What a Bloody Mess (Spheres in Review)

[SangoProduction]

Sigh. After once more failing to learn the lesson to constantly backup these little stupid essays to a note pad, I've lost an entire day's work. Do let me know if you like the new, condensed format. It certainly took less time than detailing my complaints with every single useless talent in this sphere.

But here's the conclusion: The best use of Blood sphere, outside of notable exceptions, is to use it as little as possible.

Notable Exceptions:

Extract Blood Construct: If you made undead even more disgusting and harder to disguise, but more combat-capable. Still very swarmy, despite getting to combine into larger ones, due to size being CL-limited separately from the HD limit.

Eye Bleed: This alone makes Bleed base sphere worth using.


Piercing Blood: The first damage ability I've ever compared positively to destruction sphere, plus it's distinct in that its spell point increases the disable rather than damage. It's also got massive flexibility in 1 talent.

Rush to the Head: Awesome if there were more good blood arts you could flex the save with. Even so, the scaling confusion to 85% chance to not do what they want by level 10 is pretty cool.

Notably Bad
Gory Armaments: Full casters likely don't have the BAB for weapons. Half casters probably don't care about 5 temp HP for 1 round at level 20. Certainly not enough to forgo using a real weapon with real enchants.


This build focuses on using both Duelist and Blood sphere talents to give a hell load of CMD penalties.

Bleed (base sphere): Core component of Duelist's CMD penalization build
Eye Bleed: This talent alone makes Bleed worthwhile to use, but this is a nice rider effect to a build that uses Bleed
Hemorrhage: Boosts to 2x CL Bleed, which becomes even more CMD penalty.

Lingering Control: So that you neither need to mess with spell points, nor concentrate. Lengthened Control isn't a bad option either, but you can't do it all day.
Slick: Blood control passively inflicts a further 2+1/5 CL penalty to saves.

Notable DO NOTs
Redirect Flow: Insignificant penalties relative to what you are already getting, although there are some cool, minor things some of these can do, if CMD wasn't your only consideration.

Duelist Talents of note
Slickened Grip: Adds current bleed damage as a penalty to CMD.

Champion Feat:
Sanguine Magic: not strictly necessary, as you can apply Slickened Grip later, without jumping through the hoops of Death sphere linked to Blood sphere to gain blood control, and all that. Even if this feat implies that you normally are restricted to only doing it with attack actions.
...But I do think that it's quite likely that I am entirely misremembering the build and the Blood sphere never even factored in - instead it was the Bleeding Wounds talent of Death sphere. It would make a lot of sense. There are a lot of talents for a not so incredible increase.


Manipulate Alchemy: Only one good use - to have free action potions even out of turn.

Yeah. That's the only one, which hasn't been mentioned above


Essence Manipulation: Bleed things without blood.
Sanguine Minion: No duration on Blood Constructs


Blood Construct Mastery: Blood constructs are quite good. Not having to scavenge them from the recently dead is similarly good.

Blood Potion: Great dip for any formulae tosser with Focusing Formulae...in theory at least. If only snap toss could be used as a move action instead.

Construct Armor: Like a toned down Synthesist Summoner. Neat.

Elemental Blood: As a dip for a martial type to deal more damage with a sword.

Formed Construct: Construct Armor + this = less toned down Synthesis Summoner.


I actually never had a good look at Bloodbinder. I didn't go in looking to be too critical. But wow. It was almost designed to be a downgrade, as though someone looked at the class and decided it was too strong.
Forged in Blood: Forced to take Gory Armaments with his magic talent. Not good. In fact, notably bad, but maybe this archetype can make a liar out of me.

Bloodbound Equipment: Loses the ability to summon equipment for literally anyone but himself. And now hurts himself when doing so. Even hurts for bound equipment. Not significantly but this is a strict downgrade...

Ensanguined Forge: Improves the pool of tricks he can pull from. That's never bad. Not always impactful.

Vim and Vigor: Who here wants Toughness? Well, it comes with natural armor! Sure, replacing some other nice to haves, but you get hit points.

Arsenal Tricks: Some which fix the problems caused by Bloodbound Equipment.
-Bloodletting increases duelist sphere bleed. Not really the source of bleed duelists care about.
-Drink Deep actually gives Gory Armaments a reason to exist. Mostly to slaughter bags of rats for free healing. But you do get some passive healing from just doing your thing.
-Stalwart. Neat.

