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Bloodlines

Every so often, an individual is born who stands out a little from the rest of his people. This individual displays characteristics associated with a different kind of creature, such as a dragon, giant, celestial, or demon. Such a character is said to have a bloodline.

Bloodlines can exist for any of a number of reasons. Perhaps the character has an unusual ancestor, such as a dragon who took alternate form to live among humans or elves. The character might be a throwback to an earlier age, when all species were more closely related. The bloodline might be the result of unusual supernatural energies present during conception, pregnancy, or birth. It could also be an omen sent by the gods, part of an ancient prophecy or dire legend.

Bloodline Strength And Source

Every bloodline has both a source (the kind of creature from which its characteristics are drawn) and a strength (minor, intermediate, or major). The stronger the bloodline, the more potent the traits and benefits granted by it.

Every source has a minor bloodline associated with it. A minor bloodline doesn't alter a character much, and thus don't represent a very significant power increase over an ordinary character. In some cases, the only bloodline associated with a source is minor. This is most often true of sources derived from relatively weak creatures such as minotaurs or hags.

Many sources also have intermediate bloodlines. These affect the character's power level more drastically, and come from more potent races, such as elementals, and many dragons and giants.

Major bloodlines only come from the most powerful and primal of sources, including celestials, demons, devils, and the mightiest of dragons. A character with a major bloodline is a potent scion of his ancestor, displaying significant powers and abilities.

Bloodline Levels

Over the course of his career, a character with a bloodline becomes more powerful than one without a bloodline. Because the power gain is gradual over a span of twenty levels, a static level adjustment doesn't truly reflect this difference. instead, a bloodline character must take one or more levels of "bloodline" at various points in his career, as noted on Table: Bloodline Levels. Before a character with a bloodline reaches the indicated character level, he must take one class level of "bloodline." Class levels of "bloodline" do not increase a character's character level the way a normal class level does, but they do provide certain benefits (see below).

If the character does not take a class level of bloodline before reaching the character level indicated on the table, he gains no further bloodline traits and must take a 20% penalty on all future XP gains. As soon as he meets the minimum bloodline level, he gains all bloodline abilities due him according to his character level, and the XP penalty no longer applies.

For example, A 1st-level character with a major bloodline (silver dragon) receives a +2 bonus on Sense Motive checks as a bloodline trait. When he reaches 2nd character level, he gains the Alertness feat as a bloodline trait. Before he reaches 3rd character level, he must take a level of bloodline in order to continue gaining bloodline traits. if he reaches 3rd character level and has no bloodline levels, he does not gain the bloodline trait due him at 3rd character level (Strength +1) and must take a 20% reduction on all future XP gains. If he later meets the minimum required bloodline levels, he gains his 3rd-level trait at that time (as well as any other traits he may have failed to receive for not taking his bloodline level right away), and the XP reduction no longer applies to future gains. Before reaching his 6th character level, he must have taken two levels of bloodline in order to keep gaining bloodline traits. If he takes his third bloodline level before reaching 12th character level, he becomes eligible to gain all the traits of his bloodline (as they become available when he reaches new character levels).

A bloodline level grants no increase in base attack bonus or base save bonuses, no hit points or skill points, and no class features. It counts as a normal class level (with no class skills) for the purpose of determining maximum skill ranks. Levels of bloodline never result in XP penalties for multiclass characters.

Include the character's bloodline level when calculating any character ability based on his class levels (such as caster level for spellcasting characters, or save DCs for characters with special abilities whose DCs are based on class level). The character doesn't gain any abilities, spells known, or spells per day from the addition of his bloodline levels, though—only the calculations of his level-based abilities are affected.

If a character has levels in two or more classes in addition to his bloodline levels, each class gains the benefit of adding the bloodline levels when calculating abilities.

For example, a 2nd-level sorcerer with a major bloodline takes a bloodline level when earns enough XP to advance in level. He is treated as a 3rd-level spellcaster for the purpose of spell durations, caster level checks, and so forth. But he doesn't gain a 3rd-level sorcerer's spells per day or spells known.

