Metaphigures

A Metaphor is "a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable." Well as we've seen from the likes of Sir Terry Pratchett and his Anthropomorphic Personifications, when something is well enough known in the public noosphere it gains something of a life of its own. Thus I propose a class of beings and objects called Metaphigures. These are Metaphors given Life/Form, no longer representing another object but instead personifying the concept that they allude to. I can imagine these beings having a certain place in my Royalverse setting, but they just as well can pop up anywhere that a far too literally minded archmage might be present. Because I'm trying to make a list here folks some of these could also be counted as idioms. Perhaps Idiomimics?

The 800 Pound Gorilla

HD 20

Appearance:  An 800 pound silver-back gorilla, he might be wearing a hat of some sort.
Wants: Eat, Sleep, Mate, Occasional bouts of mischief
Armour: As Plate + Shield
Move: Normal, unless he wants to move faster
Morale: 12
Damage: See Below

Slam- 1d20+5

Infinite Strength- For any check involving strength, the 800 Pound Gorilla automatically succeeds.

Infinite Leap- Y'know how the Hulk leaps? Yeah that.  

Where does a 800 pound gorilla sit? Anywhere it wants to. The 800 Pound Gorilla is the incarnation of having such power that one can disregard laws and common decency without reproach. When at rest, the 800 Pound Gorilla is the same as any other western lowland gorilla, however when in pursuit of something it desires it is essentially a demigod. It can move as fast as it wants, hit as hard as it wants, and do whatever it might want to obtain its goals. Luckily for all of us this usually involves bamboo shoots, juicy termites, and a comfy patch of grass. The best way of dealing with the 800 Pound Gorilla is to make sure you have nothing it might want and/or redirect its desires towards the opposite side of the planet. 

The Imp of the Perverse
HD 0

Appearance:  A tiny smokey wisp, vaguely humanoid, constantly whispering
Wants: You to do exactly the wrong thing in a situation simply cause it can be done
Armour: None
Move: 1/10 Normal
Morale: 8
Damage: None

The Imp of the Perverse is in face one of several dozen non-infernal imps that maintain and run the various mechanics of the human brain. The Imps of Reason, Hunger, Focus, and Disgust are among the others. The Imp of the Perverse, however, is a special case as it strives to do harm to the creature it inhabits and seeks other victims after their death. Wizards think that the Imp of the Perverse started as some sort of emotional parasite that got its life cycle tangled up in ours. The Imp is incapable of doing harm on its own, however it will see to subtly manipulate its host into harming itself through inappropriate or dangerous actions. An individual "infected" with an Imp of the Perverse will need to make a Save(Charisma or Wisdom or something) every time there is a chance for them to befoul their current situation with a single action or sentence. Examples include cutting the rope a friend or ally is climbing, yelling "I stole the crown jewels!" in a busy street after said heist, or anything the player themselves might say "It would be funny, but i shouldn't do that." Every successful save increases the difficulty by 1, saving successfully 5 times in a row rids you of the Imp but any failures resets the counter and the difficulty. A Remove Curse can also rid oneself of the Imp

The Odd Duck
HD 0 (1hp)
Appearance: A duck. No a rabbit. A DUCK. A RABBIT! 
Wants: MEAT
Armour: None
Move: 2x Normal, Fly 2x Normal
Morale:  2
Damage: Bite- 1d6+Attach 


If it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, its a duck. If it hops like a rabbit, if it twitches its nose like its a rabbit, its a rabbit. This thing does both. Is it s a Duck? Is it a Rabbit? Any two or more individuals witnessing the Odd Duck will be incapable of agreeing on which it is. If arguments over which it is are allowed to last more than a few rounds, the parties must Save or become so enraged that they attack each other with intent to kill. Once one target has died, and the victor hopefully running away from the scene, The Odd Duck splits down the middle opening its hellish gnashing mouth and consumes the corpse. Where there is one Odd Duck there is a flock (Warren?) of them nearby. 

The Elephant in the Room
HD 9
Appearance:  An Elephant, you can see it but you will not recognize it as anything of consequence
Wants: 200-600 pounds of vegetation and 50 gallons of water daily
Armour: As Leather
Move: 1.5 Normal
Morale: 8
Damage: Tusk/Tusk 2d4/2d4 or Trample 4d8

By all accounts, The Elephant in the Room is an ordinary elephant with ordinary elephant desires. The Elephant in the Room, however, is both capable of moving through any entrance a mouse could fit through and be essentially invisible. I say "essentially" because The Elephant in the Room is not invisible at all. Instead anyone observing The Elephant in the Room will simply be unable to register it as anything of consequence, it is about as interesting and important as the vacant cobweb in the corner. Individuals will go through whatever routines they would in the room, moving around the Elephant as needed to accomplish this and not make any mention of said Elephant. Anyone upon first witnessing the Elephant may Save to notice the Elephant. If you notice the Elephant, you will forever be able to notice this particular Elephant in the Room. Someone who has noticed the Elephant may bring it to the attention of other occupants to give them another Save, however doing so enrages the Elephant and it will attempt to trample or gore you. Anyone attacked or killed by The Elephant in the room will go unnoticed by anyone who already does not notice The Elephant.

