Blood Mage (Specialization)

“*Perhaps there’s some truth to the idea that the real danger of blood magic isn’t that it draws its power from sacrifice, or that it tempts the greedy and ambitious into using the suffering of others to fuel their spells. Perhaps the danger is simply that we do not* understand *it, and that lack of understanding invites disaster even when our intentions are pure.*” - *Calien d'Evaliste*

**Blood magic** is a school of magic that uses the power inherent in blood to fuel spellcasting and also to twist the blood in others for domination or violent corrupting purposes. Unlike users of conventional magic, its users do not touch the Fade when casting spells and find it harder to enter the Fade. The Tevinter Imperium conquered Thedas with Blood Magic. Its magisters, it is said, learned the craft from demons. Every mage feels its allure. There is much power to be gained using blood instead of mana. The Chantry, however, forbids the practice and on this they are unequivocal.

Mages are able to use Blood Magic without this specialization, but it becomes much more painful and unpredictable.

## Requirements

You must be a mage with Constitution 3+ and Magic 3+.

## Base Abilities

You automatically gain these features and abilities upon taking a new level in this specialization.

**Novice**

You can use your own blood to power your spells, and learn **Blood Magic mode**, which is required to cast Blood Magic spells. You also learn the. Learn one Blood Magic spell or skill now.

**Journeyman**

The **Blood Supply** ability, which allows you to use the blood of willing allies to power your spells.

**Master**

Your **Blood Supply** ability is improved, and you can now use anyone’s blood to power your spells.

## ***Blood Magic Skills***

The symbol **✹** indicates abilities that are automatically learned upon gaining a level in this specialization. Other abilities can be chosen whenever you have the option of learning a new Spell, Focus, or Talent, or when prompted upon leveling up the Base Abilities. Passive features and upgrades can be selected in lieu of Talents.

### **Novice**

**Blood Magic Mode ✹**

You must enter Blood Mage mode to use Blood Magic spells and skills. Use the Activate minor action to enter this mode. While in this mode, you cannot be healed with potions or Creation spells. You can end Blood Magic mode with another Activate action. As a free action right before casting a blood spell while in Blood Magic Mode, you inflict 1d6 penetrating damage on yourself and gain a number of mana points equal to the damage. The mana points so generated must be used on the spell you are casting this round; any excess are lost. You can also use blood to generate mana to cast spells from any school, but you must use it before casting Blood spells.

*For example, say that you have a total of 20 MP, and wish to cast a spell costing 5 MP. Using Blood Supply, you slice your hand, dealing 6 penetrating damage to yourself, which allows you to cast any spell costing up to 6 MP. You may cast the 5 MP spell, but 1 excess mana point is lost in the process, your mana reserves stay at 20 MP.*

#### **Journeyman**

**Blood Supply (Free Action) ✹**

Allows you to use the blood of a willing ally to power your spells. This works as per the Novice degree of the Blood Magic Mode, but your ally takes the damage instead of you. The ally must be within 6 yards of you when you cast the spell.

**Magic (Blood) (Focus)**

You take the Magic (Blood) focus, or gain +2 to it if you already have it. This focus allows you to cast spells of this school with relative ease.

**Master**

**Blood Supply II (Upgrade) ✹**

You can now use anyone’s blood to power your spells. Pick any target (willing or unwilling) with blood within 6 yards of you and attempt to use their blood as a minor action. Success requires an opposed test of your Magic (Blood) vs. the target’s Willpower (Faith or Self-Discipline). If you win things work as per the Journeyman degree. If the target is adjacent to you and helpless (unconscious, tied up, etc.), you inflict 2d6 penetrating damage (and perhaps understand why mages of the Tevinter Imperium were not so popular).

## ***Blood Magic Spells***

Many of these spells are marked **RAW** (Rules As Written, as per the official rulebook). Spells that have not changed will only have a short summary of the spell's ability, rather than a full description of the casting rules and spell effects. However, all the added spells and rituals are described in detail.

### Full Spell Tree

Specialization level requirements marked with Novice (N), Journeyman (J), or Master (M):

* Blood Sacrifice N
* Wrack N
* Speak with Demon N >>> Enthrall Demon M
* Minor Fade Rift J >>> Major Fade Rift M
* Summon Shade J >>> Summon Rage Demon M
* Blood Wound J >>> Hemorrhage J >>> Blood Slave J
* Thought-Taking J

### **Novice**

##### **Blood Sacrifice (Spell)**

*RAW*

The only spell you can use to "heal" yourself while in Blood Magic mode.

##### **Wrack (Spell)**

*RAW*

Used to torture a single person. Causes no damage, but debuffs them.

## Speak with Demon

### V/S/M

VerbalSomaticMaterial: Blood, Warding Salts (2 sp), Incense of Awareness (1 gp)

##### **Speak with Demon (Ritual)**

*Requires Verbal, Somatic, and Material components.* Burn the incense of awareness, and then make a circle on the ground with the warding salts. Enter Blood Magic mode, and draw blood to begin casting the ritual. If successful, you summon the demon safely within the circle. For the duration, you may safely communicate with a creature of the Fade, for a number of minutes equal to your Magic. When the time is up, the demon will vanish back into the Fade. While conversing with a demon, you may ask it questions and even request help, powers, or favors.

