What are the advantages of Stanch/Blood Draught?

[Bunnysmack]

Trying to determine how these are any more useful than standard uses of Scribe Scroll and Brew Potion. So far I've determined that they don't require physical crafting materials (which are pretty cheap to buy anyway...), and it lets you craft these things without a feat (somewhat handy for Blood Draught, but for Wizards you get Scribe Scroll for free...)

Anything I'm missing about the usefulness (or lack thereof) of these two Blood Magus abilities? I guess that Stanch is helpful for a Sorcerer based BM, but is it completely useless for a Wizard based BM?

[Hoihe]

Blood draught can store high level spells, and is ICly ALWAYS with you.
Stanch makes you immune to bleed out, you mean scarification.

As a blood magus, you're practically never without magic unless in an anti-magic room.

They cut your tongue out and tie you down? Who cares, your blood activates while you're on the ground in a cell, tied up so tight you cannot move. You concentrate, blood draught for fire immunity activates. Then the weird ritual scarring they couldn't figure out also activates and the whole prison catches fire. Everyone around you dies, your ropes burn to cinders and you walk out unscathed. Find a way to restore your tongue and you're free.

And you can do the above without falling to evil.

Blood magi, even without exploiting other people's life energies, are INCREDIBLY powerful. This doesn't really get represented, but it's a very good CYA when doing risky business.



It's also a point in badass. Everyone can see a wizard reading a scroll or drinking a potion in a mage duel and react in time. Takes an expert to tell that the blood magus is doing anything activating the draught/scar. In case of a mage duel, you can store your Cl-dependent blasting spell at your current Cl (cannot do so with scrolls) and without giving your opponent a chance to react (due to the pseudo-quickened nature of using items and the fact that there are no IC tells), you hit them in the face with it!

My own blood magus used like 40 preparations of Blood Draught (Invisibility) to HiPS in and out in combat for that extra chance to hit flat-footed enemies. He also frequently went on expeditions that left him without any gear, and ability to cast spells (DM ruled I had no components on me). No problem, he got his own blood to replace most components, and other spells that I mostly used scrolls for I prepared as scars/draughts.




Oh.

And mechanically, ignoring the badass these two let you become In-universe,

Your draughts and scars are your Cl, not the one decided by the engine. At least when I played my BM (like 4 yrs ago).

Your scars are basically spells that are auto-stilled and auto-silenced. The only other people who can do this are epic mages with 8 feats invested (Silent/still, and their auto variants). You can do this by level 17 easily.

You, and Master Alchemists, are the only people who have access to potions at high Cl.

[Bunnysmack]

Your scars are basically spells that are auto-stilled and auto-silenced. The only other people who can do this are epic mages with 8 feats invested (Silent/still, and their auto variants). You can do this by level 17 easily.

You, and Master Alchemists, are the only people who have access to potions at high Cl.

IS that different from how standard scrolls work when you read them..?

[Hoihe]

Your scars are basically spells that are auto-stilled and auto-silenced. The only other people who can do this are epic mages with 8 feats invested (Silent/still, and their auto variants). You can do this by level 17 easily.

You, and Master Alchemists, are the only people who have access to potions at high Cl.

IS that different from how standard scrolls work when you read them..?

Back when Blood magus was made, you couldn't scribe scrolls at your Cl, only at the one set by the engine.

I am not sure if the new scroll scribing system with cl specifications works.

[Babuguuscooties]

Your scars are basically spells that are auto-stilled and auto-silenced. The only other people who can do this are epic mages with 8 feats invested (Silent/still, and their auto variants). You can do this by level 17 easily.

You, and Master Alchemists, are the only people who have access to potions at high Cl.

IS that different from how standard scrolls work when you read them..?

Back when Blood magus was made, you couldn't scribe scrolls at your Cl, only at the one set by the engine.

I am not sure if the new scroll scribing system with cl specifications works.

Last I tried scribing it opened a dialog box with your highest CL, and you could change it if you wanted.

[Hoihe]

I guess that bonus no longer exists . Back in my day, it was the only way to have high CL scrolls.

[Valefort]

All scrolls have a caster level cap, unlike Blood Draughts.

[Babuguuscooties]

All scrolls have a caster level cap, unlike Blood Draughts.

Okay, fair enough! I wasn't sure if what I was talking about was even what he was asking for lol.