Similarly, the stunning attacks of a 3rd-level monk with one bloodline level have a save DC equal to 12 (10 + one-half class level) plus her Wisdom modifier, since the bloodline level is treated as if it were a monk class level when calculating the save DC. A 3rd-level monk/3rd-level sorcerer with two bloodline levels would be treated as a 5th-level spellcaster and a 5th-level monk for determining level-based abilities.

Bloodline Traits

Depending on the strength of a character's bloodline, he gains a new bloodline trait every one, two, or four character levels (or effective character levels, for characters with a level adjustment greater than +0). The traits gained are given in each bloodline description.

Bloodline Trait Descriptions

Bloodline traits fall into four categories.

Ability Boost

You gain a permanent +1 increase to the given ability score. This is similar to the ability increase gained by characters at every fourth level.

Bloodline Affinity

You gain a bonus (either +2, +4, or +6) on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, and Perform checks made to interact with creatures of your bloodline.

Skill Boost

You receive a +2 bonus on checks made with the given skill.

Special

You gain a special ability. Common bloodline special abilities include bonus feats, natural armor, special attacks (such as the ability to smite evil or smite good), special qualities (such as resistance to energy, spell resistance, or scent), or spell-like abilities.

If you already have a feat that a bloodline provides as a bonus feat, you may choose a different feat. For example, the minor celestial bloodline grants Alertness as a bonus feat at 8th level, If a character with this bloodline already has Alertness by the time he reaches 8th level, he can choose any other feat instead (subject to normal prerequisites, of course).

Bloodline Descriptions

Each description below includes some basic information to help the player and game master incorporate the bloodline into the campaign, including potential origins and minor characteristics to help flesh out the character. The description also provides the bloodline traits gained at particular character levels.

Celestial

A character with a celestial bloodline can trace her heritage to beings of the Upper Planes, much like an aasimar or celestial creature. Most angels, archons, guardinals, and eladrins have the ability to interbreed with humanoids, and examples of celestial creatures descending from the heavens to live with mortals often appear in myth and legend. Descendants of such relationships often have silver or golden hair, a proud bearing, or a piercing stare.

Demon

A character with a demon bloodline has one or more ancestors of demonic origin. The most common source of such a bloodline is a succubus, but any demon capable of taking humanoid form might be responsible for the character's unusual traits. Characters with a demon bloodline may bear some minor characteristic reminiscent of such an ancestor: sinister glowing eyes, a faint smell of brimstone, or a love of brutality.

Devil

For a character with a devil bloodline, an erinyes is often the source. However, other devils with the ability to use a polymorph effect, such as gelugons or pit fiends, have been known to consort with mortals. A character with this bloodline may also possess tiny horns or unusually sharp teeth.

Doppelganger

The ultimate humanoid shapechanger, a doppelganger can be anyone, anywhere, at any time. It's easy to imagine even a single doppelganger being responsible for a plethora of offspring tainted with shapechanging powers.

Dragon, Black

The sinister black dragon occasionally makes a close "alliance" with a like-minded humanoid, and that can lead to a black dragon bloodline. A character with this bloodline shares his ancestor's cunning and malevolence, and may have a sunken, almost skeletal appearance to his face.

Dragon, Blue

In times long past, blue dragons often interacted with the kings and queens of great desert empires. The bloodlines created by such intermingling were treated as a mark of royalty, though such empires have long since vanished. An individual bearing a blue dragon bloodline tends to be territorial and may smell faintly of ozone.

Dragon, Brass

Bards tell a popular tale of a lost desert traveler encountering a friendly woman who nurses him back to health before putting him on the path home. in the tale, this helpful individual turns out to be a powerful brass dragon who merely wants someone to talk to, and who, many months later, gives birth to a half-dragon child. The descendants of this chance encounter are often talkative and friendly.

