Blood Magic: 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. - Dragon Age 2 Blood Mage Specialization.
Dark Sustenance – Empathic Agony + Equilibrium
Hemorrhage - Empathic Agony + Blooboil + Equilibrium
Blood Aura – Blood Revel + Wassail + Empathic Agony
Death Hex – Welling Blood + Blood Brand
Bloody Grasp – Mage Grip + Blood Boil or Malsiver’s Gauntlet + Blood Boil
Thrall Plague – Calm + Compelling Whispers, Dream Thrall or Bend Will+ Blood Brand + Blood Scourge
Corpse Curse - Dead Body + Tumble magnet+ Paralyisis Rune + Blood Ankh.
Deaths Finale - Ring of the Erudite + Tumble Magnet + Blood Garden + Curtain Call
Reign in Blood – Ultimate Power + Blood Revel + Dual Cast Blood Boil
Maelstrom of Chaos – Tumble Magnet + Frenzy+ AOE spell
Telekinetic Barrier – Ocatos Recital (Loaded with Flesh Spell, Resurgence and Whirlwind Cloak).
Winters Ruin – Frost Runes (Ancient Seals) + Mage Grip
Blood Pact - Knowledge is Power + Conjure Dremora Lord or Wrathman
Gameplay:
Taking direct inspiration from Dragon Age's Force and Blood Magic specializations, Ceryse is capable of of a myriad of devastatingly effective spell combinations, making her a true force to be reckoned with. Adept at crowd control, sustained damage and a slew of mitigating debuffs there is rarely a situation that her magic cannot handle. Able to easily switch between dealing heavy amounts damage and locking enemies down, her repertoire of skills makes for an exciting gameplay experience with a multitude of approaches to different combat scenarios.
Fueled by Blood:
With the inclusion of the Haemomancy spells from Sacrosanct and several spells from Apocalypse and the base game there are plenty of Blood Magic themed spells for Ceryse to play with.
At its heart there are four very essential spells and powers that make this build work. Equilibrium, Empathic Agony, Blood Revel and wassail. As you have well guessed by now everything The Sunder Mage is capable of relies on Blood Magic. Ceryse’s mana pool is very low by design, but her Health is extremely high thus she needs to replenish her mana regularly by sacrificing her life force with the use Equilibrium. Enter - Empathic Agony. With this awesome spell I have made a very effective way of making sure Ceryse’s enemies are always hurting. Empathic Agony is an AOE expert level Illusion spell added by Apocalypse. When cast on a target it will ensure that 40% of any damage felt by the caster is reflected back at the target. This is where the use Equilibruium and the power of Blood Revel to activate Wassail comes in handy, as they will act as a constant health drain on enemies so as long they are under the effect of Empathic Agony.Making this an extremely effective way to make the most out of Equilibrium's and Wassail's self harming effects.
But the power of Blood Magic does not stop there. With the many buffs to Restoration, the “Arcane Thesis” perk, Blood Revel and the “Ultimate Power” power from the Mage Stone; Ceryse is capable of pushing her Blood Boil spell to the extreme. When the spell is dual cast it has the potential of reaching numbers that exceed more than 600 DPS and boasts an extremely wide area of effect. It is worth noting that this is only sustainable once a day and for a short period due to her low mana pool, though most things will have well and truly perished by then.
A note on the Equilibrium spell. If you have Console Commands or the Cheat Room mod it is highly recommended that you add this spell to your knowledge as soon as possible. Failing that, prioritize doing the College of Winterholds questline as early as possible so that you can obtain the spell from within Labyrinthian.
The Force Unleashed:
The true capability of Telekinetic Force is fully realised and explored with this builds plethora of ways to slow, stagger, stun and send enemies flying in surges of raw telekinetic power. Ceryse has tapped into a truly unmatched and dark side of Force Magic that many mages only dream of weilding. With spells and shouts like Mage Grip, Tumble Magnet, Unrelenting Force and King’s Bane, Ceryse can rip foes off their feet with a powerful force choke, group them together to set up extremely effective and devastating combos or cast them aside like dust in the wind.
Complete Control:
Illusion magic and enchantments offer Ceryse the abilty to enrapture, terrorize or utterly unhinge her adversaries. She is capable of enthralling her targets to fight for her, turning foes on each other creating a psychic blood bond that ensures any pain she feels they do too. This school of magic ensures she remains in complete control of the battlefield at all times.
