The Creator of Spheres of Power Here: Ask Me Anything

[EldritchWeaver]

I think currently the biggest obstacles for a more seamless meshing (and potentially more potent combinations) is that there no archetypes or prestige classes which have Sop and PoW in a single class. For now you either employ multiclassing or the Martial Training feats, which have their own limits.

[stack]

I think currently the biggest obstacles for a more seamless meshing (and potentially more potent combinations) is that there no archetypes or prestige classes which have Sop and PoW in a single class. For now you either employ multiclassing or the Martial Training feats, which have their own limits.

Any class that did mesh the two in the future would be balanced alongside the polymath and path walker. Not granting 9th level maneuvers in class to a caster obviously.

[Slavezero]

was thinking more of using a stalker and getting the basic/advanced magic training feat since the build i have in mind does not need to go deep into the spheres so i can pick and choose the powers i want like a dip into warp for that nice mobility or the Blindfolded Oracle divination for blind sense/sight while still having the room for other needed feats

[Mehangel]

I have played a couple of characters who utilized both Spheres of Power and Path of War. For Example, I played a Sphere Bard (Life and War spheres)/Warlord (Silver Crane and Golden Lion disciplines). I have to say that they complimented each other very nicely. I utilized the Silver Crane maneuvers to heal during combat, and then the Life sphere to do minor patches or remove conditions after. The rest of the party stuck with using only Spheres of Power and had their own niche and didn't feel left behind in the dust. Because I multiclassed, I didn't have as many tricks as the Spiritualist Hedgewitch who focused in Conjuration/Illusion, the Shifter in Alteration, or the Investigator with Destruction/Divination. In short, it was fine, although because it was a campaign focused around undead, the Silver Crane discipline might've been a bit much and made my job as healer a little too easy (not that it shouldn't be).

[EldritchWeaver]

Any class that did mesh the two in the future would be balanced alongside the polymath and path walker. Not granting 9th level maneuvers in class to a caster obviously.

I suppose that a caster will be restricted to Mid-Caster progression at most, too.

[stack]

I suppose that a caster will be restricted to Mid-Caster progression at most, too.

I wouldn't put maneuvers on a full caster, though that gets fuzzy with the specialist mid-casters. Keep an eye out for the alteration playtest coming soon.

[EldritchWeaver]

I wouldn't put maneuvers on a full caster, though that gets fuzzy with the specialist mid-casters. Keep an eye out for the alteration playtest coming soon.

Dear Santa Claus,

I have been very nice and helpful to the authors involved with Spheres of Powers. Under the humble assumption that this has been enough to convince you of me being actually worthy to be placed on the "nice" list, I have a single wish: Can you please bring me an PoW archetype for shifters, which I can use for my roguish shifter?

Yours sincerely,
EldritchWeaver

[stack]

Dear Santa Claus,

I have been very nice and helpful to the authors involved with Spheres of Powers. Under the humble assumption that this has been enough to convince you of me being actually worthy to be placed on the "nice" list, I have a single wish: Can you please bring me an PoW archetype for shifters, which I can use for my roguish shifter?

Yours sincerely,
EldritchWeaver

Don't forget the milk and cookies.

[TheIronGolem]

Dear Santa Claus,

I have been very nice and helpful to the authors involved with Spheres of Powers. Under the humble assumption that this has been enough to convince you of me being actually worthy to be placed on the "nice" list, I have a single wish: Can you please bring me an PoW archetype for shifters, which I can use for my roguish shifter?

Yours sincerely,
EldritchWeaver

On a related note, remember Werewolf: The Apocalypse? There was this one tribe who had their own martial art that was designed specifically for werewolves. The fluff mentioned things like dodging blows by shifting to a smaller form, or blocking them by shifting to a tougher one. My point is, there needs double-needs triple-dog-needs to be an Alteration-focused archetype for Monks and/or Brawlers with that kind of theme.

[LTwerewolf]

Can't ytou just use sphere variants and multiclass as normal? I don't see the issue. It's got battle templar and blade caster in PoW that can be combined with things.

[Rizaidym]

A player brought up a good question again. Is the Sphere Cleric really supposed to only get talents at every other level? As a high caster, shouldn't the cleric get a talent at every level? He'd also like to know why the cleric doesn't get bonus talents from both his domains. (Or, rather, why the cleric doesn't get a set of bonus talents for each domain.)

[LTwerewolf]

A player brought up a good question again. Is the Sphere Cleric really supposed to only get talents at every other level? As a high caster, shouldn't the cleric get a talent at every level? He'd also like to know why the cleric doesn't get bonus talents from both his domains. (Or, rather, why the cleric doesn't get a set of bonus talents for each domain.)

