Gaining Blood Abilities
At the time of character creation, provided you have elected to be a blooded scion, you may choose one blood ability from the list of those available to your derivation. You must be of the bloodline strength associated with the ability in question. Note that some abilities have multiple strength categories listed, and grow more powerful as the character's Bloodline score increases.
For example, the human scion of Basaia, Erin Velescarpe, has a starting Bloodline score of 15 at first level. This puts her in the Major category, so she can choose any Basaia ability that is classified as Major. If she chooses the Healing ability, she gains the benefits from both its Minor and Major variations. If Erin later increases her Bloodline score to 20 (becoming a Great bloodline), she automatically gains the Great variation of this ability.
It should be stated that a character who begins play with a Tainted bloodline strength, or who later becomes blooded and does not have at least a Minor strength score, does not get to select a blood ability. The blood is too, well, tainted to actually gain any significant power with it. You can still rule a domain and conduct actions as a regent, but no ability manifests itself. If you ever increase your Bloodline score to at least Minor strength, you may then choose a blood ability fitting your derivation and strength category.
If, through bloodtheft or a powerful curse, your bloodline drops to a lower category from a higher category, any abilities you possess that require the higher category become dormant and cannot be used until your bloodline strength is restored.
The Culling
Of the two sources of blood abilities I have at my disposal (those being the core Birthright rulebook and Blood Abominations), there were thirty eight total abilities that needed to be reviewed. This is a first draft of my work, and revisions will undoubtedly be necessary.
There was some of mechanical work done here, but oddly not as much as I expected. Some abilities did not make the cut, and were summarily removed. My criteria for doing this was essentially determining whether something had noticeable mechanical benefit and wasn't already covered in another ability. In addition, I would lean more towards cutting if the rebalancing of a given ability would have a low return on investment (if I needed to create new resolution or effect-grouping mechanics just to build one power, it went in the rubbish bin).
To wit, the following abilities did not make it.
- Bloodmark. This ability was already mostly duplicated under the minor effect for Divine Aura and the visual marker can easily be considered a physical trait that needs no actual mechanic. If someone wants to play a character with a visual bloodmark, I feel as though that's a choice they can make on their own without needing to burn an ability on it.
- Detect Lie. Zone of Truth already exists as a low level spell and the benefits of this ability would be very niche. Insight checks can already help determine whether someone is not being completely honest, and it would get very tiring to hear, "Is he lying?" after every NPC answer.
- Heightened Ability. D&D 5th edition already has numerous ways to increase ability scores, and the system's math counts on players actually having something to work towards as they gain levels. This blood ability simply isn't necessary and would contribute to a snowballing of player power, which is already precarious with the introduction of bloodlines at all.
- Persuasion. It's already partially covered under some other abilities, and I don't want to steal the spotlight from bards and players who specialize in the skill of the same name (you'll note a pattern in which I tend to nuke abilities that nullify or remove the need to roleplay).
- Resistance. This one was tough, but in the end I felt it was better for balance if players didn't possess a huge gamut of things to which they could be highly resistant or outright immune. Having a portion of your tricks as a Dungeon Master basically turned into scrap is not fun, and it doesn't promote player creativity or involvement. Also, some of the old resistances were kind of weird (Masela's in particular, pretty useless if you're far inland), and there are already other sources of resistances out there.
- Most of the abilities introduced by Blood Enemies. They range from "wildly overpowered" to "NPC only" or are even outright redundant -- perhaps fairly, since this is a book about horrible monster NPCs. Bloodform, Bloodtrait, Charm Aura, Detect Life, Invulnerability, Major Regeneration, Major Resistance, and Wither Touch are all out. I did keep Death Touch and Long Life though, since I think those could be cool (human regents not interested in having heirs definitely want the latter).
Some of these duplicate cultural feats, specifically as they pertain to advantage on some saving throw varieties. This is intentional; I want there to be several avenues to pick up these very helpful bonuses if players so choose.