If you fail, the level of your failure is taken into account:

* If your casting roll is between 13-16, the spell simply fails
* If your casting roll is between 10-13, your blood flows freely and you take 2d6 penetrating damage
* If your casting roll is under 10, you take 2d6 penetrating damage and you must roll on the Wild Blood Magic Surge Table

## Minor Fade Rift

### Duration

Number of turns equal to your Magic

You create a small tear in the veil anywhere within 20 yards that you can see, lasting a number of rounds equal to your Magic. On the round the rift is torn, nothing occurs, starting on the next round, you must roll 1d6 each round until the rift evaporates. Each round, roll 1d6:

* 1: A creature of the DM’s choice emerges from the rift.
* 2: A Rage Demon emerges from the rift.
* 3: A Shade emerges from the rift.
* 4: A Terror emerges from the rift.
* 5: No creatures of the Fade emerge.
* 6: A friendly spirit wisp emerges from the rift, and restores 1d4 mana to you.

All creatures that come through from the Fade are hostile to every creature of the physical plane, unless otherwise noted. All creatures that emerge remain permanently in the physical plane until destroyed.

#### **Summon Shade (Spell)**

Summon a shade from the Fade to defend you. Shades are the remnants of lost souls that have slipped across from the Fade into the mortal world, which have no true memories of ever being alive--only a yawning emptiness and a sense of what they’ve lost that leads them to seek out living beings and cause them harm. The shade cannot be healed by you, but can heal itself by using Draining Touch. The shade has its own turn, which it takes directly after your own.

Shades are incorporeal, having a tenuous existence in the mortal world. They ignore the effects of terrain. Normally only spells or hits from magical weapons can harm them, other attacks passing through their forms without effect. Any character attacking a shade can perform a special stunt called **Spirit Bane** for 3 SP. The character then inflicts normal weapon damage but substitutes Magic for Strength. A character with Magic 2 and a longsword using the Spirit Bane stunt, for example, would inflict 2d6+2 damage. You can give the shade the following commands:

* **Attack**: Deals 1d6+4 penetrating spirit damage
* **Move**: Speed is 15
* **Draining Touch:** The touch of a shade drains the target of life energy, inflicting 1d6+Magic penetrating spirit damage.
* **Draining Aura (4 Stunt Points)** : A shade can perform the special Draining Aura stunt for 4 SP. All enemies within 4 yards of it  take 1d6 penetrating damage as the shade sucks their life essence.

#### **Blood Wound (Spell)**

*RAW*

AOE spell that boils the blood of your enemies.

#### **Hemorrhage (Spell)**

*RAW*

Cause a creature to hemorrhage a lot of blood, dealing huge amounts of damage.

#### **Blood Slave (Spell)**

*RAW*

Enslave and puppet your enemies.

#### **Thought-Taking (Spell)**

*RAW*

Allows you to take thoughts from the minds of unwilling creatures.

### **Master**

#### **Summon Rage Demon (Spell)**

*Requires Summon Shade.* Summon a fiery Rage Demon from the Fade to fight at your side. The shade has its own turn, which it takes directly after your own. See the Rage Demon’s stats in the Adversaries section of the Rulebook.  Rage demons have an armor rating of 4, are immune to fire damage, as well as Skirmish or Knocked Prone. They are surrounded by an **aura of fire**, which forces any creature (friend or foe) within 2 yards of the demon to immediately take 2 points of penetrating damage at the start of the demon’s turn.  You must roll Magic (Blood) TN13 at the top of each turn to maintain control of the Rage Demon. You can give the shade the following commands:

* **Attack**: 2d6+4 fire damage
* **Move**: Speed is 14
* **Set Aflame (2 stunt points):** A rage demon can set its target on fire as a special stunt for 2 SP. The target takes 1d6 penetrating fire damage at the start of each of their turns until they put out the fire by spending a minor action.

#### **Enthrall Demon (Ritual)**

*Requires Speak to Demon.* Summon a demon into the physical plane and bind it to your will. This requires an Advanced Test of the Magic (Blood) focus versus the Willpower (Self-Discipline) of the demon. The difficulty of the binding varies depending on the nature of the demon (Pride Demons, for example, are more difficult to bind to your service than more simpleminded Hunger Demons). Demons may attempt to save against their enthrallment at the end of each encounter, with a test of its own Willpower (Self-Discipline) vs. your Spellpower.

#### **Major Fade Rift**

*Requires Minor Fade Rift.* You create a large, unstable tear in the veil, lasting a number of rounds equal your Magic. On the round the rift is torn, nothing occurs, starting on the next round, you must roll 1d6 each round at the top of your turn until the rift evaporates. Each round, roll 1d6:

* 1: A Pride Demon falls emerges from the rift.
* 2: Two Rage Demons emerge from the rift.
* 3: Two Shades emerge from the rift.
* 4: Two Terrors emerge from the rift.
* 5: No creatures of the Fade emerge.
* 6: A friendly spirit wisp emerges from the rift, and instantly restores 1d6 health and mana to you.

All creatures that come through from the Fade are hostile to every creature of the physical plane, unless otherwise noted. All creatures that emerge remain permanently in the physical plane until destroyed.