Careless Whisper Bloodweaver

(Note: This class might work well with a character that has connections with the Blood of Vol. We would need to work together to adapt the background to the world of Eberron.)

Bloodweavers use the primal power coursing through their veins to enhance their own abilities, heal or bolster allies, and debilitate or kill their foes. Many fear them for their control over the substance of life but those that see past this superstitious dread often find powerful allies.

Sanguine Paths

A bloodweaver’s power flows from their vitality and the strength of that exceptionally potent life force — the means by which they fuel disciplines, the teachings of sanguine traditions. These focuses are to the masters of blood as schools of magic are to a wizard, their area of expertise defining themselves as much as anything else. Through blood cursing they alter destiny, blood puppetry takes control over other living things, blood shaping turns flowing crimson to clay in their hands, consumption takes what knitting restores, sanguine alacrity makes them supernaturally quick, sanguine body incredibly tough, and with the techniques of vitriolic conversion they attain the ability to corrode.

Primal Power

Bloodweavers have many conflicting stories about their origins but all agree that the power is nearly as old as mortals themselves. One common myth tells of a primitive hunter encountering a dying primordial after it had been bested by one of its own kind in the early days of the world - moved by her plight, he tried vainly to aid her and came in contact with the creature’s blood. The immortal blood served as a conduit that allowed some of the being’s power to flow into the hunter when she died, a power that all of his descendants have borne since.

Another myth speaks of the daughter of a chieftain in the depths of antiquity. Fearing that her people would be exterminated by a rival tribe, she sought the means to protect them, seeking help from a powerful fey sorceress of blood, birth, and death that women of her tribe worshiped for aid with fertility and illness. A bargain was struck and while the woman was never seen by her tribe again, five other girls awoke with strange powers that they used to protect their people when they were attacked.

Bloodlines

Bloodweaving is strongly tied to particular family lines. Some families see nearly every member awaken to their power in their teens. Others might have one bloodweaver every other generation. Regardless of the frequency of their birth, they almost always play an important role among their people. Interestingly, although their mythological origins would suggest otherwise, bloodweavers have been found at various times throughout history in many different mortal races. While most common in tribal humans and orcs, other peoples have also manifested the power, though even then it nearly always manifests among particular lineages.

Creating a Bloodweaver

The first thing to decide when making a bloodweaver is the sanguine path upon which they walk and the blood traditions they pursue. Most bloodweavers don’t simply wake up one day to discover their power, learning of their potential instead by way of a tutor — was yours a malevolent ancestor spirit or a mentor met by way of fate? What of the possibility that you discovered your abilities amidst a traumatic (and likely violently bloody) moment, one that haunts you to this day? Were you treated like a pariah by your community or embraced for your talents? What of your family and loved ones?

You may have stumbled across or even sought out a bloodweaver intent on learning the practice, traveling far from civilization to find a fabled crimson witch or bloodbinder teacher, maybe driven to seek out a scarlet reaper a􀀷er facing one in battle. Regardless of their origins, what do your powers mean to you? Do you consider them grisly or less appealing than the spellwork of magicians? Are you at odds with priestly orders that believe your abilities make you no better than a vampire? Perhaps most importantly, what do you hope to achieve by walking the paths of blood and where do you hope your journey will end?

Class Features

• Hit Dice: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier per Bloodweaver level
• Proficiencies
  • Armor: Light armor
  • Weapons: Simple weapons
  • Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
  • Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, or Survival

• More: A Touch of Class Codex, page 91