Blood Slave/magic Questions

[RAF]

I'm a little confused about blood slaves and blood gems...

There's an item I wanted my mage to create, but required blood gems, so I go on a blood hunt...I find 5 virgins, and thought by sacrificing them I recieved blood gems...I'm playing Marignon, and have 2 mages with 1 in blood magic, but don't see an option to sacrifice...

After looking around this forum some, let me see if I have this right...

Can Marignon mages perform a sacrifice at all, even if they have blood magic attribute?
You can sacrifice slaves in combat for blood magic (think the answer to that is YES)?
Outside of combat, sacrificing only ups your dominion, and then only for certain Races?
Only way to find blood gems is to find a blood site/shrine/mine/whatever?

Anything I left out?

Thanks for the help....

[Karacan]

There's no such thing as blood gems. The cost of item forging and spellcasting is actually in blood slaves themselves - they're sacrificed during the creation of the item or spell. Just make sure they're in the lab instead with whoever captured them.

[RAF]

OK, looked under the magic area (where you can transfer gems to commanders) and had 5 under blood...how do I sacrifice to get blood gems?

I'm in my home province, so I have a lab present..

Thanks

[RAF]

I found it...I just transfer them to the lab, and they show up as regular gems...

Thanks for the insight...

[Sindai]

Originally posted by RAF:
I found it...I just transfer them to the lab, and they show up as regular gems...

Is English your first language? There seems to be some kind of communications barrier here. This isn't meant to be an insult, I just want to make sure you understand.

There is no such thing as "blood gems." Only "blood slaves." You cast spells using "blood slaves," you forge items using "blood slaves."

Every other type of magic uses "gems", blood magic uses "slaves."

[Norfleet]

Blood slaves *ARE* blood gems.

I do not think Marignon can perform blood sacrifices. (Maybe Diabolic Faith, but I doubt it). Only Vanheim, Jotunheim, Abysia, and Mictlan can perform sacrifices. Mictlan's sacrifices are mandatory for dominion spread. The others have optional sacrifices.

[Endoperez]

Some comments might get someone confused, so I'll add my few words in too.

Blood slaves are the Blood magic counterpart for the gems of other magics. You need BLOOD, not just colourful minerals.

Blood Sacrifices have nothing to do with magic: they are religious rites. Each sacrificed slave (more can be sacrificed per turn, propably limited by the priest level of the sacrificer) forces one "temple check", that is, each sacrificed slave spreads the dominion just as a temple in that province would.

In short, Blood Sacrifice increases you dominion.

[tinkthank]

All of the things said so far are correct and good. I'll just try to put it in my own words too, in the hope that they match the original poster's.

Blood slaves (the virgins you found) are *functionally equivalent* to the other types of gems. Yes, you can pool them by "putting them in the lab". You can also carry them around with you (just like mages can carry around the other types of gems), they will be in your mages' inventory as little red "X"s, BUT (and this is the difference to the gems) they will stand around on the battlefield (and can get hurt too) if the mage carrying them gets into a battle.

Terminologically, you do NOT "sacrifice" blood slaves on the battlefield; you "use" them (like you "use" gems). You can think of it as a form of sacrifice, sure, but in this game, the terminus "sacrifice" is ONLY used for a special activity which ONLY *priests* of Abyssia, Mictlan and Vanheim can do: namely: sacrifice blood slaves in order to raise dominion. This is not done during a battle. It is a "special action" (like: "perform assassination" or "preach the teachings of God" or however it is exactly phrased).

The ONLY way to find blood slaves is to perform a "blood hunt" (which is also a special action) (with ONE exception: Mictlan gets 3 blood slaves per turn). AFAIK there is NO "blood slave source" similar to a gem site (but I may be wrong).

Is this helpful?

Originally posted by Endoperez:
Each sacrificed slave (more can be sacrificed per turn, propably limited by the priest level of the sacrificer) forces one "temple check", that is, each sacrificed slave spreads the dominion just as a temple in that province would.

Back to this question after some tests, and some experience with Mictlan. IMHO the chance to expand dominion with blood sacrifice is _very_ limited, and _much_ less than a ordinary "temple check".
1 ordinary temple check = probably 10% * maximum dominion (so you have 60% chance to gain 1 candle if your pretender has a max dom of 6).
1 slave sacrifice = probably 2,5% * maximum dominion (so the chance to raise dominion with 1 slave is only 15% with a max dom of 6).

If I understand correctly, the pretender alone, by his mere presence in the capital, has a bigger effect in the first turns than the possible 2 slaves sacrifice with a Mictlan Priest!
Can someone confirm this feeling ? TIA

Cheers

[ May 19, 2004, 14:18: Message edited by: Sunray_be ]

[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by Sunray_be:
Back to this question after some tests, and some experience with Mictlan. IMHO the chance to expand dominion with blood sacrifice is _very_ limited, and _much_ less than a ordinary "temple check".

Are you sure that your sacrificers still have slaves on them when you submit the turn? They won't actually sacrifice any if you use the pool slaves button, but will grab some more at the beginning of the next turn.

If I understand correctly, the pretender alone, by his mere presence in the capital, has a bigger effect in the first turns than the possible 2 slaves sacrifice with a Mictlan Priest!

Your pretender only has a single strength 10 check with Mictlan, so no, even with your numbers he's still weaker.