Combat:
Magic Users/Dragons: With Ceryse’s high resistance to elemental damage Mages are seldom too much of an issue apart from Lightning Wielders. When facing such foes paralysis, fear and calm spells and the “Bloody Grasp” ability are quite useful at disabling them. When against dragons Ceryse can stand before most of their frost and Fire attacks and can engage them openly with powerful Hemomancy spells making the most of “Vicissitude’s” bonus and a liberal use of the Become Ethereal shout.
Archers: Archers pose a relative hassle, though can be dealt with easily. Abilities like “Winters Ruin” and “Death Hex” are Perfect for taking them out of the picture.
Dwemer Automatons: Dwemer machines are among the toughest bunch for Ceryse to deal with at low levels with many of her skills useless against them until later. It is advised to get the “Blood from a Stone” and “Master of the Mind” perks as soon as possible to overcome this weakness. Once these skills have been acquired they can be dealt with like most ranged or melee opponents.
Gameplay Videos:
Below I have two gameplay videos for you to view at your leisure. They show a fair bit but not all of what this character is capable of. Watch and Enjoy.
Early Game Gear:
Mid to End Game Gear:
Find All Standing Stones: The Standing Stones of Skyrim are said to contain ancient and powerful magic. And ancient and powerful magic is undoubtably something The Vampyrum Order is interested in. Find them all.
Dawnguard (Volkihar): Ceryse’s main reason for coming to the Northern province. Harkon’s foolish blundering is putting vampire existence at risk. Infiltrate and assimilate into his court to put an end to his idiocy once and for all.
Hunt down Feral Vampires: By quelling the feral scum that hide in caves and ruins, Ceryse can assert The Orders supremacy over these lesser “creatures”.
Thane Quests: No stranger to courtly intrigue, Ceryse will gain the trust of those in power, coveting their knowledge and secrets for the betterment of The Order.
College of Winterhold: The mages of Skyrim harbour many intriguing curiosities from the arcane to the mundane. Ceryse “enrols” under the guise of a “Novice” to seek out what the college is hiding within its walls.
Civil War (Imperial) - A Stormcloak victory is ill advised, and should be avoided at all costs. The Order has considerable influence and sway within The Imperial Legion, see that they win this war no matter the cost.
House of Horrors: As the patron father to all vampires, Ceryse will gladly aid Molag Bal in his desire.
Main Quest (At least to Diplomatic Immunity): Ceryse finds herself caught up in an ancient and terrible prophecy. As fate would have it, it’s up to her - a vampire to save Nirn from imminent doom.
Quests for Master Neloth: The old wizard of House Telvani knows many things, aiding him with some of his research may prove to be mutually beneficial.
Destroy the Dark Brotherhood: The Order has heard whispers that there is someone attempting to get the Dark Brotherhood to take a contract on the Emperor. The emperor’s death would bring too much instability to Cyrodiil, see that he lives. To get the brotherhoods attention all that stands in Ceryse’s way is an old hag. Kill her and the Brotherhood will soon reveal itself from the shadows, allowing Ceryse to strike the head off of the snake.
Bards College: The Bards out of Solitude are known for their silver tongues and quick wits. Ceryse joins to see if there is a thing or two she might be able to garner from the colleges library.
Black Books: There are rumoured to be several ancient tomes of eldritch power hidden away on the Island of Solstheim. Acquire their knowledge for the glory of The Order.
A Daedra's Best Friend: As Clavicus Vile is a patron of The Vampyrum Order Ceryse will aid Barbus in returning to his side.
Thank You:
Firstly, I’d like to thank Lee and Kendrix for being awesome sounding boards throughout Ceryse’s journey I couldn’t have got here without you guys. A big thanks to Curse for designing the awesome “More Builds” banner and providing some great feed back throughout the making of this character.
I’d like to state that the art used is not my own (Except for screen shots). Much of it was sourced from Pinterest. So, any accolades should be given to the respective authors of said art.
Lastly thanks to you reader. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the Sunder Mage. This won’t be the last you see of Ceryse so keep your eyes peeled!
If you enjoyed the Sunder Mage I have more builds, just follow the banner below.
