SangoProduction
2022-10-12, 05:09 PM
Preamble: Long ago, I reviewed the Mana sphere. Overall, not good. New book nearly entirely focused on mana sphere. Read it. Really wanted to do a re-review of Mana sphere. Got bored of reading the mana sphere again, and never actually did it. So here I am to try and do it again.
Again, as a note, I have to say that I am assuming that you run into enough mages in your campaign to make Mana sphere (the anti-mage sphere) worth running. And thus won't mark off for the lack of mages in a typical game, because, surprise, surprise, mages take more effort to prepare than "big thing hit things with big stick." And have thus been shockingly rare in my long history of gaming.
Post-Review Analysis: Still as long-winded and not great as I remembered, although I certainly underestimated a few in my first run. Some nice standouts from the newly added archmagi's HB. The Amp system is a huge deal, but surprisingly isn't what I'd generally term as overpowered. The good ones are flexible, and can apply to a lot of unlikely situations, but thanks to the broad capability, they actually do feel like they work, because in the whole package, those situations come up often enough to invest in insurance.
Flex Talents: Shuffle does let you flex damage types around resistances. But that's base sphere.
Arcanodynamics is even better as a flex, because it, in and of itself, is kind of a flex amp.
Same with Intelligent Interactions.
Initiate's Training for the delay spell, if you want to only have it in the couple of funny occasions, rather than taking it forever for the cheese potential.
Maximize Caster Level: Yes. Maximize Mana CL if you want to use it. Unless you're only here for the amps, or only for the ability to allow everyone to transfer spell points between one another. Then you don't really care.
(1) Superb: You always want this if it's relevant to you. And it probably is.
(1.5) Really Good: Particularly useful bits of kit, but aren't quite must-haves. (Kept it decimal, because spreading out Good so far from Superb felt unrepresentative. But I needed a step between)
(2) Good: These make useful additions to the right builds. Among your first picks.
(3) Usable: Doesn't hurt to have. Wouldn't go out of your way for it.
(4) No: It technically has a use, but the cost to take simply doesn't outweigh the benefit.
(5) Never: There’s no non-trivial reason to pick it up, from its mechanics.
(6+) Harmful: Taking/using this is actively detrimental to your character.
<Angle brackets> around a rating indicates situational usefulness, and how good it is in that favorable situation.
[Square brackets] indicate a reliance on the group (players or DM) or campaign you’re playing in, and how well it does in those select groups.
Special Ratings:
(C) Cheese: A talent so broken that it will be instantly banned if you use it as you could.
(?) Unrated: I choose not to rate it. Often because it is just so far out of my wheelhouse, or it’s far too ambiguous.
(F) Flavor: This indicates that the main draw to the talent is going to be its inherent fluff or flavor, rather than raw power or utility.
(D) D***bag: Used for when your character wants to be a D***bag.
Temporary Spell points: Last 1 round / CL. (Of the caster or the one who has it, who knows). Effects cast with temp spell points (even partially?) last only for the duration of the spell point. These can't be used for Mana sphere, at all.
Expunge: Close range. Standard action. Target one creature. Apply one (Expunge). Gains Spellburn (Expunge) with the sphere.
Spellburn (6): Must target casters. Fails otherwise. Will save to negate. I've seen literally no caster with a bad will save chassis. Not a single one. Even half casters. (OK, fine. I lie. The Spheres Shifter is the literal only one I've ever seen.) So, off to a bad start.
But it drains spell points (or spell slots). Spell points for Sphere casters is either, you have them, and you don't care how much you have left, or you don't, and you cast your still-reasonable cantrips. So pretty useless against sphere casters. For Vancian casters, it can definitely be more game changing. But they still get to decide which slots to lose. Which means less and less and less as you progress in the levels. Although the scaling of spell levels to spell points conversion do heavily favor you in this situation. Losing 9 spell levels worth of spells on a good roll by 9th level is exceedingly potent.
And by spending a spell point, you can repeat this damage automatically at the end of each turn that they fail another will save.
So, here's the primary design problem that exceeds the rest. Even the will targeting against exclusively anti-mage stuff. It's basically a second health bar. Either you drain their spell bar to 0, and they can't fight, or you've basically wasted all of your actions draining it. And if you do manage to take them out by spell point damage, then everyone who was whacking the mage with a sword were wasting their actions, because they didn't contribute to the enemy going down. Bad design. Anti-synergistic. But cool idea. (Notice how I didn't even need to mention that the non-spell point spending version only drains 2 spell points from the target at level 10, because that's almost irrelevant to the bad design.)
Manabond: Swift action *after* a *successful* us of an (expunge) or (manipulation) talent that costs a spell point. Or move action, touch, and spell point. This creates a manabond between you and the target, which lasts for concentration, up to 1 minute / caster level. But concentration can be done as a swift action (but not further modified). Add one (manabond) talent to the effect.
You may only host a single manabond, and the recipient may only ever receive one mana bond. Which means you cannot focus on mana bonds to support your team. Or even your casting friend. You also can't bond yourself.
Mystical Bond (4): +1 or -1 competence modifier to the recipient's caster level. Which is cool. But only from a single sphere (or school, presumably). Which is still workable. Nerfing enemy Evocation is probably a good bet. Even if it's only -1 to CL, that might be the 1 out of 2 CL that was the DC-raising CL... wait. No. That's Spheres. But if they only just got to their latest spell level, you prevent them from using those spells. Otherwise, you might be reducing the range a Vancian caster's spells can hit by like 10 feet. While within close range. But vs Spheres, its' got that chance at reducing the DC. And that become a guaranteed save DC drop by level 8. Or increase, if you're supporting say a mind-sphere user - you know, someone who does nothing if they are resisted. Could be cool.
