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The Blood Hunter is one of the newest classes in Dungeons & Dragons. These battle-tested adventurers use a mix of martial prowess and the dark art of blood magic to fight the monsters that terrorize the rest of the world. But this power comes at a price: The Blood Hunter must sacrifice their own vitality to use their unique abilities.
Whether you’re a fanatical monster hunter, a cursed wanderer, or a seeker of redemption, the Blood Hunter offers you an unparalleled gaming experience. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the mechanics, subclasses, and backgrounds of this class.
The Blood Hunter class was developed by Matthew Mercer, one of the creators of the popular “Critical Role” series. He first introduced the class in January 2015 as homebrew content on the D&D Beyond platform. The details and mechanics of the class have been updated since then, most recently in the 2020 version. The class was not officially published in the 🛒D&D handbook, but remains part of the community content on D&D Beyond and other platforms. It’s a popular choice for players who prefer complex and thematically dark characters.
What is a Blood Hunter?
Blood Hunters are experts in fighting supernatural threats like undead, fiends, and fey. They use the dark art of Hemocraft to enhance their weapons, curse enemies, and defeat even the most stubborn foes. In doing so, they push themselves to their limits and risk being consumed by the same darkness they fight.
Hemocraft is a form of blood magic that uses the life-giving properties of blood to either enhance one’s own abilities or manipulate the life force of others – whether for good or ill.
Class Themes
Monster vs Monster: Blood Hunters are often seen as monstrous themselves – how do they deal with this ostracism?
Sacrifice: The Blood Hunter’s abilities often require the expenditure of hit points.
Moral Gray Areas: How far are you willing to go to defeat evil?
Blood Hunter Mechanics
Hunter’s Bane
A Blood Hunter’s journey begins with a ritual act that binds their body and soul to darkness. This ritual grants them advantages when hunting and fighting fey, fiends, and undead. They can more easily track these creatures and identify their weaknesses.
Blood Maledict
With this ability, Blood Hunters can cast blood curses on their enemies. Each curse has a specific effect, such as reducing movement or making concentration checks more difficult. The Blood Hunter can amplify the curse, but must take damage themselves to do so.
Crimson Rite
A hallmark of Blood Hunters is their ability to imbue their weapons with elemental magic. Fire damage, cold damage, or even psychic damage – depending on the chosen “Rite,” they can adapt their attacks. This ability also costs hit points.
Subclasses: The Blood Hunter Orders
Starting at 3rd level, Blood Hunters choose an Order that defines their specialization and playstyle:
Order of the Ghostslayer
Perfect for players who want to destroy undead. With bonus damage against undead and the ability to walk between planes, Ghostslayers are the ultimate ghost hunters.
Order of the Lycan
Become a controlled werewolf! This subclass offers a hybrid form that enhances your attacks and gives you damage resistance. But beware: you might lose control.
Order of the Mutant
Alchemical masters who enhance their bodies through mutagens. This subclass offers extreme adaptability, but with side effects.
Order of the Profane Soul
A mix of Blood Hunter and Warlock. You make a pact with a patron and expand your arsenal with spells.
The Blood Hunter’s Role in the Group
Strengths
- Combat Versatility: Blood Hunters can act as both frontline fighters and ranged combatants. This makes them versatile in different encounters.
- Monster Experts: Their bonuses against supernatural creatures make them invaluable in campaigns with such threats.
- Unique Playstyle: The combination of damage and control through Hemocraft is unparalleled.
Challenges
- Self-damage: Most abilities cost hit points, making resource management more difficult.
- Complexity: With various subclasses and mechanics, the Blood Hunter requires a steeper learning curve.
How to Create a Blood Hunter?
Attributes
- Strength/Dexterity: Depending on your combat style (melee or ranged).
- Intelligence: Enhances your Hemocraft abilities.
- Constitution: Increases your survivability.
Equipment
- Armor: Light or medium armor for mobility.
- Weapons: Choose weapons that support your preferred style, e.g., longswords or light crossbows.
Background
Choose a background that emphasizes your journey as a Blood Hunter, e.g., Soldier for a disciplined hunter or Hermit for a mystical aura.
Famous Blood Hunters
Mollymauk Tealeaf (Critical Role, Campaign 2)
Mollymauk, a charismatic Tiefling and member of the Order of the Mutant, brought color and vibrancy to Critical Role’s second campaign. As a Blood Hunter, he used alchemical abilities and the mysterious powers of Hemocraft to hold his own in combat and support his friends. His extravagant personality, combined with his tragic past and heroic sacrifice, made him one of the most memorable characters in the series. He later returned as Lucien Nonagon, embodying the dark themes of the class and illustrating how power and corruption can be inseparably linked. His connection to dark forces made him a fascinating and threatening antagonist.
Chetney Pock O’Pea (Critical Role, Campaign 3)
Chetney, a quirky Gnome and member of the Bells Hells, brings fresh energy to Critical Role’s third campaign with his transformation into a werewolf. As a Blood Hunter of the Order of the Lycan, he uses his animal instincts and supernatural strength to hold his own in combat. Chetney’s humorous nature and firm belief in justice contrast with the dark forces he controls.
Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)
The idea for the Blood Hunter class began as inspiration from Vin Diesel’s film 🛒The Last Witch Hunter. Matthew Mercer developed this into a class that increasingly incorporated elements from The Witcher, particularly the alchemical and martial aspects. The Order of the Mutant in particular is almost a direct homage to Geralt of Rivia and the 🛒Witchers, making the class perfect for fans of these dark, morally complex heroes.
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