Thanks again guys - Furrion
Blood Magic: 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. - Dragon Age 2 Blood Mage Specialization.
Dark Sustenance – Empathic Agony + Equilibrium
Hemorrhage - Empathic Agony + Blooboil + Equilibrium
Blood Aura – Blood Revel + Wassail + Empathic Agony
Death Hex – Welling Blood + Blood Brand
Bloody Grasp – Mage Grip + Blood Boil or Malsiver’s Gauntlet + Blood Boil
Thrall Plague – Calm + Compelling Whispers, Dream Thrall or Bend Will+ Blood Brand + Blood Scourge
Corpse Curse - Dead Body + Tumble magnet+ Paralyisis Rune + Blood Ankh.
Deaths Finale - Ring of the Erudite + Tumble Magnet + Blood Garden + Curtain Call
Reign in Blood – Ultimate Power + Blood Revel + Dual Cast Blood Boil
Maelstrom of Chaos – Tumble Magnet + Frenzy+ AOE spell
Telekinetic Barrier – Ocatos Recital (Loaded with Flesh Spell, Resurgence and Whirlwind Cloak).
Winters Ruin – Frost Runes (Ancient Seals) + Mage Grip
Blood Pact - Knowledge is Power + Conjure Dremora Lord or Wrathman
Gameplay:
Taking direct inspiration from Dragon Age's Force and Blood Magic specializations, Ceryse is capable of of a myriad of devastatingly effective spell combinations, making her a true force to be reckoned with. Adept at crowd control, sustained damage and a slew of mitigating debuffs there is rarely a situation that her magic cannot handle. Able to easily switch between dealing heavy amounts damage and locking enemies down, her repertoire of skills makes for an exciting gameplay experience with a multitude of approaches to different combat scenarios.
Fueled by Blood:
With the inclusion of the Haemomancy spells from Sacrosanct and several spells from Apocalypse and the base game there are plenty of Blood Magic themed spells for Ceryse to play with.
At its heart there are four very essential spells and powers that make this build work. Equilibrium, Empathic Agony, Blood Revel and wassail. As you have well guessed by now everything The Sunder Mage is capable of relies on Blood Magic. Ceryse’s mana pool is very low by design, but her Health is extremely high thus she needs to replenish her mana regularly by sacrificing her life force with the use Equilibrium. Enter - Empathic Agony. With this awesome spell I have made a very effective way of making sure Ceryse’s enemies are always hurting. Empathic Agony is an AOE expert level Illusion spell added by Apocalypse. When cast on a target it will ensure that 40% of any damage felt by the caster is reflected back at the target. This is where the use Equilibruium and the power of Blood Revel to activate Wassail comes in handy, as they will act as a constant health drain on enemies so as long they are under the effect of Empathic Agony.Making this an extremely effective way to make the most out of Equilibrium's and Wassail's self harming effects.
But the power of Blood Magic does not stop there. With the many buffs to Restoration, the “Arcane Thesis” perk, Blood Revel and the “Ultimate Power” power from the Mage Stone; Ceryse is capable of pushing her Blood Boil spell to the extreme. When the spell is dual cast it has the potential of reaching numbers that exceed more than 600 DPS and boasts an extremely wide area of effect. It is worth noting that this is only sustainable once a day and for a short period due to her low mana pool, though most things will have well and truly perished by then.
A note on the Equilibrium spell. If you have Console Commands or the Cheat Room mod it is highly recommended that you add this spell to your knowledge as soon as possible. Failing that, prioritize doing the College of Winterholds questline as early as possible so that you can obtain the spell from within Labyrinthian.
The Force Unleashed:
The true capability of Telekinetic Force is fully realised and explored with this builds plethora of ways to slow, stagger, stun and send enemies flying in surges of raw telekinetic power. Ceryse has tapped into a truly unmatched and dark side of Force Magic that many mages only dream of weilding. With spells and shouts like Mage Grip, Tumble Magnet, Unrelenting Force and King’s Bane, Ceryse can rip foes off their feet with a powerful force choke, group them together to set up extremely effective and devastating combos or cast them aside like dust in the wind.
Complete Control:
Illusion magic and enchantments offer Ceryse the abilty to enrapture, terrorize or utterly unhinge her adversaries. She is capable of enthralling her targets to fight for her, turning foes on each other creating a psychic blood bond that ensures any pain she feels they do too. This school of magic ensures she remains in complete control of the battlefield at all times.