Manipulation: Standard action to use (manipulation) talent up to range of close. Must remain in this range while concentrating on it.
Amp: Amp talents modify a sphere that's being cast, and are activated as an immediate action, and count as the original effect that's being modifier, rather than two sphere effects. Can be cast as a standard action to grant the benefits to the next eligible sphere effect cast before start of turn. That honestly kinda hurts. You can't immediate action modify an ally's cast. Saves originating from an (Amp) use Mana sphere saving throw.
Shuffle <2>: 10 ft radius. Centered in range. Concentrate up to 1 round / CL, but may spend a spell point to make it last without concentration. Casters affected by this shuffle may make a will save to make their effect not affected by this. (Presumably once per effect.)
This talent offers two different uses-
Chaotic Rewiring: Randomly retargets effects cast in the area. Actively detrimental. Unless your DM actually plays for keeps in his combats. And can be resisted, and you spent your action(s)/spell point on this.
Elemental rewiring: Gets to convert specifically one elemental damage type to another. Cool for say, dragons, who want to specifically protect against their vulnerable element. Bad as a general defensive layer. For offensive... maybe an ally only splashed one single talent in Destruction. And it's early game so you did too, and you run into something that resists either of your blasts. You place this down and for much of the combat (if you've got at least 3 caster levels under your belt), you(r ally) no longer suffer from their resistance.
Draining Spellburn [1+]: Treats the spellburned spell points to count as though they were used, for the purposes of effects that trigger on spending spell points. Which is basically meaningless, unless your DM goes out of his way to create casting traditions for the mages he puts in the game. And not only that, but give them traditions that have penalties when casting. But there is the Mark of Lufeburn expunge talent later, which grants it some use. And that's even a fortitude save, which is cool. And doubles the damage if they "spend" at least 3 spell points at once. 2d8 nonlethal damage per 3 caster levels is not bad. Even if you do have to spend in-combat set up time on the mark. Plus, now you're hedging your bets on at least contributing on HP damage, even if you don't down them by SP damage first.
Also, Melt Power says it functions as spell burn, so its substantially higher damage might apply. But that definitely doesn't seem intended. This is busted if allowed.
Overpowering Expunge (1): Increase casting time by 1 step, or +1 spell point to apply 2 expunge talents. And there are some obvious combos that were clearly intended as combos. Also, see Draining Spellburn.
Heavy Expunge (2): Marks the target who fails the save against your expunge. When they cast a non-cantrip, they must spend +1 spell point for it to work. Pretty cool.
Magical Conduit (2): The [mass] talent for Mana sphere. But only for manabonds. Still, it's nice, removing the restriction of hosting only one bond, which was silly. And you get to bond with additional targets for 1 extra spell point. and concentrate on them all with the same swift action, or extend them all with the same spell point.
Manavore (2): When gaining spell points, sacrifice them to instead heal. It's a pretty chunky heal, that doesn't cost you an action. But it's substantially less efficient than just casting Life sphere talent on yourself. But again, this is a heal that doesn't take an action. Basically it'll be a rider to whatever granted you those spell points. You trade SP for speed. It's honestly not bad.
Sudden Empowerment/Weakening <2>: Expend your Mystical Bond (manabond) in response to the recipient casting a spell in order to double the CL change. So goes to +/- 2 or 4. Maybe even 6 from 3. But for one effect only. But it could be a really good, tide-turning effect. Especially for advanced talents.
Retained Imbuement (3): Your granted temp spell points last for 1 min/CL instead. Neat.
Hardened Bond (3): When making a manabond, spend a spell point to make it tangible as well. Though the tangible part can be broken. Allows you to shorten the manabond, and get massive bonuses to drag attempts, and they can't move away without dragging you. Enables Tether Adept feat as though it were Destructive Tether.
Flexible Shuffle (3): Grants the option to use 3 + (1/2 CL) squares for your Shuffle area. Which is arguably more useful than a square area, because the magic need only pass through it to get the benefit. Also two more ways to shuffle:
Focus rewiring - Targets in the area don't provoke for casting spells. And concentration checks are at +(1 + 1/2 CL) bonus in the area.
Spatial Rewiring - Area of effect magic that hit one of the squares hits all of the squares. Why would they stay in that area you basically announced to be the kill zone? Heck if I know. But maybe there are some helpful AoE things that you can swing into being extra useful through this shuffle?
Enlarged Shuffle [4]: Larger range shuffle. Shuffle's pretty bad. But gives you marginally more flexibility in the usage of the ability. Best if you've got at least 3 other casters on your team, of whom none wanted to pick an extra talent to diversify their blasting capability. Roughly triples the Flexible Shuffle squares option.
Defensive Bond (5): When targeted by a magic/supernatural effect, spell point, immediate action, create manabond between yourself... and any other creature? Hmm. OK then. Expected it to be the attacker. Unwilling targets are offered a will save, even though they normally aren't for manabonds.
Explosive Expunge (?): Turns your expunges into a 10ft radius burst. Which is kinda insane to me. Any casters is pretty rare. They take a bunch of DM setup time. A whole group of casters who stand within 10 feet of each other, given that they almost certainly know Fireball is a thing? That's insane.
Swap Bond (?): May swap bonds as part of concentration action. Would need to see the bonds first before I could make a clear rating.
