 Black-Blooded Oracle
Source Inner Sea Magic pg. 32
The black-blooded oracle has been infused with the eerie influence of strange fluids that seep from the rock in the deepest pits of the Darklands, the so-called “Black Blood of Orv.” Often, the eerie taint of the black blood can lie dormant in a lineage for generations before manifesting. It even seems capable of reaching out to touch those destined to become oracles through other strange methods. However an oracle becomes black-blooded, her divine powers carry within them the weird power of this chilling magical substance. A black-blooded oracle has the following class features.
See the sidebar on the facing page for rules on the black blood itself, but note that a black-blooded oracle does not require access to this eldritch substance to function.
Curse of Black Blood (Su): All black-blooded oracles effectively share the same curse—the curse of black blood. The material affects these oracles physically and mentally, altering both physiology and mystic powers. The blood of a black-blooded oracle actually runs black, and wounds she suffers are infected by her own power and are difficult to heal. She is immune to the effects (both beneficial and destructive) of black blood. Positive and negative energy affect a black-blooded oracle as if she were undead— positive energy harms her, while negative energy heals her (this aspect of the curse has no effect if the oracle is undead). The curse also dulls the oracle’s coordination somewhat, imparting a –4 penalty on all Dexterity-based skill checks. At 5th level, she gains cold resistance 5. This increases to cold resistance 10 at 10th level, and immunity to cold at 15th level. This ability replaces the oracle’s curse.
Black Blood Revelations: All black-blooded oracles have access to the following revelations, regardless of what mystery they choose.
Black Blood Spray (Su): As an immediate action whenever a black-blooded oracle takes piercing or slashing damage, she can cause some of her black blood to spray from the wound to strike any adjacent target. She must make a touch attack to hit the target (if she’s attacking the creature that caused the wound, she gains a +4 circumstance bonus on her attack roll). If she hits, she deals 1d8 points of cold damage + 1 point per 2 oracle levels she possesses. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1/2 her oracle level (minimum 1/day).
Dark Resilience (Su): The black blood flowing through a black-blooded oracle’s veins gives her resistance to many effects to which undead are immune. Once per day, as an immediate action, whenever she fails a saving throw against an ability drain, a death effect, disease, energy drain, paralysis, or poison, she may attempt that saving throw again with a +4 circumstance bonus. She must take the second result, even if it is worse. At 7th level, she can use this ability twice per day. At 15th level, she can use the ability 3 times per day.
Darkvision (Ex): A black-blooded oracle gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet. The range increases to 90 feet at 15th level. Black Blood of OrvBlack blood wells from the walls of a singular vault deep in Orv, a region known quite aptly as the Land of Black Blood. This noxious fluid repulses and freezes all natural life, although certain creatures like aberrations, undead, and black-blooded oracles possess an uncanny immunity to its effects. Any other creature that comes into contact with black blood takes 1d6 points of cold damage—10d6 points of cold damage per round if fully immersed.
Although black blood isn’t itself inherently evil, a pint of black blood can be used as unholy water. A spellcaster who consumes a dose of black blood casts all necromantic spells at +1 caster level for the next 10 minutes, but takes 3d6 points of cold damage and 1 point of Constitution damage by drinking the stuff. Normally, a dose of black blood becomes inert an hour after being harvested from the source in the Land of Black Blood, losing all mystical properties. Gentle repose can preserve up to 1 gallon of black blood’s magical properties for increased lengths of time, but no other method of stabilizing the stuff has yet been developed. The blood of a black-blooded oracle is diluted and does not have the properties of full-strength black blood.
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