SangoProduction
2023-09-07, 01:19 AM
Preamble: Well, it's been quite a sad while since I've had any real itch to review anything in Spheres. But with the Legends of the Spheres book, they added some more Champion classes. Unfortunately, my initial opinions of them are about as low as all the other Champion classes. Simultaneously over-and-under-whelming. Impressive that the trend kept up so long.
And that's where I left it for a good 2 weeks, until I was in one hell of a slump (first time having to pay interest on credit cards, and still no job - and the dog is determined to destroy the garden). I got a pick me up by reading, and I was actually reasonably impressed by what I saw. I also didn't review any champion feats at all so far, so I'm fixing that today!
Post Review Analysis: Surprisingly, the list is rather top-heavy. I actually didn't expect the number of high ranking performers we got.
Then again, it is champions content. Should I be surprised?
(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.
(2) Good: These make useful additions to the right builds. Among your first picks.
(3) Meh: 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.
Portal Shield (C?): Does relatively little, honestly. But hypothetically, both ends of the portal may be shields... Which is rarely particularly useful. But if you've got 2 shield users, this means you can redirect attacks through 2 mobile port holes. Which.. Is cool. I guess.
OK. Well, since you can literally Conjure a creature who would like a shield, the deal with the 2 shields not being useful is a bit moot. So then, you've effectively got an on-demand hostile teleport that takes martial focus rather than multiple spell points (or a drag action, for no martial focus). And the conjured creature can fly. You can't normally teleport someone 1500 feet up in open air.
I would definitely avoid that flying part if I was playing it in a real game, and just accept it as a neat means of massively out-positioning the enemy. Like, even then, it might get banned, due to just how far you can move people at will - basically save or lose-that-fight. But at least it won't literally splat enemies.
Bruinous Temper (1++): Huh. I did not expect a Bear sphere feat to take this spot. Getting to spend a spell point to gain an (adrenaline) talent for a full minute/level, at no martial focus cost, is beyond incredible, given that it opens you up for multiple adrenaline talents at a time...without a martial focus cost. I mean, even if you only took Executioner, that's one spell point to gain advantage on one Brutal Strike per round (the number you probably make), for the entire combat, and rather than needing to cycle Martial Focus, you can use it in other ways.
Poisonous Transformation (1): You know how Alchemy Poisons are 3-hit-KOs? Well, for a martial focus, you can apply the poison to 3 natural attacks at once. Then they make a full attack, and immediately take out the target (optimistically). Repeat as necessary. Even more potent with Mass Alteration, but works perfectly fine for supporting a singular buddy.
Unliving Chemister (1): One of the major methods of scaling Alchemy sphere is through the craft check. Adding +1/2 level to that is like a second Skill Focus by level 6. And continues to scale. it also has a couple other benefits.
Fairy Alchemy (?): Honestly, I think getting to apply Billowing Poison talent to enlarge the area, and not be tied to Fallen Fey caster level is an unironically great deal, but this fey blessing is just inconvenient to use, and I don't know if it actually fixes that problem.
Dispelling Attack, Improved [1]: You now get to use Greater Counterspell as a free action, for a martial focus. This is not only a useful improvement (again, assuming the DM uses magic buffs appropriately), but also frees up the swift action to cycle martial focus.
I Will Save You (1): [Note: Legendary Talent prereq] Anyone within 1 mile per BAB can call your name, and not only get a near-immediate heal, but also get their big frikken shield buddy at their side in less than 6 seconds. Assuming I Will Save You literally ever has any utility, then this improves it tremendously, because they are probably needing healing if they need you to save them.
Bloodmonger (1.5, F): You know Spell Focus? Yeah, this is that, for every spell, with the condition that you inflict bleeding on them first. (And it highlights importance of some Blood Arts, which is great.) Oh, and you can just carry around vials of blood, for a mechanical reason, and not just to give people HIV.
Spell Slugger (1.5): Lets you Counter Punch with a standard-action magic sphere effect. The most obvious use is Counter Spell. But really just about anything fits. You either threaten them into inaction, or you get to do your thing.