Oversaturation Surge (C+): At the end of the target's next turn, this drains away all temporary spell points, and erupts into 1d8 untyped damage per spell point damage (capped to 1d8/CL). Not even nonlethal. You will straight up murder enemy mages if even two of your party have this talent. Even if only one of you has Melt Power, which grants temporary Spell Points at the start of each round (plus the initial + roundly amount each time you cast it while they are spellburned through Melt Power).
But they get the chance to avoid this damage. How? By making the full-round action save against Melt Power... which completely incapacitates them for that round, even if they do manage to make the save. And if they do so, you just Melt Power + Oversaturation Surge once again.
As a DM, I am fully within my rights to ban this. Mark of Lifeburn is good enough.
Mark Of Lifeburn (1): The literal one good expunge from the original Mana sphere. Marks them on a failed fortitude save. Once per round, they suffer 1d8/3 levels of damage for casting non-cantrips. Or twice that for using at least 3 spell points at once. Which obviously isn't going to be common, except if you get in and Spellburn them. On average, this beats out a Destructive blast after about 3 rounds of this happening. Also combos with Draining Spellburn, as already mentioned. Though in doing so, you basically just tell them that they should cast, otherwise they'll take damage either way. I mean, they will cast regardless. This damage isn't enough to stop them. But still. Also, the option for them to end the effect is actually a net positive for you, because it is basically like a Stagger effect when they choose to do that, which is better than a bit of damage that turn.
Melt Power (?): Added in Archmagi's HB, This ramps up the "spell point damage" dramatically. At level 1, the initial spell point damage is 1d4 instead of 1, and the burn per turn is +2 die steps. But it's given back as temporary spell points. But that's a good thing, as will be mentioned in Oversaturation Surge. So is the Will save still being the target save. Because they can turn their temp SP back into real SP with a full round action will save. Which is their good save. Which means they'd be tempted to do it. But it still takes their full round action. Oh, also the additional spell point damage is taken at the beginning of their turn.
If this counts as Spellburn for the pursposes of Draining Spellburn, then this works with Mark of Lifeburn. Else... I mean, Mark of Lifeburn is also going to be useful, probably, because of Oversaturation Charge inspiring them to just try and nuke you with literally everything they've got so that they don't take the damage from temp spell points.
On it's own, it's really... not much of a change from Spellburn, which was just horribly designed. But, this rating assumes the positive combos are enabled. Which pulls it from being bad design to .... broken design. Wow. Hmm. Yeah. It's still bad. And it doesn't even follow through with the SP damage on its own. It's literally only a combo piece. Unless you're doing guerilla warfare, slowly sapping off enemy power, and then retreating and then returning once it's finished sapping. Although they are given plenty of rounds to attempt to make their good save against that. So. Not happening. But still. Unless you boost your DC massively while downcasting to CL 1. Then the temp points wear off quick. Though you're doing minimum damage per ... anyway, not great design.
Mark Of Instability (2): Spend a spell point to force the target to no longer be able to cast non-cantrips for a few rounds. (2 rounds starting at 5th level. Never worth before then.) Again Will save against exclusively caster-target. But the last two sentences imply that that's actually a misprint, and intended to be fortitude.
Ignition (4): If you were to compare to Mana Siphon blast type, they are both ranged touch attacks. This, you must spend a spell a spell point for 1d8 / 3 CL here, but MSBT is either pointless, or one spell point for 1d4 / CL. Damage in favor of MSBT. But typeless here, nonlethal force for MSBT. The rider effect for MSBT is 1 spell point damage (scaling by 1 die size per 5 levels) on a failed fort save. Rather pointless. But the rider effect here is 1 spell point damage, -1 penalty to save and MSD for one effect... per 5 points of damage for 1 round. So basically a slightly above average roll per die, with no save. So on the low end of decent, if the rider effect is your focus.... but both of the things being compared are pretty bad.
Disorient (6): -2 (-1/4 CL) to penalty to a singular spell, on a failed will save (against casters, again, emphasis). So. Cool, up until level 5, this along with Mystical Bond, totally prevents their next spell from working. But you are basically trading your action (guaranteed) for a chance at potentially ruining their next action. And again, will save against casters. For Vancians, it's even less meaningful.
Flow (1) Redistributes mana points. Surely there's a great use for it, which was why sapping from the target to you is a temporary spell point. Or it could just be so you don't infinitely refresh off of enemies. It's honestly a great offensive Manabond, not for the spell point damage it does, but for the chance to basically ensure you suffer almost no spell point costs
Vortex (2): Forces recipient to only be able to cast if they target you with the cast. You probably have an appropriate response to being cast at as a Mana sphere user, right?
Empowering (?): Lets you use an (amp) on a willing target as part of the action to concentrate on the manabond. That's pretty cool. Must be the same amp on all of them, if you're using Magical Conduit. Depends on amp talents you have.
Control Resistance (2): Grants the target spell resistance. A really good amount as well.
Magical Misdirection (3): Use up your manabond slot to link the caster and barbarian. Caster gets to suffer the will save effects, and barbarian the fort save. Aggressively mediocre. Ranged healing though.
Soulmate (4); It's more restrictive Magical Misdirection. Only transfers healing. But healing in exact HP, rather than the entire effect. Also very temporarily clones a harmless effect onto the manabond recipient. Honestly? If you've got a bunch of "self" buffs you can cast really quickly, you could give those buff to each of your recipients... after having spent 2 spell points in creating mass mana bond. But point stands.