Dragon, Bronze

With its innate ability to take on humanoid form, coupled with a natural inquisitiveness, it is common for the bronze dragon to give rise to lines of creatures carrying its bloodline. These descendants tend to share the bronze dragon's curiosity as well as its love for the water.

Dragon, Copper

When the playful copper dragon meets a like-minded creature, a long-term friendship is often struck. The result of such a relationship can give rise to a long line of dragon-blooded individuals. Such characters often share the copper dragon's incorrigible nature, but may also be a bit miserly.

Dragon, Gold

Gold dragons occasionally take more than a passing interest in mortals. Thanks to their ability to polymorph, some leave a lasting reminder of their presence in the form of a half-dragon child. Even many generations later, this draconic blood can manifest in the form of bloodline traits. Descendants of a gold dragon tend to get along well with other good-aligned creatures, displaying uncommon grace and courtesy.

Dragon, Green

In certain rare instances, green dragons have been known to take control of (rather than simply devour) small enclaves of forest-dwelling humanoids. Some of those humanoids later give birth to half-dragon offspring, creating bloodlines that last centuries. Descendants of a green dragon are often voracious and belligerent, picking fights with little or no provocation.

Dragon, Red

Though most evil dragons don't enjoy friendly relationships with humanoids, red dragons do occasionally spawn bloodlines among humanoids. Such descendants exhibit extraordinary powers beyond those of their people. A character with a red dragon bloodline is usually covetous and vain, and may smell faintly of smoke.

Dragon, Silver

Silver dragons are perhaps most likely of all dragons to have taken humanoid companions, and thus this is the most common dragon bloodline. Characters of the silver dragon bloodline tend to be regal and statuesque.

Dragon, White

Some arctic tribes have managed to bargain with nearby white dragons, trading food and occasional sacrifices for protection from their enemies. These alliances can result in dragon-blooded descendants, who tend to mimic the single-minded ferocity of their forebears.

Elemental, Air

Similar to but less specific than a djinni bloodline (see below), the air elemental bloodline derives its power from a connection to the Elemental Plane of Air. Characters with air elemental bloodlines tend to shift between emotions with surprising quickness, and may have hair or skin tinged with light blue.

Elemental, Earth

Creatures that bear a bloodline of elemental earth feel a sense of gravity and stability that ties them to the stones of the world. They have a palpable sense of inertia about them, which sometimes manifests as a slowness to take action.

Elemental, Fire

Those who bear elemental fire within their veins are often high-strung and quick-tempered. Their eyes often seem to glow like embers, and their skin may take on a reddish hue.

Elemental, Water

The bloodline of elemental water is most common among the water-breathing races, but it also manifests among sailors and fishermen, and even the occasional character with no link whatsoever to oceans, seas, or large lakes. Such characters are often independent minded, and generally don't live in any one place for very long.

Fey

Every culture tells stories of fey creatures taking mortal lovers, so it's no surprise that individuals display fey bloodlines from time to time. Regardless of whether it descended from a dryad, nymph, satyr, or other kind of fey, a creature with a fey bloodline often has a personality that is both aloof and carefree.

Genie, Djinni

Though few sages put much stock in myths that humanoids and genies share a common ancestor, there is no denying that the races are very similar in form. Characters with a djinni bloodline are often haughty but display great guile.

Genie, Efreeti

Characters with the bloodline of the efreet are most likely descended from slaves of that terrible and powerful race. They typically have reddish skin and a cruel disposition, and may display tiny horns or bronze-colored eyes.

Genie, Janni

As natural wanderers of the Material Plane, the only thing surprising about janni bloodlines may be that there aren't more of them. A creature who bears the janni bloodline tends to be a couple inches taller than normal for his race, standing with a proud and regal posture. He may also share the janni's nomadic behavior.