Darkrider (F, 1.5): This is almost entirely flavor. Who doesn't want to clip through shadows on a nightmare? But it's got legitimate utility of sharing your meld talents... And this can unironically be used to replace Clinging Shadows, if you don't fight in excessively dispersed formations. At the very least, it's a great replacement early on, if you've got a mount.
Noxious Fog (1.5): This is for a Water caster who dipped alchemy sphere, due to the DC shift, and the required investment to make it superior... but it is. Greatly. Getting to add your 3-save-or-lose effect to each of your fogs, which proc automatically every turn they exist, which can have massive (unfriendly) AoE, in addition to the effects of your fog? Yeah. Yeesh. I did not-see that coming.
Harnessed Virtue [1.5]: Exclusively useful in [aligned] campaigns, where you know you will face DR beaten by your alignment. Better when you've got a second martial.
Venomfire (2): I'm tired, so I'm probably just being generous. But full CL as damage per turn, plus a side effect on the first turn, in addition to being applied with any other toxin (if Painful Venin is taken twice) is rather decent. Not quite as good as old Energetic Affliction, but maybe that's an unreasonable standard. But: it doesn't cost a spell point, ending early can be made difficult with yet more investment. So... comparable. Very much so.
Dispelling Attack [2]: Counter spell on hit (at cost of swift action and martial focus) is unironically good, assuming the GM uses magical buffs (or appropriately nerfs the target, as though they had buffs).
Otherworldly Host [2]: Again, exclusively useful when facing [aligned] subtypes. No other use. Well, not really. You can grant like 2 DR to allies in the area.
Arcane Venin (2): Basically a universal [Strike] talent, except that it can even affect AoE spells, and be imbued into food... which also makes it a universal talent as well. I rate neither of those highly, and it does suffer the action and investment costs of being used as a Poison, in addition to those of the related talents... but together, I think it provides quite the flexibility. I would rather use the Metasphere Package (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?653762-Universal-Sphere-(Adapting-5e-Spheres)), if it were an option.
Phantom Of The Colosseum [2]: Although in some cases, you can implicitly attempt to intimidate through use of illusions, this makes it explicit, as a mechanical ability. Once you take this, you start losing that implicit ability though, so, ironically best used for a less permissive DM... for whom you probably don't want illusions in the first place. So hard to know.
Glamered Thievery (2, F): You get to, as part of the slight of hand check, make the object you're stealing invisible. While also being invisible, on account of being an illusionist. Just as the most obvious benefit of the feat.
Disciplined Casting (2): Don't provoke on casting [strike] or melee touch spells, when used unarmed. For what it is, it's good. OK, given what it is, that's probably generous. Point remains.
Sanguine Magic (2): Lets you use Duelist's (bleed) talents at range with Blood sphere's bleeding (which, given investment is probably the only useful blood control talent), or Death sphere's Bleeding Wounds.
Grappling Caster (2): I don't know what the use is, but I'm sure there is one. Id you invest heavily into it, you can apply quite a penalty to the save.
Kinematic Disarmer (2): Disarm is probably the greatest disability to a martial. This can be taken in place of the talent to toss the weapon aside, so it evens out on the cost front, if you're already using telekinesis to disarm. Is getting to [I]lift it superior? Lightly. Is it a nice, fluffy side grade that has potential for useful integration, rather than being a dead-end talent? Yes.
Mystical Lorekeeper [2]: Expands the Gift of Knowledge, and Knowledge Drain talents to also work with combat and skill talents. Which also requires the use of Spheres by the GM. But is more broadly applicable. In theory at least. Still having difficulty with what are good SoM temp talents.
Thunderbolts And Lightning, Very Very Frightenin (2): Let's just assume that Storm Lord's a good talent, with useful lightning damage, which you wouldn't prefer to replace with Destruction sphere. Getting to add Shaken (even if by proxy of Intimidate) is a good thing.
