Sanguine Hunter

"If you can't beat them, or at least find difficulty in your endeavour, join them."

This is the guiding philosopy of Sanguine Hunters. Typically Humans native to harsh monster-rich environments, these individuals have joined highly secluded sects of folk who have decided to devote both their life and body to slaying evil creatures of both the night and day. Their knowing of the importance of blood in the Material Plane knows no limits, and they possess the vast knowledge of Alritan blood magics to match. Stemming from this arcane manipulation of the physical form, Hunters are also adept at biologically manipulating their bodies with substances that are typically poisonous to non-Hunters. The rituals involved in becoming a Sanguine Hunter mostly involve an extreme toxification of the body, resulting in unavoidable white hair and other possible cosmetic mutations (not to mention months of bedrest, followed by years of vigorous physical training as to not die).

Invoke Rite
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to invoke a rite of Alritan magic within your weapon at the cost of your own vitality. Choose one Hunter's Rite from the table below.

As a bonus action, you may imbue a single weapon with the elemental energy of a known rite until your next short or long rest. While active, attacks from this weapon deal an additional 1d4 damage of the chosen elemental type. Rite damage is considered magical. Should your weapon leave your grip, the rite fades immediately. An active rite on a weapon thrown fades directly after the attack is complete. Ranged weapons imbued with a rite apply rite damage on pieces of ammunition fired once per turn. Your rite damage die changes as you level: 1d6 at 5th level, 1d8 at 11th level, and 1d10 at 17th level.

When a rite is activated, you suffer damage equal to your level, and you reduce your maximum hit points by an amount equal to your character level. These lost maximum hit points return once the rite fades and cannot be restored otherwise. When a rite fades, no hit points are regained as part of the restoring of maximum hit points.

Rites can be used on multiple weapons, costing additional hit point loss. Most weapons can only be subject to a single rite at any given time. A rite can be allowed to fade at any time (no action required).

You gain access to an additional Hunter's Rite at 10th level. You may learn a Hierophant's Rite at 7th and 15th level.

Crimson Curse
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to exchange a part of your vital essence to curse and manipulate your enemies. You gain two Crimson Curses of your choice, detailed in the table below. You learn one additional Crimson Curse of your choice, and you can choose one of the curses you know and replace it with another blood curse, at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.

When you use your Crimson Curse, you choose which curse to invoke. While invoking a blood curse, but before it affects the target, you may choose to amplify the curse by suffering damage equal to a roll of your Invoke Rite damage die. An amplified curse gains an additional effect, noted in the curse’s description. Creatures that do not have blood in their bodies are immune to Crimson Curses (DM’s discretion).

You can use this feature once. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. Beginning at 5th level, you can use your Crimson Curse feature twice between rests, at 10th level you can use it three times between rests, and at 15th level, you can use it four times between rests.

Mutagens
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to concoct a plant-based mutagen over the course of a short rest as long as you have access to herbal components. Consuming a single mutagen requires a bonus action, and the effects (including side effects) last until you complete a short or long rest, or until you expunge yourself as an action.

Mutagens are designed for your biology. They have no effect on large or larger creatures, and if a medium creature drinks a mutagen, they are poisoned for an hour and only gain the side effect imparted by the mutagen if they consume the entire concoction. They are also unstable by nature, losing their potency over time and becoming inert if not swallowed before you finish your next short or long rest.

Your body will begin to better utilize the toxins you instill it with as you grow in power and experience. These advancing mutations may be signified by your level as a Sanguine Hunter, as reflected by your Mutation Score.

Mutation Score: your Sanguine Hunter level divided by 4, rounded up, with the exception of 20th level. (1 at 1st level, 2 at 5th level, 3 at 9th level, 4 at 13th level, 5 at 17th level, and 6 at 20th level.)

Mutagen Proficiency
At 10th level, you gain the ability to concoct and imbibe two mutagens per short rest. Concocting two mutagens costs the same as concocting one.