Focusing (5): You and the recipient both get +2 to save DC vs each other (with no scaling). Incidentally you don't have to target a caster with this. But if it wasn't a caster you targeted, then you've basically spent a spell point and a standard action, plus your concentration, to apply +2 DC. Which is kind of like Sickened. But only for you. And only for saves. So. Yeah. Just take some death sphere talents. Much nicer. Neat idea though. But if you do target a caster, then obviously it's good and lets you actually land your will-targeting anti-mage talents...until they decide that you are vulnerable now, and blast you with all their fully-metamagic spells.
Manabond Channeling (?): You may touch the manabond instead of them to deliver a touch-range effect.
Initiate’s Training (C): Either ignore a general drawback, or delay a spell by up to 1 minute / level. The delay is the cheese. Even though it's not allowed to all execute at the same time. It's the fact that you can cast, say, 5 fireballs, walk away, and then a few moments later your xp meter ticks up. Like simply walking away after a delayed spell is cast is the easiest way to just avoid the blame, even in social situations. Especially if you don't have obvious casting traditions.. which... oh look. You can also ignore. If you could use multiple amps. Which there's an archetype for.
But anyway. Normally, I would say that if you need a way to ignore your casting tradition, just don't take it. Especially if it costs spell points, and the talent/feat. It's obviously not worth it. But this lets you ignore any one of a fairly large pool of traditions. If you have at least 3 of the listed traditions, and you worry that you might occasionally like to suppress it, but otherwise benefit from the drawback... This is unironically a good pick. It's a 1 talent (+spell points) tax to basically ignore the drawbacks of having drawbacks. It's not all-powerful. You still can only ignore one at a time (until later levels for more points, and barring archetypes).
Arcanodynamics (1): Amplify your area, range, duration, or change the shape. Option for a spell point to get great amplification. This provides immense flexibility to literally every sphere. Sure it takes your amp slot (and thus immediate action) but when you need it, you want it. And this lets you have it when you need it, but not need to overinvest when you don't. Especially if you're not a single-sphere specialist. I have to say, probably my favorite talent in the entire sphere. But that might be because it captures multiple utility metamagic feats into one talent which I might actually take, unlike the feats.
Imbued Vessel [1]: Under what non-cheese situations would you simultaneously have line of sight with the target, but not line of effect... Oh. Actually, divination sphere. If your DM loves to run dungeons, it doesn't even need to be a cheese thing. You have everyone able to see through each others' eyes and then just start blasting as soon as you see something from anyone. This is actually really potent, and limits how bad splitting the party is. Especially if you've got space magic as well for teleportation. Wow. I did not expect this to actually have an interesting non-cheese use. Neat. And it's also something that's uniquely capable from this talent. Even though it requires other talents to be used effectively.
Oh, and you can make it seem like your unwilling target is casting spells at their allies. And this could arguably work to overcome Coy Caster.
Intelligent Interactions (1.5): Exclude squares, not spell point; Exclude creatures for a spell point; Grant effects Dismissible tag. First one's best for AoE instant spells, or AoE duration spells where your protected target isn't supposed to move (or moves in specific direction. Second one is to allow your barbarian to go ham inside of your wall of hellfire. And dismissible? No idea. I thought most sphere effects were dismissible. But this is as an immediate action. Maybe some baby runs out into the middle of the fight or something. I dunno.
Transfer [2]: If you've got someone who has loads of heavy point cost spells, then this can be really potent... potentially. And I do mean potentially. Because you do give up your turn to basically act as a mana battery (however efficiently) for your buddy. So your friend's 4-spell point effect that you're letting him pull off for just 1 of your spell points by level 10 better be worth just like... not just doing two things separately.
Relinquish Magic (2): Edging into the Good category, this lets you translate your buff into a [mass] effect, at the trade off of duration. Considering this can affect literally every harmless sphere effect with a duration to do this, this is incredibly efficient, talent-wise. And it doesn't cost a spell point. It also is not limited in the targets you can transfer the buff to, so long as its got a divided duration of more than 1 round.
Spell Mastery (3): Improved Save DCs on repeated (identical) spell use; Bonus vs spell resistance; Bonus vs counter spell (basically). Not bad. Not great. Unless you're a one-trick pony in combat.
Heightened Magic (3): More healing, a bit of splash, and a chance to trip. I mean it's fine. It's not going to like... wow anyone. But it's fine.
Power Dynamics (3): Getting to treat your lowest number rolls as slightly less low numbers is a small increase in average roll, and matters less and less the greater the size of your die. But it does ensure you don't low roll too hard. The other effects aren't particularly important.
Essentialize (3): Thanks to the new rule that temp-spell points only allow for effects to last as long as they do... this now has gone from a lesser Extended Spell to a "Divert Powers to Weapons" effect.
Elemental Enhancement (3): I could not care about the elemental rider effects this can add on. But there are two decent ones.
Energy Modification (4): Change damage type, and and cast underwater. Not noteworthy.
Gift Of Knowledge (?): Grant 1 talent to a target for 1 minute / level. Don't care. Unless you're transferring Arcanodynamics, because you guys have been caught in a particularly unusual situation. Actually, this is potentially good if there's one particular job... but you could just do it immediately, and get to work, rather than spending time and resources letting someone else try and help. Unless it's out of combat, then it's useful again.
Bulwark (?): Deflect one magical effect or physical attack for a spell point. And even though it's not guaranteed to deflect *the next* attack, it is not popped until it does deflect one. Though the duration is only minute/level. But that's more than enough for an entire fight. Especially good when you know your opponent is going to be bringing out the big guns, but not a lot of hits. It has potential. I don't know how much. Does also cost a spell point, so it enables manabond at no additional cost.
