SangoProduction
2021-03-25, 12:26 AM
This one's going to be a bit different from the rest of the SiR series. I have touted the value of Destruction sphere as simply being the one-talent wonder.
You get the majority of the benefits in a single talent, with additional talents simply adding flexibility and versatility. They add more ways to do the thing, but rarely do the thing "better." (Excluding natural power variations between different talents.) And I have to say, for the most part, I find that really nice.
But that does raise the question of the title. What's the best you can do with the absolute minimum investment?
So, let's get right on into it.
Fore Note: Obviously, the "best" talent is completely situational. If you're going to be fighting ice swarms, obviously a fireball is going to be superior to an acid ray. Unless they for some... anyway! Shh!
I'm just going to assume that there is no rhyme nor reason to the monsters you encounter, and they are basically random monsters. I also don't think I'm going to "rate" or "rank" them. These are all very solid choices for your talent.
The following 2 drawbacks are really what make Destruction sphere such a knock out wonder as a dip. You can have your fire-breathing kobold, your lightning dasher (pre-USOP), or whatever "special attack" you want. And it will scale with you. I love it!
Unfortunately, in order to get any more versatility, you need to spend 2 talents (1 for the drawback, and then 1 for the real thing you wanted). So, I do believe it might have been better with a sort of system done with the Alchemy sphere (at least for the shape). But eh. It works.
Energy Focus: Gain a blast type as a bonus talent. Must always use that blast type for destructive blasts.
Shape Focus: Gain a blast shape as a bonus talent. Must always use that blast shape for destructive blasts.
Base Sphere: Yeah. Touch attack to hit for no spell points is pretty nice. The rest cost spell points (for most of their effect). Saving spell points means more single target blasts. But it lacks versatility and durability.
Sculpt Blast: Gives you 3 types of AoE shapes in one. Not fantastic AoEs, and they all start from your square, but for just 1 talent? Hell yeah. It can benefit from less support, but the purpose is to be a dip. (Note, due to comparative wording, the burst might be centered on self.)
Energy Tether: You can only have one of these up at a time (barring a specialized archetype), so you can't keep throwing these out, nor can you do the default attack, unless you buy off the drawback. But for a dip? Having your destruction sphere do work while you do your main thing? That's great.
It's especially great for martial-types who want another means of keeping enemies closer. (Though the duration being tied to CL kinda sucks for martial types who probably want to use their full turn to do things.)
Energy Wall: It's got flexibility in being able to be used as essentially a single target free ability, or being an AoE that has a persistent duration. But although the wall itself is persistent, it probably won't be hitting anyone more than once.
Energy Aura: Like Tether, this creates a persistent effect for just 1 casting. But unless you're trying to abuse a particularly crippling condition, it really doesn't have the threat to keep people off your squishy caster bod, nor the area control for a partial caster. But its duration is tied to CAM rather than CL.
Generally, for blast types, the custom blasts are the best. They are the most likely to fit your needs in exactly all the ways you want. But let's just stick with the premade ones.
Force: The single most universal damage type in the game (at least for damage with a type). Even hits ghosts. You do pay for it quite heavily though.
Acid / Electricity: These two are the best of the basic energies available. They are the least commonly resisted, and so are the most reliable when you don't have more, while not giving up their damage dice.
Cold: A not-all-too-common resistance, and has some light utility to put out fires, freeze water...and some other stuff, I'm sure.
Sonic: If there were any good blast types, this would be nice, as normally it's universally applicable, even with a lower than normal base damage.
Fire: Fire is well-resisted. Not the preferable basic energy type, when you only have one.
Bludgeoning / Piercing / Slashing: Physical damage. Doesn't ignore DR in Destruction sphere, despite being magically sourced.
Nonlethal: A lot of innate immunities, and is easily healed. Makes for a really poor choice when you can't flex out to something else.
Stone Blast: Are you a caster? Do you have even the slightest fears about AMF? Then here's your back up weapon.
Blinding Blast: Blind is a really good condition to inflict. Especially good with shapes that have persistent effects like Energy Tether / Aura.
Shock Blast: If it weren't for its likelihood to get banned, this would be fantastic. Even without using persistent effects, having a chance to daze is stupendously powerful.
Adhesive Blast: Entangles, but only for 1 round. Acid damage.
Fire Blast : Despite being fire damage, it does have a persistent effect, so it keeps getting value after you cast it. Particularly for low levels.
Crystal Blast: Entangles, and soaks enemy action. Piercing damage though.
Paradigm Blast: Spend a spell point to penetrate DR as though it were axiomatic damage. Or anarchic damage. No other benefits. Literally just to penetrate DR...which is ignored by picking a non-physical energy type.