The White Elephant
HD 9
Appearance:  An Albino Elephant with seemingly bejeweled tusks
Wants: All of the attention, special rare foods, love oh so much love, mountain spring water, gifts!
Armour: As Leather
Move: 1.5 Normal
Morale: 8
Damage: Tusk/Tusk 2d4/2d4 or Trample 4d8
The inverse of The Elephant in the Room, The White Elephant is exceptionally needy and will attach itself to one individual. In mindset, The White Elephant is a 6 ton pure breed show dog, it wants to be pampered and be given your attention at the cost of all else. Not giving The White Elephant the attention it wants results in it doing everything in it's pachyderm power to get it. Once The White Elephant has chosen a target for its affections, they can find and follow that target through any distance or obstacle short of divine intervention. The only way to get rid of the White Elephant short of killing it (which gives the killer a random curse) is to gift it to someone who takes it willingly.

The Albatross
HD 1
Appearance:  A white bird with black wings, about 4.5' tall with 10'+ Wingspan
Wants:  Fish, to fly long distances, to not get shot
Armour: None
Move: Half normal, 3x Normal-Fly
Morale: 12
Damage: Peck 1 Damage

All Albatross other than The Albatross are Lesser Albatross. When sailing, having a Lesser Albatross follow you is supposedly good luck while killing one is profound bad luck. In truth, there is actually a 5% chance of receiving exceptional good luck from a Lesser Albatross and a 5% chance of receiving a ship-wide curse on killing one. Having The Albatross follow your ship will grant advantage (or equivalent) to everything done aboard that ship. Killing The Albatross will result in a bane (or equivalent) on everything done aboard that ship AND 1d6 curses from your favorite curse table. When The Albatross is killed, some random Lesser Albatross in the world is promoted to being The Albatross. 

The Infinite Turtle
HD 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13...∞
Appearance:  A brown, green, and orange turtle about large enough to fit in your hand
Wants: Leafy greens, fruit, the occasional worm, a warm rock and a cool pond. 
Armour: As Leather
Move: 1/10 Normal
Morale:  6
Damage:
Bite: 1 Damage (See Below)
Withdraw: When an Infinite Turtle fails a Morale check, instead of retreating it will withdraw inside of its shell. A withdrawn Infinite Turtle has Armour as Plate+HD.

It's turtles all the way down! This turtle is the top of the stack, the rest of whom currently reside in higher (or lower) dimensions. A Wizard or other sensitive would perceive this turtle like looking at the inside of a matroska doll without taking the outer layers off first, a small core to a many-layered being. Even saying this turtle is the top of the stack is not accurate, it is merely the turtle that happens to reside in our current time/space. The Infinite Turtle spends most of its life as an apparently ordinary turtle until it is met with violence. When the turtle apparently dies, the next largest turtle gets bumped up to our dimension. The size of the turtles follows the Fibonacci sequence, increasing in size and HD in proportion to that sequence. If left alone, a larger Infinite Turtle will eventually lay a single egg that will hatch, climb onto its mother's back, and push the larger turtle into a lower dimension. 

To defend itself an Infinite Turtle will bite and flail its limbs. The smallest can only do minimal damage this way, but increasingly large Infinite Turtles will be able to deal significantly more damage. Treat, for example, a 34 HD Infinite Turtle as a Dragon Turtle dealing 1d8/1d8 Claw and a 10d6 Bite. 

The Road Hog
HD 10
Appearance: A truly massive pig, takes up all possible space in any sized corridor
Wants: To eat refuse
Armour: As Leather
Move: .5 Normal
Morale: 8
Damage: See Below
Front End- Bite/Tusk 1d4/1d4 
Back End- Caustic Wind as a Green Dragons's Breath Attack
Slick Trail- The Road Hog leaves behind it a constant trail of bodily waste, causing the area for at least 120' behind to be affected as by Grease.

The Road Hog takes up space. How much space? All of it. Road Hogs are usually encountered in dungeons where they appear to be a porcine equivalent to a Gelatinous Cube. They fill an entire section of corridor so completely that there is no conventional means of getting around their seemingly square body. While this has led to some speculation that Road Hogs come in a variety of sizes to fit a variety of sized corridors, a wizard with an idiot idea decided to test this. When a Road Hog is brought into a non-enclosed space, such an open road, one finds that you can be faced with the front end or the back end, but you cannot come around its side. You can walk as far perpendicular of the Road Hog as you like, it will always appear to be blocking your way with its immense bulk. It is only once killed that the Road Hog merely becomes a pig of epic, albeit limited, proportions. The Wizard Porceen the Greasy once attempted to make a great wall from Road Hogs but eventually died of dehydration when he couldn't get around the pigs to his well. 

