Curious to know why Druid/Shaman don't have access to Blood Arcana?

[Hinty]

Seems the only spell casting classes that don't have access to some (Paladin excepted) are Druid and Shaman, even Ranger gets one or two, and I am just curious as to why? To my mind the spells are greatly suited to the classes. The spilling of blood and the idea of "You must die so I might live" are some of the most fundamental aspects of the natural world and in the case of Shaman it is likely that some of the oldest and most powerful spirits of the natural world would come from such origins.

[Paint]

While I do think that blood-based magic is probably in the natural realm because of the theme of sacrifice, whether of oneself or of others, I think that arelith's current implementation, the mechanics surrounding it, and how it is portrayed -- though the lore is scant -- positions it against Shaman and Druid rather than putting it in a good position for either class.

Mechanically, I can speak on Shaman at least. Shaman has a very robust spell list -- though not a very aggressive one -- and easy access to craft wands. When I questioned about some of the new necromancy/blood arcana spells in the past, it was made clear that Shaman's CL synergies are powerful enough to consider when adding or subtracting spells from the Shaman spell list.

Shaman's spell list, despite having some kill spells on it like finger of death and wail of the banshee, curiously, is missing a lot of the negative energy staples like the inflict spells, negative energy burst, and more recently, withering ray. I think this is intentional, as Shaman is supposed to be a fairly natural caster, and blood arcana and blood surges are more closely associated with entropy and negative energy.

I say this, fully aware that Shamans can cast undead spells, planar conduit, and mummy dust. Although I still think Shamans shouldn't have access to Planar Conduit for a variety of reasons but I won't rant about that.

Druids, on the other hand, tend to abhor the use of negative energy and entropy in more cases than not, even evil druids, as the spread of negative energy, in lore, can end up leading to permanent blights upon the land and the rising of undead. And correct me if I'm wrong on this point, but I'm pretty sure druids of every druid alignment are staunchly against undead, as they usurp the natural order. Blood magic, then, in its current implementations, which often surges with negative consequences and spreads negative energy and entropy, creates magic that a druid just wouldn't want to risk using ever.

Blood magic is unnatural and strange, as indicated by blood surges, which are more akin to wild surges and spellfire, positioning it against Shaman and Druid -- whose magic is almost a wholly natural source. Though it is called divine magic and works with other divine magic, there are clear differences between the ways in which a shaman or druid acquires magic, and say, a cleric or favored soul does. It could be simply that it's hard to learn to wield blood arcana as a shaman and too repugnant for druids. But it could just be that enough time hasn't elapsed to reconsider whether some of these spells belong on their spell list.

[Hinty]

A good deal of that makes sense but relies on some amount of guessing, the Arelith team have made some great mechanical changes, but they really need to work on explaining the lore behind them.

On the subject of Druids and Negative Energy however, that is something of a misnomer. Yes Druids don't like an area being flooded with Negative Energy and attracting undead, but that is only true of an overabundance, which is a problem no matter what energy you are talking about. Flood an area with too much fire, bad. Too much cold, Bad. Hell even too much Positive Energy would be a problem. A place where wounds heal almost immediately, nothing dies unless killed in violence, plant life growing so think there is no room for animals to move etc.

There are negative energy spells in their spell list, and there is nothing wrong with them channelling it within reasonable limits which is true of everything they do. As for Entropy... well that is one of those Lore gaps. The Devs added this new energy type without really explaining it. The only explanation I've heard is it is the energy of destruction, which, well that is what Negative Energy is, it seems to me to basically be Negative Energy that bypasses Neg Energy Prot.

Important to note that the Negative Energy Plane is an Inner Plane much like Fire, Air etc. One of the planes whose energies come together to make the Prime. It is a part of the recipe. Death, where Positive is Life. One side of a balance.

[chris a gogo]

. As for Entropy... well that is one of those Lore gaps. The Devs added this new energy type without really explaining it. The only explanation I've heard is it is the energy of destruction, which, well that is what Negative Energy is, it seems to me to basically be Negative Energy that bypasses Neg Energy Prot.

Pretty sure they just took a bunch of stuff from pathfinder and pasted it in.

But honestly not every spell caster should have the same spells so im fine with them not getting the new necro stuff.