Smiting Blast: Same as Paradigm Blast. You don't even get bonus damage like a Holy weapon would. Nothing. Not even the custom blasts price this effect at even remotely close to what it's costing!
You get the majority of the benefits in a single talent, with additional talents simply adding flexibility and versatility. They add more ways to do the thing, but rarely do the thing "better." (Excluding natural power variations between different talents.) And I have to say, for the most part, I find that really nice.
But that does raise the question of the title. What's the best you can do with the absolute minimum investment?
So, let's get right on into it.
Fore Note: Obviously, the "best" talent is completely situational. If you're going to be fighting ice swarms, obviously a fireball is going to be superior to an acid ray. Unless they for some... anyway! Shh!
I'm just going to assume that there is no rhyme nor reason to the monsters you encounter, and they are basically random monsters. I also don't think I'm going to "rate" or "rank" them. These are all very solid choices for your talent.
The following 2 drawbacks are really what make Destruction sphere such a knock out wonder as a dip. You can have your fire-breathing kobold, your lightning dasher (pre-USOP), or whatever "special attack" you want. And it will scale with you. I love it!
Unfortunately, in order to get any more versatility, you need to spend 2 talents (1 for the drawback, and then 1 for the real thing you wanted). So, I do believe it might have been better with a sort of system done with the Alchemy sphere (at least for the shape). But eh. It works.
Energy Focus: Gain a blast type as a bonus talent. Must always use that blast type for destructive blasts.
Shape Focus: Gain a blast shape as a bonus talent. Must always use that blast shape for destructive blasts.
Base Sphere: Yeah. Touch attack to hit for no spell points is pretty nice. The rest cost spell points (for most of their effect). Saving spell points means more single target blasts. But it lacks versatility and durability.
Sculpt Blast: Gives you 3 types of AoE shapes in one. Not fantastic AoEs, and they all start from your square, but for just 1 talent? Hell yeah. It can benefit from less support, but the purpose is to be a dip. (Note, due to comparative wording, the burst might be centered on self.)
Energy Tether: You can only have one of these up at a time (barring a specialized archetype), so you can't keep throwing these out, nor can you do the default attack, unless you buy off the drawback. But for a dip? Having your destruction sphere do work while you do your main thing? That's great.
It's especially great for martial-types who want another means of keeping enemies closer. (Though the duration being tied to CL kinda sucks for martial types who probably want to use their full turn to do things.)
Energy Wall: It's got flexibility in being able to be used as essentially a single target free ability, or being an AoE that has a persistent duration. But although the wall itself is persistent, it probably won't be hitting anyone more than once.
Energy Aura: Like Tether, this creates a persistent effect for just 1 casting. But unless you're trying to abuse a particularly crippling condition, it really doesn't have the threat to keep people off your squishy caster bod, nor the area control for a partial caster. But its duration is tied to CAM rather than CL.
Generally, for blast types, the custom blasts are the best. They are the most likely to fit your needs in exactly all the ways you want. But let's just stick with the premade ones.
Force: The single most universal damage type in the game (at least for damage with a type). Even hits ghosts. You do pay for it quite heavily though.
Acid / Electricity: These two are the best of the basic energies available. They are the least commonly resisted, and so are the most reliable when you don't have more, while not giving up their damage dice.
Cold: A not-all-too-common resistance, and has some light utility to put out fires, freeze water...and some other stuff, I'm sure.
Sonic: If there were any good blast types, this would be nice, as normally it's universally applicable, even with a lower than normal base damage.
Fire: Fire is well-resisted. Not the preferable basic energy type, when you only have one.
Bludgeoning / Piercing / Slashing: Physical damage. Doesn't ignore DR in Destruction sphere, despite being magically sourced.
Nonlethal: A lot of innate immunities, and is easily healed. Makes for a really poor choice when you can't flex out to something else.
Stone Blast: Are you a caster? Do you have even the slightest fears about AMF? Then here's your back up weapon.
Blinding Blast: Blind is a really good condition to inflict. Especially good with shapes that have persistent effects like Energy Tether / Aura.
Shock Blast: If it weren't for its likelihood to get banned, this would be fantastic. Even without using persistent effects, having a chance to daze is stupendously powerful.
Adhesive Blast: Entangles, but only for 1 round. Acid damage.
Fire Blast : Despite being fire damage, it does have a persistent effect, so it keeps getting value after you cast it. Particularly for low levels.
Crystal Blast: Entangles, and soaks enemy action. Piercing damage though.
Paradigm Blast: Spend a spell point to penetrate DR as though it were axiomatic damage. Or anarchic damage. No other benefits. Literally just to penetrate DR...which is ignored by picking a non-physical energy type.
Smiting Blast: Same as Paradigm Blast. You don't even get bonus damage like a Holy weapon would. Nothing. Not even the custom blasts price this effect at even remotely close to what it's costing!