The Scapegoat
HD 1
Appearance: The blackest, most evil looking goat you've ever laid eyes on
Wants: To chew on everything, to headbutt stuff
Armour: As Leather
Move: 1.5 Normal
Morale: 8
Damage: Headbutt 1d6+1, Bite 1d6+Cure Poison/Disease/Curse

With its four curved horns, black fur and glowing red eyes, the Scapegoat looks like the evil spawn of Baphomet. In truth The Scapegoat is in nearly all ways an ordinary goat with ordinary goat wants and needs. Young Scapegoats are white, pristine, cute, and almost angelic. It is the Scapegoat's diet that causes its dark transformation. Whenever a Scapegoat bites something or someone, any impurities are driven from that target and manifest as apparent corruption in the Scapegoat. Sins are absolved, poisons purified, curses lifted, diseases banished. When a Scapegoat dies, however, all of the evil that it had consumed over the years floods out inflicting themselves on any nearby target. A community that gets its hands on a real Scapegoat will usually let the creature bite whatever it wants until it looks like Satan's step brother then they drive it out to die in the wilderness where its curses can affect a bunch of random squirrels instead. 

The Paper Tiger
HD 8/6/1
Appearance: The epitome of tigers, a regular tiger, a crudely crafted paper tiger
Wants: To invoke and feed on Fear
Armour: As Plate, As Chain, None
Move: 2x Normal
Morale: 8
Damage: Claw/Claw/Bite 1d8/1d8/2d8, Claw/Claw/Bite 1d6/1d6/2d6 , Claw/Claw/Bite 1/1/1
Fearful Roar- The Paper Tiger always starts combat with a Fearful Roar. All who hear it must Save vs. Fear. Targets failing the Save interact with the Paper Tiger as though it was an 8 HD Saber-Tooth Tiger. Succeeding the save treats it as a standard tiger.
Fire Vulnerability- The Paper Tiger takes double damage from fire sources. Furthermore the Paper Tiger reverts to a crudely crafted origami 1 HD if it takes fire damage.

It is unknown if the Idiom or the creature came first, but like a lot of weird and magical animals out there we can all agreed that probably a Wizard did it. The Paper Tiger exists with a sort of Glamour, allowing it to manipulate others perceptions and bolster itself with those feelings. When met with fear, the Paper Tiger is a massive and daunting saber-tooth, something that strikes right at the scared ape deep inside our genome. When confronted by the reasonably brave, it appears as a normal, albeit still deadly tiger. Those incapable of fear, the truly innocent, and those that confront the Paper Tiger in daylight (or similarly bright conditions) find that it truly is paper and is about as dangerous as a paper cut. 

I looked for Skeletal Clowns and I noped the hell out of Google

Funny Bone
HD 2
Appearance: A skeleton with a rainbow afro-wig and a fake red nose. Squeaks as it walks
Wants: To make you laugh!
Armour: As Leather, half damage from slashing
Move: Normal
Morale:  12
Damage: Acid Squirt-Flower 1d6 (range as sling)
Bad Joke: Once every 1d6 rounds, a Funny Bone may tell a joke so terrible that all that hear it must save or be affect as a Ghoul's Paralysis. Uncles and other beings with exceptionally bad senses of human may have an advantage to this save. 

Funny Bones as the risen skeletons of clowns, jesters, and other comedians who died while telling a particularly bad joke. Unsurprisingly common in the dungeons of Tyrants.

The Gift Horse
HD 2
Appearance: A shabby but sturdy gray dapple mare
Wants: Grass, not to have its mouth looked into
Armour: As Leather
Move: 4x Normal
Morale:  8
Damage: Hoof/Hoof 1d4/1d4, See Below

The Gift Horse is, by casual observation, a shabby but serviceable horse that you might find at a mildly shady stable. A Gift Horse will always cost half of what any other horse costs or be entirely free. As long as no one looks the Gift Horse in the mouth, it is essentially a standard Riding Horse. Anyone who looks the Gift Horse in the Mouth must Save (Vs. Dex or Reflex or something) or be swallowed as a Bag of Devouring. Anyone adjacent to the target may attempt a Strength check to pull the target out of the Gift Horse's mouth, but failure draws them in as well. 