Visual Dynamics (F): Aside from the fascinate effect, it's mostly just fluff. Neat fluff. I like it. But fluff all the same.
Again, as a note, I have to say that I am assuming that you run into enough mages in your campaign to make Mana sphere (the anti-mage sphere) worth running. And thus won't mark off for the lack of mages in a typical game, because, surprise, surprise, mages take more effort to prepare than "big thing hit things with big stick." And have thus been shockingly rare in my long history of gaming.
Post-Review Analysis: Still as long-winded and not great as I remembered, although I certainly underestimated a few in my first run. Some nice standouts from the newly added archmagi's HB. The Amp system is a huge deal, but surprisingly isn't what I'd generally term as overpowered. The good ones are flexible, and can apply to a lot of unlikely situations, but thanks to the broad capability, they actually do feel like they work, because in the whole package, those situations come up often enough to invest in insurance.
Flex Talents: Shuffle does let you flex damage types around resistances. But that's base sphere.
Arcanodynamics is even better as a flex, because it, in and of itself, is kind of a flex amp.
Same with Intelligent Interactions.
Initiate's Training for the delay spell, if you want to only have it in the couple of funny occasions, rather than taking it forever for the cheese potential.
Maximize Caster Level: Yes. Maximize Mana CL if you want to use it. Unless you're only here for the amps, or only for the ability to allow everyone to transfer spell points between one another. Then you don't really care.
(1) Superb: You always want this if it's relevant to you. And it probably is.
(1.5) Really Good: Particularly useful bits of kit, but aren't quite must-haves. (Kept it decimal, because spreading out Good so far from Superb felt unrepresentative. But I needed a step between)
(2) Good: These make useful additions to the right builds. Among your first picks.
(3) Usable: Doesn't hurt to have. Wouldn't go out of your way for it.
(4) No: It technically has a use, but the cost to take simply doesn't outweigh the benefit.
(5) Never: There’s no non-trivial reason to pick it up, from its mechanics.
(6+) Harmful: Taking/using this is actively detrimental to your character.
<Angle brackets> around a rating indicates situational usefulness, and how good it is in that favorable situation.
[Square brackets] indicate a reliance on the group (players or DM) or campaign you’re playing in, and how well it does in those select groups.
Special Ratings:
(C) Cheese: A talent so broken that it will be instantly banned if you use it as you could.
(?) Unrated: I choose not to rate it. Often because it is just so far out of my wheelhouse, or it’s far too ambiguous.
(F) Flavor: This indicates that the main draw to the talent is going to be its inherent fluff or flavor, rather than raw power or utility.
(D) D***bag: Used for when your character wants to be a D***bag.
Temporary Spell points: Last 1 round / CL. (Of the caster or the one who has it, who knows). Effects cast with temp spell points (even partially?) last only for the duration of the spell point. These can't be used for Mana sphere, at all.
Expunge: Close range. Standard action. Target one creature. Apply one (Expunge). Gains Spellburn (Expunge) with the sphere.
Spellburn (6): Must target casters. Fails otherwise. Will save to negate. I've seen literally no caster with a bad will save chassis. Not a single one. Even half casters. (OK, fine. I lie. The Spheres Shifter is the literal only one I've ever seen.) So, off to a bad start.
But it drains spell points (or spell slots). Spell points for Sphere casters is either, you have them, and you don't care how much you have left, or you don't, and you cast your still-reasonable cantrips. So pretty useless against sphere casters. For Vancian casters, it can definitely be more game changing. But they still get to decide which slots to lose. Which means less and less and less as you progress in the levels. Although the scaling of spell levels to spell points conversion do heavily favor you in this situation. Losing 9 spell levels worth of spells on a good roll by 9th level is exceedingly potent.
And by spending a spell point, you can repeat this damage automatically at the end of each turn that they fail another will save.
So, here's the primary design problem that exceeds the rest. Even the will targeting against exclusively anti-mage stuff. It's basically a second health bar. Either you drain their spell bar to 0, and they can't fight, or you've basically wasted all of your actions draining it. And if you do manage to take them out by spell point damage, then everyone who was whacking the mage with a sword were wasting their actions, because they didn't contribute to the enemy going down. Bad design. Anti-synergistic. But cool idea. (Notice how I didn't even need to mention that the non-spell point spending version only drains 2 spell points from the target at level 10, because that's almost irrelevant to the bad design.)
Manabond: Swift action *after* a *successful* us of an (expunge) or (manipulation) talent that costs a spell point. Or move action, touch, and spell point. This creates a manabond between you and the target, which lasts for concentration, up to 1 minute / caster level. But concentration can be done as a swift action (but not further modified). Add one (manabond) talent to the effect.
You may only host a single manabond, and the recipient may only ever receive one mana bond. Which means you cannot focus on mana bonds to support your team. Or even your casting friend. You also can't bond yourself.
Mystical Bond (4): +1 or -1 competence modifier to the recipient's caster level. Which is cool. But only from a single sphere (or school, presumably). Which is still workable. Nerfing enemy Evocation is probably a good bet. Even if it's only -1 to CL, that might be the 1 out of 2 CL that was the DC-raising CL... wait. No. That's Spheres. But if they only just got to their latest spell level, you prevent them from using those spells. Otherwise, you might be reducing the range a Vancian caster's spells can hit by like 10 feet. While within close range. But vs Spheres, its' got that chance at reducing the DC. And that become a guaranteed save DC drop by level 8. Or increase, if you're supporting say a mind-sphere user - you know, someone who does nothing if they are resisted. Could be cool.