Harrying Hospitaler (3): Proactively defensive healing. You can Defend Other, and then cure them... potentially taking double the damage you would if you cured them normally through Empathic Healing. But that's probably a typo, and meant that you must use Empathic Healing.
Dimensional Athlete (3): Athletics sphere is a... limited one. But there is some hypothetical utility to applying (motion) talents to teleportation. Especially considering that there are more sources of "teleportation" than just the Teleport ability from Warp sphere.
Mystic Focus (3): Eh. 1 spell point and swift action to gain martial focus on casting as a standard action?
Buffeting Blast (3): Some Berserker sphere Exertion talents are boosted if you use them against Battered targets. If your DM declares that the [strike] talent happens before the [Exertion] talent, then this could give you better battering, just as a rider effect... Generally doesn't actually matter to Berserkers, but maybe you can make it work.
Chymic Burst (3): Is this substantially better than just using poison? No. But it does have its place. On the one hand, I want to give it credit for giving Cystic Growth a place in the world. On the other, it's taxing you into taxing Cystic Growth. Then taxing your spell points for the honor.
Dimensional Archer (3): Very, exceptionally limited utility. But there is... some. Also, the trickier of you can find ways to abuse this to get like 500 feet of movement in a turn or something like that, with lenient reading of the rules.
Goading Malediction (3): As Awesome Transformation (see below), but you might actually use it more than once in a fight.
Shielded Casting (3): Casting defensively with a shield happens. And for champions, it might even be tower shields. With magic tower shields, it might be better than Combat Casting... Hardly high praise. But the investment doesn't need to be incredible. Anyone who can add enhancement modifier as a spell could make it total a +9 to concentrate in short order. And it stacks with Combat Casting if you're still feeling pressure. (Shouldn't, as DC 15+caster level, opposed by caster level + CAM + 9 should really only fail a couple times out of 20.)
Spell Trap (3): A subpar universal [strike] feat, with the added benefit of occasionally being effective as an actual trap.
Exorcist <3>: Probably the single most all-encompassing (if selfish) anti-ghost feat in all of Spheres. Exclusively anti-ghost, and you can't share the benefits. And due to that lack of sharing the benefits, it means everyone has to pick it up, in order to get the full benefits. Which just makes it such a horribly worse version of the anti-ghost talents. But I guess if you don't mind being selfish, and the individually low investment, and the exceptionally singular use case, it's fine.
Striking Ensnarement (4): Get to apply [strike] spells to unconventional attacks (constrict, engulf, swallow whole, troop attack, and swarm attack). Incredibly narrow use, for a low-value set of talents.
Awesome Transformation (4): Getting one boast off as an immediate action is hardly impressive, especially since it probably happens once a fight at best. Even Proteans rarely have that many roles they need to fill in a single combat. This talent makes me realize that I need to redo the Gladiator sphere review... and then remember just how dreadfully boring it is.
Arcane Carnage (4): Spell Attack is hardly an inspiring feat. But hey, now you get to [Mass] the Spell Attack.
Furious Flare (4): Woo... You get to flex the Brutal Strike's martial focus damage into an energy type of a blast type you have... woo.
(Whirldwind) Spell Attack (4): Lets you use [strike] talents as a special attack action, letting it gain SoM rider effects.
Speak with Animal Allies (4): You get to freely cast Speak with animals by level 5. It's fine.
Shielding Ward (F): Really rather subpar to use a shield-bonus-effect as an actual shield. Fun and flavorful. Just weak.
Light’s Lasting Fury (5): You know that trait that lets you glow and feed from light? Yeah, this just lets you glow. As a feat. Oh, and does some cool stuff if you're below 0 hp.
Tactical Warping (5): Feinting is bad. Improves marginally if the DM allows for alternative "teleport" effects, outside of the Warp sphere.
Spirits In The Blood (5): Does next to nothing.
Planar Commander (5): The Warleader sphere sucks, and there really are no useful tactics.
Sword Of Omens (5): Consecrations are nearly worthless.
