Crimson Heart (3.5e Class)

Author: Zhenra-Khal (talk) Date Created: 5/28/2017 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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An Incarnum-using, magic-infused juggernaut who focuses on healing and defending allies. 20 1 Moderate Good Poor Good

Alternate Magic,

"Soulmelds" is not in the list (Prepared Arcane Spellcasting, Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting, Prepared Divine Spellcasting, Spontaneous Divine Spellcasting, Arcane Spellcasting, Divine Spellcasting, Prepared Spellcasting, Spontaneous Spellcasting, Alternate Magic, Psionics, ...) of allowed values for the "Class Ability" property.

, Other

Other

Crimson Heart

Blood is life. Without blood, the world dims, and life ends. Blood has been worshiped, stolen, spilled, given and used as currency to bargain for power. But few realize the true power of blood. Because blood is life, blood is inextricably tied to the power of souls - If one knows how to tap into it. Those who walk that path of power are known as Crimson Heart, sometimes called Blood Titans.

Making a Crimson Heart

These characters tend to be very melee-oriented, tanking damage and dishing it back out, as well as buffing allies.

Abilities: Constitution is the most important attribute for the Crimson Heart. Wisdom helps Will saves, and Strength helps your attacks.

Races: Humans are one of the most willing races to spill blood, either the blood of their foes or their own blood to save their allies. Anyone can be a Crimson Heart, though.

Alignment: Any. Blood is power, and it flows within all men, regardless of morals.

Starting Gold: 3d6×10 gp (105 gp).

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Crimson Heart

Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Soulmelds	Essentia	Chakra Binds
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Crimson Incarnum, Vitalis Pool, Lifebond (+1 Capacity), Crimson Resolve 5	2	0*	—
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Chakra Bind (Totem or Crown), Ritual Scarring +1	2	1	1
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Bond, Eclectic Learning	3	1	1
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Mettle, Unfettered, Crimson Resolve 10	3	1	1
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Bond, Open Least Chakra	3	2	2
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Lifebond (+1 Meldshaper Level), Eclectic Learning, Open Least Chakra, Ritual Scarring +2	4	2	2
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Blood For Blood, Bond, Bonus Feat	4	2	2
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6	Crimson Resolve 15, Rebind Lifebond (5 Points)	4	3	3
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	Bond, Eclectic Learning, Open Lesser Chakra	5	3	3
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	Open Lesser Chakra, Ritual Scarring +3	5	3	3
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	Bond, Open Lesser Chakra	5	4	4
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Crimson Resolve 20, Eclectic Learning	6	4	4
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Greater Bond, Rebind Lifebond (4 Points)	6	4	4
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	Open Greater Chakra, Ritual Scarring +4	6	5	5
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9	Greater Bond, Open Greater Chakra, Eclectic Learning	7	5	5
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Crimson Resolve 25	7	5	5
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Greater Bond, Chakra Bind (Heart)	7	6	6
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Eclectic Learning, Rebind Lifebond (3 Points), Ritual Scarring +5	8	6	6
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Greater Bond	8	6	6
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Crimson Resolve 30, Crimson Rebirth, Chakra Bind (Soul)	9	7	7
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (The Planes) (Nature) (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Realms Of Beyond Skill List

Primary Skills: Athletics, Concentration, Heal, Nature, Perception, Planar Lore.

Secondary Skills: Acrobatics, Arcana, Combat, Craftsmanship, Religion, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Crimson Heart.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Crimson Hearts are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. They are also proficient with light, medium and heavy armor, and with shields (Including tower shields).

Soulmelds: Beginning at 1st level, the Crimson Heart learns to shape Soulmelds. The class has free access to the Crimson Heart soulmeld list, as well as any other soulmelds they know.

The Crimson Heart Soulmeld list: Crimson Bladebond, Crimson Armorbond

Essentia: The Crimson Heart begins play with a number of Essentia equal to their Constitution modifier. However, despite this large initial pool, the Crimson Hearts gain Essentia much more slowly than other classes, as shown on the table. This only applies to Crimson Hearts who take no levels in other meldshaping classes - If you take levels in another base class that grants you an Essentia pool, you use the value from that class instead. This is largely to prevent one-level dips to gain a ton of extra Essentia.

Crimson Incarnum: Rather than the normal azure of ordinary Incarnum or the blue-black of Necrocarnum, a Crimson Heart's Incarnum is a blood red. This has no real mechanic function, but looks cool and may make other meldshapers very wary of you (Not to mention good-aligned divine classes like Paladin).