Manipulation: Standard action to use (manipulation) talent up to range of close. Must remain in this range while concentrating on it.
Amp: Amp talents modify a sphere that's being cast, and are activated as an immediate action, and count as the original effect that's being modifier, rather than two sphere effects. Can be cast as a standard action to grant the benefits to the next eligible sphere effect cast before start of turn. That honestly kinda hurts. You can't immediate action modify an ally's cast. Saves originating from an (Amp) use Mana sphere saving throw.
Shuffle <2>: 10 ft radius. Centered in range. Concentrate up to 1 round / CL, but may spend a spell point to make it last without concentration. Casters affected by this shuffle may make a will save to make their effect not affected by this. (Presumably once per effect.)
This talent offers two different uses-
Chaotic Rewiring: Randomly retargets effects cast in the area. Actively detrimental. Unless your DM actually plays for keeps in his combats. And can be resisted, and you spent your action(s)/spell point on this.
Elemental rewiring: Gets to convert specifically one elemental damage type to another. Cool for say, dragons, who want to specifically protect against their vulnerable element. Bad as a general defensive layer. For offensive... maybe an ally only splashed one single talent in Destruction. And it's early game so you did too, and you run into something that resists either of your blasts. You place this down and for much of the combat (if you've got at least 3 caster levels under your belt), you(r ally) no longer suffer from their resistance.
Draining Spellburn [1+]: Treats the spellburned spell points to count as though they were used, for the purposes of effects that trigger on spending spell points. Which is basically meaningless, unless your DM goes out of his way to create casting traditions for the mages he puts in the game. And not only that, but give them traditions that have penalties when casting. But there is the Mark of Lufeburn expunge talent later, which grants it some use. And that's even a fortitude save, which is cool. And doubles the damage if they "spend" at least 3 spell points at once. 2d8 nonlethal damage per 3 caster levels is not bad. Even if you do have to spend in-combat set up time on the mark. Plus, now you're hedging your bets on at least contributing on HP damage, even if you don't down them by SP damage first.
Also, Melt Power says it functions as spell burn, so its substantially higher damage might apply. But that definitely doesn't seem intended. This is busted if allowed.
Overpowering Expunge (1): Increase casting time by 1 step, or +1 spell point to apply 2 expunge talents. And there are some obvious combos that were clearly intended as combos. Also, see Draining Spellburn.
Heavy Expunge (2): Marks the target who fails the save against your expunge. When they cast a non-cantrip, they must spend +1 spell point for it to work. Pretty cool.
Magical Conduit (2): The [mass] talent for Mana sphere. But only for manabonds. Still, it's nice, removing the restriction of hosting only one bond, which was silly. And you get to bond with additional targets for 1 extra spell point. and concentrate on them all with the same swift action, or extend them all with the same spell point.
Manavore (2): When gaining spell points, sacrifice them to instead heal. It's a pretty chunky heal, that doesn't cost you an action. But it's substantially less efficient than just casting Life sphere talent on yourself. But again, this is a heal that doesn't take an action. Basically it'll be a rider to whatever granted you those spell points. You trade SP for speed. It's honestly not bad.
Sudden Empowerment/Weakening <2>: Expend your Mystical Bond (manabond) in response to the recipient casting a spell in order to double the CL change. So goes to +/- 2 or 4. Maybe even 6 from 3. But for one effect only. But it could be a really good, tide-turning effect. Especially for advanced talents.
Retained Imbuement (3): Your granted temp spell points last for 1 min/CL instead. Neat.
Hardened Bond (3): When making a manabond, spend a spell point to make it tangible as well. Though the tangible part can be broken. Allows you to shorten the manabond, and get massive bonuses to drag attempts, and they can't move away without dragging you. Enables Tether Adept feat as though it were Destructive Tether.
Flexible Shuffle (3): Grants the option to use 3 + (1/2 CL) squares for your Shuffle area. Which is arguably more useful than a square area, because the magic need only pass through it to get the benefit. Also two more ways to shuffle:
Focus rewiring - Targets in the area don't provoke for casting spells. And concentration checks are at +(1 + 1/2 CL) bonus in the area.
Spatial Rewiring - Area of effect magic that hit one of the squares hits all of the squares. Why would they stay in that area you basically announced to be the kill zone? Heck if I know. But maybe there are some helpful AoE things that you can swing into being extra useful through this shuffle?
Enlarged Shuffle [4]: Larger range shuffle. Shuffle's pretty bad. But gives you marginally more flexibility in the usage of the ability. Best if you've got at least 3 other casters on your team, of whom none wanted to pick an extra talent to diversify their blasting capability. Roughly triples the Flexible Shuffle squares option.
Defensive Bond (5): When targeted by a magic/supernatural effect, spell point, immediate action, create manabond between yourself... and any other creature? Hmm. OK then. Expected it to be the attacker. Unwilling targets are offered a will save, even though they normally aren't for manabonds.
Explosive Expunge (?): Turns your expunges into a 10ft radius burst. Which is kinda insane to me. Any casters is pretty rare. They take a bunch of DM setup time. A whole group of casters who stand within 10 feet of each other, given that they almost certainly know Fireball is a thing? That's insane.
Swap Bond (?): May swap bonds as part of concentration action. Would need to see the bonds first before I could make a clear rating.
Oversaturation Surge (C+): At the end of the target's next turn, this drains away all temporary spell points, and erupts into 1d8 untyped damage per spell point damage (capped to 1d8/CL). Not even nonlethal. You will straight up murder enemy mages if even two of your party have this talent. Even if only one of you has Melt Power, which grants temporary Spell Points at the start of each round (plus the initial + roundly amount each time you cast it while they are spellburned through Melt Power).
