the following rules when multiclassing.

You must have a Dexterity score and an Intelligence score of 13 or higher in order to multiclass in or out of this class.

Multiclass Proficiencies

When multiclassing into the Witchblade class, you gain the following proficiencies:

• Simple and Martial weapons
• Light armor and shields
• Thieves' Tools
• One skill from the Witchblade's list.

Blood Magic

When multiclassing, Blood Magic interacts with other forms of magic in the following ways.

Spell Slots: When determining the spell slots for a multiclassed spellcaster, half your levels in Witchblade are added to the total.

Versatility: If you have both the Blood Magic class feature, and the Spellcasting and/or Pact Magic class feature, you can use Blood Points to cast spells from your other classes in place of spell slots, and you can use spell slots from the Spellcasting and/or Pact Magic features to cast Witchblade spells.

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