SangoProduction
2022-11-21, 06:43 PM
I was in the middle of creating my Armiger (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/armiger)in review, when it was made blatantly clear to me that I have no freaking clue as to what a half-way decent Armiger build would look like. (Ignoring Antiquarian since it just gets magic. And flipping between 3 sets of magic is trivially simple since there's next to no requirement to have a build to back them up.)
So I'm here to spitball a couple of ideas for builds. Maybe get feedback from people with experience/speculation in the class. (I get so few opportunities to play Spheres that walking in with a class that I don't know (is going to be fun / will not drive DMs away from spheres) is something I don't do.)
Basics: Armiger gains 1/2 level in talents for their own character. Also gains (1.5 + (1/4 level) ) talents for their weapon sets, of which they have 3 (or 4 at level 11).
You may equip one weapon set (for the purpose of their talents) at one time, but comes with free, amplified Quick Draw. Thus, you hypothetically have 3 sets of powers that you can mold around your core set.
However, each of those sets of powers are so extremely shallow (only 3 talents per set by level 7) that you can't commit to any actually divergent styles, which require their own builds - like basically every CM-based sphere.
Unviable spheres
Brute (CM-based)
Duelist (Disarm portion)
Open Hand (CM-based)
Scoundrel (CM-based)
Wrestling (CM-based)
Alchemy Sphere
Special word about this. Might unironically break the system, since the prepared formulae is based on talents owned. Depending on interpretation, that either means each of your weapons count, which makes you incredibly good. Or it means none of your weapons count, which makes you incredibly bad (at Alchemy sphere). Alternatively, a kind DM might say that you can count your current set as your talents while preparing it. (And presumably swapping sets doesn't destroy the now-over-prepared formulae.)
That would make having just 1 set the optimal setup...which sounds appropriate. Unless you regularly have 15 minute breaks between encounters, within the same day, in which case having additional options to prepare from is a neat way to approach an alchemist character. I sincerely doubt you'd get much use from such flexibility in-the-field. Especially in modern campaigns.
Much of the same applies to the Tech sphere.
Idea 1: Damage Dealer
Core: Berserker / Dual Wielding / Boxing / Lancer (Generalist damage-adding spheres)
Set 1: Barrage. (For handling ranged combat)
Set 2: Fencing (For when sneak attack is viable - Barrage might be better damage still. Haven't run any numbers)
Set 3: Duelist (For...when you need bleeds? I mean, I guess builds don't accumulate. You can start off with it and then swap it out? Bleeds also just tend to be straight up bad for damage. Not enough time in combat, and not enough damage during that time.)
Idea 2: Debuffer
Core: Sniper (plenty of very useful debuffs) / Trap (A couple of useful debuffs, which can stack with sniper)
Set 1: Alchemy (Poison). (When enemies are vulnerable to poison, pull one out. Possibly even apply to your sniping weapon if you managed to get so many talents.)
Set 2: Gladiator (For weak willed enemies susceptible to shaken, which reduces further saves against debuffs.)
Set 3: ??? Maybe shield... Or even possibly guardian? Doesn't fit well with Sniper. Maybe Alchemy (Formulae), or just straight up dipping to some damage, in case this is just a time for piling damage rather than debuffing.
-
Gimmick/Dip 1: Iai Master
Given that Armiger gains Quick Draw and free action sheathes without spending talents, they can make effective use of the.... 3... talents in duelist, with just a 1 level dip, losing no effective talents (relative to a full Combatant) from the choice until level 4.
Could even have 2 of the weapons associated with Hurricane Slash and Iai Slash respectively. And maybe have the extra ones
---
With that, I think I made a realization. It doesn't *have* to be seen as having 3 distinct sets that are typically used. If you have just 1 primary set, and the rest as just a bunch of "Maybe I'll need these talents sometime in the future," you have more talents than a mid-Combatant (OK, exactly 1-2 more), but with flexible talents, both on the fly (by swapping to the other sets), and prepared during the day.
Thinking just in even that myopic view, that's probably really quite worthwhile. Like, level 1 Armiger has the same total number of talents as level 1 Conscript. And continues to have it through level 3. Of course, the conscript can actually bring their full set of talents into use at a time. But also can't flex them, daily or otherwise.
Yeah, if you instead think of Armiger as basically an Arcanist, it becomes a lot less of an enigma for building around.
Of course, you still need that "core" around which you flex the rest of your stuff. And SoM doesn't really have many great flexes. Let alone when you need to pick what you flexes will be at the start of the day.. And you still don't want to pick combat-maneuver builds, because you just have so much less support for them, and they need an entire built unto themselves to be viable. (Plus all the magic support you can find.)
....So, despite my realization, that you can just have 1 "primary" set, and the rest are "just-in-case" sets, rather than them all building off of your core talents, it doesn't all-too-much change the functional decisions you make in the build. Aside from just having one fewer "set" to worry about, I suppose.