But they get the chance to avoid this damage. How? By making the full-round action save against Melt Power... which completely incapacitates them for that round, even if they do manage to make the save. And if they do so, you just Melt Power + Oversaturation Surge once again.
As a DM, I am fully within my rights to ban this. Mark of Lifeburn is good enough.
Mark Of Lifeburn (1): The literal one good expunge from the original Mana sphere. Marks them on a failed fortitude save. Once per round, they suffer 1d8/3 levels of damage for casting non-cantrips. Or twice that for using at least 3 spell points at once. Which obviously isn't going to be common, except if you get in and Spellburn them. On average, this beats out a Destructive blast after about 3 rounds of this happening. Also combos with Draining Spellburn, as already mentioned. Though in doing so, you basically just tell them that they should cast, otherwise they'll take damage either way. I mean, they will cast regardless. This damage isn't enough to stop them. But still. Also, the option for them to end the effect is actually a net positive for you, because it is basically like a Stagger effect when they choose to do that, which is better than a bit of damage that turn.
Melt Power (?): Added in Archmagi's HB, This ramps up the "spell point damage" dramatically. At level 1, the initial spell point damage is 1d4 instead of 1, and the burn per turn is +2 die steps. But it's given back as temporary spell points. But that's a good thing, as will be mentioned in Oversaturation Surge. So is the Will save still being the target save. Because they can turn their temp SP back into real SP with a full round action will save. Which is their good save. Which means they'd be tempted to do it. But it still takes their full round action. Oh, also the additional spell point damage is taken at the beginning of their turn.
If this counts as Spellburn for the pursposes of Draining Spellburn, then this works with Mark of Lifeburn. Else... I mean, Mark of Lifeburn is also going to be useful, probably, because of Oversaturation Charge inspiring them to just try and nuke you with literally everything they've got so that they don't take the damage from temp spell points.
On it's own, it's really... not much of a change from Spellburn, which was just horribly designed. But, this rating assumes the positive combos are enabled. Which pulls it from being bad design to .... broken design. Wow. Hmm. Yeah. It's still bad. And it doesn't even follow through with the SP damage on its own. It's literally only a combo piece. Unless you're doing guerilla warfare, slowly sapping off enemy power, and then retreating and then returning once it's finished sapping. Although they are given plenty of rounds to attempt to make their good save against that. So. Not happening. But still. Unless you boost your DC massively while downcasting to CL 1. Then the temp points wear off quick. Though you're doing minimum damage per ... anyway, not great design.
Mark Of Instability (2): Spend a spell point to force the target to no longer be able to cast non-cantrips for a few rounds. (2 rounds starting at 5th level. Never worth before then.) Again Will save against exclusively caster-target. But the last two sentences imply that that's actually a misprint, and intended to be fortitude.
Ignition (4): If you were to compare to Mana Siphon blast type, they are both ranged touch attacks. This, you must spend a spell a spell point for 1d8 / 3 CL here, but MSBT is either pointless, or one spell point for 1d4 / CL. Damage in favor of MSBT. But typeless here, nonlethal force for MSBT. The rider effect for MSBT is 1 spell point damage (scaling by 1 die size per 5 levels) on a failed fort save. Rather pointless. But the rider effect here is 1 spell point damage, -1 penalty to save and MSD for one effect... per 5 points of damage for 1 round. So basically a slightly above average roll per die, with no save. So on the low end of decent, if the rider effect is your focus.... but both of the things being compared are pretty bad.
Disorient (6): -2 (-1/4 CL) to penalty to a singular spell, on a failed will save (against casters, again, emphasis). So. Cool, up until level 5, this along with Mystical Bond, totally prevents their next spell from working. But you are basically trading your action (guaranteed) for a chance at potentially ruining their next action. And again, will save against casters. For Vancians, it's even less meaningful.
Flow (1) Redistributes mana points. Surely there's a great use for it, which was why sapping from the target to you is a temporary spell point. Or it could just be so you don't infinitely refresh off of enemies. It's honestly a great offensive Manabond, not for the spell point damage it does, but for the chance to basically ensure you suffer almost no spell point costs
Vortex (2): Forces recipient to only be able to cast if they target you with the cast. You probably have an appropriate response to being cast at as a Mana sphere user, right?
Empowering (?): Lets you use an (amp) on a willing target as part of the action to concentrate on the manabond. That's pretty cool. Must be the same amp on all of them, if you're using Magical Conduit. Depends on amp talents you have.
Control Resistance (2): Grants the target spell resistance. A really good amount as well.
Magical Misdirection (3): Use up your manabond slot to link the caster and barbarian. Caster gets to suffer the will save effects, and barbarian the fort save. Aggressively mediocre. Ranged healing though.
Soulmate (4); It's more restrictive Magical Misdirection. Only transfers healing. But healing in exact HP, rather than the entire effect. Also very temporarily clones a harmless effect onto the manabond recipient. Honestly? If you've got a bunch of "self" buffs you can cast really quickly, you could give those buff to each of your recipients... after having spent 2 spell points in creating mass mana bond. But point stands.
Focusing (5): You and the recipient both get +2 to save DC vs each other (with no scaling). Incidentally you don't have to target a caster with this. But if it wasn't a caster you targeted, then you've basically spent a spell point and a standard action, plus your concentration, to apply +2 DC. Which is kind of like Sickened. But only for you. And only for saves. So. Yeah. Just take some death sphere talents. Much nicer. Neat idea though. But if you do target a caster, then obviously it's good and lets you actually land your will-targeting anti-mage talents...until they decide that you are vulnerable now, and blast you with all their fully-metamagic spells.
