SanguimancerSource Pathfinder #213: Thirst for Blood pg. 83There’s a balance in blood. The arteries send surges of the fresh, life-giving liquid to the furthest reaches of the body, even as the veins return spent blood to be renewed. Healthy blood contains the essences of life and energy, while unhealthy blood might be anemic or even laden with disease. Within this duality of blood is great power—to infuse energy, health, and life, or to expunge it just as quickly.
Some individuals are sensitive to the power within blood, and in time might even begin to control it. This practice is known by magical scholars as sanguimancy to distinguish it from a sorcerer’s magical bloodline, though most people are ignorant of the distinction and use the same term—blood magic—for both. Sanguimancy is a strange and lonely path. Those who practice it are few in number, and when they do come into contact with others, people often react to them with caution, if not outright revulsion. Consequently, few actively seek out these bloody powers. Those with ties to blood, be it
vampires and their associates, practitioners of bloody rites—such as worshippers of
Camazotz—or even specialists in medicine can all find themselves drawn to sanguimancy.
While its effects are undeniably magical, sanguimancy falls outside the established norms of spellcasting. Casters combine spells with sanguimancy to create powerful synergies, while warriors appreciate being able to wield their abilities even after their peers’ spells have run dry. The most powerful sanguimancers can wield the energies contained within blood to shield themselves from harm, cause internal bleeding, and even unleash a barrage of razor-sharp needles of blood.
Blood sensitivity is uncommon but found in diverse places. It’s difficult to tell if someone is blood sensitive without them admitting to it or overtly manifesting their powers in public. As a result, estimates of how many members of a population are blood sensitive tend to be accurate only if sanguimancy is tolerated. Another tradition of blood magic, hemotheurgy, has many similarities to sanguimancy but carries a far different effect on its practitioners. The leech‑covered bloatmages of Kaer Maga practice this self-destructive magic, overriding their bodies’ fail-safes to produce more blood than their bodies need in order to enhance their magic.
The precise manner in which blood sensitivity comes about remains poorly understood, even among the magical scholars who have rigorously studied its existence. Most agree that exposure to fresh blood is a key factor in manifesting the attunement. Some speculate that repeated exposure from a young age is necessary, while others surmise a single incident might be all that’s required, provided that such an event occurs while in a state of extraordinarily heightened emotion. And, of course, some believe that blood sensitivity could be a divinely preordained gift (or curse), an affinity you’re born with, or a simple matter of luck. As of yet, no one has been able to reliably induce a test subject with the power of sanguimancy, and most experiments attempting to do so are considered evil.
Sanguimancer (Archetype)
You can draw and manipulate energy from blood. You store life energy in the form of special
temporary Hit Points and spend it to manifest powerful effects.
This Feat may contain spoilers from the Shades of Blood Adventure Path
Rare Archetype Dedication Source Pathfinder #213: Thirst for Blood pg. 84Archetype Sanguimancer
The life essence in your blood recovers naturally over time. You gain a special type of
temporary Hit Points called sanguimancy Hit Points that follow the normal rules for temporary Hit Points with two exceptions: you can spend them to power some sanguimancy feats, and you can never have a greater number of sanguimancy Hit Points than double your level.
After a full 8-hour rest, you gain sanguimancy HP equal to your level that last for 8 hours. If someone successfully restores HP to you with Treat Wounds, you also gain 1 sanguimancy HP for every 10 Hit Points recovered (minimum 1 sanguimancy HP).
Special Sanguimancer feats have the trait matching your spellcaster tradition; if you don't have one, choose
divine or
occult when you select the Sanguimancer Dedication.
Archetype Source Pathfinder #213: Thirst for Blood pg. 84Archetype SanguimancerCost 1 or more saguimancy Hit Points
Prerequisites Sanguimancer Dedication
You raise a defensive barrier of your own blood to protect you. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, increasing to a +2 bonus if you spend 10 or more sanguimancy Hit Points. While this bonus is in effect, you can use the
Shield Block reaction with your blood shield. The blood shield has Hardness equal to four times the number of sanguimancy Hit Points you spent. After you use Shield Block, the blood shield dissipates, ending the circumstance bonus to AC early.
Archetype Source Pathfinder #213: Thirst for Blood pg. 84Archetype SanguimancerPrerequisites Sanguimancer DedicationRequirements On your last action, you dealt damage to a creature that isn’t immune to
bleed damage and is within 10 feet. The damage must have come from a piercing or slashing
Strike. You must have succeeded at your attack roll, or the creature must have failed its saving throw, as applicable.
After one of your attacks, you direct your foe’s blood to spray upon you, infusing you with life energy. You gain a number of sanguimancy HP equal to half your level that last only until the end of your next turn. Exsanguinate works only against active foes who are able to act and aren’t
restrained.
Archetype Concentrate Manipulate Source Pathfinder #213: Thirst for Blood pg. 84Archetype SanguimancerCost 5 or more sanguimancy Hit Points
Prerequisites Sanguimancer Dedication
You bring forth the regenerative properties of blood on behalf of an ally or yourself. You touch a willing creature and grant them
fast healing 1 for 5 rounds. You can spend an additional 5 sanguimancy Hit Points to increase the fast healing by 1, to a maximum of 8.
Archetype Concentrate Source Pathfinder #213: Thirst for Blood pg. 84Archetype SanguimancerCost all your remaining sanguimancy Hit Points (minimum 3)
Prerequisites Sanguimancer Dedication
A shell made up of hundreds of razor-thin needles of blood forms around you before exploding outward, lacerating foes in a 30-foot
emanation. The needles deal piercing damage equal to double the number of sanguimancy Hit Points you spent, to a maximum of 80 damage. Creatures caught in the blast must attempt a basic Reflex save. The DC for this save is your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher.