Hemomancer (Blood mage) in TES? [RP-ONLY]

Vraok · May 2014

I don't want a NB build. Instead I'd like to hear your opinion on whether a hemomancer could possibly exist in the TES universe. (Think of something along the lines of the Blood Mage in Dragon Age. Or Vladimir in LoL if you're into that.)
Note: I'm not interested in vampirism, atleast not IC.

nerevarine1138 · May 2014

I don't understand the question.

You want to know if an RP-only build is possible, but you don't want people to tell you which builds would work for that?

Vraok · May 2014

I'm not looking for a RP-build since most 'attacks' are considered IC anyway, so it's pointless.
No, I want to know whether the lore allows a blood mage since I haven't found too much regarding that sort of magic. All I can remember is 'Equilibrium' from the top of my head.

nerevarine1138 · May 2014

Vraok wrote: »

I'm not looking for a RP-build since most 'attacks' are considered IC anyway, so it's pointless.
No, I want to know whether the lore allows a blood mage since I haven't found too much regarding that sort of magic. All I can remember is 'Equilibrium' from the top of my head.

I've never heard any reference to a blood mage or anything along those lines in any of the lore up to this point. There have been necromancers, and there have been vampires. There have even been vampiric necromancers. But since you said that doesn't count, then no. There has never been a blood mage.

rawne1980b16_ESO · May 2014

Don't recall hearing of a blood mage in Elder Scrolls lore.

The closest would be necromancers using blood for certain spells.

If they ever bring necromancer as a playable class, I don't see why they couldn't have a blood tree.

But I doubt we'll see a blood mage the likes of Dragon Age.

Vraok · May 2014

I feared as much when I couldn't find anything about them.
Thanks for the answers.

Lord_Hev · May 2014

Generally speaking, blood magic falls within the realm of undeath in TES.(necromancers and vampires) In truth, there is very little lore on blood-magic. Really, it was Skyrim that made it a "thing" with vampirism. ESO seems to build on it a bit(Sorcerer's dark magic passives and Nightblade siphon skill line)

Delte · May 2014

There are no such mages in TES from the games I have played of the Elder Scrolls.
The closest you could come to one would be nightblade with the siphon skills and the Dark Magic line of the sorcerer for the abilities.

As for an actual RP of a Blood Mage from Dragon Age universe then no there are no reference and most npcs and people in TES world would see blood magic as necromancy.

binaryAegis · May 2014

The ability to drain health (blood) from enemies has been in Elder scrolls since Morrowind, and there were similar abilities in both Oblivion and Skyrim.

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Drain_Blood
http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Absorb_Health_(Oblivion)
http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Absorb_Health_(Skyrim)

So yes, I'd say hemomancers, or bloodmages, are definitely possible within ES lore, even if they aren't strictly ever referred to as such.

Ysne58 · May 2014

I'd love a class that had the Dark Magic from the Sorcerer line and the Siphon tree from the Nightblade line, not sure what a perfect 3rd class skill would be.

Xithian · May 2014

I'm guessing that you mean magic fueled by blood and manipulating it. That is the basic premise of a "blood mage" in most role-playing settings. From a role-playing perspective, I would say not really. While there are many spells in the Elder Scrolls setting that deal with affecting the life force of beings, I can't recall any instances of actual blood magic (in the lore). There are plenty of alchemical examples of using blood in magical ways, but again, not in the sense of a traditional blood mage.

There is a passive for Sorcs called "Blood Magic". There are various life drains. There have been spells that transfer health to magicka (I believe that was an alteration spell in Skyrim?). As you pointed out, making a build based around the idea is no challenge.

Vraok · May 2014

The problem with the lifedrains is that there's a lorebook that explains how the NB's strife works. In essence that spell creates a 'link' between the caster and the target and drains lifeforce; not blood from what I recall. It also is considered a 'shadow'-spell since it apparently bypasses magic resistance.

Xithian · May 2014

Yes, as I said it's easy to build one mechanically. I don't think it's in the lore in any way though. All the pieces are there, they're just broken up into individual spells and skills that lore-wise are unrelated.

I thought I remembered reading a lore book about a mage trying some blood magic at some point but I can't even remember which game it was in. I can't seem to find it.

Honestly, if you want to RP it, go for it. It wont be lore breaking. NPC mages in the Elder Scrolls do all kinds of crazy research. It's not far-fetched. (I suddenly remember the mage with the jumping scrolls in Morrowind. My gods, I laughed till it hurt.)

Drew · May 2014

Vraok wrote: »

Instead I'd like to hear your opinion on whether a hemomancer could possibly exist in the TES universe. (Think of something along the lines of the Blood Mage in Dragon Age.)

Though there were usage of magic based on blood (for example, "deal" between Akatosh and Alessia) in Lore, there is no such thing as "blood magic". Especially like in DA Universe.

Magic in TES divided in different schools (solely for scientific and gameplay purposes), which differentiate spells not by their source or effect, but by their mechanism, so making a fire-damaging sword or poison, cast fireball or summon fire-damaging sword are not some kind of "Fire Magic", they are completely different schools - Enchanting, Alchemy, Destruction and Conjuration.
Another example: there is no "Necromancy" as magic school, spells which necromancers use, mostly belong to Mysticism and Conjuration schools.

So, the closest thing to "hemomancer" is actually a Destruction Adept, who prefers to use spells like "Drain Magic/Health" (which belong to Destruction School) and really loves "Equilibrium" (Alteration School) from Skyrim.

Vraok · May 2014

Drew wrote: »

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So, the closest thing to "hemomancer" is actually a Destruction Adept, who prefers to use spells like "Drain Magic/Health" (which belong to Destruction School) and really loves "Equilibrium" (Alteration School) from Skyrim.

Actually it's restoration iirc.

Vraok · May 2014

Vraok wrote: »

Drew wrote: »

[

So, the closest thing to "hemomancer" is actually a Destruction Adept, who prefers to use spells like "Drain Magic/Health" (which belong to Destruction School) and really loves "Equilibrium" (Alteration School) from Skyrim.

Actually it's restoration(the drain vit spell) iirc.

Drew · May 2014

Vraok wrote: »

Actually it's restoration iirc.

Na-ah. Absorb Attribute is Restoration skill. Drain Attribute is Destruction. Difference is, second doesn't heal caster and damage from it cannot be healed. It's pre-Skyrim skill.

I always thought that DA Blood Mages were more like "using forbidden and cruel spells as weapon", than simply "guys, who suck health", hence "Drain Attribute" - if you ever played Morrowind you know how cruel this effect can be.

Falmer · May 2014

From a lore standpoint, some of the witch covens and Reach mages would fit the bill there as far as a 'blood mage'.

binaryAegis · May 2014

Drew wrote: »

if you ever played Morrowind you know how cruel this effect can be.

Or how game breaking it was if you cast it on yourself while standing next to a skill trainer. Free training woo!