Shit Creek- There are a number of metaphysical rivers the connect the various planes of reality. The best known are the Rivers Styx and Oceanus, the diametrically opposed twin rivers of the afterlife. Other rivers include the Acheron, Lethe, Vadgelmir, Gjöll, Sambation, Ruoshui and myriad others. Usually if you encounter one of these rivers you are on your way to the Afterlife or you are on a particularly epic journey. If you find yourself faced with Shit Creek, you've done fucked up. Shit Creek flows from The Rock and ends at The Hard Place, and in between is a polluted nightmare of rapids. Unlike the other metaphysical Rivers, Shit Creek travels, manifesting where an individual (or group of individuals) have so thoroughly complicated their lives that they have arrived at Shit Creek. On the bank of Shit Creek is a dingy (sans paddle). The only answer is to turn back to face your problems or risk being on Shit Creek without a Paddle. When upon Shit Creek roll a d100. The party crossing Shit Creek may make sacrifices to survive crossing Shit Creek, but must do so BEFORE rolling. 

Sacrifice	Bonus
Per Point of Stat Reduction	+1
Per 500GP	+1
Per +1 of Magic Item	+1
Per 10 Years of Life	+1
Per Language	+1
Color Vision	+1
Per Memory (Skill, Ability, Event)	+3
Per Sense (Sight, Smell, etc.)	+3
Race (lose all racial abilities)	+5
Per Level	+5
Immune System (always fail disease checks)	+5
Per Full Stat (You will never succeed this stat check)	+10
Per Person	+20

1. You are absolutely screwed. While going down Shit Creek, you've navigated into a branch of the River Phlegethon. Its hellish flames are so hot that it incinerates your existence from the Akashic Records. Everyone hand the DM your character sheets and a lighter.
2-20. Shit Creek sweeps you away to The Hard Place where you are smashed up against the rocks. Double any sacrifices made, take 2d6 damage, and try to swim back to the original shore
21-30 All your sacrifices are for naught. Double all sacrifices and be slung back to the original shore.
31-60 Despite giving it your all, Shit Creek was too much for you. Your sacrifices remain and you are beached on the original shore.
61-80 The Boatman takes pity on you and lends you a paddle. Your sacrifices are forgiven, but you can only make it back to the original shore. 
81-95 You've made it, but it was hard fought. You have come to the other side of Shit Creek battered and changed. For your sacrifices, everything that was coming to collect their debts upon you (literal or metaphorical) has been dissuaded in some way. Reality will figure things out.
96-99 You've made it, and it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Half the sacrifices made and remove your debts.
100. You have come across Shit Creek somehow unscathed. Whatever sacrifices you have made to get here are forgiven and whatever prompted you to cross Shit Creek is nullified. The law misplaces their warrants, the devil misplaces his contract, your mother-in-law forgets that time you threw up during Thanksgiving. As far as reality is concerned you are as squeaky clean as a saint. 

The Back Forty- Everyone has space that they are not utilizing. For some it is quite a large space, such as an undeveloped part of a farmer's property. For others it could be very little space at all, in the case of a hoarder for example. This space leads a dual life, on one hand existing merely a never-used place holder, while on the other being connected via The Back Forty. The Back Forty is one of several Liminal Lands that exist on the boundaries of creation, such as the better known Crossroads. This is the border between the the civilized and the wild, the remembered and the forgotten, a place that is at the back of our minds (and yards) but barely ever thought of. 

A number of entities make use of the Back Forty. Urban and suburban fae are known to use it as a sort of quick transport system by being able to literally walk between unused spaced. Hobbits make use of this space to build their homes and gardens outside of the perception of the Big Folk. Mortals can make use of this region, but it is inherently destabilized by mortal use. Spending longer than a few minutes in any one area of The Back Forty makes it into a "used" land and is pulled out of its liminal status. It is additionally dangerous for mortals to travel via The Back Forty because a misstep could cause one to walk into a 2x2x2 space in the back of an attic closet or an air bubble in a wreck at the bottom of a lake. 

The Tempest in a Teapot- If a malicious rumor is whispered into the spout of this teapot, it is filled with 4 servings of a delicious hot herbal tea. Any drinking this tea will suddenly know of an exaggerated version of this rumor, drinkers must Save (vs. Wisdom or some such) or take this rumor as gospel. Re-feeding this rumor into the Teapot will create increasingly exaggerated rumors and increasingly dark tea. Opening the lid on the teapot will unleash a 15 mile diameter severe thunderstorm (lightning included) that rains tea, effectively spreading the rumor over the entire area. This also consumes the teapot's magic, leaving it ordinary and probably pretty beaten up by the aforementioned storm.