Blood Abilities by Derivation and Strength
Anduiras
- Animal Affinity (Minor, Major, Great)
- Battlewise (Major)
- Courage (Minor, Major, Great)
- Detect Illusion (Minor)
- Divine Aura (Major, Great)
- Divine Wrath (Major)
- Elemental Control (Great)
- Enhanced Sense (Minor, Major)
- Healing (Minor, Major, Great)
- Iron Will (Minor)
- Long Life (Minor)
- Protection from Evil (Major)
- Regeneration (Great)
- Unreadable Thoughts (Minor)
Azrai
- Alertness (Minor)
- Alter Appearance (Major)
- Animal Affinity (Minor, Major, Great)
- Battlewise (Major)
- Death Touch (Minor, Major)
- Detect Illusion (Minor)
- Divine Aura (Major, Great)
- Enhanced Sense (Minor, Major)
- Fearsome Mein (Major)
- Iron Will (Minor)
- Long Life (Minor, Major, Great)
- Poison Sense (Minor)
- Regeneration (Great)
- Shadow Form (Great)
- Touch of Decay (Great)
- Travel (Great)
- Unreadable Thoughts (Minor)
Basaia
- Alertness (Minor)
- Animal Affnity (Minor, Major, Great)
- Blood History (Minor)
- Character Reading (Major)
- Detect Illusion (Minor)
- Divine Aura (Major, Great)
- Divine Wrath (Major)
- Elemental Control (Great)
- Enhanced Sense (Minor, Major)
- Healing (Minor, Major, Great)
- Long Life (Minor, Major, Great)
- Protection from Evil (Major)
- Travel (Great)
- Unreadable Thoughts (Minor)
Brenna
- Alertness (Minor)
- Alter Appearance (Major)
- Animal Affnity (Minor, Major, Great)
- Character Reading (Major)
- Detect Illusion (Minor)
- Enhanced Sense (Minor only)
- Iron Will (Minor)
- Long Life (Minor, Major, Great)
- Protection from Evil (Major)
- Travel (Great)
- Unreadable Thoughts (Minor)
Masela
- Animal Affnity (Minor, Major, Great)
- Blood History (Minor)
- Detect Illusion (Minor)
- Direction Sense (Minor)
- Divine Aura (Major, Great)
- Divine Wrath (Major)
- Elemental Control (Great)
- Enhanced Sense (Minor, Major)
- Long Life (Minor, Major, Great)
- Protection from Evil (Major)
- Travel (Great)
- Unreadable Thoughts (Minor)
Reynir
- Alertness (Minor)
- Animal Affnity (Minor, Major, Great)
- Detect Illusion (Minor)
- Direction Sense (Minor)
- Divine Aura (Major, Great)
- Elemental Control (Great)
- Enhanced Sense (Minor only)
- Healing (Minor, Major, Great)
- Iron Will (Minor)
- Long Life (Minor, Major, Great)
- Poison Sense (Minor)
- Protection from Evil (Major)
- Regeneration (Great)
- Unreadable Thoughts (Minor)
Vorynn
- Alter Appearance (Major)
- Animal Affnity (Minor, Major, Great)
- Blood History (Minor)
- Character Reading (Major)
- Detect Illusion (Minor)
- Divine Aura (Major, Great)
- Enhanced Sense (Minor, Major)
- Long Life (Minor, Major, Great)
- Protection from Evil (Major)
- Travel (Great)
- Unreadable Thoughts (Minor)
The New Blood Abilities
In alphabetical order, listed below. Some became stronger from their previous incarnations, particularly Long Life, though admittedly that one's hard to balance as most campaigns might not even see such longevity. Some are deceptive in how powerful they are; Azrai's animal affinity might not seem like much compared to Basaia or Anduiras's, but there are plenty of places a snake can get into that a cat or lion cannot.
Alertness (Minor)
You have a bonus on Initiative rolls and Perception rolls to spot hidden enemies equal to your Bloodline modifier, with a minimum value of +1.
Alter Appearance (Major)
You may use the disguise self spell once, and it recharges after a long rest. You do not require material components for this spell.
Animal Affinity (Minor, Major, Great)
Scions of Anduiras are affiliated with lions. Azrai's brood are affiliated with serpents, primarily poisonous ones. Basaia favors eagles and hawks, and Brenna cats both large and small. Masela's scions have kinship with dolphins and similar creatures. Reynir's chosen animal is the wolf, while Vorynn is most often represented by owls.
Minor: You have empathic communication with animals of your bloodline's affiliation out to 60 feet.
Major: You may communicate with animals of your bloodline's affiliation at will. They will never attack you unless first provoked.
Great: You may also use the animal friendship and animal messenger spells once each, but only towards animals of your bloodline's affiliation. These uses recharge after a long rest. In addition, you may use a special form of wild shape, as though you were a druid, provided you meet minimum level requirements.
At 2nd level, an Azrai scion can transform into a giant poisonous snake as a druid of equivalent level.
At 2nd level, a scion of Brenna can transform into a cat as a druid of equivalent level. At 4th level, the scion can instead transform into a panther.
At 2nd level, a scion of Reynir can transform into a wolf as a druid of equivalent level. At 8th level, the scion can instead transform into a dire wolf.
At 4th level, a scion of Masela can transform into a dolphin as a druid of equivalent level (use the statistics for a reef shark).
At 8th level, a scion of Vorynn can transform into a giant owl as a druid of equivalent level.
At 8th level, a scion of Basaia can transform into a giant eagle as a druid of equivalent level.