But it does make the conditional boons to your build (like bleed or poison) much more easily discarded in a given fight, without feeling so much like your build was gutted, which saves you from taking talents that negate such conditionality (like Ooze Ichor for bleeding).
So I'm here to spitball a couple of ideas for builds. Maybe get feedback from people with experience/speculation in the class. (I get so few opportunities to play Spheres that walking in with a class that I don't know (is going to be fun / will not drive DMs away from spheres) is something I don't do.)
Basics: Armiger gains 1/2 level in talents for their own character. Also gains (1.5 + (1/4 level) ) talents for their weapon sets, of which they have 3 (or 4 at level 11).
You may equip one weapon set (for the purpose of their talents) at one time, but comes with free, amplified Quick Draw. Thus, you hypothetically have 3 sets of powers that you can mold around your core set.
However, each of those sets of powers are so extremely shallow (only 3 talents per set by level 7) that you can't commit to any actually divergent styles, which require their own builds - like basically every CM-based sphere.
Unviable spheres
Brute (CM-based)
Duelist (Disarm portion)
Open Hand (CM-based)
Scoundrel (CM-based)
Wrestling (CM-based)
Alchemy Sphere
Special word about this. Might unironically break the system, since the prepared formulae is based on talents owned. Depending on interpretation, that either means each of your weapons count, which makes you incredibly good. Or it means none of your weapons count, which makes you incredibly bad (at Alchemy sphere). Alternatively, a kind DM might say that you can count your current set as your talents while preparing it. (And presumably swapping sets doesn't destroy the now-over-prepared formulae.)
That would make having just 1 set the optimal setup...which sounds appropriate. Unless you regularly have 15 minute breaks between encounters, within the same day, in which case having additional options to prepare from is a neat way to approach an alchemist character. I sincerely doubt you'd get much use from such flexibility in-the-field. Especially in modern campaigns.
Much of the same applies to the Tech sphere.
Idea 1: Damage Dealer
Core: Berserker / Dual Wielding / Boxing / Lancer (Generalist damage-adding spheres)
Set 1: Barrage. (For handling ranged combat)
Set 2: Fencing (For when sneak attack is viable - Barrage might be better damage still. Haven't run any numbers)
Set 3: Duelist (For...when you need bleeds? I mean, I guess builds don't accumulate. You can start off with it and then swap it out? Bleeds also just tend to be straight up bad for damage. Not enough time in combat, and not enough damage during that time.)
Idea 2: Debuffer
Core: Sniper (plenty of very useful debuffs) / Trap (A couple of useful debuffs, which can stack with sniper)
Set 1: Alchemy (Poison). (When enemies are vulnerable to poison, pull one out. Possibly even apply to your sniping weapon if you managed to get so many talents.)
Set 2: Gladiator (For weak willed enemies susceptible to shaken, which reduces further saves against debuffs.)
Set 3: ??? Maybe shield... Or even possibly guardian? Doesn't fit well with Sniper. Maybe Alchemy (Formulae), or just straight up dipping to some damage, in case this is just a time for piling damage rather than debuffing.
-
Gimmick/Dip 1: Iai Master
Given that Armiger gains Quick Draw and free action sheathes without spending talents, they can make effective use of the.... 3... talents in duelist, with just a 1 level dip, losing no effective talents (relative to a full Combatant) from the choice until level 4.
Could even have 2 of the weapons associated with Hurricane Slash and Iai Slash respectively. And maybe have the extra ones
---
With that, I think I made a realization. It doesn't *have* to be seen as having 3 distinct sets that are typically used. If you have just 1 primary set, and the rest as just a bunch of "Maybe I'll need these talents sometime in the future," you have more talents than a mid-Combatant (OK, exactly 1-2 more), but with flexible talents, both on the fly (by swapping to the other sets), and prepared during the day.
Thinking just in even that myopic view, that's probably really quite worthwhile. Like, level 1 Armiger has the same total number of talents as level 1 Conscript. And continues to have it through level 3. Of course, the conscript can actually bring their full set of talents into use at a time. But also can't flex them, daily or otherwise.
Yeah, if you instead think of Armiger as basically an Arcanist, it becomes a lot less of an enigma for building around.
Of course, you still need that "core" around which you flex the rest of your stuff. And SoM doesn't really have many great flexes. Let alone when you need to pick what you flexes will be at the start of the day.. And you still don't want to pick combat-maneuver builds, because you just have so much less support for them, and they need an entire built unto themselves to be viable. (Plus all the magic support you can find.)
....So, despite my realization, that you can just have 1 "primary" set, and the rest are "just-in-case" sets, rather than them all building off of your core talents, it doesn't all-too-much change the functional decisions you make in the build. Aside from just having one fewer "set" to worry about, I suppose.
But it does make the conditional boons to your build (like bleed or poison) much more easily discarded in a given fight, without feeling so much like your build was gutted, which saves you from taking talents that negate such conditionality (like Ooze Ichor for bleeding).