Manabond Channeling (?): You may touch the manabond instead of them to deliver a touch-range effect.
Initiate’s Training (C): Either ignore a general drawback, or delay a spell by up to 1 minute / level. The delay is the cheese. Even though it's not allowed to all execute at the same time. It's the fact that you can cast, say, 5 fireballs, walk away, and then a few moments later your xp meter ticks up. Like simply walking away after a delayed spell is cast is the easiest way to just avoid the blame, even in social situations. Especially if you don't have obvious casting traditions.. which... oh look. You can also ignore. If you could use multiple amps. Which there's an archetype for.
But anyway. Normally, I would say that if you need a way to ignore your casting tradition, just don't take it. Especially if it costs spell points, and the talent/feat. It's obviously not worth it. But this lets you ignore any one of a fairly large pool of traditions. If you have at least 3 of the listed traditions, and you worry that you might occasionally like to suppress it, but otherwise benefit from the drawback... This is unironically a good pick. It's a 1 talent (+spell points) tax to basically ignore the drawbacks of having drawbacks. It's not all-powerful. You still can only ignore one at a time (until later levels for more points, and barring archetypes).
Arcanodynamics (1): Amplify your area, range, duration, or change the shape. Option for a spell point to get great amplification. This provides immense flexibility to literally every sphere. Sure it takes your amp slot (and thus immediate action) but when you need it, you want it. And this lets you have it when you need it, but not need to overinvest when you don't. Especially if you're not a single-sphere specialist. I have to say, probably my favorite talent in the entire sphere. But that might be because it captures multiple utility metamagic feats into one talent which I might actually take, unlike the feats.
Imbued Vessel [1]: Under what non-cheese situations would you simultaneously have line of sight with the target, but not line of effect... Oh. Actually, divination sphere. If your DM loves to run dungeons, it doesn't even need to be a cheese thing. You have everyone able to see through each others' eyes and then just start blasting as soon as you see something from anyone. This is actually really potent, and limits how bad splitting the party is. Especially if you've got space magic as well for teleportation. Wow. I did not expect this to actually have an interesting non-cheese use. Neat. And it's also something that's uniquely capable from this talent. Even though it requires other talents to be used effectively.
Oh, and you can make it seem like your unwilling target is casting spells at their allies. And this could arguably work to overcome Coy Caster.
Intelligent Interactions (1.5): Exclude squares, not spell point; Exclude creatures for a spell point; Grant effects Dismissible tag. First one's best for AoE instant spells, or AoE duration spells where your protected target isn't supposed to move (or moves in specific direction. Second one is to allow your barbarian to go ham inside of your wall of hellfire. And dismissible? No idea. I thought most sphere effects were dismissible. But this is as an immediate action. Maybe some baby runs out into the middle of the fight or something. I dunno.
Transfer [2]: If you've got someone who has loads of heavy point cost spells, then this can be really potent... potentially. And I do mean potentially. Because you do give up your turn to basically act as a mana battery (however efficiently) for your buddy. So your friend's 4-spell point effect that you're letting him pull off for just 1 of your spell points by level 10 better be worth just like... not just doing two things separately.
Relinquish Magic (2): Edging into the Good category, this lets you translate your buff into a [mass] effect, at the trade off of duration. Considering this can affect literally every harmless sphere effect with a duration to do this, this is incredibly efficient, talent-wise. And it doesn't cost a spell point. It also is not limited in the targets you can transfer the buff to, so long as its got a divided duration of more than 1 round.
Spell Mastery (3): Improved Save DCs on repeated (identical) spell use; Bonus vs spell resistance; Bonus vs counter spell (basically). Not bad. Not great. Unless you're a one-trick pony in combat.
Heightened Magic (3): More healing, a bit of splash, and a chance to trip. I mean it's fine. It's not going to like... wow anyone. But it's fine.
Power Dynamics (3): Getting to treat your lowest number rolls as slightly less low numbers is a small increase in average roll, and matters less and less the greater the size of your die. But it does ensure you don't low roll too hard. The other effects aren't particularly important.
Essentialize (3): Thanks to the new rule that temp-spell points only allow for effects to last as long as they do... this now has gone from a lesser Extended Spell to a "Divert Powers to Weapons" effect.
Elemental Enhancement (3): I could not care about the elemental rider effects this can add on. But there are two decent ones.
Energy Modification (4): Change damage type, and and cast underwater. Not noteworthy.
Gift Of Knowledge (?): Grant 1 talent to a target for 1 minute / level. Don't care. Unless you're transferring Arcanodynamics, because you guys have been caught in a particularly unusual situation. Actually, this is potentially good if there's one particular job... but you could just do it immediately, and get to work, rather than spending time and resources letting someone else try and help. Unless it's out of combat, then it's useful again.
Bulwark (?): Deflect one magical effect or physical attack for a spell point. And even though it's not guaranteed to deflect *the next* attack, it is not popped until it does deflect one. Though the duration is only minute/level. But that's more than enough for an entire fight. Especially good when you know your opponent is going to be bringing out the big guns, but not a lot of hits. It has potential. I don't know how much. Does also cost a spell point, so it enables manabond at no additional cost.
Visual Dynamics (F): Aside from the fascinate effect, it's mostly just fluff. Neat fluff. I like it. But fluff all the same.