Vitalis Pool (Su): At 1st level, you gain a pool of Vitalis points. The pool, each day, begins empty. It can hold a number of points equal to your Constitution modifier, multiplied by your class level. You gain Vitalis points when your own blood is spilled, as noted by your Crimson Resolve class feature (As your blood is the conduit with which you channel Incarnum). You can exchange 5 Vitalis points as a free action once per round for one bonus point of temporary Essentia; This bonus point of Essentia lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier before fading. You can expend any multiple of 5 at the time you convert (Provided you have the Vitalis points to spend in the first place), but the Vitalis points fade slower, emptying only when you rest for 8 hours. Allies cannot harm you to generate Vitalis.

Crimson Resolve (Ex): You have a pool of delayed damage. The pool starts at 0 each encounter, and fills up as you take damage. The pool can hold 5 points when first gained, growing by 5 points at each level divisible by 4. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the amount in your delayed damage pool, and gain 1 Vitalis point for every 5 points of damage the pool had absorbed. Unlike with the Crusader, healing cannot be used to reduce the amount in your delayed damage pool. This delays only hit point damage, not ability damage/drain or status effects.

Lifebond (Su): By spending a full-round action, you can touch an ally and form a Lifebond with them; In doing so, you place one point of your Essentia inside of them, which bars you from utilizing that point. You can Lifebond with a number of targets equal to your Constitution modifier. The connection lasts for 24 hours or until you rest for 8 hours, and only while the Bonded creatures are on the same plane as you. The Lifebond functions as a Soulmeld, but does not count toward the limit of Soulmelds you can shape. You can invest Essentia into the Lifebond to improve the Lifebond's functions. At first level, the Lifebond grants all allies your Crimson Resolve class feature, except that you are still the one who gains Vitalis points from the delayed damage, not your allies. Your allies still take the full amount of the damage (And, of course, it can't be mitigated by healing). However, for every point of Essentia invested in your Lifebond, your allies take 1 less point of damage from the delayed damage - This damage is instead redirected to you. As you gain levels, you can add other Bonds to your Lifebond; You can add a total number of Bonds to your Lifebond when you shape it equal to the Lifebond's Essentia capacity. Unlike other Soulmelds, the Lifebond can't be bound to a chakra - It's bound to your allies instead. You gain no benefit from your Lifebond nor any bond attached to it if you're by yourself.

Your Lifebond's Essentia capacity is 1 point higher than your other Soulmelds, allowing you to invest more Essentia in it. At 6th level, the meldshaper level of your Lifebond increases by 1, making it harder to unshape.

Chakra Binds: At 2nd level, you gain the ability to bind a Soulmeld to either the Totem chakra, or the Crown chakra. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.

At 5th and 6th level, you gain the Open Least Chakra feat as a bonus feat; You need not qualify. At 7th level, if you selected the Totem chakra at 2nd level, you gain another Open Least Chakra feat. If you chose the Crown chakra, you instead gain any Incarnum feat or Fighter bonus feat your qualify for. At 9th, 10th and 11th level, you gain Open Lesser Chakra as a bonus feat, even if your don't qualify.

And at 14th and 15th level, you gain Open Greater Chakra as a bonus feat.

Finally, at 17th level, you gain the ability to bind a Soulmeld to your Heart chakra, and to your Soul chakra at 20th level.

Ritual Scarring (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain a +1 natural armor bonus to armor class. This bonus increases by 1 every 4 levels after that, to a maximum of +5 at 18th level.

Bond (Su): At 3rd level and every odd-number level thereafter, you learn a new Bond. A Bond is an extra effect added to your Lifebond; Its effects are granted to both you and your Lifebonded allies, chosen when you first shape your Lifebond that day. You choose Bonds from the list below.

• Bond of Celerity: You and Lifebonded allies gain a bonus to your land speed equal to 5x the Essentia invested.

• Bond of Vitality: You and Lifebonded allies gain Fast Healing equal to the Essentia invested, but only as long as you're below half health.

• Bond of Resilience: Choose Silver or Cold Iron when you gain this Bond (It cannot thereafter be changed). You and your Lifebonded allies gain Damage Reduction equal to the amount of Essentia Invested; This damage reduction is pierced by the material chosen. Thus if you had 2 points invested and chose Silver, you and all allies would have DR 2/Silver.

