SangoProduction
2019-04-08, 09:42 PM
http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration - Alteration sphere
This sphere is all about shifting the shape of people, animals, and creatures of all sorts.
The very first thing you can do upon gaining access to this sphere is to add 5 types of natural weapons to your form...as well as disguise self and to grand lowlight/darkvision. Really obvious what direction the sphere seems to intend for you.
But....full attacking with natural attacks has 2 problems: 1) It's boring as all get out. You do the same thing over and over until someone is dead.
2) It is a very, very visible assessment of power. When someone is dishing out 50 attacks in a round, the DM's going to step in there and say you're crossing the line. (Meanwhile Mr. Wizard...Well, anyway.)
So, I was wanting to consider the greatest utility (both in and out of combat) that the Alteration sphere can offer.
Something notable about this sphere: It has no base spell point cost, and many saves are Con-based.
I'm going to bold the most notable of the options
The first talent is also the most obvious combat utility talent: Aberrant Body (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc3). It is admittedly pretty weak. Yes. Even the Suffocation one...which lasts [Casting Ability Modifier] rounds...when it takes minutes to even start making saves against suffocation. Having the option of anchoring someone critical people on touch attack is pretty useful though.
Agile Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc6) enables rouge-like abilities without being a rogue. Most notable is Improved-Improved Initiative. Oh and Evasion, which will be great if you can expect a fireball-happy mage in the not-too-distance future. Or traps. Traps are dangerous. But are they [redacted]?
Mimicry (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc17)basically allows you to flexibly apply traits, so long as you see something with said traits. This is great, great, GREAT if your DM uses dungeons with environmental effects and...hahahahahahahaha...Sorry. And accompanying adapted creatures. Such as Salamanders in a lava pool.
Odiferous (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc19) will definitely not make you the favorite to be around, but dang if these aren't good debuffs. Sickened's quite alright, and it lasts for an average of 3.5 turns (read: All of a combat). Nauseated is absolutely devastating, and basically a save or lose.
Size Change (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc26), because Duh. But of note is that you also get size downs, which improve sneaking potential.
Undead Traits (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc29), DR 5, with a vulnerability that you can shift to fit your needs is actually massive at level 1, and remains relevant to about level 5. (And remains useful when facing large attack numbers, as opposed to heavier hitting attacks.) You are already building Con, so you'll be a tough nut to crack.
Anarchic Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc33) grants the very rare Sonic damage resistance as a trait...1/2 level honestly isn't all too bad. But it isn't great. Especially considering it's so rare. However, the actual transformation has something neat that might be overlooked: Each additional head adds +2 to perception. This actually turns this transformation in to the all-seeing-maoi-head form. (Oh, and the basic form of the anarchic transformation is predictably chaotic and mutable.)
Anthropomorphic Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc35) ....is basically "Speak with Animal," but allows you to get around a DM that says that they are too stupid to gleam useful information from. Also fur[redacted].
Avian Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc37)grants flight as a trait for when you don't want to be an Elemental. Or if you want to be an earth elemental with wings.
Celestial Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc39) may have relatively few uses, but if you see a party of adventurers walking down the street with a gosh darned angel, you know you'll be paying attention.
Construct Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc40) aside from looking like a statue, which could be useful, you also gain a relatively luke warm spell resistance. Considering the general ability of casters to outright ignore SR, or take Spell Penetration for like +4 or whatever to their check...I mean. It's still something.
Elemental Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc42) is the epitome of utility. Flight, Earthglide, Swim, and Elemental Resistances. Oh, and Fire burns. I guess.
Vermin Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc52) has Web...And that's basically it. It's really shoddy as a committed form's trait. But as something to quickly shift in to, it's quite something. Especially since the web doesn't seem to have a time limit. So you can build your own cozy little house at a rate of 3 to 27 5ft-squares per minute depending on if you have Size Change.
And finally, to discuss the class options:
Shifter is obvious, and for an Alteration-focused character, is probably going to be the main class. Of the most obvious note, it grants bonus rounds of having the transformation after stopping concentration, which stacks with Lingering Transformation, letting us have up to a good minute or so of free transformation, all for the cost of a move action, because of Quick Transformation feature. The Bestial Traits mostly suck (lol. Hide in Plain Sight at level 18). But...They are there.
The 1 level dip in to Incanter is almost guaranteed for anyone using Spheres of Power. This is no exception. Although Alteration talents scale really poorly with caster level, meeting a break point a level early is always appreciated.
The Savant Archetype for Thaumaturge also fits the theme of being very flexible, as does the Armiger, though both are noncasters.
