I like the idea of bloodmages as having to sacrifice health etc., to use skills.
What if instead of sacrificing health, the bloodmage silenced themselves for x seconds after using a skill. Poisoned themself?
ex: Staunch: the bloodmage controls their own blood, slowing bleeding. 50% less bleeds (poison?) dmg for y secs. Silenced for the time in effect with 100% less bleed dmg?
Vampirsm - the bloodmage sucks the targets blood. melee range, poisons both the bloodmage and the target. low cost.
Tourniquet: Invuln and silenced x secs. Cannot cast on others?
Bloodlet: Bloodmage deals damage over time to enemy or friendly or self. At end of effect, the affected player is healed. Overall, would be a heal, so timing would be key in PvP. Could end up killing yourself/allies before the heal or end up healing your enemy if you cast too early.
Bloodscent: Bloodmage gashes open their arm and splashes someone else. Bloodmage loses bit of health, target <other> taunts mobs (in parties only). I dont think BM(new BM lol) should be able to taunt to themselves if they dont target a party member in keeping with lore, but it would make it more hardcore since target <self> taunt mobs would be undesired.
Bloodbath: the bloodmage sets everyones blood on fire, enrages everyone. Everyone does 20% increased dmg including the bloodmage (and mobs? maybe increase both dmg done 10% and dmg taken 10%) in a wide area around the bloodmage. Reagent- lava bucket (not placing lava).
if it seems like I came up with way too much its because I did, I plan to spec Bloodmage eventually and was bored on a 12 hour flight today. Not sure if the more skills route was what staff was looking for, but I generated these before I saw this thread and thought it was a coincidence worth sharing.