They get a talent every odd level for their channel energy, and they get several talents from the domain abilities. They end up with 27 talents, which isn't very far behind anyone else (more than the sorcerer). They just have some that are required to go into life/death.

[stack]

On a related note, remember Werewolf: The Apocalypse? There was this one tribe who had their own martial art that was designed specifically for werewolves. The fluff mentioned things like dodging blows by shifting to a smaller form, or blocking them by shifting to a tougher one. My point is, there needs double-needs triple-dog-needs to be an Alteration-focused archetype for Monks and/or Brawlers with that kind of theme.

Didn't have that exactly. There are things not entirely dissimilar, but not that exactly. Playtest will be up most likely within a week or so; I'll leave the matter until then. (It's already the longest handbook and I've cut stuff! Don't give me more ideas!)

[digiman619]

Now with its own TV Tropes page!

[digiman619]

Oh, and how does the Dimensional Agility line of feats interact with the Warp sphere?

[EldritchWeaver]

Oh, and how does the Dimensional Agility line of feats interact with the Warp sphere?

Personally, I see few problems to allow Warp as a prerequisite. Note that with advanced talents scry-and-teleport tactic works, so maybe you want to restrict it to line-of-sight. But considering the Quick Teleport talent, we might have already part of the Dimensional Agility feat (without the bonus). This also depends on if there is a general rule that after teleports you can't do actions and if this general rule is applied to SoP as well (the exception for concentration sets a precedent for such rulings in general). Assuming a lenient ruling, it might be a better solution to convert the feat line into (advanced) talents. That has the benefit of have an easier time to collect the entire tree, although not necessarily at a lower level compared to the feat tree.

Edit:

On the Paizo board I found this discussion which might help in deciding how to rebalance things that people can actually take advantage of this.

[EldritchWeaver]

Now with its own TV Tropes page!

There are two things I'd like to mention:

This prevents the Tier 1 caster classes from being all powerful, as there are only a limited amount of points to invest.

I find it a bit contradictionary to still call them Tier 1 casters.

Psychic Link: Weirdly, the Mind sphere doesn't include options for telepathy, as it's the purview of the Smybiat class.

This is simply wrong. Mind has both Project Thoughts and Read Thoughts, which together provide classic telepathy. I actually asked once Adam this very question.

[Rizaidym]

They get a talent every odd level for their channel energy, and they get several talents from the domain abilities. They end up with 27 talents, which isn't very far behind anyone else (more than the sorcerer). They just have some that are required to go into life/death.

Ah, right. I forgot about that. Duh. I think the player missed that, too.

[digiman619]

There are two things I'd like to mention: I find it a bit contradictionary to still call them Tier 1 casters. This is simply wrong. Mind has both Project Thoughts and Read Thoughts, which together provide classic telepathy. I actually asked once Adam this very question.

Aaaaand, fixed!

[Xararion]

This is just simple question to clarify something to absolute glass clear. When incanter picks a domain, if they for some reason decide to do such a silly thing over the better options, they do not gain the associate talent based on the domain like clerics do, if I am correct. Both sphere-cleric and incanter are said to not get domain spells, obviously, and only cleric gets a talent to offset this. I'm only asking this since it is sort of given that a sphere-caster doesn't get domain spells.

Second question is about the protection sphere. This one I think is probably answered already, but I couldn't find it on short notice. When you create an aegis, you get to apply any one of the aegis effects you have. Is there, or would there be in the specialist book, any method to give more than one effect to a person, or are you simply meant to layer the shields to get all the effects you have. Because that gets really expensive really quickly in terms of spell points. Especially before you get to the point where the duration is reasonable.

Thanks for answers, will return here if I end up running into more things.

[EldritchWeaver]

When incanter picks a domain, if they for some reason decide to do such a silly thing over the better options...

Just curious, what do you consider a better option and why?

[stack]

Most cleric domains are pretty weak. Some get bonus feats, useful stuff like an animal companion, or a worthwhile ability but too many are weighed down by limited use garbage blasts and extremely short duration minor buffs that require a standard action and touch range. Some are great, most aren't worthwhile.

Regarding protection, you could spellcraft multiple aegis together; requires dm permission obviously. The protection book is currently unclaimed so I can't leak anything.

[Carboncopy]

shifter questions!

permanent transformation

Prerequisites: Alteration sphere, 10th caster level or higher

Does a shifter at level 10 qualify?

A shifter is considered a Mid-Caster

At first level the shifter gains the Alteration sphere as a bonus magic talent. The shifter uses her class level as her caster level for this sphere.

