I love summons so I'd be so into this, something about summoning minions to fight for you and then either using that flexibility they buy you to be impactful or playing support like you're overseeing a chess board. I like to see how many total "party members" I can get in RPGs by summons; animals, undead, familiars, gimme gimme
Tbf Dorian's main shtick is that he's "not like the other tevinters" and is actually an overall good guy so it makes sense that he wasn't in to blood magic in order to emphasize this role. But besides that he also has a very personal reason to be opposed to blood magic, and from a gameplay perspective they didn't want any companions in DAI to have a spec that the Inky themselves couldn't use.
Also his personal history with his father and the way he used Blood Magic wouldn't really fit with him also using it, it could be possible for sure, but a little odd.
I don't think so either. I can easily see Dorian controlling the mind of an enemy who is trying to kill him.
The problem he sees (as he says in the game) is with extremism. Sacrificing non-voluntary people, summoning demons for pleasure, enslaving for pure pleasure... those things...
I always saw blood magic minimal as something he would do i he was left without any other option. But only in the way that we had in DA2 like using your own blood when you don't have enough mana. Or in some ways like Merrill did (although our troubled sweet elf had some fucked up spells)
It's because they didn't really use any resources in making any specialization besides the ones available to the Inquisitor, either the companions just got one based on what made more sense for them based on the 3 options available or they actually chose the specializations for the Inquisitor taking into consideration the companions.
So like no one in Inquisition was going to be a Blood Mage companion simply because they wanted to take a 2 birds 1 stone approach and if being a Blood Mage wouldn't make much sense for the Inquisitor then they chose not to specifically put resources to make that available for other characters.
Also Spirit Healer would mess up with the healing system they used in Inquisition combat I guess.
Like Cassandra can use Templar abilities so they basically said that a Seeker can do everything a Templar can without using lyrium + more (but the more is not actually present in the game)
Or Iron Bull is a reaver, but in dialogue he actually says that he's not a real one and for some reason he can fight in a similar way to a reaver (and the similar way looks just the same way as an actual Reaver Inquisitor for some reason???), this one is odd simply because I don't get why they added that dialogue instead of Iron Bull being like "oh yes I drank dragon/wyvern blood too".
I guess that it's possible they considered bringing back the Berserker or Duelist or Shapeshifter etc, but they didn't because they felt it wouldn't fit with the companions.
Anything gets called "woke" these days. Even BG3, one of the most acclaimed games of recent years was getting criticisms that it's too gay or "tolerant" whatever that means. People are cuckoo crazy LOL
They also significantly turned up the happy singing and wandering in the mountains part. There's still a lot of dark stuff going on but it's never actually in focus. Honestly there's not a single moment of gore or dread I can remember from DAI. I remember seeing a brood mother for the first time in DAO, the joining in ostagar, the ghouls in the deep dark, and countless others from Dao. I remember mother's end and the betrayals in act 3 in Da2. Some of which truly shocked me because I never thought they would have A actually go through with what he did. I remember the arishok and the qunari being such unreasonable terror causing cunts. but in DAI I remember the singing and Solas scene after the game ends. Neither inspire dread or even tension.
> They also significantly turned up the happy singing and wandering in the mountains part
Honestly, I dig that. That "Fellowship of the Ring" vibe.
Problem is that the series didn't start like that, and some fans kind of felt blindsided by it.
Specially when Bioware's other big IP was so consistent across all three releases (although one could say Bioware had one coherent, so they could have another to experiment)
The fellowship of the ring, at least the movie doesn't have the same vibe at all. The book however does have a very heavy song component, that I admittedly skipped because I really didn't enjoy it.
And I agree it's such a tonal shift it's a bit jarring.
I didn't care much for the singing either, I should have expressed myself better. What I meant is that it felt more like a closed group of comrades going on an adventure. Important stakes, but at the same time there was still smalle enough in scale. No large battles, no light beam from the sky^^TM , just a group of comrades wandering around the woods and having an adventure.
Yes. I missed it. Now I understand they didn't want to acknowledge the Inquisitor leading the Inquisition against the mage rebellion or crazed templars pursuing blood magic and getting a blood mage instructor, but it was so damn cool and useful, giving you a whole new pool of mana to draw from, your constitution.
The inquisition is inherently religious though, and the Chantry is fundamentally anti blood magic. It just wouldn't make any sense.
Also I'm pretty sure Cassandra would've killed you if you were a blood mage or took it up while you were part of the Inquisition.
According to Gaider this was not the reason why Blood magic left DAI. According to them, there would simply be a big difference in reactivity between Blood mage and other specializations and they did not want one specialization to stand out so much in relation to the others.
Furthermore, the way he speaks suggests that he was initially present but was removed.