This sphere is all about shifting the shape of people, animals, and creatures of all sorts.
The very first thing you can do upon gaining access to this sphere is to add 5 types of natural weapons to your form...as well as disguise self and to grand lowlight/darkvision. Really obvious what direction the sphere seems to intend for you.
But....full attacking with natural attacks has 2 problems: 1) It's boring as all get out. You do the same thing over and over until someone is dead.
2) It is a very, very visible assessment of power. When someone is dishing out 50 attacks in a round, the DM's going to step in there and say you're crossing the line. (Meanwhile Mr. Wizard...Well, anyway.)
So, I was wanting to consider the greatest utility (both in and out of combat) that the Alteration sphere can offer.
Something notable about this sphere: It has no base spell point cost, and many saves are Con-based.
I'm going to bold the most notable of the options
The first talent is also the most obvious combat utility talent: Aberrant Body (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc3). It is admittedly pretty weak. Yes. Even the Suffocation one...which lasts [Casting Ability Modifier] rounds...when it takes minutes to even start making saves against suffocation. Having the option of anchoring someone critical people on touch attack is pretty useful though.
Agile Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc6) enables rouge-like abilities without being a rogue. Most notable is Improved-Improved Initiative. Oh and Evasion, which will be great if you can expect a fireball-happy mage in the not-too-distance future. Or traps. Traps are dangerous. But are they [redacted]?
Mimicry (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc17)basically allows you to flexibly apply traits, so long as you see something with said traits. This is great, great, GREAT if your DM uses dungeons with environmental effects and...hahahahahahahaha...Sorry. And accompanying adapted creatures. Such as Salamanders in a lava pool.
Odiferous (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc19) will definitely not make you the favorite to be around, but dang if these aren't good debuffs. Sickened's quite alright, and it lasts for an average of 3.5 turns (read: All of a combat). Nauseated is absolutely devastating, and basically a save or lose.
Size Change (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc26), because Duh. But of note is that you also get size downs, which improve sneaking potential.
Undead Traits (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc29), DR 5, with a vulnerability that you can shift to fit your needs is actually massive at level 1, and remains relevant to about level 5. (And remains useful when facing large attack numbers, as opposed to heavier hitting attacks.) You are already building Con, so you'll be a tough nut to crack.
Anarchic Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc33) grants the very rare Sonic damage resistance as a trait...1/2 level honestly isn't all too bad. But it isn't great. Especially considering it's so rare. However, the actual transformation has something neat that might be overlooked: Each additional head adds +2 to perception. This actually turns this transformation in to the all-seeing-maoi-head form. (Oh, and the basic form of the anarchic transformation is predictably chaotic and mutable.)
Anthropomorphic Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc35) ....is basically "Speak with Animal," but allows you to get around a DM that says that they are too stupid to gleam useful information from. Also fur[redacted].
Avian Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc37)grants flight as a trait for when you don't want to be an Elemental. Or if you want to be an earth elemental with wings.
Celestial Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc39) may have relatively few uses, but if you see a party of adventurers walking down the street with a gosh darned angel, you know you'll be paying attention.
Construct Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc40) aside from looking like a statue, which could be useful, you also gain a relatively luke warm spell resistance. Considering the general ability of casters to outright ignore SR, or take Spell Penetration for like +4 or whatever to their check...I mean. It's still something.
Elemental Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc42) is the epitome of utility. Flight, Earthglide, Swim, and Elemental Resistances. Oh, and Fire burns. I guess.
Vermin Transformation (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/alteration#toc52) has Web...And that's basically it. It's really shoddy as a committed form's trait. But as something to quickly shift in to, it's quite something. Especially since the web doesn't seem to have a time limit. So you can build your own cozy little house at a rate of 3 to 27 5ft-squares per minute depending on if you have Size Change.
And finally, to discuss the class options:
Shifter is obvious, and for an Alteration-focused character, is probably going to be the main class. Of the most obvious note, it grants bonus rounds of having the transformation after stopping concentration, which stacks with Lingering Transformation, letting us have up to a good minute or so of free transformation, all for the cost of a move action, because of Quick Transformation feature. The Bestial Traits mostly suck (lol. Hide in Plain Sight at level 18). But...They are there.
The 1 level dip in to Incanter is almost guaranteed for anyone using Spheres of Power. This is no exception. Although Alteration talents scale really poorly with caster level, meeting a break point a level early is always appreciated.
The Savant Archetype for Thaumaturge also fits the theme of being very flexible, as does the Armiger, though both are noncasters.