The Double Edged Sword: This cursed blade acts as a standard +1 Longsword, however all damage dealt with it is mirrored on the wielder. When combat starts, this weapon will always leap to the wielder's hand before all other weapons. If the wielder of the Double Edge Sword intentionally damages themselves, they can mirror that damage on any creature that has damaged them before regardless of distance. A Remove Curse spell can allow one to be rid of the Double Edge Sword. Purposefully attacking oneself with no intended victim can also remove the curse, but has a 5% chance of gaining the attention of a Paradox Angel.  

The Big Cheese: A truly massive cheese wheel, with a width and girth similar to the cross section of a Sequoia. This several ton cheese inspires awe in those who witness it and admiration towards whomever might be in possession of it. The rightful owner of The Big Cheese (called The Head Honcho) is able to issue Commands (as the spell) to anyone who can see The Big Cheese. Furthermore The Head Honcho may cast Charm Person 3x per day on anyone who has been successfully commanded, Create Food/Water (Cheese/Fondue) 3x per day, Stinking Cloud 1x per day, and may continuously speak with and command rodents. The Head Honcho must be in constant contact with The Big Cheese or all effects of The Big Cheese will be ended. The Big Cheese itself tastes disgusting and any attempting to eat it must Save or lose any benefit from rations due to severe vomiting for the next 24 hours.

The Straw- This is the straw that did it, the straw that broke the camel's back. You can pick this piece of straw up as normal and do the things you might do with a piece of straw. But anything that has any encumbrance, otherwise full inventory slots, or is teetering precariously in some manner, the straw suddenly weighs several hundred pounds. The target holding the Straw takes fall damage as though they've fallen from 30' and is pinned under its weight until removed from an outside source. 

The Free Lunch- There is no such thing. The lunch in front of you should not, does not exist. Observing the non-existent Free Lunch summons a hostile Paradox Angel who will purge all observers before eating the Free Lunch and vanishing in a push of logic. Defeating the Paradox Angel and eating the Free Lunch affects you as by Liquid Buffer Overflow and 99 Items (also in Paradox Angel entry, may cause more Paradox Angels to show up.)

The Early Bird: The Early Bird is always the first to get up, reality retroactively ensures it. There are 24 Early Birds, one for each Time Zone, and they are always the first creature to be newly awake in that time zone. An Early Bird kept in a cage will act as a perfect Alarm as it will always be awake before anything else that might ambush a sleeping party. That said, it only works in that single time zone, so travelling too far east/west will kill it. Furthermore, the Early Bird must be released after it has awoken so it may catch The Worm. Not allowing the Early Bird to catch The Worm may have dire consequences.

Low Country Crawl: The Zine!

Howdy everyone! Just wanted to give y'all a heads up on what is on the horizon.

With the help of David Schirduan and Charles Avery, I am producing what I hope to be the first in a series of Zines that can bring the Low Country to you!

 Low Country Crawl Volume 1 will be focused on bringing the Barrier Islands into your adventures. These marsh laden coastal islands will provide your players new and delightful environments to experience and strange creatures to encounter. We will be providing the first tastes of the unique folklore and magic of the coastal south, hinting at the mystical power of the Root and the ever present threat of Haints, both of which will feature more prominently in future volumes. This Zine will also include a few sample islands with locations and adventure seeds that you can drop wholesale into your campaign!

Please follow check out this link to learn more and sign up here for the Newsletter!

 I have more posts in draft that I can feasibly wrap my mind around so expect plenty of somewhat normal updates once everything is more settled.

GLOG: Blood Aspirant

Blood magic is a theme that has been repeated in multiple incarnations throughout both the history of magical practice and in fiction. Sacrifices of blood allowed the Sun to shine upon the Mexica. Warriors through the ages have bound themselves to one another in blood oaths. Blood protected the ancient Hebrews from the Angel of Death and some Christian sects believe consecrated wine truly is the blood of the Messiah. Today we see blood magic used in so many areas that it would probably be simpler to direct you to the Blood Magic TVTropes page.

However, I have specifically been asked for the post to create a Blood Mage that "does not suck." In the words of my commissioner, Wizards are Nerds, Sorcerers are Rich Kids, Warlocks just yell "Do you know who my dad is?!" The Blood Aspirant is me, you, your neighbor, the Blood Aspirant sleeps in the beating heart of us all just waiting to Kool-aid Man its way out of our chest.

I will note that this started out more general in the creation process and soon ramped into something heavily inspired by Aztec and other Mesoamerican concepts.