At 8th level, a scion of Andurias can transform into a lion as a druid of equivalent level.
Battlewise (Major)
Units that the scion commands gain advantage on Morale checks during field battles. Units also improve their AC and saving throws by a value equal to your Bloodline modifier.
Blood History (Minor)
You have inherited the memories of your predecessors. You have advantage on all History checks made to recall events of the past, and once per day you may call upon those memories to gain advantage on any one skill check. This use recharges after a long rest.
Character Reading (Major)
After a round spent concentrating on a target, you gain advantage on Deception, Insight, or Persuasion checks made to assess or influence an individual. Note that your pauses between responses might be seen as suspicious by canny conversationalists.
You can also make a special Insight check (with advantage) to determine if the target is under any sort of compulsion, magical or otherwise. The Dungeon Master determines the DC of this check secretly.
Courage (Minor, Major, Great)
Minor: You have advantage on saving throws against any effect that can make you frightened.
Major: You and any allies within 10 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against any effect that can make you frightened.
Great: As above, and any units you command will never flee from an engagement unless destroyed or commanded to do so.
Death Touch (Minor, Major)
Minor: You may use the poison spray cantrip as a wizard of your level. You do not require a spellbook or material components to cast this spell.
Major: You may poison any individual, water source or food that you touch, at will. Anything that imbibes your poisoned substances must make a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned (Bloodline is your casting ability for this power).
Detect Illusion (Minor)
The scion has advantage on saving throws against any illusion spell that allows a save.
Direction Sense (Minor)
You always know which direction is north, regardless of your place above or below ground.
Scions of Reynir can never lose their way in wilderness or rural settings. You do not need to make checks to determine if you or your party become lost, unless the setting is unnatural (such as the horrible landscape of the Shadow World).
Scions of Masela can never become lost at sea. You can innately navigate by the stars and by your own supernatural senses. However, you must be familiar with any land mass you wish to travel to; you do not have preternatural knowledge of continents you have not visited.
Divine Aura (Major, Great)
Your mantle of power and nobility naturally influences individuals around you. Any NPC who would begin their interaction with you as Indifferent is instead Friendly. Hostile NPCs are unaffected.
Major: You may use the enthrall spell once per day. This use recharges after a long rest.
Great: As above, and beginning at 5th level you may use either the hypnotic pattern or fear spell (but not both in one day) once per day. This use recharges after a long rest.
Divine Wrath (Major)
Once per day as a bonus action, you may add your Bloodline modifier to attack and damage rolls with melee or ranged weapons for 1 minute.
Elemental Control (Great)
The element of Anduiras is air, for he was lord of the skies and all that crowns the world. Basaia, as a sun goddess, was affiliated with fire. Masela's domain was the sea, and elemental water is hers to command. Reynir was the everlasting earth, and his elemental power is similarly aligned.
You may speak the language of the elementals you are affiliated with. You will always be neutral with elementals of that type unless they are summoned and bound to attack you by a controlling entity.
At 7th level, you may cast the conjure lesser elementals spell once per day, but only to summon elementals of your affiliated type. This use recharges after a long rest.
At 9th level, you may also cast the conjure elemental spell once per day, but only to summon elementals of your affiliated type. This use recharges after a long rest.
Enhanced Sense (Minor, Major)
Anduiras, Minor: You may use divine sense as a paladin once per day. If you are also a paladin, you gain additional use of this ability. This ability recharges after a long rest.
Anduiras, Major: You may clearly see someone's bloodline strength and derivation by looking at them. While this does not give you the numeric ability score, you can determine whether they are tainted, minor, major, great, or true at a glance and which derivation of divine blood they possess.
Azrai, Minor: You have darkvision out to 60 feet. If you already possess darkvision, your range is increased by 60 feet.
Azrai, Major: You automatically detect creatures with a Bloodline score equal to or greater than 20 within 100 feet and can pinpoint their location. You know the nature and relative strength of such creatures (a low-level scion with a Great bloodline might register to you as weak, while a terrible awnsheghlien would be sensed as an extreme danger). You can also automatically detect places where there is a strong connection to the Shadow World while standing in them.
Basaia, Minor: Your distance vision is sublime. You do not suffer disadvantage for firing ranged weapons at long range.
Basaia, Major: You may see through any magical darkness effects as though they did not exist.
Brenna: Your hearing is especially acute, and you have advantage on any Perception or Investigation checks associated with hearing. You cannot be deafened.
Masela, Minor: You are unaffected by conditions of extreme wind or rain, and do not suffer any disadvantage to skill checks or attack rolls as a result of these conditions.
Masela, Major: You can hear your name spoken, as well as what is said about you, anywhere within 10 miles of your position. Both you and the speaker must be outdoors at the time.
