Deathmarked

Deathmarked

The Deathmarked walk a cursed road. Born of grief, wrath, or betrayal—or perhaps marked by a darker will—they embody the boundary between life and annihilation. Their power is not granted, but taken, carved from pain and etched into their flesh with blood, scars, and steel.   They do not whisper vengeance. They declare it with every strike. Where they tread, shadows coil, blood obeys, and fate itself recoils.  

Death Brand

At 2nd level, you learn to mark your enemies with a martial curse that tightens with every blow.   When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may choose to mark them with a Death Brand (no save). A creature may only be branded once at a time.   While branded:

They take +1d6 necrotic damage from your weapon attacks

If they target you with an attack or spell, they take 2d6 psychic damage

You can see them clearly through darkness, invisibility, or cover (up to 60 ft)

The brand lasts for 1 minute or until you mark another target.

  You can have one creature marked at a time (increases to two at 10th level).  

Bloodletting Rite

Also at 2nd level, you can draw on your own vitality to fuel your fury.

Once per turn when you use a Battle Technique, you may lose HP equal to your Warrior level to reduce its Vitality Point cost by 1 (to a minimum of 0).

If you drop to half HP or less, your weapon attacks deal +1 damage per hit.

If you drop to ¼ HP or lower, your weapon attacks ignore resistance to slashing, piercing, and necrotic damage.

 

Cursed Form

At 7th level, you can unleash the full, unholy power of the brand burned into your soul.   As a bonus action, enter your Cursed Form for 1 minute (once per long rest, or spend 3 Vitality Points to use again).   While transformed:

Your movement speed increases by 10 feet

Your melee weapon attacks deal additional necrotic damage equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier

You can move through enemies’ spaces (counts as difficult terrain)

When you reduce a creature to 0 HP, you regain Vitality Points equal to your proficiency bonus

 

Ravenstep

At 10th level, you gain a supernatural movement ability known only to those truly marked by death.

As a bonus action, you may teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.

If you teleport to a space adjacent to a Death Branded creature, you may make one weapon attack against them as part of the bonus action.

When you teleport in this way, your body dissolves into a swarm of shadowy ravens or tatters of black mist, reforming in a burst behind your prey. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

  You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest, or spend 2 Vitality Points to use it again.  

Deathbound

At 15th level, you are bound to the edge of annihilation—and can call upon that brink when it matters most.

When you are reduced to 0 HP but not killed outright, you may choose to remain standing at 1 HP instead.

This triggers automatically if you have a Death Brand active, but can only occur once per long rest.

If you use this feature, your next weapon attack automatically crits if it hits and deals maximum damage.

After using this, you gain one level of exhaustion.

 

Reaper Ascendant

At 18th level, your brand becomes eternal and your wrath undeniable.

You may maintain two Death Brands simultaneously.

While both are active, you may Ravenstep once per round without consuming a bonus action (but still must follow its limits).

  When a creature dies while branded:

You may immediately mark another creature within 30 feet as the brand leaps forward (no action required)

You regain 2d6 HP and 1 Vitality Point

 

Signature Move: Black Crescent

At 3rd level, you gain the Black Crescent, a cursed arc of death fueled by hate and ritual.   As an action, you make a wide, sweeping strike in a 20-foot cone.

All creatures in the cone must make a Dexterity saving throw.

On a failed save, they take 6d8 necrotic damage and are branded with a Death Brand.

On a successful save, they take half damage and are not branded.

  Usable once per short rest, or by spending 3 Vitality Points.  

Black Crescent Upgrade I (Level 10)

You may choose to empower the brand on one creature that fails its save:   It becomes a Doombrand for 1 minute:

The target takes 2d6 necrotic damage at the start of each of their turns

If they die while Doombranded, every enemy within 15 feet of them takes 3d6 necrotic damage

 

Black Crescent Upgrade II (Level 18)

The cone can now curve and slice in multiple directions:

You may now choose to make the cone originate from any point within 30 feet, representing your brand manifesting the strike

All creatures branded by Black Crescent are also frightened of you until the end of your next turn

 

Mastery Combo: Crimson Eclipse

Trigger: Two Combo Finishers used and six combo steps completed

You unlock your final cursed form. All allies fall silent as your body seethes with blood, bone, and rage.

  For one minute, you gain:

Flight (30 feet, via blood wings or raven mist)

Immunity to fear, charm, and exhaustion

All your weapon attacks are cursed strikes: they automatically brand on hit, and deal +2d10 necrotic

If you hit a creature that is already branded twice in one round, they must succeed a Con save or be reduced to 0 HP immediately

When Crimson Eclipse ends, you are reduced to 1 HP, and gain 2 levels of exhaustion

 

Battle Techniques

Bone Shard Barrage

Cost: 2 Vitality Points

Hurl jagged bone shards torn from your cursed aura.

Choose up to three creatures within 30 feet. Each must make a Dex save or take 2d8 piercing + 2d6 necrotic, and have their movement speed halved until the end of their next turn.

 

Brand of Agony

Cost: 2 Vitality Points

When you hit with a weapon attack, brand the creature.

While branded, they disadvantage on Constitution and Wisdom saving throws, and cannot regain HP.

 

Bloodspike Trail

Cost: 1 Vitality Point

Leave behind a 10-foot trail of cursed blood thorns when you move.

Any creature that enters the trail or starts their turn in it takes 1d6 piercing + 1d6 necrotic damage and is slowed until end of turn.

 

Sacrificial Bloom

Cost: 3 Vitality Points

Choose one branded creature within 60 feet.

They erupt in a cursed bloom of blood and bone.

They take 4d10 necrotic damage and 1d10 to all other branded creatures within 15 feet of them.

 

Mourning Edge

Cost: 2 Vitality Points

Wreath your weapon in the grief of a thousand deaths.

For 1 minute, your weapon deals +1d8 necrotic damage and can strike incorporeal or ethereal creatures as if they were physical.

If you kill a creature during this duration, regain 1 Vitality Point.

 

Combos

Carved Fate

Trigger: Hit a branded creature, then hit them again with a Technique

Effect: The target must succeed a Wisdom save or be frightened for 1 turn. If they die while frightened, regain 2 Vitality.

 

Vow of Ruin

Trigger: Sacrifice HP via Bloodletting Rite, then kill a creature within 1 turn

Effect: Regain HP equal to twice your Warrior level, and your next attack auto-brands its target

 

The Blood Remembers

Trigger: A creature branded by you dies

Effect: You may immediately use Ravenstep for free and make one melee attack at the end of it

 

Combo Finishers

Death Spiral

Trigger: Carved Fate + one other combo

Effect: Dash up to 40 feet in a straight line.

Make a melee attack against every creature you pass within 5 feet of.

Any creature you hit who is branded takes double necrotic damage

 

Brand Implosion

Trigger: The Blood Remembers + one other combo

Effect: Detonate all active Death Brands.

Each branded creature takes 6d8 necrotic damage and must make a Con save or be stunned until the end of their next turn.