Class: Blood Aspirant

Starting Equipment: Loincloth, Roll of Bandages, Obsidian Dagger (Light, Fragile) 

Starting Skill: 1. Surgery 2. Religion 3. Streets

Each Template gain 1 CON

A: Blood Magic, Bloodletting, +1 Spell Slot, +2 Blood Spells

B:Nourishing Blood, Hemophilia or Thrombophilia,+1 Spell Slot, +2 Blood Spells

C: Blood Brother, Rest is Good for the Blood, +1 Spell Slot,+2 Blood Spells

D: Heart of the Sun,+1 Spell Slot, +2 Blood Spells

Blood Magic- Wizards trap spell ferrets in their brain guns. Sorcerers are literally made of magic. Warlocks make one sided deals. You, like all of us, are connected to the stream of life that runs through all creatures. Don't take this as some sort of hippie dippie bullshit, this is the hot red power that churns under your meat. Chances are you didn't ask to access this power, but it’s here now and it’s time to ride that tsunami. When you want to use your Blood Magic, roll under CON. The difference between CON and your roll is your Blood Intensity, so having 15 Con and rolling a 2 will give you 13. The higher intensity, the more powerful the spell but the harder it is to control. Rolling your CON exactly means you have perfect control over the magic and may choose the intensity of the spell. A failed roll means your spell fizzles and you take damage equal to the difference between CON and your failed roll as you literally sweat blood..

Blood Spells- As mentioned before, your magic doesn’t come from research or imagination or the teachings of some arcane master, it comes directly from your blood. Gain 2 new Blood Spells at random each template.

Bloodletting- You can augment your magic power by investing the blood of others. Track the highest HD creature you’ve damaged each day. You collect their blood on and strip of paper. By burning the paper, you may augment (in either direction) the intensity of your Blood Magic by the HD amount once during that 24 hour period. Creatures that are exceptionally magical (and have blood) may double the effect.

Nourishing Blood- All blood is infused with nourishing power. You may deal damage with your Obsidian dagger as normal and heal another target within reach for the amount of damage done. You may do this [template] times a day. You may double the power of healing if you deal damage to yourself. Small plants and grasses spring up where your blood touches the earth.

Hemophilia- You bleed exceptionally easily, any attack against you that would draw blood deals an additional [template] damage to you. However you have a more ready and powerful connection to Blood. When you roll to use Blood Magic, you may choose to have a [template] bonus in either direction.

Thrombophilia- You clot exceptionally easily, any attack against you that would draw blood deals [template] less damage. Your Blood, however, flows slow and thick, overtaxing your heart. When you fail a Blood Magic Roll you have a cumulative 1-in-20 chance of having a heart attack and immediately drop to 0 HP.

Blood Brother- You and another willing creature may become "Blood Brothers." This gives you access to their blood as through it was yours and may cast through them, regardless of distance, with Blood Magic as though they were you. You are instantly aware if your Blood Brother has been hurt and if they have perished. You may only have one Blood Brother at a time.

Rest is Good for the Blood- As long as you have a heat source available, you may heal on a short or long rest as though you haven eaten. This does not hold off the effects of starvation.

Heart of the Sun- Every 52 years, a beating heart must be ripped from a human body and sacrificed to allow the sun to rise again. Inside of every human being there is an organ with enough power to keep the Sun alive for 52 years. By carving out the heart of a living intelligent sacrifice you may use this to fuel your magic. For every HD of the Sacrifice, you have an HD-in-20 chance of calling on the full extent of this power. If the sacrifice is human, double the HD. If the sacrifice is willing, double the HD. If you sacrifice yourself, the effect is assured and you survive just long enough to see the final results of the effect. Failure, however, means that your sacrifice was inadequate and it attracts the attention of Tzitzimitl with HD equal to the difference between your roll and success.

Blood Spells

A note: Many of these spells only affect creatures with blood. Most undead will be unaffected, though a vampire that has recently fed might be. Creatures with especially magical blood (like dragons) might be affected more or less powerfully by these spells.

Whisper/Speak/Scream with Blood
R:0  T: Self D: [Intensity] Rounds
You can speak with the blood of all living things. Blood is the seat of the Animal Soul, and it knows things about sex and violence, instinct and want. If your Intensity is less than 5 you whisper to your own Blood, it might know things you’ve missed. If your Intensity is less than 10 you may speak with the blood of other living things or blood spilt within 24 hours. If your Intensity is greater than 10, you shout to the blood of everyone within hearing. Everyone, including yourself, must Save vs. Con (or Paralysis or whatever). On failure, targets are stunned for one round as their blood strains and yells into your brain. You get answers like shouting into a busy crowd.

Calm/Awaken/Boil Blood
R: [Intensity]*5’ Cone T: [Intensity] HD worth of Creatures D: Immediate/Immediate/[Intensity]/2 Rounds
You call out to rouse or calm blood. If Intensity is 5 or below, you soothe the blood of your targets. Anyone under an effect that is emotion based (rage, fear, morale checks etc.) have the effect immediately ended or receive a reroll to resist, whichever is appropriate and ordinary emotions are dulled. If Intensity is 10 or below, you awaken the blood of your targets. Anyone under an effect that is emotion based has all effects of that emotion doubled and ordinary emotions become significantly more pronounced. If Intensity is above 10, the targets’ blood boils. All targets are affected as a Barbarian’s rage and takes 1d6 damage per round from their blood literally boiling inside them.

