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Blood magi are deceased spellcasters who gain an understanding of blood's importance when returned to life.

Requirements

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A blood magus gains no additional proficiencies in any weapon or armor.

Spells per Day: At every second level gained in the blood magus class, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, hit points beyond those he receives from the prestige class, and so on), except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a blood magus, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

Blood Component (Su): A blood magus may substitute a drop of his own blood for a spell's material components, if any. The pinprick or minor knife cut to draw the requisite blood is a free action that becomes a normal part of casting the spell. The magus does not need to make a Concentration check to complete the spell, despite the wound. Using this ability deals the blood magus 1 point of damage but raises the spell's save DC by 1.

Substituting blood for a costly material component requires drawing a greater amount. The blood magus deals more damage to himself when doing so, according to the table below.

Stanch (Ex): The blood magus automatically stabilizes his wounds when his hit points drop below 0. He still passes on if he reaches —10 hit points or below.

Scarification (Ex): At 2nd level, the blood magus learns to inscribe spells on his own skin for later use. This involves deeply scratching the skin (which deals no damage but often leaves scars). The scratches remain fresh until the inscribed spell is cast, at which time the minor wound heals normally. Effectively, the blood magus gains the Scribe Scroll feat using an alternative medium (see page 84 of the Player's Handbook). All rules, XP costs, and expenses that apply to Scribe Scroll also apply to this ability. Likewise, reading a scar follows the same rules as reading a scroll, but only the blood magus can decipher his own scars.

One's own skin leaves a limited amount of room to easily inscribe and later read, magical scars. Thus, a blood magus can have only six active scars at any one time.

Death Knell (Sp): At 3rd level, the blood magus gains the spell-like ability to use death knell as the spell once per day.

Blood Draught (Ex): At 4th level, the blood magus learns how to store spells of up to 3rd level in his own blood. Effectively, he gains the Brew Potion feat using an alternative medium (see page 80 of the Player's Handbook). All rules, XP costs, and expenses that apply to Brew Potion also apply to this ability, with the following exceptions. Once "brewed", a blood draught remains in circulation within the magus's body. The maximum number of draughts stored at one time is equal to his levels of blood magus plus his Constitution score, but if he is ever slain, they are all immediately ruined—even if the blood magus is subsequently returned to life. Blood draughts are never accidentally lost through major blood loss or by a blood-draining attack.

To consume the draught, the blood magus pricks his skin, automatically bringing forth the desired effect. This is a standard action that draws an attack of opportunity, like drinking a potion. Others can also partake of a given blood draught (if they have a strong stomach)—the blood magus concentrates to draw the desired draught to the surface.

Infusion (Ex): At 5th level, the blood magus prepares a special one-time distillation of his own blood. Partaking of the infusion, he permanently gains 2 points of Constitution.

Gore (Su): At 6th level, a blood magus can draw more blood with any spell that successfully damages a living target. This is a supernatural ability. The blood magus inflicts a minor wound on himself; the pinprick or knife cut is a free action that becomes a normal part of casting the spell. Using this ability deals the blood magus 1 point of damage. The spell becomes blood seeking and deals 1d6 points of damage in addition to the damage the spell normally deals, as extra blood is drawn from the wound. The magus does not need to make a Concentration check to complete the spell, despite the wound. The blood magus can use the gore and blood component abilities to enhance the same spell, suffering cumulative damage. This causes a spell that normally takes 1 action to cast to become a full-round action.

Thicker Than Water (Su): At 7th level, the blood magus's vital fluids are partially under his conscious control. When the blood magus is injured, his blood withdraws from the wound, preventing some damage. Thus, he always takes 1 less point of damage than normally indicated. Effectively, the blood magus gains a "hardness" of 1.

Awaken Blood (Su): At 8th level, the blood magus gains the supernatural ability to bestow momentary consciousness on an opponent's blood. Once per day, he can make a melee touch attack against a living foe. If he hits, the opponent's blood attempts to get free—all at once. The hydrostatic pressure disrupts the victim's tissues, dealing 10d10 points of damage. If he misses, the blood magus can try again until he is successful against an opponent. "Conscious" blood returns to its natural state after 1 round.

Homunculus (Sp): At 9th level, the blood magus uses his own blood to give life to a new companion creature—a homunculus. The homunculus created by a blood magus has the same abilities as those on page 120 of the Monster Manual but is more robust. It has 6 Hit Dice, its bite attack bonus improves to +5, and its Fortitude save increases to +2, its Reflex save to +4, and its Will save to +3.

To build his homunculus, the blood magus does not use the normal construction rules listed in the Monster Manual. The only requirements are 1 hour spent in the ritual and the permanent loss of 1 hit point, as the caster instills more personal blood in his creation than is usual. This stronger link provides a special advantage: The blood magus can transfer his own wounds to the homunculus via touch as a supernatural ability. This is a standard action that allows the blood magus to transfer 1d4 points of damage. No limit exists on the number of times he can take this action, but the blood magus should observe caution: If he transfers enough of his own wounds to his homunculus to kill the creature, its destruction deals him 2dl0 points of damage (as noted is the Monster Manual). Damage transferred to the homunculus can be cured or healed normally. A blood magus may only have one homunculus created in this fashion at a time.

Bloodwalk (Su): At 10th level, the blood magus is perfectly attuned to the song of blood. He gains the supernatural ability to transport himself great distances via the blood of living creatures. Once per day as a standard action, he can seamlessly enter any living creature whose size equals or exceeds his own and pass any distance to another living creature in a single round, regardless of the distance separating the two. The blood magus merely designates a direction and distance ("a living creature 20 miles due west of here"), and the bloodwalk ability transports him to a destination creature as close as possible to the desired location. He can't specify a named individual as the end point unless he has previously obtained a sample of that creature's blood, preserved in a small vial that must be carried on the blood magus's person.

The entry and destination creatures need not be familiar to the blood magus, but they must be alive and possess blood in their veins. (Thus, plants and the more bizarre outsiders are not eligible targets.) The blood magus may not use himself as an entry creature. If the intended entry creature is unwilling, he must hit with a melee touch attack to enter. When exiting a creature, the blood magus chooses an adjacent square in which to appear. Entering and leaving a creature is painless, unless the blood magus wishes otherwise (see below). In most cases, though, the destination creature finds being the end point of a magical portal surprising and quite unsettling.

If he desires, the blood magus can attempt to make a bloody exit from the destination creature. If the creature fails a Fortitude save (DC 18), the exiting blood magus takes on solidity a little too soon. He bursts forth explosively from the creature's body, dealing 16d6 points of damage. The blood magus must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 13) or take 2d4 points of damage from the shock of his exit.

Except where noted above, this class feature resembles the dryad's ability to move from tree to tree (see Monster Manual, page 79).

Advancement