Glimpse The Flow (5): Given that (sense) talents are hour/level abilities, half of this just doesn't make (sense). As for divining a target mid-combat... That tends to be the absolute least useful time to divine them. Cool idea though, and I want to make something that works better. Would it be better if you could positively blast them with all your (divine)? Probably not substantially unless it's a really weird opponent. Would it actually have a place? Again, probably not. But it could be cool.
Mobile Caster (5): Well, I was going to rate this very low as totally forgetable... But there is unfortunately an archetype of caster that would make unironic use out of getting to attack/cast at any time during a movement - touch attackers.... Except... That doesn't actually work. They only care about the ability to cast, then move, then attack, then move out. Which this does not enable. So I actually don't see any use for this.
Wardlord (5): Warleader and Ward both suck. Congrats.
Heavy-handed Force (6, F): Well, shucks. I hate this. I hate this so much. I was heaping so much praise on it for being a non-degenerate ranged bullrush enabler.. and it's exclusively a ranged/damage Shove... I hate this so much. All it needed in order to be tier 1 was to enable the bullrush with telekinesis, so that you could have the [I]fantasy of telekinesis without having to deal with the actual sphere. Just use my telekinesis adaptation. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?654016-Telekinesis-Sphere-(Adapting-5e-Spheres)) You don't need this.
Hematic Impaler (3): This is more of a "support your lancer ally" feat - especially a Pincushion Punishment lancer. I'm probably greatly overrating it, considering it is forcing you to use blood control in order to get the benefits of it.
But! There's a build here. It will need casting ability modifier, to handle the blood control, [attack-related stat] to handle hitting at lancer penalty, and especially high con to handle the blood loss.
*Looked at Blodobinder armorist* Oh. Well. That actually adds nothing to this whole ordeal. I was expecting more.
Yeah. OK. Fine. It's literally best to just use a bunch of real weapons via barrage, and take advantage of forcing them to make checks to remove the daggers, without suffering blood loss every single time you want to make use of it, though if you make use of my custom blood talents (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?658895-Custom-Blood-sphere-talents-(Spheres-of-Power)), then that could actually be an upside rather than downside.
And that's where I left it for a good 2 weeks, until I was in one hell of a slump (first time having to pay interest on credit cards, and still no job - and the dog is determined to destroy the garden). I got a pick me up by reading, and I was actually reasonably impressed by what I saw. I also didn't review any champion feats at all so far, so I'm fixing that today!
Post Review Analysis: Surprisingly, the list is rather top-heavy. I actually didn't expect the number of high ranking performers we got.
Then again, it is champions content. Should I be surprised?
(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.
(2) Good: These make useful additions to the right builds. Among your first picks.
(3) Meh: 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.
Portal Shield (C?): Does relatively little, honestly. But hypothetically, both ends of the portal may be shields... Which is rarely particularly useful. But if you've got 2 shield users, this means you can redirect attacks through 2 mobile port holes. Which.. Is cool. I guess.
OK. Well, since you can literally Conjure a creature who would like a shield, the deal with the 2 shields not being useful is a bit moot. So then, you've effectively got an on-demand hostile teleport that takes martial focus rather than multiple spell points (or a drag action, for no martial focus). And the conjured creature can fly. You can't normally teleport someone 1500 feet up in open air.
I would definitely avoid that flying part if I was playing it in a real game, and just accept it as a neat means of massively out-positioning the enemy. Like, even then, it might get banned, due to just how far you can move people at will - basically save or lose-that-fight. But at least it won't literally splat enemies.
Bruinous Temper (1++): Huh. I did not expect a Bear sphere feat to take this spot. Getting to spend a spell point to gain an (adrenaline) talent for a full minute/level, at no martial focus cost, is beyond incredible, given that it opens you up for multiple adrenaline talents at a time...without a martial focus cost. I mean, even if you only took Executioner, that's one spell point to gain advantage on one Brutal Strike per round (the number you probably make), for the entire combat, and rather than needing to cycle Martial Focus, you can use it in other ways.