Blood Servant/Slave/Thrall 
R: Touch T: 1 Creature D: [Intensity] Minutes/Rounds/Rounds
You command blood to serve you. If Intensity is 5 or below, Deal damage with your Obsidian dagger to a target ( you may target yourself), a Blood Elemental (stats as Water elemental) of HD equal to half the damage dealt (minimum 1) is summoned under your control for the duration. If Intensity is above 5, you instead charm the blood of a target. The target must save or their body acts Charmed, though they remain conscious throughout. If Intensity is above 10, you subsume the target’s mind to their blood. The target Saves or goes on an animalistic rampage in an attempt to free as much blood as possible, not distinguishing between friend or foe.

Blood Rope/Snakes/Xiuhcoatl
R: 30’ T: 1 Creature D: Permanent/[Intensity]/2 Rounds/[Intensity] Rounds
You can create long vein-like ropes from blood. At Intensity 5 or lower, you point at a target in range and deal [Intensity] Damage and create a bloody rope of [Intensity]*10’ in length. At 10 or Lower you instead create a snake of [Intensity] length that immediately constricts the target (treat as a Boa Constrictor.) Above 10 Intensity, you create a flying flaming feathered serpent called a Xiuhcoatl. The Xiuhcoatl holds no loyalty to you, but will strike at anything within range while active.

Blood Mist/Rain/Wave
R: Centered on Caster T: [Damage]*10’ radius circleD: [Intensity]Rounds/Rounds/Instant
You massively increase your own blood supply for a moment and then release it. Damage yourself with your Obsidian dagger to release the blood. At Intensity 5 or lower, you release a mist of blood that limits vision in the area to 10’ and covers everything in red. At Intensity 10 or lower, you create a thick rain of blood that slicks the ground requiring a dex check to not slip. Above 10, you release a powerful wave that crashes in a circle around you. Targets must save vs. Paralysis or be knocked prone and stuck to the ground as the blood rapidly clots into a huge scab. Targets can hack away the clot (6hp), succeed a strength check, or wash it away with water to become unstuck.

Bolster Marrow/Liver/Heart
R: Touch  T: 1 Creature D: Instant/[Intensity] Rounds/1 Rounds
You can manipulate the flow of blood and the organs that work them. At 5 Intensity or below, you may bolster a target’s marrow vastly increasing their blood supply. This heals the target by [Intensity] but flushes their skin a deep red. Affecting a target with this effect more than once a day has a cumulative 1-in-6 chance of causing the target’s skin to hemorrhage violently and lose everything they’d been healed for that day. At 10 Intensity or below, you bolster your target’s liver giving them [Intensity] bonus to checks against poisons and intoxicants. Above 10 Intensity, you bolster a targer’s heart. Affecting a target more than once a day with this affects them with jaundice. For one round they may add [Intensity] to a single physical check, double their speed, or take twice as many actions. Everytime a target’s heart is bolstered, they gain a slot of exhaustion. If they have no slots left to fill, they must save vs. Death or be affected with cardiac arrest.

Blood Link/Mirror/Fusion
R: Touch T: 1 Creature D: [Intensity] Minutes/Minutes/Rounds
You are able to connect to another creature through shared blood. You must touch another creature with your own blood for this to function. At Intensity 5 or less, you are able to link to another creature (ally or enemy) and use their physical stats for the duration. OR you may have the target Save and use your physical stats for the duration. At Intensity 10 or less, you are able to experience the sensations of another creature (sight, smell, touch etc.) however if that creature takes damage, you take half and the connection is lost. Above Intensity 10, you must roll above the target’s remaining HP. If you succeed, you absorb a portion of the target’s identity, gaining snippets of their memories/knowledge and one of their abilities (within reason) for the duration.

Blood Jump/Jaunt/Dive
R: [Intensity]*10 Feet/Yards/Miles T: 2 Living Creatures of similar type D: Instant
You are capable of walking through the eternal stream of blood that connects all living things. You literally dive into the bloodstream of one creature and exit from another. At 5 or below Intensity, you can move a max of 50’ between two like creatures (two humans, two elves, two goblins etc.) While unnerving this has no other effect on the targets. At 10 or below intensity, you move up to 300 feet between two like creatures (2 warm blooded humanoids, 2 cold blooded reptiles). This is less pleasant and deals [Intensity]/2 damage to you and both targets. Above 10 Intensity, you move in terms of miles between two creatures (2 mammals, 2 bipeds.) This is extremely unpleasant for all involved, both targets and yourself Save vs. Death. Failure results in [Intensity]*2 damage and blood spray like from a japanese samurai flick. If both targets succeed but you fail, you are stuck as blood within the first target until you are bled out.