• Bond of Strength: You and your allies gain a Sacred bonus to Strength equal to the amount of invested Essentia, with a max equal to your class level.

• Bond of Resistance: You and your allies gain Energy Resistance against all five types of energy (Fire, Cold, Sonic, Acid and Electricity) equal to the amount of Essentia invested.

Starting at 13th level, you can instead choose Greater Bonds, shown here. Each requires you to know the lesser version of the Bond, and subsumes the lesser Bond entirely, replacing it.

• Greater Bond of Celerity: The bonus speed increases to 10ft per point of Essentia invested, and you and your allies are immune to any effect Freedom of Movement would negate, as long as the save DC is equal to or lower than 10 + your Constitution modifier + the number of Essentia invested in your Lifebond at the time the effect takes place.

• Greater Bond of Vitality: The Fast Healing when below half health becomes Regeneration; Choose one energy type (Fire, Cold, Sonic, Acid or Electricity). The regeneration is bypassed by that energy type, and by whichever material (Cold Iron or Silver) you chose for your Bond of Resilience. Finally, while over half health, you gain the benefits of Fast Healing; It simply improves to Regeneration when under half health.

• Greater Bond of Resilience: The damage reduction is increase to 2 points per point of Essentia invested.

• Greater Bond of Strength: The strength bonus increases to +2 per point of Essentia invested, and is no longer capped by your class level.

• Greater Bond of Resistance: The Energy Resistance increase to 5x the amount of Essentia invested, and as long as 3 or more points of Essentia are invested, you and your allies gain Evasion against effects that deal damage of one of the energy types this Bond protects against (Fire, Cold, Sonic, Acid and Electricity).

A creative DM can invent new Bonds, such as combining this with the Mythbinder or Spellbind to allow you to Bind a single beneficial spell effect to the Bond, effectively Persist'ing it for you and your allies.

Eclectic Learning: At 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter (6th, 9th, etc.), you learn a new Soulmeld from any class list. This is added to your class list of Soulmelds and can be shaped normally.

Mettle (Ex): As the Crusader feature, if you succeed on a Fortitude or Will save against an attack that would normally produce a lesser effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), you instead negate the effect. You do not gain the benefit of mettle when you are unconscious or sleeping.

Blood For Blood (Su): Beginning at 7th level, when you have damage in your delayed damage pool, instead of gaining Vitalis points passively from the delayed damage, you can choose to initiate a single melee attack, declaring it a Blood For Blood attack. After making the attack, you instantly take the damage from your delayed damage pool, regardless of whether or not the attack hits. If it hits, the attack deals extra damage equal to the amount of damage currently in your delayed damage pool, and you gain Vitalis points just like you normally would. However, if it misses, you gain no Vitalis points from it.

Rebind Lifebond (Su): Once per encounter, you can reshape your Lifebond, changing which Bonds are applies to it. Doing so is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity and costs 5 Vitalis points. The cost lessens to 4 Vitalis points at 13th level and to 3 Vitalis points at 18th level.

Crimson Rebirth (Su): Beginning at 20th level, whenever you die, you are instead instantly resurrected at full hit points, with all status effects and ability damage/drain cured, and your Vitalis pool filled to its maximum capacity. This can trigger at most once per week. You do not lose a level or Constitution from being reborn in this fashion.

Epic Crimson Heart

Table: The Epic Crimson Heart

Hit Die: d12

Level	Special
21st	Bonus Feat
22nd
23rd
24th	Crimson Resolve 35
25th	Bonus Feat
26th
27th
28th	Crimson Resolve 40
29th	Bonus Feat
30th
4 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Crimson Resolve: The Crimson Heart's delayed damage pool continues to increase every 4 levels after 20th, as normal.

Bonus Feats: At 21st level and every 4 levels thereafter, the epic Crimson Heart gains a bonus epic Incarnum feat, or a bonus feat selected from the list of Fighter bonus Epic feats.

Human Crimson Heart Starting Package

Weapons: Longsword.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Climb	4	Str	-14
Craft	4	Int	—
Heal	4	Wis	—
Jump	4	Str	-14
Knowledge (Nature)	4	Int	—
Listen	4	Wis	—
Sense Motive	4	Wis	—
Spot	4	Wis	—
Survival	4	Wis	—
Swim	4	Str	-28
Use Magic Device	4	Cha	—

Feat: Power Attack.

Bonus Feats: Cleave.

Gear: Scale Mail, Tower Shield.

Gold: 10 Gp.

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