Bloodspell (Archetype)

Skills: The Bloodspell receives Heal (Wis) as a class skill in place of Use Magic Device (Cha; Trained Only).

Spells: A Bloodspell casts arcane spells drawn primarily from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a Bloodspell must have both Charisma and Constitution scores equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a class name’s spell is 10 + the spell level + either the Bloodspell’s Charisma or Constitution modifier, whichever is higher.

Unlike other spellcasters, a Bloodspell can cast as many spells of each spell level per day as her health allows. Each of her spells has a special material component: her own blood. This replaces any material component costing less than 1gp. Anytime she casts a spell, she must sacrifice an amount of life force which depends on the level of the spell. This sacrifice of life force manifests itself by lowering her current and maximum hit points by twice the spell level, minus one. She may not spend more hit points on a spell than her caster level. Cantrips, 0-level spells, do not cost the Bloodspell any hit points, unless it is augmented with metamagic (see below). The action of casting a spell takes care of the actual bloodletting required: she does not need to spend an extra action to acquire the blood for the material component. In addition, even if she is unable to extract the blood herself (grappled, stunned, applying Still Spell, etc.), the spellcasting will absorb the blood required on its own.

A Bloodspell’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A Bloodspell begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of her choice. At each new level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known. These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the Bloodspell has gained through some understanding or study.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered Bloodspell level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a Bloodspell can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the Bloodspell loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. A Bloodspell may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.

Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a class name need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has the health required for the casting. It is possible for a Bloodspell to sacrifice an amount of hit points on casting a spell such that her current hit points falls below 0, or even such that her current hit points fall to a negative amount equal to her Constitution score and she dies as per normal. She cannot, however, sacrifice more hit points than an amount needed to kill her. Should a Bloodspell cast a spell that would reduce her maximum hit points below 1, her maximum hit points falls to 1 and she takes an amount of Constitution damage equal to the remainder; however, her current hit points are lowered as normal for the casting, as well as for the Constitution damage. This may cause the Bloodspell to die as per normal.

When applying metamagic to a spell, a Bloodspell spends two extra current and maximum hit points per spell level increase of the metamagic feat.

After resting for 8 hours, a Bloodspell’s maximum hit points return to the normal amount. Her current hit points increase by the same amount as her maximum hit points do. This may only happen once in any 24 hour period.

A Bloodspell may not utilize temporary hit points to cast spells, though the current and maximum hit points gained from temporary Constitution increases are valid. Note, however, that once the temporary Constitution effect ends, her current and maximum hit points decrease by an amount equal to 1 HP per hit die per two points of Constitution increase, as normal.

This replaces the spells ability of the Sorcerer.