Sacrificial Spells

Tezcatlipoca- Swarm of Jaguars
R: [HD] Miles T: 1 Target Creature D: 24 Hours
A target creature that you have personally drawn the blood of is cursed with relentless assaults from jaguars. Over the course of 24 hours, Jaguars will pounce from any nearby shadow upon the target. Any time the Jaguar is killed, another will immediately spawn. Every hour an additional Jaguar will spawn until there is 23 Jaguars active at once. The target may avoid this by being in a space with absolutely no shadow. After 24 hours are up, the Jaguars all vanish. Jaguars disperse into shadow-stuff when killed, leaving no remains.

Xipe-Totec- Mantled Rebirth
R: Touch T: 1 Target Creature D: 8 Hours
The blood of your sacrificed victim is drained into a prepared tub or pit. The victim’s skin is then flayed and placed around the remains of the creature/target you wish to bring back to life. Over an 8 hour period the dead creature/target fuses with the flayed skin. At the end of the duration, the target makes a System Shock (or Con or whatever is appropriate) check. On success they come back to life with all their mental stats and former class skills, but with the physical stats and appearance of the sacrificed victim. If the roll fails or the ritual is interrupted in any way, the fusion is imperfect and the target comes back with 2d4 Mutations.

Quetzalcoatl- Atavistic Wind
R: 0  T: [HD]*10’ wide, [HD]*20’ High D: [HD] Rounds
A powerful transformative wind blows rises from the victim’s dying breath. A tornado centered on the victim picks up anything within the area of effect that fails a dex save. Anyone affected by the tornado must save vs. magic or be regressed into an earlier evolutionary stage. Humans become chimps, dwarves become big moles, orcs become boars, elves into chitinous egg-laying deer and so on. When the duration is over, the tornado drops all of its occupants for appropriate falling damage.

Huitzilopochtli- Summon Sun
R: 0 T: HD*10’ Sphere D: 0
The sacrificial victim must be killed with a flaming arrow as part of the sacrifice for this effect to work. The victim immolates in a massive fireball and deals [HD]d6 Fire damage to everything within range. This deals double damage against undead or creatures considered to be “of the night.”

Blood Creatures

Tzitzimitl by Hunterkiller

Tzitzimitl (Star Demon)
HD 1-19
Appearance: A 5-20’ tall dimly glowing skeleton wearing a pale headdress and dressed in blood drenched jade armor.
Wants: To devour the Sun
Armour: Leather 1-3HD, Chain 4-6HD, Plate 7-10HD, Plate+Shield 11+ HD
Move: Teleport within Line of Sight
Morale: 12
Damage: Claw 1d6, Claw/Claw 1d6/1d6, Star Macuahuitl 2d6+6
Star-Strike: When a Tzitzimitl is summoned, they plummet from the sky and land with explosive force. Everything within 60’ of their landing zone takes [HD]*2 fire damage and must Save vs. Fear.
Consume- A Tzitzimitl of 4+ HD rolling max damage on both claw attacks attempt to consume their target whole. Save vs. Death, on failure the target is destroyed and the Tzitimitl heals for an amount equal to the target’s max HP.
Demi-Goddess- A Tzitzimitl of 7+ HD casts spells appropriate for a lich of similar HD.
Star Macuahuitl- A Tzitzimitl of 10+ HD wields a Star Macuahuitl, essentially a manual chainsaw made of dense star-stuff. Ignores non-magic armor.
Light Envy- A Tzitzimitl will attack whomever is carrying the brightest light source first.
Sunlight Vulnerability- A Tzitzimitl takes 1d6 damage every round spent under direct sunlight.

The Tzitzimitl are the goddesses behind the Stars and are greatly envious of the Sun and the Earth. The blood sacrifices made to them are meager at best and so they wish to destroy the Sun and consume all of humanity to sate their hunger.

Xiuhcoatl
3 HD
Appearance: A large flaming serpent with turquoise feathers
Wants: Set Things On Fire
Armour: Leather
Move: Fly 1.5 Normal
Morale: 8
Damage: Bite 1d6+1 Fire
Constrict- Save vs. Paralysis (or Dex), squeezes for 1d6+1 Fire damage each round. Save to escape each round.
Fiery Aura- Anything in melee range of a Xiuhcoatl is burned for 1 damage each round. Flammable objects catch fire after 3 rounds of exposure. Paper and similar objects catch after only 1 round. 

What it says on the box, it is a flying flaming feather serpent. Seen as both the spirit form and primary weapon of the Sun, Huitzilopochtli.