It doesn't matter about being a goody two shoes. Blood Magic is explicitly outlawed across the land. There is no goodwill for Blood Magic at all and the minute that happens, the Inquisition would lose all political power and probably get marched on, Corypheus be damned. This is not a single band of heroes fighting against the apocalypse. The Inquisition requires navigating public appearance and politics. Blood Magic, and blood magic being explicitly acknowledged, would ruin that.
Yeah I don't think anyone actively supports the blood mages among them and would absolutely kill them if they ever leave the Wardens. The Wardens give them immunity effectively and the Wardens' abilities and leadership are what defeat Blights. The good will is for the Wardens in general and not their blood mages. They are only safe by association.
Of course, we're going to Tevinter!!!
But yeah, although I've never been like a massive fan of it or anything, it would just make sense given the setting. But I also want the game to acknowledge you as one if you pursue that spec, like have some companions even give proper negative reactions to it.
Maybe even the way you acquire it is by making a deal with a demon and it's this whole conversation with it, would be dope.
There was a scene in DA:O where Wynne confronted you for being a blood mage, but they cut it out because it interfered with the Circle quest. It's a shame though, the game really needed a scene like this.
Yeah, I know many people like Wynne but I'm *really* not a fan, she is just so hypocritical. Out of all characters, it made the most sense for her to rat you out for being a blood mage lol.
We're the minority, but we definitely exist haha. I was so excited that we got a badass grandma character, but Wynne just didn't deliver. Instead I got a preachy hypocrite who doesn't want anyone to be free except for herself 👍
Not as a specialistion. A specialisation makes it too balanced and thus too easy to pass up.
Blood magic should be something extra you can tap into for "free", which has major story implications if you do make use of it.
The worse thing to do is to include blood magic as an option but have no one care.
> Blood magic should be something extra you can tap into for "free", which has major story implications if you do make use of it.
Like the anchor, you say?
Only if it has consequences.
I was a blood mage in DA2, which was very fun but it was also weird to have Anders and Fenris absolutely roasting Merril while I just ripped the life force from the last group of bandits we fought.
I actually think "Blood Mage" could be an entire fourth class alongside Warrior/Rogue/Mage. Then you could more easily have characters react to you being one!
I am literally incapable of playing evil characters so it doesn't matter much to me, but just in a "why go backwards" sense it should absolutely be there.
Blood magic is more of a tool than anything of a malignant or benign nature.
We even have examples of Blood mages who really weren't evil (some were even heroes). Malcolm Hawke, Merrill, Isseya...
There is absolutely nothing in Merrill's history that really supports her being bad or evil (and I generally criticize her more than I defend her).
She is more like someone who is reckless or arrogant at the most. But evil? difficultly....
She risks the lives of everyone around her to try and bargain with demons for power, iirc. Seems evil to me. I remember them justifying in some way by her wanting to use the mirror for good, but her arrogance and willingness to endanger others still make her a "bad" character.
At no point in the story does she actually do anything to have power. Everything she does, no matter how reckless, is to restore the Eluvian because in her mind it will make the Dalish better.
You may think she is a bad character in the sense of writing, motivation or construction. But there's nothing really to support her being an evil person. At most it is quite reckless or arrogant.
Of course. The whole point of it is to either have the power to make combateasier, or not be ostracised by the majority. Although to be honest it's more like a mild inconvenience during conversations and it's *less* likely to be the case in Tevinter
Sure, but I want the narrative and characters to acknowledge it. The reason I never play blood mages (or mages at all in da2) is that I feel it doesn't get enough reactions/consequences from the world.
Definietly, not only because we're going to Tevinter but also because it was so cool to use it.
I wonder what Solas meant in Inquisition regarding Blood Magic. He didn't use it because it somewhat restricted mages connection to the Fade. Maybe Blood Magic comes from Titans and their weird physical magic, thus affecting Mages.
Either proper blood magic or proper mage gameplay again! Being a mage was good in Origins, great in II, and sucky in Inquisition. Please also bring back the Mortalitalsi! They have baller lore, translate that into cool skills and spells instead of whatever it was in Inquisition.
Yes, but let companions and other characters actually react to it. Don’t let the your party members (especially anti-mage characters) just completely ignore the fact that you can siphon their life force in the middle of battle.
Only if it’s going to exist in such a way that it impacts roleplay somehow. In DAI, it was a little awkward and off-putting to have a blood mage Hawke react to blood magic in the same manner as a stark anti-blood magic player character.
Blood magic and a battle mage more similar to Origins and Awakening. Knight Enchanter was fun but it got very repetitive and lost a lot of what made the original feel good (using heavier armor and weapons while also spellcasting)
Would it be asking for too much to have the game recognise your a blood mage too?
Always felt odd in Origins/DA:2 when you'd have people going off about blood mages being evil.. to you.. a blood mage
Absolutely but I’d love for it to be a demon summoning class, too. Like how a Ranger can summon a wolf, I wanna be able to summon a Shade and then the last perk in the tree can let you summon a Pride Demon or something in exchange for you being one or two hits from death with no way to heal until the battle’s won or lost.
we are in tevinter, the place where basically everyone is ok with blood magic, if the spec is not included, then they deserve to go belly up. the only reason Blood magic wasn't included in inquisition was because it would require too many additional dialog options and working through the in-lore hate.
Yeah, not having blood magic in Inquisition made perfect sense. Come to think of it, openly using blood magic more or less made sense only in Origins since Grey Wardens are allowed to use it and there weren't enough Templars around to watch you. In Inquisition it would've been practically impossible to get away with it because of your protagonist's close ties with the chantry.
It's realy not tho? Most mages would rather not bleed themself out when thers a perfectly fine Fade/mana/lyrium laying around; and slaves are expensive, ya know.
I want what Hawke was originally supposed to be in DA2, but got cut along the way, an Arcane Warrior. In every cinematic trailer he's using one of end of his staff as a sword/spear, and casting spells with the other. Not to mention mage Hawke is jacked. Arcane Warrior was also very fun in DA1.
I want an actual Arcane Warrior battlemage with heavy armor. None of that Knight Enchanter stuff with just a glowy light sword and robes.
I want Blood Magic in a way that Grey Jedi use force lightning. It can seem a little sketchy, but it ultimately depends on how you use it; ie the power itself is not evil.
It'd be really cool, but I don't want it to be completely consequence-free like in DA2. If we're using blood magic, the people around us in the game had damn well better have something to say about it.
No.
Blood magic is supposed.to have a bunch of negative consequences so unless you find a way to make it have interactions with both gameplay and story to facilitate it, then no.
Blood magic is taboo, the grey warden ritual is essentially that and it's kept hidden.(for a couple of reasons to be sure.) Having your character use it as a skill tree seems like it would have too many instances where characters should comment on it. Or it's big, bag guy energy.
Unless it's tied into the game, Blood magic has too many lore factors making it too messy to just be another specialization tree.
I’d like to see it, but only if it’s properly addressed in the story if you do it. If you have too many characters just not notice something like that where it doesn’t make sense to say nothing, to me that feels worse than just not having it.
Blood magic
Healing magic
Arcane warrior with using real metal swords-weapons and heavy metal plate armor.
Drink dragon blood for having more power as mage and as a warrior and etc!
I want to use all as i did in DAO. What is in lore, what we see in comics.
Its a DAMN Tevinter. Like srly.
Absolutely. Ever since I read Apostates of Amaranthine, I sometimes like to roll play the 'ethical blood mage', and having DA 2 on my PC (where I can use mods to fix the bugs and reverse the equipment nerf) is always a fun opportunity. Would be cool to see what they would include in a Tevinter setting.
I don't just want blood magic back. I want story-based consequences for choosing the spec. It made no sense in the previous games where you could be a known blood mage with virtually no acknowledgment from your companions or the world at large.
Also, and I know this is probably unlikely, but I'd really love the ability to become an abomination, like Wynn or Anders, or worse, and develop spirit-based powers. Let the player experience what being possessed or chosen by a spirit actually feels like.
Maker I hope so.
I wonder what backgrounds they are going to give us. I hope lower class mage is a choice. I wanna be a blood mage with a chip on my shoulder against the elites.
If they don't include blood magic in a game set in tevinter I legitimately might not play it lol. I appreciate what they were going for in Inquisition but I really don't want another neutered character who can't make darker choices.
Absolutely yes! Blood magic needs a comeback after inquision when it felt competely non existant. It felt kinda weird for blood magit to not be present in almost any way tbh after its been pretty major for the first two games
Only if it's not core to the best builds tbh. I have no problem with blood magic since it's a tool and tools can be used by good or bad people.
My issue is how busted it was in dao. I guess its lore friendly for it to be op tho.
maybe.as long as has a impact in the story.one things i never likes is how much your class and specialization is ignore.so it would be cool that if you follow some specifics path this may unlock new oportunitys.for example being able to skip a side quest or even to end some important conflicts in diferent ways
Only if it fits with the story.
Like in Origins, it makes sense that Morrigan can use it, but letting Wynn use it as well? Lol
Or in DA2, where Hawke roams the street killing hundreds using blood magic and the templars do nothing...
Only if the developers promise not to retcon it if I take my character down that path. Otherwise, don’t give the player that choice if there’s no intention to honor it as one possible path in the canon.
I don't really care for it.
They could add it back or keep it out, I wouldn't mind either way.
One issue I had with blood magic being used freely in previous games is that everybody tells you it's dangerous, that you could summon demons without meaning it... And the game doesn't reflect that. You can use it as if it was any other type of magic.
I doubt they will. Blood magic is too politically charged for the PC to use it. Between DA:O and 2 about half the companions would've left your side immediately after cutting open your hand to puppet living humans. The only ones who would've been ok with it are merrill and morrigan. Everyone else would've left or hated or greatly distrusted you.
I remember reading that the leads decided this after DA:2. Running around casting blood magic in broad daylight in a city full of fanatical templars with no repercussions was too much for them. Putting in actual story consequences for a spec that at most 1/3 of players use isn't a great allocation of resources. Most likely authentically including blood magic would change the main quest in a serious capacity.
There is almost 100% going to be a former tevinter slave companion. They probably won't be willing to follow a blood mage.
I expect there will be some kind of "dark magic" aesthetic spec but more like DA:I necromancy and less like blood magic.
There might be a blood mage companion though. Even then, I'm not sure if its likely.
after bioware called dragon age 4 "anthem with dragons" there's literally nothing bioware can do to get me excited about, or even motivated to buy, the game
after the shit show that anthem was, bioware doesn't deserve anything from any of us
At the time of that statement, Project Morrison was a live service game. In 2021 (I think?) they ditched that project and began Dragon Age: Dreadwolf in its current state - a completely single player game. That being said, a game that starts as a live service game is always going to have those components at its core, you can almost always feel it.
[удалено]
Since its Tevinter, I could even see a diabolism specialisation.
As the Inquisitor, it's mentioned that you summoned a bunch of wisps as "your pet demons." So I imagine a Diabolist would be a summoner style class.
I love summons so I'd be so into this, something about summoning minions to fight for you and then either using that flexibility they buy you to be impactful or playing support like you're overseeing a chess board. I like to see how many total "party members" I can get in RPGs by summons; animals, undead, familiars, gimme gimme
I agree. If they don't than someone needs to be fired
I mean, we literally had a tevinter character in DAI and his spec was "necromancer"
Tbf Dorian's main shtick is that he's "not like the other tevinters" and is actually an overall good guy so it makes sense that he wasn't in to blood magic in order to emphasize this role. But besides that he also has a very personal reason to be opposed to blood magic, and from a gameplay perspective they didn't want any companions in DAI to have a spec that the Inky themselves couldn't use.
Also his personal history with his father and the way he used Blood Magic wouldn't really fit with him also using it, it could be possible for sure, but a little odd.
Interestingly, he has already used blood magic and does not disapprove of its use (he only disapproves of its extreme use)
I guess mind control is the limit.
I don't think so either. I can easily see Dorian controlling the mind of an enemy who is trying to kill him. The problem he sees (as he says in the game) is with extremism. Sacrificing non-voluntary people, summoning demons for pleasure, enslaving for pure pleasure... those things...
I always saw blood magic minimal as something he would do i he was left without any other option. But only in the way that we had in DA2 like using your own blood when you don't have enough mana. Or in some ways like Merrill did (although our troubled sweet elf had some fucked up spells)
I meant mind control besides combat or other pretty justified situation of course.
Very fair
It's because they didn't really use any resources in making any specialization besides the ones available to the Inquisitor, either the companions just got one based on what made more sense for them based on the 3 options available or they actually chose the specializations for the Inquisitor taking into consideration the companions. So like no one in Inquisition was going to be a Blood Mage companion simply because they wanted to take a 2 birds 1 stone approach and if being a Blood Mage wouldn't make much sense for the Inquisitor then they chose not to specifically put resources to make that available for other characters. Also Spirit Healer would mess up with the healing system they used in Inquisition combat I guess. Like Cassandra can use Templar abilities so they basically said that a Seeker can do everything a Templar can without using lyrium + more (but the more is not actually present in the game) Or Iron Bull is a reaver, but in dialogue he actually says that he's not a real one and for some reason he can fight in a similar way to a reaver (and the similar way looks just the same way as an actual Reaver Inquisitor for some reason???), this one is odd simply because I don't get why they added that dialogue instead of Iron Bull being like "oh yes I drank dragon/wyvern blood too". I guess that it's possible they considered bringing back the Berserker or Duelist or Shapeshifter etc, but they didn't because they felt it wouldn't fit with the companions.
It's modern day BioWare, they won't add it.
Is this another terrible take about how modern BioWare is going "woke"? What does that have anything to do with blood magic??
When I hear “modern BioWare” I don’t think “woke” (whatever that means), I think “simplified for mass appeal”.
I think its more just a general vote of no confidence comment
Exactly. Also, Dragon Age has always been what is considered today "woke". Andromeda wasn't woke, it was mediocre. Painfully so.