Bestial traits:

The shifter may choose to keep these traits when she assumes other forms, even if the trait would normally be removed

So what happens to the claws when you transform yourself to a form without arms (animalistic form)? Gore attack when you have no head (plant form)? I am imagining a tree with a horn sticking off the trunk.

flight says

You gain a 30 ft flight speed with maneuverability (poor).

Does the flight come with wings or is the flight speed from a magical source? If wings, can you sprout them like gore's horn?

Can you take trip without taking bite as a trait, making it only work when you have a bite attack?

Can you take poison as a free floating buff or is it required to modify a specific natural attack? Are you required to have the attack as a bestial talent?


Thanks for the help!

[stack]

shifter questions!

permanent transformation
Does a shifter at level 10 qualify?

Bestial traits:

So what happens to the claws when you transform yourself to a form without arms (animalistic form)? Gore attack when you have no head (plant form)? I am imagining a tree with a horn sticking off the trunk.

flight says
Does the flight come with wings or is the flight speed from a magical source? If wings, can you sprout them like gore's horn?

Can you take trip without taking bite as a trait, making it only work when you have a bite attack?

Can you take poison as a free floating buff or is it required to modify a specific natural attack? Are you required to have the attack as a bestial talent?


Thanks for the help!

Permanent boosts to caster level qualify for nesting advance talent prerequisites. So shifters count their full CL for qualifying for alteration, specialist incanters can get stuff a level early, etc, but staves and such don't count.

As for the other questions, I would generally say you cannot benefit from traits you lack the anatomy to support. Regarding the fly speed, it doesn't specify. Might need errata on that since the distinction matters.

Trip specifies bite, so no bite, no trip. Since you can get a bite from blank form this isn't hard to meet. Poison does require a specific attack, so no free floating. The question of if you need to possess that attack at all times is a good question. I think you probably do, but as a DM I would probably allow you putting it on a bite or claw that you only get from shapeshift.

[Xararion]

Just curious, what do you consider a better option and why?

Sorcerer bloodline and sphere specialisation are both what I'd say are better options. In more than one circumstance even having the spellpoint free healing from channeling, which also unlocks channeling feats, can be made to be a better option. And as Stack did say, many cleric domains are weak or weighted down by worthless abilities. Much of the draw for clerics in their domains comes from the domain spells, which diversify the otherwise sometimes lackluster spell list. And realistically speaking, most GMs won't let players cherry pick their domains for the few useful ones.

I know domain is the cheapest option available for a incanter with only 1 point. But for that 1 point you generally get 2 abilities, one at lvl 1 or 3, and one at 8. For 2 points you can pick up sorcerer bloodline that is five abilities, though one is capstone and hence fairly irrelevant. Sorcerer bloodlines also tend to have more worthwhile abilities, just going on average. Sphere specialisation on the other hand is most expensive, but it does grant you 3 abilities, free talent and a +1 CL on the designated sphere which can be very potent when put into something useful.

Now not saying picking domain is something you shouldn't do. With anywhere from 1-5 domains you'll probably be able to pick something useful. But it does feel like weakest option available, and oftentimes not worthwhile for even consideration. Unless like me, you plan on potentially using incanter to fluff an actual casting focused divine caster. Which somehow still isn't a thing in core, since cleric is still very capable in fight and only sorta there as caster.

Shame on the protection not being claimed. You could do some interesting things with creative application of barriers. Aegis you'd need to probably think a bit before you find good new applications, but barriers I could see having some use.

[stack]

There will be a protection book eventually, just not for a bit. All of them will be written.

Cherry picking feat granting domains to burn up specialization points on a single level incanter dip can be very powerful. Powerfully cheesy. Single level specialist incanter dips are unfortunately powerful, an issue with how specialization works.

[Xararion]

Most GM's I'd imagine won't let you cherry pick on domains though. At least for the most parts I'd imagine the requirement being "you can pick from the domains your character worships", which usually gives you at best one good and four bad ones to pick from. This would obviously be house ruling and shouldn't be taken into account when designing the class, but it is something that probably comes up on more than one table. But yeah, I can see how that sort of one level dip would make it unfortunately powerful. Meanwhile as it stands for single class incanter, domains are sort of the "why" option. Outside of going for specific flavour you rarely have reason for taking them. Or if you really want one of the feats or powers for "cheap".

[Denomar]

Here's a question. Why is there not a typical magical flight sphere ability that does not involve growing wings?

[Xararion]

Here's a question. Why is there not a typical magical flight sphere ability that does not involve growing wings?

There is. It's in telekinesis sphere, you can grant the ability to control the flight to anything you lift with flight talent. This means you probably need to be lvl 5-8 depending on if you have the extra lift power talent, but you can get wingless flight by using telekinesis.

[digiman619]

How does SoP interact with the Qinggong Monk?