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For the specialization in Dragon Age: Origins, see Blood Mage (Origins).


Blood Mage is one of the specializations available to the mage class in Dragon Age II.

Background[]

Nothing inspires as much wild-eyed terror as the Blood Mage. Mages of this type take the raw energy of life and twist it to their own purposes. They can corrupt and control, and sustain their power by consuming the health of others, willing or not. The effects can be vile, but this specialization isn't limited to madmen and monsters. Many see it as the only form of magic that is truly free, because it's tied to the physical, not favors to spirits or demons. It remains an undeniably violent and self-destructive discipline, however, the Blood Mage must be careful. The temptation to take just a little more is always there.[1]

  • Many creatures which lack blood can still be damaged by Blood Mage abilities.
  • The item property +% healing to this character affect Grave Robber and Sacrifice, not the item property +% healing by this character.

Spell tree[]

Spell tree

Spells[]

Blood Magic Blood Magic
Sustained
Activation: 70%
Cooldown: 20s
Requires: Level 7
While this mode is active, the mage can use blood magic, sacrificing health rather than mana to obtain a deeper pool of energy for casting spells. When Blood Magic is in use, however, the mage cannot be healed by conventional spells or potions.

1 health provides 2 mana
Spellcasting consumes health instead of mana
Immune to conventional healing
Bloodlust Bloodlust
Upgrade
Requires: Level 11
Requires: 5 points in Blood Mage
Blood magic consumes less health, allowing the mage to cast spells with greater frequency.

1 health provides 1 additional mana (total: 3)
Grave Robber Grave Robber
Activated
Size: 12m
Cooldown: 45s
Requires: Level 10
The blood mage consumes the residual life force from nearby enemy corpses to regain health. (Blood Magic must be active.)

Health regeneration: 10% per nearby corpse
One Foot In One Foot In
Upgrade
Requires: Level 12
Requires: 3 points in Blood Mage
Grave Robber now drains a small amount of health from living enemies as well, using that energy to heal the mage. Creatures without blood are immune.

Spirit damage: equal to 100% of the mage's maximum health
Enemy armor: momentarily 0%
Enemy damage resistance: momentarily 0%
Health regeneration: 10% per nearby enemy
Sacrifice Sacrifice
Activated
Cooldown: 20s
Requires: Level 9
The blood mage sucks the life force from an ally to regain health. (Blood Magic must be active.)

Companion health: -20%
Health regeneration: 100% of companion's lost health
Grim Sacrifice Grim Sacrifice
Upgrade
Requires: Level 13
The mage now gains more health than the party member loses. If the spell causes the ally to fall the blood mage gains even more health.

Health regeneration: +50% of companion's lost health (total: 150%)
Health regeneration: 200% of companion's lost health if companion falls
Hemorrhage Hemorrhage
Activated
Size: 10m
Activation: 60
Cooldown: 30s
Requires: Level 13
Requires: 3 points in Blood Mage
This spell corrupts the blood of all foes in the targeted area, inflicting damage over a short duration without regard for enemy armor or damage resistance. Creatures without blood are immune. (Blood Magic must be active.)

Physical damage: 4.5x
Enemy armor: momentarily 0%
Enemy damage resistance: momentarily 0%
Paralyzing Hemorrhage Paralyzing Hemorrhage
Upgrade
Requires: Level 15
Requires: 4 points in Blood Mage
Hemorrhage now inflicts more damage and immobilizes some enemies.

Physical damage: +2.25x (total: 6.75x)
Physical damage: 500% vs. STAGGEREDStaggered enemies
Paralyze chance: 50% vs. normal enemies
Blood Slave Blood Slave
Activated
Activation: 40
Duration: 15s
Cooldown: 30s
Requires: Level 12
Requires: 3 points in Blood Mage
The mage enslaves a target, forcing it to fight alongside the party for a short time, after which the victim dies unless it is particularly powerful. Creatures without blood are immune. (Blood Magic must be active.)

Enslavement chance: 100% vs. normal enemies
Blood Spatter Blood Spatter
Upgrade
Requires: Level 16
When a Blood Slave dies, it explodes in a shower of gore that damages all nearby enemies.

Damage: Equal to 75% of the victim's maximum health on affected enemies

Strategy[]

Compared to the Origins variant of Blood Magic, this specialization isn't as offensive, but it does have its uses.

When using Blood Magic, it's always wise to watch your health, as it becomes your mana bar. Over-casting spells can easily kill a player who isn't keeping an eye on their health bar. To aid in this, there are many items that can increase the health-to-mana ratio, up to 1:7 max.

By using your health instead of your mana to fuel spells, two benefits are gained. Players can forgo wasting attribute points on Willpower for higher Constitution and more Sustained Spells can be used, as the mana bar essentially becomes useless. Do note that magic armor requires Willpower, at most requiring 31 Willpower. If you wish to keep your armor high, only raise Willpower to 31 before switching to Constitution and Magic.

The downside to the usage of Blood Magic is the inability to heal from regular healing spells and potions. This can be circumvented through abilities and items that increase health regeneration, the Sacrifice spell, and the Grave Robber spell. Despite the description, the Death Syphon upgrade doesn't restore health with Blood Magic active.

Blood Magic's only offensive spell comes in the form of Hemorrhage. On its own, it has average physical damage, but when upgraded, it easily becomes an incredibly powerful spell. When foes are staggered by a warrior, the spell does a whopping 900% physical damage through armor in a large area, easily decimating the health of those unlucky to be staggered. It is for this reason that Blood Mages should keep Fenris around for his two-handed staggering abilities.

Blood Slave has its uses for certain enemies but is basically an upgraded Walking Bomb when upgraded. While it does control normal-ranked enemies, it only works for 10 seconds, and enemies strong enough won't die afterwards. It's advised to use this in a cluster of weak enemies so when the puppet dies, it basically serves its purpose as a homing bomb.

Ultimately, a Blood Mage's value is versatility in sustaining spells and controlling the battlefield from afar, as well as its unusual hardiness for a mage, allowing it to function either close or far from the fray.

Blood magic enhancing items[]

The "Improves blood magic" property has been replaced with a property that allows Blood Magic to grant the equivalent of 1 more point of mana per point of health. By default, Hawke's Blood Magic already grants a 1 HP: 2 MP ratio. Several items increase the mana with a ratio of 0.25. These properties also apply to Merrill's Blood of the First in the same way.

Before patch 1.3, the ratio for blood magic items was a lot higher, with a 1:1 ratio or more. This has been altered to balance the game, making sure that you can not render health cost negligible with a 1:7 ratio.

Generic equipment, including light armor, accessories, and staves, can sometimes be found with this property (especially at the shops in Lowtown.)

Accessories[]

Armor[]

Staves[]

Bugs[]

  • ps3PS3 If spells in this specialization are included in Tactics and another character is being controlled, Hawke may use them even if Blood Magic is not active.

References[]

  1. "Mage Class". Retrieved 05-26-2014.
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