Poisonous Transformation (1): You know how Alchemy Poisons are 3-hit-KOs? Well, for a martial focus, you can apply the poison to 3 natural attacks at once. Then they make a full attack, and immediately take out the target (optimistically). Repeat as necessary. Even more potent with Mass Alteration, but works perfectly fine for supporting a singular buddy.
Unliving Chemister (1): One of the major methods of scaling Alchemy sphere is through the craft check. Adding +1/2 level to that is like a second Skill Focus by level 6. And continues to scale. it also has a couple other benefits.
Fairy Alchemy (?): Honestly, I think getting to apply Billowing Poison talent to enlarge the area, and not be tied to Fallen Fey caster level is an unironically great deal, but this fey blessing is just inconvenient to use, and I don't know if it actually fixes that problem.
Dispelling Attack, Improved [1]: You now get to use Greater Counterspell as a free action, for a martial focus. This is not only a useful improvement (again, assuming the DM uses magic buffs appropriately), but also frees up the swift action to cycle martial focus.
I Will Save You (1): [Note: Legendary Talent prereq] Anyone within 1 mile per BAB can call your name, and not only get a near-immediate heal, but also get their big frikken shield buddy at their side in less than 6 seconds. Assuming I Will Save You literally ever has any utility, then this improves it tremendously, because they are probably needing healing if they need you to save them.
Bloodmonger (1.5, F): You know Spell Focus? Yeah, this is that, for every spell, with the condition that you inflict bleeding on them first. (And it highlights importance of some Blood Arts, which is great.) Oh, and you can just carry around vials of blood, for a mechanical reason, and not just to give people HIV.
Spell Slugger (1.5): Lets you Counter Punch with a standard-action magic sphere effect. The most obvious use is Counter Spell. But really just about anything fits. You either threaten them into inaction, or you get to do your thing.
Darkrider (F, 1.5): This is almost entirely flavor. Who doesn't want to clip through shadows on a nightmare? But it's got legitimate utility of sharing your meld talents... And this can unironically be used to replace Clinging Shadows, if you don't fight in excessively dispersed formations. At the very least, it's a great replacement early on, if you've got a mount.
Noxious Fog (1.5): This is for a Water caster who dipped alchemy sphere, due to the DC shift, and the required investment to make it superior... but it is. Greatly. Getting to add your 3-save-or-lose effect to each of your fogs, which proc automatically every turn they exist, which can have massive (unfriendly) AoE, in addition to the effects of your fog? Yeah. Yeesh. I did not-see that coming.
Harnessed Virtue [1.5]: Exclusively useful in [aligned] campaigns, where you know you will face DR beaten by your alignment. Better when you've got a second martial.
Venomfire (2): I'm tired, so I'm probably just being generous. But full CL as damage per turn, plus a side effect on the first turn, in addition to being applied with any other toxin (if Painful Venin is taken twice) is rather decent. Not quite as good as old Energetic Affliction, but maybe that's an unreasonable standard. But: it doesn't cost a spell point, ending early can be made difficult with yet more investment. So... comparable. Very much so.
Dispelling Attack [2]: Counter spell on hit (at cost of swift action and martial focus) is unironically good, assuming the GM uses magical buffs (or appropriately nerfs the target, as though they had buffs).
Otherworldly Host [2]: Again, exclusively useful when facing [aligned] subtypes. No other use. Well, not really. You can grant like 2 DR to allies in the area.
Arcane Venin (2): Basically a universal [Strike] talent, except that it can even affect AoE spells, and be imbued into food... which also makes it a universal talent as well. I rate neither of those highly, and it does suffer the action and investment costs of being used as a Poison, in addition to those of the related talents... but together, I think it provides quite the flexibility. I would rather use the Metasphere Package (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?653762-Universal-Sphere-(Adapting-5e-Spheres)), if it were an option.
