Could we learn blue magic second hand?

[WhiteArchmage]

The description for Bomb Toss ALSO explains that the Blue Mage is copying a mechanical invention using Aether, so imitating technology via magic is apparently something BLUs can do with enough practice. As for the second-hand Blue Magic learning...I don't see why not, I mean, mechanically from PvP: no, to prevent abuse; but lore-wise? Sure, there's precedent.

[Bright-Flower]

I think you could lore wise learn these things from other places. Even the primal abilities, as I understand it correct me if I'm wrong, basically has you learning regular abilities they have and not their big super signature abilities like diamond dust. So in terms of RP I think could claim to have learned such spells from other sources without having to say you fought the primals.

[ObsidianFire]

If there's one thing the Archanist and Summoner quests make very clear, the mentality behind math and technology works very well with aether. All Archanist, Summoner (and probably most Scholar) spells are people manipulating aether via mathematical and geometric formulas. Sometimes really, really, really complicated math and geometry to the point the Allagans used a supercomputer to do it. Throw that idea in with the fact that all matter is made of aether and that BLU copies enemies abilities and well... it's probably more accurate to say the BLU is copying and recreating the way aether is manipulated that is behind an attack. That would have very little to do with how the ather is being manipulated and everything to do with what the manipulated looks like.

You see similar overlaps with Garlean Radios and general lighting-aspected aether. Cid at one points jams the Garlean's short-range communications by magnifying the effect of the aether crystals in Mor Dhona which are lighting-aspected. It has the same effect of someone flooding radio signals with static.

[LineageRazor]

Spoilers for Masked Carnivale and the BLU storyline inside this box.

Given that the takeaway from the spoilered text in this post is, YES, a BLU can learn spells from other BLUs, the question might arise as to why Martyn doesn't just set the WoL down and cast Blue Magic until he's passed on everything he knows?

Well, Martyn seems to feel that the "journey" is a vital and important part of becoming a Blue Mage. Whether it actually IS so important is unclear. That might just be Martyn's opinion. Certainly players who've tracked down Primal spells might argue that it'd be great if they could just watch other players cast instead. XD

[Kalise]

Given that the takeaway from the spoilered text in this post is, YES, a BLU can learn spells from other BLUs, the question might arise as to why Martyn doesn't just set the WoL down and cast Blue Magic until he's passed on everything he knows?

What, and you mean actually doing something!? (Other than getting paid for what the WoL does for "Training")

Where's the Gil in that?

Well, Martyn seems to feel that the "journey" is a vital and important part of becoming a Blue Mage. Whether it actually IS so important is unclear. That might just be Martyn's opinion. Certainly players who've tracked down Primal spells might argue that it'd be great if they could just watch other players cast instead. XD

Well... I dare say it was the Whalaqee that tought Martyn that the journey was important, probably part of their culture surrounding Blue Magic (That, or the fact that Martyn wasn't very good at learning Blue Magic in the first place, according to Whastrach, so I don't think he's too keen on trying to actually teach anyone). I'm sure that Whastrach would probably disagree on that notion too and if it was profitable likely would teach you a bunch of Blue Magic.

[Bright-Flower]

Isn't the whole killling part an important start of the process? Except when learning via totems I guess which begs the question why not focus on making more of those I guess instead of sending people off to fight monsters.

[LineageRazor]

Isn't the whole killling part an important start of the process? Except when learning via totems I guess which begs the question why not focus on making more of those I guess instead of sending people off to fight monsters.

Give sciencebot's spoilered text, apparently the enemy does NOT need to be killed, as certain spells can be learned just by defeating a certain spoilery opponent, no killing involved.

That said, we might be making way too big a deal over that special csae, and can chalk it up to gameplay-and-story segregation.

[Iscah]

Given that the takeaway from the spoilered text in this post is, YES, a BLU can learn spells from other BLUs, the question might arise as to why Martyn doesn't just set the WoL down and cast Blue Magic until he's passed on everything he knows?

Clearly he just doesn't want to be beaten up repeatedly as a necessary part of the learning process....

[Wyssahtyn]

"'But how!?' I hear you cry. It's simple! You have to attune your mind to the instincts of the beast! When a creature is driven to attack, you can see into its soul. When you overcome it in battle, you absorb some of its aether and make its power your own!" - Martyn going over the mechanics of how Blue Mages learn their abilities.

Appears that you do need to kill the enemy in question to absorb its aether, similar to SMNs and primals, I suppose. I'd chalk up learning stuff from Azulmagia a result of gameplay personally.

[sciencebot]

"'But how!?' I hear you cry. It's simple! You have to attune your mind to the instincts of the beast! When a creature is driven to attack, you can see into its soul. When you overcome it in battle, you absorb some of its aether and make its power your own!" - Martyn going over the mechanics of how Blue Mages learn their abilities.

Appears that you do need to kill the enemy in question to absorb its aether, similar to SMNs and primals, I suppose. I'd chalk up learning stuff from Azulmagia a result of gameplay personally.

Hildibrand stuff isn't always the most easy to place in terms of canonicity, but Ultros and Typhon also have BLU spells you can learn, and they definitely don't die in that fight. You also can't really "kill" the robots for Drill Cannons and the like-- they're not alive in the first place, you're just breaking them (and presumably there's nothing stopping a talented mechanic from fixing them). I'd say that using the word "overcome" instead of outright saying "kill" makes it kind of ambiguous as to whether or not killing is strictly necessary; it might still qualify as overcoming your opponent if you hit them with a stick until they were unable to fight any further, for example. Could be way off, though!