Reynir: You have advantage on any Survival checks made to track opponents. In addition, you have advantage on checks made to Forage for food in the wilderness.
Vorynn, Minor: You may use the augury spell once per day as a ritual. This use recharges after a long rest.
Vorynn, Major: You may use the divination spell beginning at 7th level, once per day as a ritual. This use recharges after a long rest.
Fearsome Mein (formerly just Fear) (Major)
Once per day as a bonus action, by either touch or a weapon attack, you may force your target to make a Wisdom saving throw or be affected by the fear spell. Bloodline is your spellcasting ability for this power. This ability recharges after a long rest.
Healing (Minor, Major, Great)
Minor: You may use the Lay on Hands ability of a paladin, but only to heal wounds (not to cure conditions). If you are also a paladin, your total pool of hit points per long rest is increased by 10, and you do not suffer the restriction.
Major: You may also use this pool to cure diseases or neutralize poison, just as a paladin might. If you are also a paladin, you need only expend 3 hit points from your pool to cure one of these conditions, rather than 5.
Great: You increase your healing pool by your Bloodline modifier times your level.
Iron Will (Minor)
You have advantage on saving throws against charm or enchantment effects.
Long Life (Minor, Major, Great)
Minor: Your maximum lifespan is increased by 50%.
Major: Your maximum lifespan is increased by 100%.
Great: Your maximum lifespan is increased by 200%.
Poison Sense (Minor)
Once per day, you may use the detect poison and disease spell. This ability recharges after a long rest.
Protection from Evil (Major)
Once per day as a bonus action, you may use the protection from evil and good spell on yourself. However, the protection only applies against aberrations, fiends, and undead. This ability recharges after a long rest.
Regeneration (Great)
Whenever you take a short rest, you regain an additional number of hit points equal to your Bloodline modifier for each hit die you expend. At the end of a long rest, you recover all expended hit dice, rather than the usual half your total.
You automatically succeed on death saving throws. If someone wishes to dispatch you, they must see it done personally and not wait for you to bleed out.
Shadow Form (Great)
Azrai's corruption slowly transforms your body into a shadowy creature.
Beginning when you take this power, creatures from the Shadow World will be neutral to you, as though you were native to that world. They will not generally attack you unless provoked, but are not beholden to follow your commands.
At 3rd level, you may use an action become shadowy and translucent for up to 10 minutes per day, as though affected by the blur spell. You do not need to use these 10 minutes concurrently. Each transformation must last at least one minute.
At 5th level, you gain advantage on Stealth checks made while attempting to hide in any location with dim or darker lighting. You gain resistance to necrotic damage and do not suffer from difficult terrain while transformed as per your third level power.
At 9th level your transformation becomes even more powerful, turning you invisible in conditions of darkness (so that even creatures with darkvision cannot make you out), and you become resistant to non-magical physical attacks.
Touch of Decay (Great)
Once per day as a bonus action, you can invoke this power to cause the next bare-handed touch you make to cause 2d8 + Bloodline modifier damage to inanimate objects. This attack can also affect unliving objects such as material undead or golems, at the DM's discretion. This ability recharges after a long rest.
Unfortunately, sometimes this power manifests spontaneously. Each day you must make a Bloodline saving throw against DC 5. If this saving throw fails, you destroy a random non-magical object in your possession.
Travel (Great)
Your bloodline enables you to transport to familiar locations, with some restrictions. You may take yourself plus one other individual per level along on your journeys. You must be familiar with the destination you wish to teleport to, and it must be a place in keeping with your derivation's restrictions.
Traveling takes an action of preparation time, assuming the conditions are correct for you to do so on both ends of your journey.
Azrai: You may enter the Shadow World to travel to your destination. This form of travel must be done between the sunset and sunrise, and both the entry and exit points must be in place where the Shadow World is near to the living world (such as in a graveyard, a deep cavern, or a bloody battlefield).
Basaia: Your entry and exit points must be in a fire large enough to immerse your entire body. You are protected during the transition, but those following you must find a way to protect themselves from the flames.
Brenna: Your entry and exit points must be standing on a road, path, or trail.
Masela: Your entry and exit points must be accessible by water, and you must be partially immersed in order to conduct the travel.
Vorynn: You can only transport at night, during moonrise or moonset.
Unreadable Thoughts (Minor)
You have advantage on saving throws against spells that attempt to read your thoughts. Attempts to use Insight to determine your motives are at disadvantage.
Conclusion
Lots of stuff to comb through, to be sure, and lots of iteration yet to come. I won't pretend this was perfect the first time around, but I think I made a pretty decent go at it. Next time I'll touch on any revisions to all of this, and then move on to a new subject.
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