Blood Sacrifice resources?

[Nightfall]

Psion,

My idea for making a blood mage in training is this: For each HD of the creature greater than the spellcaster, grants him a +1 bonus to use. This can be use to negate metamagic penalties, (up to 0), increase the DC of a spell, or increase the caster level of spell. Also 1/25 of the HD of the creature greater than the spellcaster can be used in magic item creation.

Howse that?

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

The quick and dirty way to get a little bit of benefit from it without changing the core rules significantly or using extra p-classes is to just make sure whoever you want to do the sacrificing has Death Knell on their spell list. (You could add it to the Sor/Wiz list without changing the balance of the game much). Then they slit something's throat with their dagger and cast death knell before it finishes dying. In return they can cast their next spell at +1 clvl. They get some others stuff too but that's less significant for this purpose.

It's not as flexible as a full-blown sacrifice system but it doesn't require additional rules or classes either.

 

[hong]

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Edit: Looking at your mod, it looks pretty close to exactly what I am looking for. The entry level is priced right (5th, gives me room for a few levels before 8th) and it doesn't have the rather specific-feel of the maho "corruption" that I was concerned about.

The only thing about maho that's really tied to the setting is the bit where you cut yourself to cast spells. Other than that, mad mages who learn things that Man Was Not Meant To Know are pretty universal. As are vampires.

 

[Psion]

The only thing about maho that's really tied to the setting is the bit where you cut yourself to cast spells. Other than that, mad mages who learn things that Man Was Not Meant To Know are pretty universal.​

The kind of stuff I am talking about is things like taint scores making you into a shadowlands creature, causing wierd growths inside you, and that sort of thing.

That said, I looked deeper at your class, and it got me to wondering: isn't the price a bit steep for the benefit? Unless I am reading it wrong, it makes all your spells damage you, and the only benefit you get is a few more potential spells on your spell list. Am I missing some other benefit?​

 

[hong]

Mang, you haven't seen what a sorc/bloodmage with blasphemy and a coupla friends can do.

That said, it probably is a bit weak for a PC class. The damage cuts down on your spellcasting; even if you have a healer to fix you up, that's quite a drain on the party's resources. However, for a high-level NPC villain with potentially unlimited victims off-stage to drain, this ceases to be an issue, and the d8 HD becomes a positive asset. If it's still a problem, you could up the BAB progression to medium, as per the tainted sorc and maho-tsukai.

2 things that the class mechanics encourage:
- Accursed means that non-evil characters have no reason not to turn evil.

- Once you have one level in this class, you generally want more levels, or face the prospect of all your best spells doing damage to you.

Temptation, and all that.

 

[KevinS]

Conan OGL scholars use a sacrifice system to gain power for their spells. They also gain power when the kill with their spells as well

 

[Psion]

- Once you have one level in this class, you generally want more levels, or face the prospect of all your best spells doing damage to you.

Heh. I can see that, but it sort of doesn't fit with what I am doing. What would typically happen with the organization I am using is that they would take a few levels in blood sacrifice oriented class and then toodle off into Dragon Mage, which isn't available until 10th level.

I may either have to retool some existing classes to do the job (I like your bloodpool and corruption mechanic; it would work well alongside the blood witches metamagic mechanic. The class would probably have to lose a level or two along the way to pay for it.)

Or, I may have to resort to a mechanic that I haven't used in a while. Adding a spell like death knell does not fit the feel I am going for. These sorcerers participate in rituals to extract blood magic power. Perhaps I could just make a true ritual from Relics & Rituals spell that produces a benefit.

(Shame on Nightfall for visiting this thread and not suggesting it. )

 

[Sir Brennen]

Mongoose Publishing has an entire book dedicated to the topic in their Encyclopedia Aracana series entitled, appropriately enough, Blood Magic. It deals with ritual sacrifice to enhance spells, as well as some other wicked ideas (gaining power through blood transfusions, for example.)

Also, I know Book of Vile Darkness has already been mentioned, but there is another portion of it which could be viewed as a blood/sacrifice magic subsystem - power components. I don't have it with me, but I seem to recall things like "using heart of X as a component provides effect Y to spells".

I personally was looking for a subsystem that would allow the use of a spell-caster's own blood in combat to enhance spells, which, unfortunately, the Mongoose book did not really cover. I ended up house-ruling the effect, and then later found a series of feats in another book which fit my rules nicely. Ironically, these feats were from Bow and Blade, Green Ronin's source book on wood elves, of all things. I personally would have included it with the drow source book, but after all the spider/venom/pain and darkness stuff, they probably didn't have much room left

And, there is a small rules section on permanent sacrifice of HP to gain limited use of spells as spell like abilities in Altas Games' Secrets of the Ancients. It's called Red Blood magic, and would probably fit nicely with an overall culture of Blood Mages, using any/all of the systems listed in this and several of the other posts in this thread.

 

[Psion]

Mongoose Publishing has an entire book dedicated to the topic in their Encyclopedia Aracana series entitled, appropriately enough, Blood Magic. It deals with ritual sacrifice to enhance spells, as well as some other wicked ideas (gaining power through blood transfusions, for example.)

Hmmm. Have to see if the FLGS has that one. I don't think I have it.

And, there is a small rules section on permanent sacrifice of HP to gain limited use of spells as spell like abilities in Altas Games' Secrets of the Ancients. It's called Red Blood magic, and would probably fit nicely with an overall culture of Blood Mages, using any/all of the systems listed in this and several of the other posts in this thread.

I actually have that one but didn't think of looking at it. Thanks.

 

[Voadam]

And, there is a small rules section on permanent sacrifice of HP to gain limited use of spells as spell like abilities in Altas Games' Secrets of the Ancients. It's called Red Blood magic, and would probably fit nicely with an overall culture of Blood Mages, using any/all of the systems listed in this and several of the other posts in this thread.

I think that is Eden Studios, not Atlas Games that did Secrets of the Ancients.