Where wishing fails, ancient magic can offer a heart’s desire—at least, for a time. Hexbloods are individuals infused with eldritch magic, fey energy, or mysterious witchcraft. Some who enter into bargains with hags gain their deepest wishes but eventually find themselves transformed. These changes evidence a hag’s influence: ears that split in forked points, skin in lurid shades, long hair that regrows if cut, and an irremovable living crown. Along with these marks, hexbloods manifest hag-like traits, such as darkvision, and a variety of magical methods to beguile the senses and avoid the same.
While many hexbloods gain their lineage after making a deal with a hag, others reveal their nature as they age—particularly if a hag influenced them early in life or even before their birth. Many hexbloods turn to lives of adventure, seeking to discover the mysteries of their magic, to forge a connection with their fey natures, or to avoid a hag that obsesses over them.
Hexbloods are also sometimes called Calibans, a corruption of the word "cannibal", stemming from their most infamous reputed quality. Rejected as monsters, most hexbloods spend their lives hidden in dark cellars or flee civilization to roam the wilds. In truth, a Caliban's heart can be as pure and noble as that of any human.
No two hexbloods look alike but common deformities include twisted backs or limbs, asymmetrical features, bristly skin, tusklike teeth, horns, or other obvious signs of their corruption.
Homeland
Like Dhampir, Hexbloods have no lands of their own. They arise spontaneously, twisted humans exposed to curses or foul magic while in the womb.
Base Outcast Rating: 5
Racial Traits
*Hexblood Origins*
| d6 | Origin |
|---|---|
| 1 | Seeking a child, your parent made a bargain with a hag. You are the result of that arrangement. |
| 2 | Fey kidnappers swapped you and your parents’ child. |
| 3 | A coven of hags lost one of its members. You were created to replace the lost hag. |
| 4 | You were cursed as a child. A deal with the spirits of the forest transformed you into a hexblood, now free of the curse. |
| 5 | You began life as a fey creature, but an accident changed you and forced you from your home. |
| 6 | A slighted druid transformed you and bound you to live only so long as a sacred tree bears fruit. |
- Ability Score Increase. Increase one ability score by 2 and increase a different one by 1, or increase three different ability scores by 1. If you are replacing your race with this lineage, replace any Ability Score Increase you previously had with this.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write a Domain language and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. If you are replacing your race with this lineage, you retain any languages you had and gain no new languages.
- Creature Type. You are a Fey.
- Size. You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you gain this lineage.
- Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet
- Ancestral Legacy. If you replace a race with this lineage, you can keep the following elements of that race: any skill proficiencies you gained from it and any climbing, flying, or swimming speed you gained from it.
If you don't keep any of those elements or you choose this lineage at character creation, you gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.
- Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness as shades of gray.
- Eerie Token. As a bonus action, you can harmlessly remove a lock of your hair, one of your nails, or one of your teeth. This token is imbued with magic until you finish a long rest. While the token is imbued this way, you can take these actions:
- Telepathic Message. As an action, you can send a telepathic message to the creature holding or carrying the token, as long as you are within 10 miles of it. The message can contain up to twenty-five words.
- Remote Viewing. If you are within 10 miles of the token, you can enter a trance as an action. The trance lasts for 1 minute, but it ends early if you dismiss it (no action required) or are incapacitated. During this trance, you can see and hear from the token as if you were located where it is. While you are using your senses at the token's location, you are blinded and deafened in regard to your own surroundings. When the trance ends, the token is harmlessly destroyed.
- Once you create a token using this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, at which point your missing part regrows.
- Hex Magic. You can cast the Disguise Self and Hex spells with this trait. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have.
- Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells (choose the ability when you gain this lineage).