Hexblood

Hexblood
Depiction of three hexbloods from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, p. 18.
Biological Information
Type	Fey
Movement	walk 30 ft.; climbing, flying, or swimming speed based on previous race
Abilities	Darkvision Eerie Token Hex Magic
Physical Characteristics
Size	Medium or Small
Lifespan	Between one and three centuries
Distinctions	Eldercross
Sociocultural Information
Planes	Feywild Material Plane
Notable members	Xella Blacktongue

Hexbloods are people marked by powerful fey influence, such as that of hags.

Description

Hexbloods, even if they resemble they original ancestry, manifest certain features that signify their new lineage: double-proned pointed ears, a natural-growing crown known as "eldercross", or, if they have ties with hags, a pigmentation that resembles that of the hag that caused their condition.

Abilities

As a playable race, hexbloods have the following abilities, which, in case of transformation, replace all the abilities gained from a previous race:

• Darkvision: They can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light, but they can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
• Ancestral Legacy: If they are born as hexbloods, they have two proficiencies of their own. Conversely, if they became hexbloods in life they keep proficiencies provided by their original race, as well as any form of movement speed associated.
• Eerie Token: As a bonus action a hexblood can harmlessly take a body part (like hair, a tooth, or a nail) and make it magical until the next long rest. During that time if another person holds the token and is within 10 miles, the hexblood can talk to them sending messages of up to 25 words. or trance for 1 minute and see and hear through the other person's senses, although this last option destroys the token. A hexblood can only have one token active at a time, and they regrow the body part the moment the token disappears.
• Hex Magic: All hexbloods know the Disguise Self and Hex spells. Different hexbloods can use different spellcasting abilities to cast those spells.

Note that since the hexbloods are fey, instead of humanoids, some spells have no effect on them, since they target humanoids exclusively, while other spells will affect them precisely because of their fey nature.

History

Official art of Xella and his bat, by Elaine Tipping.

In the early 9th century after the Divergence a human couple gave their son to a hag, who kept him around him for years, causing him to transform into a hexblood due to her fey influence. The boy grew up to become Xella Blacktongue, an artificer who joined the League of Aeorian Historians. In 839 PD he helped the Re-Slayer's Take defeat a marionette-controlled magma landshark, and rescue his bodyguard Sasha; because of that, the fey merchant rewarded them with magic items.

Notable hexbloods

• Xella Blacktongue, a member of the League of Aeorian Historians.

Trivia

Fan art of Morri and Fearne reunited, by Lap Pun Cheung.

• Hexbloods are the first lineage option present in Critical Role, although the genasi has been used like a lineage to a degree in the case of Ashton Greymoore.
• Although it is confirmed that Fearne Calloway is a faun, the powerful influence of her foster grandmother Morrigan seems to have affected her growth, similar to how the presence of a hag can transform a person into a hexblood over time.
• While it is common to associate hexbloods with hags, and certainly they can be created because of them, and even transformed into new hags, there are several ways in which a person can become a hexblood, not necessarily involving hags.

References

Art: