32 réponses à ce sujet

[Treacherous J Slither]

What are the cons of blood magic?

There aren't any.

What are the pros of blood magic?

A virtually limitless fuel source for spells.
Higher spellpower.
The ability to cast without fear of interruption by anti magic spells or abilities.
Unique and powerful spells.

Only a fool would turn their back on such power.

[X Equestris]

What are the cons of blood magic?
There aren't any.
What are the pros of blood magic?
A virtually limitless fuel source for spells.
Higher spellpower.
The ability to cast without fear of interruption by anti magic spells or abilities.
Unique and powerful spells.
Only a fool would turn their back on such power.

Increased risk of demonic possession
Possibility of the spell in question morphing on its own and doing something you didn't want it to do.

There's two practical cons right there. If you have any sort of moral compass, there are more than just those two.

[Eliastion]

I personally believe the potential dangers of blood magic for its user to be overestimated to scare people - it's reckless use that causes problems and you can blow yourself up with other kinds of magic too, as well as by non-magical means. There is, however, the problem of "what are the pros and cons of having an assault rifle and a bazooka in matching color?" Generally speaking, in hands of a responsible person, they both have their uses. Doesn't mean I would be happy to let weapons shop sell them. And if someone obtains such armament illegally, I'd assume he isn't that responsible person who should have access to them.

[Sarcastic Tasha]

Another poster compared blood magic to heroin I was also going to compare blood magic to illegal drugs but maybe more to something like ecstacy. So for example in the UK ecstacy is an illegal drug but scientific research suggests it's fairly safe, in fact safer than alcohol which is legal. But it's not likely to be legalised because people think it's dangerous. Why do they think it's dangerous? Because they've been told it is (which in my opinion is just propaganda). To me this just seems stupid because one of the most dangerous things about ecstacy is the fact it's illegal because you'd have to deal with a potentially dodgy person to get it and it won't have been produced by a reputable company (so it could contain any crap). I'm aware this analogy may seem a bit mental but bear with me while I explain. So like with the drugs people believe blood magic is evil because they have been continually told that it is. It's forbidden magic (in other words illegal) so you cannot learn it in a conventional way therefore you may have to contact a demon (or a criminal in the drug analogy). As such there will be risks involved, but if it was not forbidden it wouldn't actually be as risky. Look at the tivinter imperium if we were to believe all the propaganda about blood magic there should be no mages left in tivinter, they should all be abominations from overusing blood magic but obviously they aren't (not to say the power hadn't had a corrupting influence over them but it hasn't destroyed them).

[Bleachrude]

*LOL*

 

The fact that some mages are able to master blood magic and not cause problems is where I think most of the pro blood magic support comes from. The problem with this is that unlike fireamrs/drugs/alcohol there is no way to actually restrict blood magic to those mages responsible enough to use it. The above poster mentions that ecstasy is safer than alcohol yet that is restricted.

 

Here's the thing though...alcohol itself is restricted. You have to be 19 or 21 in many countries outside of you own home and in many places, there are laws resticting what activities you can do when alcohol is involved (not allowed to use heavy machinery, not allowed to drive if your blood alcohol level is above a certain value).

 

Exactly how would you prevent irresponsible mages from not using blood magic. 

[Eliastion]

(...) The problem with this is that unlike fireamrs/drugs/alcohol there is no way to actually restrict blood magic to those mages responsible enough to use it. The above poster mentions that ecstasy is safer than alcohol yet that is restricted.

(...)

Exactly how would you prevent irresponsible mages from not using blood magic. 

Well... It's not "unlike firearms", really. You need an approval system so that only chosen idividuals can be allowed to study BM (like it is done with gun control) - that can be done. Of course, there would still be those that obtain means of learning it illegally - very much like firearms. And, as in firearms case, there would also be people with legal permit who prove to be irresponsible despite managing to obtain a legal permission to study it.

If anything, I'd say BM is easier to restrict than guns since nobody can take your misplaced blood magic and use it - it's something that must be learnt (though someone could steal some of your books, admittedly).

 

One problem, however, that I believe is important for BM issue, is that the BM itself, while not necessarily corruptive by its nature, does approach magic differently than other schools. While other schools teach the mage to control power so that he can do more within his limits, blood magic is all about transcending these limits and getting more power - for a price. That underlying philosophy makes it so dangerous when someone gets to a point where they see something as worth any price. A normal person usually can't do much at that point, a normal mage isn't much better, but a blood mage? Yeah. He can make this happen, because his limits are basically defined by the price he is willing (and able) to pay.

And then there is that pesky problem of mind control. That's some heavy duty "no, I don't want anyone having this power, even if he is responsible and says he is on our side". For some reason the idea that someone can manipulate my mind is more unsettling than the idea that someone can incinerate me alive. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one  

[oanachampion]

BM is worse than swooping...  I'm willing to bet the mind control part was the most used out of everything that can be achieved by BM. I'm willing to bet the vallaslin was used not only to mark one's slaves, but also control them (since it's "blood writing"... and being so popular with the Dalish, I fear we haven't seen the full effect it would have on the marked with the symbols of a certain god, if said god would think it necessary). Idk why, but I have this feeling BM + red lyrium armor + the blight was what drove Andruil mad when she wondered into the Void ("Andruil put on armor made of the Void [...] plague ate her lands [...] She howled things meant to be forgotten [...]") and maaaaybe Mythal stole more than the knowledge of how to find the Void from Andruil, maybe she stole the "art" of BM (which might have been the very thing which drove Andruil - not a mage - insane.... and we all know how Flemythal is hellbent on preserving old, powerful things) and that's what got her betrayed/killed in the end? Wild theories aside, while BM was obviously made to be fueled by mortals & their blood, I doubt is was originally intended for use by them.

[Cheviot]

Responsible Blood Magic is possible, but as Dorian points out from his knowledge of Tevinter, irresponsible Blood Magic is more powerful, which puts responsible users at a disadvantage, and/or gives them an irresistable enticement to become irresponsible too.