Agreeing with OP on his one point about blood. There is blood galore everywhere during and after a fight. Makes sense when lots of blood appears when someone dies. But when characters are just getting hit, it's like they are dropping buckets around them full of kool aid.
The good thing about all the blood is it freezes. So if you use frost rays or frost arrows all the enemies slip and fall on the frozen blood and then the clerics cantrip is a guaranteed hit. Which is fun for a cantrip that kind of sucks outside of that situation.
