Blood Magic

[BhelliomRahl]

I have been replaying the Dragon Age games recently and like the concept of Blood Magic. The general concept is that a Mage can use blood whether their own or another's to cast their spells instead of mana. Its also possible to enhance their magic and certain spells are only possible with Blood.

Build:

Talent - Blood Magic
This allows them to use either Body or Stun for Mana at a rate of 1-Stun for 2-Mana or 1-Body of 5-Mana. Am unsure about using the endurance, might remove that and only have it from Body as it meant to represent drawing blood from your body to fuel you spells.

They also receive a complication relating to the fact that utilising blood magic makes a mage more susceptible to influence/possession by demons. I don't think has much influence in mechanical terms so are not awarded any points.

Spell - Blood Magic Enhancement:
Aid Magic 4d6 (24pts), Variable Effect (any Magic Spell; +1/2), Delayed Return Rate (Fade at 5 per Hour; +1.3/4); Concentration (0 DCV throughout casting; -1), Extra Time (1-Turn; -1.1/4), Aid Self Only (-1), Requires a Magic Roll (-1/2), Gestures (Throughout; -1/2), Incantations (Throughout; -1/2)
= 14 Real Points (79 Active Points)
Must be cast using Blood. Might be better to have this as a Boost.

Grave Digger / Blood Heal.
A Blood Mage can draw blood from the recently killed to heal himself. This can be improved to later draw blood from hostile targets in the area.
Build:
Heal – Simplified – Limited Power – Only works when in proximity to recently deceased who had blood.
Possible method to increase the effect base on available number of corpses.

Blood Transfer:
A Blood Mage is able to draw blood from a willing being to power their spells (A sentient being who understands). The risk with this is that the Blood Mage could draw too much and kill or render unconscious his target. I am unsure what the best way to represent it is.
My initial thought was to just say that a Blood Mage draws the blood from them with the same rate that a Blood Mage uses his own blood.
Other Option: Drain Body/Stun; Condition: Target Willing. Linked to Heal – Simplified – Heal equal to Drain. This gives the possibility of incapacitating or Killing the target.

Haemorrhage:
The Blood Mage forcefully draws the blood from targets, the only defence is not having Blood. The pain from this is so intense that it temporarily paralyses the victim.
Build:
Killing Attack 1d6 AVAD – NND (Defence: Does not have Blood), Does Body, AOE – Radius 5m; Gestures, Incantations, Requires a Magic Roll (-1/2).
Linked – Entangle – 1d6; Takes No Damage (+1), Time Limit (1-Turn; -2½) – Constitution Roll to Resist.

Blood Puppet:
The Blood Mage has refined his ability to control blood that they can control the blood in a target to allow them to control them as they would a puppet.
Build:
Mind Control 5d6 – AVAD – Power Defence, Works against Con not Ego.


What are peoples thought?







 

[Shadowsoul]

Quick initial thoughts.

 

How are you building Mana in this setting?  Is it based on End, or an End reserve or is it a shiny new stat all of its own?

 

I'm guessing you'll need a social complication or hunted to represent the fact that the practice of Blood Magic pretty much carries a death penalty, or is it permissible in your setting?

 

By the way, if you like I can post a link to an old write up of Dragon Age Reavers which I posted ages back. Some of the principles are similar.

[BhelliomRahl]

I would appreciate the Link Shadowsoul.
 
Sorry my lack of thought, I added additional Characteristics. Mana & Mana Recovery bought with same costing as Endurance, although recovery is per hour. 
 
Setting:
Blood Magic falls into a grey area, it was originally created thousands of years before the current Magic Council and at that time it was referred to as High Magic and was common practise.  However due to incidents it fell into ill favour and it use was stopped/lost in most locations.  Certain innate magical abilities used by some races could be classed as Blood Magic.  High Magic uses Life Force Energy, a specific and extremely concentrated form of Mana which is found in Blood. 
High Magic was named Blood Magic by uneducated people who saw only certain aspects of it, the fact that Blood Magic is a very apt name caused the negative reputation.  Also a misunderstanding in the word Demon, Demon originally referred to any being not of the this world; gods, spirits, etc.  Overtime the name Demon became solely linked with the evil. 
So Blood Magic was originally describe as

 

"High Magic taught by beings not of this world referred to as Demons used Life Force Mana which is a more concentrate and possible purer form of Mana.  Using Life Force Mana increased the potency of normal spells and allowed access to certain spell only possible using Life Force Mana.  Life Force Mana travels through the blood of all beings and the most effective method of using it is by utilising Blood, however the consequence of this is that using too much can result in injury or death either due to Blood Loss or loss of Life Force Mana which all beings need to survive."

 

Overtime this description was corrupted and the key points remembered were Taught by Demons and uses Blood.

 

I have diverged from the Dragon Age Background.

[Shadowsoul]

http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/81933-reaver-powers/?hl=reaver

 

The standard build for the Blood Transfer would be a compound power including a Drain Body/Stun which could only be used on a willing target and an Aid or Heal to Mana Self only, Linked and Unified Power for the whole power. Technically nothing in that build says that the Drain and Aid have to be of the same Active Points Level but you can hand-wave it to say that they must be.  See Hero 6ed page 197 for an example of Aid and Drain combined to create a Transfer power in this manner, (didn't there used to be an actual Transfer power?  Why did they overcomplicate things by getting rid of it?)

 

I like the blood puppet power!