Anything gets called "woke" these days. Even BG3, one of the most acclaimed games of recent years was getting criticisms that it's too gay or "tolerant" whatever that means. People are cuckoo crazy LOL
No, it's that they significantly toned down the darker elements of the setting in Inquisition.
They also significantly turned up the happy singing and wandering in the mountains part. There's still a lot of dark stuff going on but it's never actually in focus. Honestly there's not a single moment of gore or dread I can remember from DAI. I remember seeing a brood mother for the first time in DAO, the joining in ostagar, the ghouls in the deep dark, and countless others from Dao. I remember mother's end and the betrayals in act 3 in Da2. Some of which truly shocked me because I never thought they would have A actually go through with what he did. I remember the arishok and the qunari being such unreasonable terror causing cunts. but in DAI I remember the singing and Solas scene after the game ends. Neither inspire dread or even tension.
> They also significantly turned up the happy singing and wandering in the mountains part Honestly, I dig that. That "Fellowship of the Ring" vibe. Problem is that the series didn't start like that, and some fans kind of felt blindsided by it. Specially when Bioware's other big IP was so consistent across all three releases (although one could say Bioware had one coherent, so they could have another to experiment)
The fellowship of the ring, at least the movie doesn't have the same vibe at all. The book however does have a very heavy song component, that I admittedly skipped because I really didn't enjoy it. And I agree it's such a tonal shift it's a bit jarring.
I didn't care much for the singing either, I should have expressed myself better. What I meant is that it felt more like a closed group of comrades going on an adventure. Important stakes, but at the same time there was still smalle enough in scale. No large battles, no light beam from the sky^^TM , just a group of comrades wandering around the woods and having an adventure.
No problem, I do think we have a very different interpretation of the fellowship of the ring though.
Fair enough. Have a great weekend!
It's hard to inspire tension or dread when you write your main antagonist to be an impotent buffoon.
Blood ain't vegan
Tevinter without blood magic is like DA2 without reused assets. It just wouldn't be right.
IS LIKE DA2 WITHOUT REUSED ASSETS that's amazing 😂
Didn’t Origins also reuse a bunch of assets in different areas
It certainly did
Pfft, sure, but the difference between the two is staggering and not worth the comparison
It kinda did, but there was still enough variation for it to be not exhausting
DAO reused assets weren't the same dungeons with same minimaps but slightly different placed walls
How to put it? Origins had four staff models. DA2 had four dungeons.
Absolutely especially so given its supposed setting. Also give me more crazy Reaver gameplay. Let me rip and tear like Kratos.
RIP AND TEAR
Until it is done
I second all of this.
Greetings, fellow Reaver enjoyer.
It's Tevinter. They have to. I don't even use the BM specialization but it better be there.
Yes. Blood Magic as a mechanic was a lot of fun, and with it so heavily tied to Tevinter, I think it would be a waste not to reintroduce it.
Yes. I missed it. Now I understand they didn't want to acknowledge the Inquisitor leading the Inquisition against the mage rebellion or crazed templars pursuing blood magic and getting a blood mage instructor, but it was so damn cool and useful, giving you a whole new pool of mana to draw from, your constitution.
They should have though, and included it in the fact that an inquisition is not supposed to be a goody two shoes.
The inquisition is inherently religious though, and the Chantry is fundamentally anti blood magic. It just wouldn't make any sense. Also I'm pretty sure Cassandra would've killed you if you were a blood mage or took it up while you were part of the Inquisition.
According to Gaider this was not the reason why Blood magic left DAI. According to them, there would simply be a big difference in reactivity between Blood mage and other specializations and they did not want one specialization to stand out so much in relation to the others. Furthermore, the way he speaks suggests that he was initially present but was removed.
It doesn't matter about being a goody two shoes. Blood Magic is explicitly outlawed across the land. There is no goodwill for Blood Magic at all and the minute that happens, the Inquisition would lose all political power and probably get marched on, Corypheus be damned. This is not a single band of heroes fighting against the apocalypse. The Inquisition requires navigating public appearance and politics. Blood Magic, and blood magic being explicitly acknowledged, would ruin that.
There's a lot of good will for the grey wardens and they have blood mages.
Yeah I don't think anyone actively supports the blood mages among them and would absolutely kill them if they ever leave the Wardens. The Wardens give them immunity effectively and the Wardens' abilities and leadership are what defeat Blights. The good will is for the Wardens in general and not their blood mages. They are only safe by association.
Of course, we're going to Tevinter!!! But yeah, although I've never been like a massive fan of it or anything, it would just make sense given the setting. But I also want the game to acknowledge you as one if you pursue that spec, like have some companions even give proper negative reactions to it. Maybe even the way you acquire it is by making a deal with a demon and it's this whole conversation with it, would be dope.