Phantom Of The Colosseum [2]: Although in some cases, you can implicitly attempt to intimidate through use of illusions, this makes it explicit, as a mechanical ability. Once you take this, you start losing that implicit ability though, so, ironically best used for a less permissive DM... for whom you probably don't want illusions in the first place. So hard to know.
Glamered Thievery (2, F): You get to, as part of the slight of hand check, make the object you're stealing invisible. While also being invisible, on account of being an illusionist. Just as the most obvious benefit of the feat.
Disciplined Casting (2): Don't provoke on casting [strike] or melee touch spells, when used unarmed. For what it is, it's good. OK, given what it is, that's probably generous. Point remains.
Sanguine Magic (2): Lets you use Duelist's (bleed) talents at range with Blood sphere's bleeding (which, given investment is probably the only useful blood control talent), or Death sphere's Bleeding Wounds.
Grappling Caster (2): I don't know what the use is, but I'm sure there is one. Id you invest heavily into it, you can apply quite a penalty to the save.
Kinematic Disarmer (2): Disarm is probably the greatest disability to a martial. This can be taken in place of the talent to toss the weapon aside, so it evens out on the cost front, if you're already using telekinesis to disarm. Is getting to [I]lift it superior? Lightly. Is it a nice, fluffy side grade that has potential for useful integration, rather than being a dead-end talent? Yes.
Mystical Lorekeeper [2]: Expands the Gift of Knowledge, and Knowledge Drain talents to also work with combat and skill talents. Which also requires the use of Spheres by the GM. But is more broadly applicable. In theory at least. Still having difficulty with what are good SoM temp talents.
Thunderbolts And Lightning, Very Very Frightenin (2): Let's just assume that Storm Lord's a good talent, with useful lightning damage, which you wouldn't prefer to replace with Destruction sphere. Getting to add Shaken (even if by proxy of Intimidate) is a good thing.
Harrying Hospitaler (3): Proactively defensive healing. You can Defend Other, and then cure them... potentially taking double the damage you would if you cured them normally through Empathic Healing. But that's probably a typo, and meant that you must use Empathic Healing.
Dimensional Athlete (3): Athletics sphere is a... limited one. But there is some hypothetical utility to applying (motion) talents to teleportation. Especially considering that there are more sources of "teleportation" than just the Teleport ability from Warp sphere.
Mystic Focus (3): Eh. 1 spell point and swift action to gain martial focus on casting as a standard action?
Buffeting Blast (3): Some Berserker sphere Exertion talents are boosted if you use them against Battered targets. If your DM declares that the [strike] talent happens before the [Exertion] talent, then this could give you better battering, just as a rider effect... Generally doesn't actually matter to Berserkers, but maybe you can make it work.
Chymic Burst (3): Is this substantially better than just using poison? No. But it does have its place. On the one hand, I want to give it credit for giving Cystic Growth a place in the world. On the other, it's taxing you into taxing Cystic Growth. Then taxing your spell points for the honor.
Dimensional Archer (3): Very, exceptionally limited utility. But there is... some. Also, the trickier of you can find ways to abuse this to get like 500 feet of movement in a turn or something like that, with lenient reading of the rules.
Goading Malediction (3): As Awesome Transformation (see below), but you might actually use it more than once in a fight.
Shielded Casting (3): Casting defensively with a shield happens. And for champions, it might even be tower shields. With magic tower shields, it might be better than Combat Casting... Hardly high praise. But the investment doesn't need to be incredible. Anyone who can add enhancement modifier as a spell could make it total a +9 to concentrate in short order. And it stacks with Combat Casting if you're still feeling pressure. (Shouldn't, as DC 15+caster level, opposed by caster level + CAM + 9 should really only fail a couple times out of 20.)
Spell Trap (3): A subpar universal [strike] feat, with the added benefit of occasionally being effective as an actual trap.