Bound by Blood: Regeneration 5. Nice! ...suppressed by mundane piercing damage. And bleed - Wait. What? Bleed damage? Isn't this supposed to be a master of his blood? Why does he even take bleed damage? But hey, an untyped +4 to con... Yay. I guess.

[thethird]

Some comment.


Piercing Blood: The first damage ability I've ever compared positively to destruction sphere, plus it's distinct in that its spell point increases the disable rather than damage. It's also got massive flexibility in 1 talent.

While the damage is nice, the save is for the damage. Unless your suffer the blood loss yourself. This not being a destruction sphere thing, it makes it harder to play with other destruction sphere stuff.


Gory Armaments: Full casters likely don't have the BAB for weapons. Half casters probably don't care about 5 temp HP for 1 round at level 20. Certainly not enough to forgo using a real weapon with real enchants.

It has its uses. Reloading is a free action. Ammunition is summoned into the weapon as a free action. Do you know how many gunslinger guides deal with reducing reload time to a free action? Firearms proficiencies is an (equipment) talent away. Then you can combine it with energy strike (destruction sphere) to deliver your destruction blasts as touch attacks with a greater range too. You can even use cruoromancy (casting tradition) to only grab this with one talent.

For what is worth I prefer Mage of Ice and Rime + Nature's Weapon (Nature sphere) but that takes a feat and more talents to pull.

Also with the blood sphere you can do some heavy damage at high (very high level).
Grab Celestial Obedicience to Vildeis (https://aonprd.com/DeityDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Vildeis) and a source of inflicting bleed damage on yourself. Make every enemy around you take bleed damage.

[Mehangel]

Gory Armaments: Full casters likely don't have the BAB for weapons. Half casters probably don't care about 5 temp HP for 1 round at level 20. Certainly not enough to forgo using a real weapon with real enchants.

It has its uses. Reloading is a free action. Ammunition is summoned into the weapon as a free action. Do you know how many gunslinger guides deal with reducing reload time to a free action? Firearms proficiencies is an (equipment) talent away. Then you can combine it with energy strike (destruction sphere) to deliver your destruction blasts as touch attacks with a greater range too. You can even use cruoromancy (casting tradition) to only grab this with one talent.

For what is worth I prefer Mage of Ice and Rime + Nature's Weapon (Nature sphere) but that takes a feat and more talents to pull.

Also with the blood sphere you can do some heavy damage at high (very high level).
Grab Celestial Obedicience to Vildeis (https://aonprd.com/DeityDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Vildeis) and a source of inflicting bleed damage on yourself. Make every enemy around you take bleed damage.

I thought I would also point out that an Armiger can gain Gory Armaments with just Basic Magic Training, and then customize it (so that you still have scaling enhancement bonuses); As long as they don't drop the weapon for more than 1 round, you are good. Out of combat just make sure that you stow the weapon properly so that it is still considered in your possession.

[SangoProduction]

Some comment.



While the damage is nice, the save is for the damage. Unless your suffer the blood loss yourself. This not being a destruction sphere thing, it makes it harder to play with other destruction sphere stuff.



It has its uses. Reloading is a free action. Ammunition is summoned into the weapon as a free action. Do you know how many gunslinger guides deal with reducing reload time to a free action? Firearms proficiencies is an (equipment) talent away. Then you can combine it with energy strike (destruction sphere) to deliver your destruction blasts as touch attacks with a greater range too. You can even use cruoromancy (casting tradition) to only grab this with one talent.

For what is worth I prefer Mage of Ice and Rime + Nature's Weapon (Nature sphere) but that takes a feat and more talents to pull.

Also with the blood sphere you can do some heavy damage at high (very high level).
Grab Celestial Obedicience to Vildeis (https://aonprd.com/DeityDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Vildeis) and a source of inflicting bleed damage on yourself. Make every enemy around you take bleed damage.

I was considering the benefits of hard to reload weapons like heavy crossbows and muskets.
It seemed neat, although there were already ways to reload them as free actions. So this talent sits somewhere as a stop-gap before when you don't have enough build resources to get it, and you don't have the gold to get magic weapons anyway.

That's a massive bloody AoE bleed reflection that only hits enemies. Damn. I'm impressed. I imagine that it only reflects the bleed damage, not the blood control, so that's just a constant aura of anti-enemy bleeding with the Self Control talent.