Giant

In ages past, giants mingled more freely with smaller humanoids. Today, the evidence of such relationships is rare at best. Characters with bloodlines of the lesser evil giants (hill, frost, and fire) may be the result of voluntary or involuntary breeding with the greatfolk. Bloodlines of stone, cloud, or storm giants, on the other hand, are more likely the results of long-ago alliances between those races and the ancient nobility of the world. In any event, characters bearing giant bloodlines tend to be massive for their race, and often share characteristics (skin and hair color, attitudes, and such) with their ancestor.

An intermediate bloodline can only be taken for cloud giants, fire giants, frost giants, stone giants, and storm giants. A major bloodline can only be taken for storm giants.

Hag

Many hags have the ability to change their appearance, making it possible for them to interact with creatures of other races. Though horrible to contemplate, some use this ability to lure in mates, in the hopes that the offspring can help them further their evil plots. The descendants of a hag tend to be strong but ugly, and often share their ancestor's love of schemes.

Lycanthrope

When he isn't murdering innocent townsfolk, the typical lycanthropic character may enjoy an almost entirely normal social life—even having a family. While the offspring of an afflicted lycanthrope might not share the curse itself, the bloodline might still pass its characteristics down the generations, allowing later descendants to display some of the lycanthrope's attributes. Regardless of the original animal stock, the carriers of lycanthropic bloodlines tend to share similar characteristics, including a feral stare and an overabundance of body hair.

Minotaur

Horrid tales describe the fate of innocents carried away from their homes by marauding minotaurs-and the rare individual displaying a minotaur bloodline proves the truth of such stories. These characters have a savage look, with thick hair and sometimes even tiny stubs of horns.

Ogre

A character with ogre blood is most likely the result of raids on humanoid settlements, but may also derive from the more intelligent and magically gifted race of ogre mages (in fact, all intermediate ogre bloodlines are actually ogre mage bloodlines). These characters may appear clumsy and brutish, but they can possess a high degree of cunning.

Titan

Whether as allies, tyrants, or objects of reverence, titans have on occasion interacted actively with lesser beings. In rare cases, these interactions have given rise to scions of great power—power that hides within rare mortals to this very day. Creatures with a titans bloodline tend to have wild emotional swings, and are generally large and powerful.

Troll

Though the origin of such a bloodline is almost too hideous to contemplate, there are nonetheless a few creatures who display a certain trollish fortitude. Such characters tend to bear many scars from old wounds, and are often ferocious in attitude.

Vampire

The vampire's powers of persuasion have led more than one weak-willed humanoid into its deadly clutch of intimacy. Though it seems impossible that any child could result from such a union, tales of humanoids possessing some of the vampire's physical and mental prowess abound. These pale, haunted creatures are inevitably cloaked in mystery and deception, for even good aligned descendants of vampires fear retribution from those mistaking them for the undead.

Random Bloodline Determination

Bloodlines are best included as part of a character with both the game master and player working together to select an appropriate bloodline for the PC. However, if you want to generate a PC's bloodline randomly, use the following tables as a guide.

First, roll d% and consult Table: Bloodline Strength to determine the bloodline's strength. Then roll d% on Table: Minor Bloodlines, Table: Intermediate Bloodlines, or Table: Major Bloodlines to determine the source.

Creating Other Bloodlines

The bloodlines described here are by no means a comprehensive list of all possible permutations. You might choose to create bloodlines of creatures not included here, to create more specialized celestial, demon, or devil bloodlines, or even to create more potent versions of the bloodlines here for use in your game.

Table: Bloodline Trait Distribution gives you the basic framework for bloodline traits. Over the course of twenty levels, a major bloodline boosts four skills (giving each a +2 bonus) and three ability scores (increasing each by 1). It grants a bloodline affinity at three stages (+2, +4, and +6) and provides ten special abilities. Intermediate bloodlines grant the first ten traits, spread out over twenty levels. Minor bloodlines grant the first five traits.

When creating a new bloodline, use those described above as guidelines for appropriate special abilities.