Why is the Polymorph spell Blue Way?

[Volki]

Polymorph enables the caster to polymorph their body in order to take on the physical aspects of a chosen animal. The transformation confers some of the animal's physical energy to the caster, but to cast the spell an animal part must be consumed by the magic.

Brown Way
Focus: Nature, Protective Magic, Earth Element
Description: The glyphs of this way give the wizard the ability to cast different protective spells, to summon natural creatures and some monsters and to influence their will.

Blue Way
Focus: Divination, Purification, Water Element
Description: Many diseases and poisons will be incurable without the help of the spells of this Way. The offensive and defensive potential of this art resides mainly on the control of the water element, but also of cold and ice that are strictly related to it.

Discuss!

[Candy]

I don't see the connection to the Blue Way, either. It sounds like Brown Way, and why just one part? Seems like a low price to pay for such a drastic thing to do to oneself...

[Mouli]

Maybe because BrW has one morphing spell ?

[LigH]

One might imagine that shapeshifters need to "liquify" their bodies, therefore it has some relation to the Water element...

[Eonwind]

Water element empower Blue Way and the water flows, change shapes and takes the shape of containers it's put into, thus philosophically speaking the shapechanging ability of the water element is the strongest of all.

On the other side the connection of the earth element to many earth-bound spirits and animal is strong.

This is why both ways have polymorphing abilities, the strongest and more "flexible" is the BlW, while BrW is more tied to many earth-bound creatures. Maybe in the future more earth-bound forms will be available for BrW casters via different spells.

I don't see the connection to the Blue Way, either. It sounds like Brown Way, and why just one part? Seems like a low price to pay for such a drastic thing to do to oneself...

I've made available and tested all the animal parts for each animal available to shapechange into, except very generic ones like "meat" or "lard".

[Volki]

Water element empower Blue Way and the water flows, change shapes and takes the shape of containers it's put into, thus philosophically speaking the shapechanging ability of the water element is the strongest of all.

There have been several discussions in gossip about this particular argument. Personally, I think philosophy is really far-reaching. I can't think of any other spells from any other way that depend solely on symbolism. (Dark Way and Crystal Way focus on death and life, but we're talking about a single spell in Blue Way, one that seems extraneous.)

I also can't imagine why Blue Way practitioners would need this spell. They already have control of water, cold, and ice. That's a great amount of power right there. And they also have the ability to neutralize poisons and cure diseases. Why should they need to shapeshift?

[Eonwind]

Every single way is tied to the philosophical and symbolic concept of the four elements plus light and darkness, and every single spell depends on its way symbolism.
Blue Way practitioners needs this spell just like red way practitioners need spells to empower their weapons or azure way practitioner need their charme spells.

[Volki]

Blue Way practitioners needs this spell

K. Why?

[Eonwind]

Blue Way practitioners needs this spell

K. Why?

"technically" speaking it's useful to buff themselves (stats and melee fighting power). Brown way can rely primarily on powerful armour spells (and secondarily on lesser powerful polymorph), red way can buff the weapons, blue way relies on their polymorphic abilities.
The overall goal for the spell system is to have unique, way specific, ways to buff the caster and eventually the caster's friends, specific ways of dealing damage and specific ways to replenish the mana pool (relaxing sleep is not meant to be the only one).

[Rigwyn]

It might be helpful if an overview of each way was made available in the offline player's guide. This way, players can understand what is or is not plausible for each way. Something as verbose as what you stated above, perhaps a little more?

[Eonwind]

It might be helpful if an overview of each way was made available in the offline player's guide. This way, players can understand what is or is not plausible for each way. Something as verbose as what you stated above, perhaps a little more?

Sure! You're more than right! In fact the development behind magical ways (both as rules and settings) didn't stay still in these years (albeit there are no contradictions with older lore). Unfortunately my time is limited, so if anyone is willing to update the magic part of the wiki is more than welcome and I will gladly hand out the needed info. This conjoined effort has already happened recently with great success with the new player's guide.

[jowifi]

I also can't imagine why Blue Way practitioners would need this spell. They already have control of water, cold, and ice. That's a great amount of power right there. And they also have the ability to neutralize poisons and cure diseases.

I've wondered about this "ability to neutralize poisons and cure diseases."  Unless it requires the poison glyph, which I have yet to find a way to obtain in game, this seems to exist in concept only.  The only Blue Way healing spell I've found is Healing Rain. 

[Eonwind]

I also can't imagine why Blue Way practitioners would need this spell. They already have control of water, cold, and ice. That's a great amount of power right there. And they also have the ability to neutralize poisons and cure diseases.

I've wondered about this "ability to neutralize poisons and cure diseases."  Unless it requires the poison glyph, which I have yet to find a way to obtain in game, this seems to exist in concept only.  The only Blue Way healing spell I've found is Healing Rain.

more BlW healing capabilities are going to be added, not in the coming rules update but probably the next one ... we're slowly, but steadily, completing the magical system