Combat:
Magic Users/Dragons: With Ceryse’s high resistance to elemental damage Mages are seldom too much of an issue apart from Lightning Wielders. When facing such foes paralysis, fear and calm spells and the “Bloody Grasp” ability are quite useful at disabling them. When against dragons Ceryse can stand before most of their frost and Fire attacks and can engage them openly with powerful Hemomancy spells making the most of “Vicissitude’s” bonus and a liberal use of the Become Ethereal shout.
Archers: Archers pose a relative hassle, though can be dealt with easily. Abilities like “Winters Ruin” and “Death Hex” are Perfect for taking them out of the picture.
Dwemer Automatons: Dwemer machines are among the toughest bunch for Ceryse to deal with at low levels with many of her skills useless against them until later. It is advised to get the “Blood from a Stone” and “Master of the Mind” perks as soon as possible to overcome this weakness. Once these skills have been acquired they can be dealt with like most ranged or melee opponents.
Gameplay Videos:
Below I have two gameplay videos for you to view at your leisure. They show a fair bit but not all of what this character is capable of. Watch and Enjoy.
Early Game Gear:
Mid to End Game Gear:
Find All Standing Stones: The Standing Stones of Skyrim are said to contain ancient and powerful magic. And ancient and powerful magic is undoubtably something The Vampyrum Order is interested in. Find them all.
Dawnguard (Volkihar): Ceryse’s main reason for coming to the Northern province. Harkon’s foolish blundering is putting vampire existence at risk. Infiltrate and assimilate into his court to put an end to his idiocy once and for all.
Hunt down Feral Vampires: By quelling the feral scum that hide in caves and ruins, Ceryse can assert The Orders supremacy over these lesser “creatures”.
Thane Quests: No stranger to courtly intrigue, Ceryse will gain the trust of those in power, coveting their knowledge and secrets for the betterment of The Order.
College of Winterhold: The mages of Skyrim harbour many intriguing curiosities from the arcane to the mundane. Ceryse “enrols” under the guise of a “Novice” to seek out what the college is hiding within its walls.
Civil War (Imperial) - A Stormcloak victory is ill advised, and should be avoided at all costs. The Order has considerable influence and sway within The Imperial Legion, see that they win this war no matter the cost.
House of Horrors: As the patron father to all vampires, Ceryse will gladly aid Molag Bal in his desire.
Main Quest (At least to Diplomatic Immunity): Ceryse finds herself caught up in an ancient and terrible prophecy. As fate would have it, it’s up to her - a vampire to save Nirn from imminent doom.
Quests for Master Neloth: The old wizard of House Telvani knows many things, aiding him with some of his research may prove to be mutually beneficial.
Destroy the Dark Brotherhood: The Order has heard whispers that there is someone attempting to get the Dark Brotherhood to take a contract on the Emperor. The emperor’s death would bring too much instability to Cyrodiil, see that he lives. To get the brotherhoods attention all that stands in Ceryse’s way is an old hag. Kill her and the Brotherhood will soon reveal itself from the shadows, allowing Ceryse to strike the head off of the snake.
Bards College: The Bards out of Solitude are known for their silver tongues and quick wits. Ceryse joins to see if there is a thing or two she might be able to garner from the colleges library.
Black Books: There are rumoured to be several ancient tomes of eldritch power hidden away on the Island of Solstheim. Acquire their knowledge for the glory of The Order.
A Daedra's Best Friend: As Clavicus Vile is a patron of The Vampyrum Order Ceryse will aid Barbus in returning to his side.
Thank You:
Firstly, I’d like to thank Lee and Kendrix for being awesome sounding boards throughout Ceryse’s journey I couldn’t have got here without you guys. A big thanks to Curse for designing the awesome “More Builds” banner and providing some great feed back throughout the making of this character.
I’d like to state that the art used is not my own (Except for screen shots). Much of it was sourced from Pinterest. So, any accolades should be given to the respective authors of said art.
Lastly thanks to you reader. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the Sunder Mage. This won’t be the last you see of Ceryse so keep your eyes peeled!
If you enjoyed the Sunder Mage I have more builds, just follow the banner below.
Thanks again guys - Furrion