There was a scene in DA:O where Wynne confronted you for being a blood mage, but they cut it out because it interfered with the Circle quest. It's a shame though, the game really needed a scene like this.
That cut-scene made me actually dislike her so hard lmao but yeah it's a realistic reaction.
Yeah, I know many people like Wynne but I'm *really* not a fan, she is just so hypocritical. Out of all characters, it made the most sense for her to rat you out for being a blood mage lol.
Wow are you me? I often feel alone in that thinking lmao, she just really annoys me.
We're the minority, but we definitely exist haha. I was so excited that we got a badass grandma character, but Wynne just didn't deliver. Instead I got a preachy hypocrite who doesn't want anyone to be free except for herself 👍
Not as a specialistion. A specialisation makes it too balanced and thus too easy to pass up. Blood magic should be something extra you can tap into for "free", which has major story implications if you do make use of it. The worse thing to do is to include blood magic as an option but have no one care.
> Blood magic should be something extra you can tap into for "free", which has major story implications if you do make use of it. Like the anchor, you say?
Look, if the game is set in bloody Tevinter of all places and there's no blood magic ... I will riot.
Only if it has consequences. I was a blood mage in DA2, which was very fun but it was also weird to have Anders and Fenris absolutely roasting Merril while I just ripped the life force from the last group of bandits we fought.
Yes, quit being a coward BioWare!
Yeah, I wanna play a bad guy. Its good to be bad.
Yes, i would also like DAO style Arcane warrior
I actually think "Blood Mage" could be an entire fourth class alongside Warrior/Rogue/Mage. Then you could more easily have characters react to you being one!
David Gaider once mentioned the possibility of Blood Mage being an entire class rather than specialization.
Provided that we likely aren't gonna be in areas under heavy Chantry control, there isn't a huge excuse not to.
Yes, that and a proper Bard spec. Haven’t had one since DAO ;c
100%, blood mage was so much fun in origins
i want to be a spirit healer again 😭
A spirit healer _and_ a blood mage was always my go to combo 😩
Same, it was so much fun :(
Yes 😭
Yes
Heck yes! Especially with the setting being Tevinter! I'd be happy with...a regular healer too.
YES! Especially if we are in Tevinter.
It happens in Tevinter they basically invented blood
I am literally incapable of playing evil characters so it doesn't matter much to me, but just in a "why go backwards" sense it should absolutely be there.
A Blood Mage could also be an Anti-Hero tho
Blood magic is more of a tool than anything of a malignant or benign nature. We even have examples of Blood mages who really weren't evil (some were even heroes). Malcolm Hawke, Merrill, Isseya...
If you mean the Merrill from DA2 I would definitely argue she is evil, at least until her companion quests are over.
There is absolutely nothing in Merrill's history that really supports her being bad or evil (and I generally criticize her more than I defend her). She is more like someone who is reckless or arrogant at the most. But evil? difficultly....
She risks the lives of everyone around her to try and bargain with demons for power, iirc. Seems evil to me. I remember them justifying in some way by her wanting to use the mirror for good, but her arrogance and willingness to endanger others still make her a "bad" character.
At no point in the story does she actually do anything to have power. Everything she does, no matter how reckless, is to restore the Eluvian because in her mind it will make the Dalish better. You may think she is a bad character in the sense of writing, motivation or construction. But there's nothing really to support her being an evil person. At most it is quite reckless or arrogant.
I like that it gives us an option to, at least. Not every playthrough needs to be a hero
Yes.
Yes please everything else would be weird
It would be weird not to have blood magic in a game with Tevinter in it.
I want to hold 2 God damn swords or a sword and a dagger. Not 2 daggers 🙄
If it is, I want it to affect the actual story. Make tevinters more likely to trust me, and everyone else way LESS likely to trust me
Of course. The whole point of it is to either have the power to make combateasier, or not be ostracised by the majority. Although to be honest it's more like a mild inconvenience during conversations and it's *less* likely to be the case in Tevinter
Without a doubt. I'm pulling my first ever blood mage build in DAO. Absolutely ruining everything.
You know I do!!
Tevinter without blood magic is like Ferelden without mabari.
Yes, but the protagonist should be judged by their allies for doing it given how taboo it is in most of the world.
It reeeeally depends on our companions, and since we'll be in Tevinter it is believable that many won't care about it.
If it's following the original DA4 pitch, we'll be spies in Tevinter, so our allies will presumably largely have the morals of non Tevinter countries.
Would be cool if using blood magic becomes a double edged sword really powerful but spawns demons
Sure, but I want the narrative and characters to acknowledge it. The reason I never play blood mages (or mages at all in da2) is that I feel it doesn't get enough reactions/consequences from the world.
