Blood Hunter 5e
Dark warriors who sacrifice their own vitality to hunt monsters using hemocraft magic. Created by Matt Mercer for Critical Role, Blood Hunters use blood curses and crimson rites to track and destroy evil.
At a Glance
Hit Die
d10
Primary Ability
Strength or Dexterity
Saving Throws
Dexterity, Intelligence
Armor
Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons
Simple weapons, martial weapons
Key Features
| Feature | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter's Bane | 1st | Advantage on Survival and INT checks to track and recall information about fey, fiends, and undead. |
| Crimson Rite | 2nd | Take necrotic damage equal to one hit die to activate rite on weapon, dealing extra damage (fire, cold, lightning, etc). Lasts until short/long rest. |
| Blood Curse of Binding/Bloated Agony/etc | 1st | Use blood curses to debuff enemies or protect allies. Amplify by taking damage. Learn more curses as you level. |
| Extra Attack | 5th | Attack twice when taking the Attack action. |
| Brand of Castigation | 6th | Mark targets with Crimson Rite for additional psychic damage when they hit you. |
| Grim Psychometry | 9th | Touch object and learn recent history through visions. |
Subclasses
| Subclass | Source | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Order of the Ghostslayer | Critical Role | Hunting undead with rite damage ignoring resistance and curse of the exorcist |
| Order of the Profane Soul | Critical Role | Warlock pact magic for limited spellcasting and rite focus |
| Order of the Mutant | Critical Role | Mutagenic formulas granting temporary physical enhancements with side effects |
| Order of the Lycan | Critical Role | Controlled lycanthropy transformation for melee power and regeneration |
Common Mistakes
Common Mistake
Forgetting Crimson Rite costs hit point maximum (not current HP) equal to your hit die
Common Mistake
Not tracking which rites are active on which weapons
Common Mistake
Amplifying blood curses too often without managing HP loss
Common Mistake
Missing that rite damage type must be chosen when activating, not per attack
DM Tips
DM Tip
Blood Hunters are fragile because they constantly damage themselves - track their HP carefully
DM Tip
Blood curses are powerful but limited (1 use per rest, +1 per proficiency bonus above +2)
DM Tip
This is unofficial content - confirm with player which version they're using (2020 update recommended)
DM Tip
Order of the Lycan can become very powerful but has roleplay consequences
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & Further Reading
- Blood Hunter — D&D 5e Wikidot — Full SRD class text
- Blood Hunter — D&D Beyond — Official class reference
- Blood Hunter Guide — RPGBOT — Class optimization guide