Exorcist <3>: Probably the single most all-encompassing (if selfish) anti-ghost feat in all of Spheres. Exclusively anti-ghost, and you can't share the benefits. And due to that lack of sharing the benefits, it means everyone has to pick it up, in order to get the full benefits. Which just makes it such a horribly worse version of the anti-ghost talents. But I guess if you don't mind being selfish, and the individually low investment, and the exceptionally singular use case, it's fine.
Striking Ensnarement (4): Get to apply [strike] spells to unconventional attacks (constrict, engulf, swallow whole, troop attack, and swarm attack). Incredibly narrow use, for a low-value set of talents.
Awesome Transformation (4): Getting one boast off as an immediate action is hardly impressive, especially since it probably happens once a fight at best. Even Proteans rarely have that many roles they need to fill in a single combat. This talent makes me realize that I need to redo the Gladiator sphere review... and then remember just how dreadfully boring it is.
Arcane Carnage (4): Spell Attack is hardly an inspiring feat. But hey, now you get to [Mass] the Spell Attack.
Furious Flare (4): Woo... You get to flex the Brutal Strike's martial focus damage into an energy type of a blast type you have... woo.
(Whirldwind) Spell Attack (4): Lets you use [strike] talents as a special attack action, letting it gain SoM rider effects.
Speak with Animal Allies (4): You get to freely cast Speak with animals by level 5. It's fine.
Shielding Ward (F): Really rather subpar to use a shield-bonus-effect as an actual shield. Fun and flavorful. Just weak.
Light’s Lasting Fury (5): You know that trait that lets you glow and feed from light? Yeah, this just lets you glow. As a feat. Oh, and does some cool stuff if you're below 0 hp.
Tactical Warping (5): Feinting is bad. Improves marginally if the DM allows for alternative "teleport" effects, outside of the Warp sphere.
Spirits In The Blood (5): Does next to nothing.
Planar Commander (5): The Warleader sphere sucks, and there really are no useful tactics.
Sword Of Omens (5): Consecrations are nearly worthless.
Glimpse The Flow (5): Given that (sense) talents are hour/level abilities, half of this just doesn't make (sense). As for divining a target mid-combat... That tends to be the absolute least useful time to divine them. Cool idea though, and I want to make something that works better. Would it be better if you could positively blast them with all your (divine)? Probably not substantially unless it's a really weird opponent. Would it actually have a place? Again, probably not. But it could be cool.
Mobile Caster (5): Well, I was going to rate this very low as totally forgetable... But there is unfortunately an archetype of caster that would make unironic use out of getting to attack/cast at any time during a movement - touch attackers.... Except... That doesn't actually work. They only care about the ability to cast, then move, then attack, then move out. Which this does not enable. So I actually don't see any use for this.
Wardlord (5): Warleader and Ward both suck. Congrats.
Heavy-handed Force (6, F): Well, shucks. I hate this. I hate this so much. I was heaping so much praise on it for being a non-degenerate ranged bullrush enabler.. and it's exclusively a ranged/damage Shove... I hate this so much. All it needed in order to be tier 1 was to enable the bullrush with telekinesis, so that you could have the [I]fantasy of telekinesis without having to deal with the actual sphere. Just use my telekinesis adaptation. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?654016-Telekinesis-Sphere-(Adapting-5e-Spheres)) You don't need this.
Hematic Impaler (3): This is more of a "support your lancer ally" feat - especially a Pincushion Punishment lancer. I'm probably greatly overrating it, considering it is forcing you to use blood control in order to get the benefits of it.
But! There's a build here. It will need casting ability modifier, to handle the blood control, [attack-related stat] to handle hitting at lancer penalty, and especially high con to handle the blood loss.
*Looked at Blodobinder armorist* Oh. Well. That actually adds nothing to this whole ordeal. I was expecting more.
Yeah. OK. Fine. It's literally best to just use a bunch of real weapons via barrage, and take advantage of forcing them to make checks to remove the daggers, without suffering blood loss every single time you want to make use of it, though if you make use of my custom blood talents (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?658895-Custom-Blood-sphere-talents-(Spheres-of-Power)), then that could actually be an upside rather than downside.