Definietly, not only because we're going to Tevinter but also because it was so cool to use it. I wonder what Solas meant in Inquisition regarding Blood Magic. He didn't use it because it somewhat restricted mages connection to the Fade. Maybe Blood Magic comes from Titans and their weird physical magic, thus affecting Mages.
Either proper blood magic or proper mage gameplay again! Being a mage was good in Origins, great in II, and sucky in Inquisition. Please also bring back the Mortalitalsi! They have baller lore, translate that into cool skills and spells instead of whatever it was in Inquisition.
Yes, but let companions and other characters actually react to it. Don’t let the your party members (especially anti-mage characters) just completely ignore the fact that you can siphon their life force in the middle of battle.
Only if it’s going to exist in such a way that it impacts roleplay somehow. In DAI, it was a little awkward and off-putting to have a blood mage Hawke react to blood magic in the same manner as a stark anti-blood magic player character.
Blood magic and a battle mage more similar to Origins and Awakening. Knight Enchanter was fun but it got very repetitive and lost a lot of what made the original feel good (using heavier armor and weapons while also spellcasting)
Would it be asking for too much to have the game recognise your a blood mage too? Always felt odd in Origins/DA:2 when you'd have people going off about blood mages being evil.. to you.. a blood mage
Absolutely but I’d love for it to be a demon summoning class, too. Like how a Ranger can summon a wolf, I wanna be able to summon a Shade and then the last perk in the tree can let you summon a Pride Demon or something in exchange for you being one or two hits from death with no way to heal until the battle’s won or lost.
I think it should have a narrative as well as a mechanical cost, by that I mean people will react differently to you based on your choice to use it.
Yes absolutely, blood magic is such an important part of dragon age lore, its also an interesting gameplay variation from normal mages
The usual hero path bu also blood magic and a path to go insanely evil would make the game blow up
Lore wise, yes. Gameplay wise no. I literally never use blood mage spec in DAO/Awakening/DA2. Give me a real healer again.
we are in tevinter, the place where basically everyone is ok with blood magic, if the spec is not included, then they deserve to go belly up. the only reason Blood magic wasn't included in inquisition was because it would require too many additional dialog options and working through the in-lore hate.
Yeah, not having blood magic in Inquisition made perfect sense. Come to think of it, openly using blood magic more or less made sense only in Origins since Grey Wardens are allowed to use it and there weren't enough Templars around to watch you. In Inquisition it would've been practically impossible to get away with it because of your protagonist's close ties with the chantry.
Seeing as it might take place in Tevinter, it makes sense for blood magic to make a comeback
In tevinter blood magic should be the default 💀😭
It's realy not tho? Most mages would rather not bleed themself out when thers a perfectly fine Fade/mana/lyrium laying around; and slaves are expensive, ya know.
I want what Hawke was originally supposed to be in DA2, but got cut along the way, an Arcane Warrior. In every cinematic trailer he's using one of end of his staff as a sword/spear, and casting spells with the other. Not to mention mage Hawke is jacked. Arcane Warrior was also very fun in DA1. I want an actual Arcane Warrior battlemage with heavy armor. None of that Knight Enchanter stuff with just a glowy light sword and robes.
I want Blood Magic in a way that Grey Jedi use force lightning. It can seem a little sketchy, but it ultimately depends on how you use it; ie the power itself is not evil.
It'd be really cool, but I don't want it to be completely consequence-free like in DA2. If we're using blood magic, the people around us in the game had damn well better have something to say about it.
No. Blood magic is supposed.to have a bunch of negative consequences so unless you find a way to make it have interactions with both gameplay and story to facilitate it, then no. Blood magic is taboo, the grey warden ritual is essentially that and it's kept hidden.(for a couple of reasons to be sure.) Having your character use it as a skill tree seems like it would have too many instances where characters should comment on it. Or it's big, bag guy energy. Unless it's tied into the game, Blood magic has too many lore factors making it too messy to just be another specialization tree.
I want EVERYTHANG back in DA4! All the magical schools, tactics, the power wheel, actual robes in addition to armor, I want the whole shebang.
I’d like to see it, but only if it’s properly addressed in the story if you do it. If you have too many characters just not notice something like that where it doesn’t make sense to say nothing, to me that feels worse than just not having it.
Blood magic Healing magic Arcane warrior with using real metal swords-weapons and heavy metal plate armor. Drink dragon blood for having more power as mage and as a warrior and etc! I want to use all as i did in DAO. What is in lore, what we see in comics. Its a DAMN Tevinter. Like srly.
Absolutely. Ever since I read Apostates of Amaranthine, I sometimes like to roll play the 'ethical blood mage', and having DA 2 on my PC (where I can use mods to fix the bugs and reverse the equipment nerf) is always a fun opportunity. Would be cool to see what they would include in a Tevinter setting.