I thought I would also point out that an Armiger can gain Gory Armaments with just Basic Magic Training, and then customize it (so that you still have scaling enhancement bonuses); As long as they don't drop the weapon for more than 1 round, you are good. Out of combat just make sure that you stow the weapon properly so that it is still considered in your possession.

I don't doubt that you could. What I do wonder is why you would, if you don't mind explaining. I love to have my horizons expanded by being proven wrong.

[thethird]

I was considering the benefits of hard to reload weapons like heavy crossbows and muskets.
It seemed neat, although there were already ways to reload them as free actions. So this talent sits somewhere as a stop-gap before when you don't have enough build resources to get it, and you don't have the gold to get magic weapons anyway.

It also reduces the problem with firearms blowing on your face, simply form another one. So the firearms balancing factors against other weapons (slow reload, chance of blowing up, and cost) are completely scratched.

Think of it as a soulknife's soulblade. Is it as good as having a properly kitted and enchanted magic item with the perfect enhancement for the occasion? No, it is not. What it is, is terribly handy.

Also depending of how crazy you want to go, you can take it one step further. Be proficient with technological weapons (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/equipment-sphere#toc84). Make an Atom Gun (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment/weapons/technological-weapons/#Atom_Gun), fire it, and then make another different Atom Gun. Go nuts.


That's a massive bloody AoE bleed reflection that only hits enemies. Damn. I'm impressed. I imagine that it only reflects the bleed damage, not the blood control, so that's just a constant aura of anti-enemy bleeding with the Self Control talent.

Add Sanguiphilia (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/blood#toc52) to heal yourself by some of that damage. It's a very tank-y build.

If you would like to include some other 3pp stuff, to compliment the bleeding I like the Breastplate of Bloody Conflict (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/veil-list-and-descriptions#toc22) not really necessary to invest essence into it, as long as it's shaped you increase your damage by how much bleed damage you are taking. That's the very dps-y build.

Note that it's difficult to make it work with the celestial obedience above, as it says that the aura of bleed damage is instead of you taking bleed damage. Otherwise it would be pretty crazy, you could bypass your own Bleed immunity to stockpile bleed damage that is copied on the enemies around while at the same time healing you and increasing your damage.

[SangoProduction]

It also reduces the problem with firearms blowing on your face, simply form another one. So the firearms balancing factors against other weapons (slow reload, chance of blowing up, and cost) are completely scratched.

Think of it as a soulknife's soulblade. Is it as good as having a properly kitted and enchanted magic item with the perfect enhancement for the occasion? No, it is not. What it is, is terribly handy.

Also depending of how crazy you want to go, you can take it one step further. Be proficient with technological weapons (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/equipment-sphere#toc84). Make an Atom Gun (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment/weapons/technological-weapons/#Atom_Gun), fire it, and then make another different Atom Gun. Go nuts.

Not even comparing to a situationally-perfectly enhancement. Just a typically-expected generic enhancements by the time you unlock another +1 with the talent.
It might be handy compared to an unenchanted backup weapon you brought because you anticipated there might be skeletons who'd resist you Greatsword....5 sessions ago and promptly forgot you even had.

The guns backfire thing is pretty nice, because it's one of those things where there isn't an abundance of fixes for that. The other two problems are already completely mitigated, without giving up your weapon, even if you stay entirely within spheres of might (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?541010-Optimizing-guns!&p=22536546#post22536546).

But, getting into special weapons...I've never seen technological weapons even allowed in games, but I have seen siege weapons, if not commonly. Siege Engineer grants you proficiency with all siege weapons, which then enables things like just summoning in Firewyrms, although that's still kind of taking the **** out of the talent. I somewhat doubt that there was intent to allow you to freely attack with catapults and summon siege towers.
But that does recontextualize the Bloodbinder archetype as a siege specialist.


Add Sanguiphilia (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/blood#toc52) to heal yourself by some of that damage. It's a very tank-y build.

If you would like to include some other 3pp stuff, to compliment the bleeding I like the Breastplate of Bloody Conflict (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/veil-list-and-descriptions#toc22) not really necessary to invest essence into it, as long as it's shaped you increase your damage by how much bleed damage you are taking. That's the very dps-y build.

Note that it's difficult to make it work with the celestial obedience above, as it says that the aura of bleed damage is instead of you taking bleed damage. Otherwise it would be pretty crazy, you could bypass your own Bleed immunity to stockpile bleed damage that is copied on the enemies around while at the same time healing you and increasing your damage.

Indeed, the drain tanking would be pretty insane.