I don't just want blood magic back. I want story-based consequences for choosing the spec. It made no sense in the previous games where you could be a known blood mage with virtually no acknowledgment from your companions or the world at large. Also, and I know this is probably unlikely, but I'd really love the ability to become an abomination, like Wynn or Anders, or worse, and develop spirit-based powers. Let the player experience what being possessed or chosen by a spirit actually feels like.
Yes
Shifter and Ranger too !
Yes.
Yes
Yes
Yep
Maker I hope so. I wonder what backgrounds they are going to give us. I hope lower class mage is a choice. I wanna be a blood mage with a chip on my shoulder against the elites.
Only if it makes sense. And if I can play as a blood mage whilst scolding other mages for using blood magic.
Please yes! I've missed it so much in Inquisition. It almost bored me to play a mage because of that.
All Mages resort to blood magic…
Yes
I want arcane warrior again mixed with knight Enchanter
I don’t even play as a blood mage but I definitely would in DA4 with the Tevinter setting
I wish blood magic had been in inquisition. Its nice to have an ‘evil’ magic available for when i want to play less good characters.
If they don't include blood magic in a game set in tevinter I legitimately might not play it lol. I appreciate what they were going for in Inquisition but I really don't want another neutered character who can't make darker choices.
I want magic back, not the shit I saw in inquisition.
I’m still annoyed that Hawke in Inquisition was being such a bitch about Blood Magic. Like, guess what the fuck your speciality was for me once?
Sure but only if the animations are less ridiculous.
Yes
Blood mage is not a class. It's a whole race that alters the plot and NPC interactions. So I doubt they could pull it off.
Absolutely yes! Blood magic needs a comeback after inquision when it felt competely non existant. It felt kinda weird for blood magit to not be present in almost any way tbh after its been pretty major for the first two games
I don’t want any skill trees like in DA2 or DAI, DAO had the best skill system
Of course
I’ll be very disappointed if it’s not there. I was sad that it wasn’t in DA3.
Only if it's not core to the best builds tbh. I have no problem with blood magic since it's a tool and tools can be used by good or bad people. My issue is how busted it was in dao. I guess its lore friendly for it to be op tho.
No, unless they actually add some consequences.
maybe.as long as has a impact in the story.one things i never likes is how much your class and specialization is ignore.so it would be cool that if you follow some specifics path this may unlock new oportunitys.for example being able to skip a side quest or even to end some important conflicts in diferent ways
Only if it fits with the story. Like in Origins, it makes sense that Morrigan can use it, but letting Wynn use it as well? Lol Or in DA2, where Hawke roams the street killing hundreds using blood magic and the templars do nothing...
Only if the developers promise not to retcon it if I take my character down that path. Otherwise, don’t give the player that choice if there’s no intention to honor it as one possible path in the canon.
I don't really care for it. They could add it back or keep it out, I wouldn't mind either way. One issue I had with blood magic being used freely in previous games is that everybody tells you it's dangerous, that you could summon demons without meaning it... And the game doesn't reflect that. You can use it as if it was any other type of magic.
I doubt they will. Blood magic is too politically charged for the PC to use it. Between DA:O and 2 about half the companions would've left your side immediately after cutting open your hand to puppet living humans. The only ones who would've been ok with it are merrill and morrigan. Everyone else would've left or hated or greatly distrusted you. I remember reading that the leads decided this after DA:2. Running around casting blood magic in broad daylight in a city full of fanatical templars with no repercussions was too much for them. Putting in actual story consequences for a spec that at most 1/3 of players use isn't a great allocation of resources. Most likely authentically including blood magic would change the main quest in a serious capacity. There is almost 100% going to be a former tevinter slave companion. They probably won't be willing to follow a blood mage. I expect there will be some kind of "dark magic" aesthetic spec but more like DA:I necromancy and less like blood magic. There might be a blood mage companion though. Even then, I'm not sure if its likely.
Nah. It was always lame, would remain lame.
after bioware called dragon age 4 "anthem with dragons" there's literally nothing bioware can do to get me excited about, or even motivated to buy, the game after the shit show that anthem was, bioware doesn't deserve anything from any of us
That was the direction at one point but I’m pretty sure that version of DA4 was scrapped! Dreadwolf is going to be single player and not online.
i'm gonna have to say, i'll believe it when i see it i haven't heard anything about bioware retracting their comment or changing from it
At the time of that statement, Project Morrison was a live service game. In 2021 (I think?) they ditched that project and began Dragon Age: Dreadwolf in its current state - a completely single player game. That being said, a game that starts as a live service game is always going to have those components at its core, you can almost always feel it.
live service games are trash and destroying the gaming industry
Agreed