SangoProduction
2023-09-19, 08:41 PM
Preamble: A long while ago, I did Best Magic Spheres. It had 2 categories: Best dedicated spheres, and best splash spheres, as in which get you the most mileage out of a singular sphere focus, vs what works best as a support to any given build. I still believe that is a valid way of going about things.
I am now going to expand the scope to Combat and Magic spheres, with my new set of experience. Why not guile? Because I honestly don't think I've got any thing interesting to say about it that hasn't already been said.
The spheres presented are not in any particular order.
Creation: You just get the freedom to create just about any object you can think of. The utility is abound.
Illusion: You get an even less restrictive version of Creation, but the objects aren't physical, and are more liable to the wiles of a given DM.
Nature: Many of the talents get exponentially more usefulness the more talents are pumped into the sphere.
Weather: Despite the low usefulness of the general weather control powers, if you are dedicated to being a support, then you would be in good hands here.
Divination: You like having social utility unmatched by any face? Congratulations, that takes like 3 talents, a feat and a class level. But to do it really well, you also open yourself to being a particularly useful scout. You'll particularly need to dip out of the sphere for combat prowess, but that's easy, especially given that divination encourages dipping other spheres.
Death: Despite my disdain for minionmancy, I have to admit that if the DM gives you the allowance, the range of undead you make can lead to interesting roles for said undead. Thus they could potentially have good utility. A lot of creatures have things that can be taken over by zombie / skeletal version of themselves. Additionally, having more debuffs to throw around with ghost strike is nice - which alone wouldn't make it the best, but together, does.
Mind: You want to have an army of NPCs doing your work for you? Well, have fun with like DC 42 will saves by level 5 or so.
Bear: While a generally bad joke sphere, with limited utility, its power does tend to scale more with talents spent than caster levels, and its abilities are basically borrowed from a wide set of other spheres.
Telekinesis : While generally pretty bad, if you absolutely focus every single resource you have into telekinesis for combat (or make use of it to indirectly affect foes), then you can actually make something come of them.
Warp: While expensive, a good, long range warp can be effectively save or lose, as they fly off to god knows where. Plus all the other benefits of being able to transpose time and space at a whim.
Worst:::: Destruction and Life: When focusing on Life, you completely overwhelm the typical encounter's damage, in all but the most lethal of games. And a focus on Destruction gives you flexibility in how you do damage. Which is remarkably not-useful. This isn't pokemon. You only occasionally encounter vulnerabilities. And to get around most resistances, just have 1 extra damage type.
Life: A bit of healing goes a long way.
War: Momentum talent make for the most impact-for-spell point, and action, of any magic in the spheres. It just does it over time, in small, discrete amounts. This actually allows for remarkably high power without feeling overwhelming. "Oh no, you blocked 5 damage 7 times that fight." Sounds absolutely pitiful. Yeah, that was more healing than a CL 10 Cure Serious Wounds, split as you pleased throughout that combat, for one spell point and one action (which needn't have even been spent in combat) to recharge the momentum pool. But it doesn't "feel" like you're doing a whole lot for the DM or players who want a bit of tension in their combat.
Dark / Light: Basically accomplish the same goal of ticking a field of [impairment] on an ally and then them running unto the enemy. Both accomplished with basically 2-3 talents. Light also has the psuedo-enlarge, which needs exactly 1 talent to accomplish.
Weather: With the base sphere, you can be your team's one-stop-shop for stealth.
Illusion / Creation: Although not quite as versatile as when focused on, they get much of their versatility just by their base sphere.
Alteration: The most overpowered use of Alteration is to turn enemies into fish. Enough said. Another use is as a disguise, though it's less versatile than illusion sphere's version.
Alchemy (Formulae): The formulae branch demands absolute dedication to it, to get the most use out of it. Which is kinda on point with alchemy, have to say. It scales with skill roll, and talents.
Open Hand: The trip sphere.
Wrestling: The grappling sphere. But it kinda makes grappling good, if you take all of it. Also grappling is inherently a 3 turn kill thing (by tying up an opponent after pinned). Some builds turn it into a 1 or 2 turn kill.
Beastmastery: Basically the same reason as Death sphere, but worse. But with easier RP.
Tech: Once you get past the absurd complexity, it really does just make for the perfect artificer sphere. Even better if you find a way to regularly flex out your talents at least each day.
Sniper: Requires a ranged weapon, but the snipes do give you that nice bit of rider debuff effect, even more so when focused on.
All: They were all kinda made to be splashed. So it not being specifically mentioned here doesn't mean it's bad at that. Also, many feature bonus skill points, which innately make them splashable.
Boxing: It's just fun to be able to "ready an action" for your attack, without being held down to a singular trigger.
Berserker: Just a load of bonus durability in the base sphere.
Dual Wielding: It's got a niche, and even outside of silly cheese, that niche is achievable in as little as a singular talent.
Lancer: People like to call it op. It can be. I like it for being able to lock an opponent onto you, without any tripping or "you get disadvantage when not targeting me," or arbitrary taunts. This function can be fulfilled on the base sphere.
Guardian: Most of the function can be fulfilled in a talent, or maybe 3. But it scales well enough as a main sphere, so you get the best of both worlds.
Alchemy (Poison): Literally an entire sphere package dedicated to three-turn-kills. Pick your favorite.
Beastmastery: Entire Class features, scaling with character level, for mere talents.
I am now going to expand the scope to Combat and Magic spheres, with my new set of experience. Why not guile? Because I honestly don't think I've got any thing interesting to say about it that hasn't already been said.
The spheres presented are not in any particular order.
Creation: You just get the freedom to create just about any object you can think of. The utility is abound.
Illusion: You get an even less restrictive version of Creation, but the objects aren't physical, and are more liable to the wiles of a given DM.
Nature: Many of the talents get exponentially more usefulness the more talents are pumped into the sphere.
Weather: Despite the low usefulness of the general weather control powers, if you are dedicated to being a support, then you would be in good hands here.
Divination: You like having social utility unmatched by any face? Congratulations, that takes like 3 talents, a feat and a class level. But to do it really well, you also open yourself to being a particularly useful scout. You'll particularly need to dip out of the sphere for combat prowess, but that's easy, especially given that divination encourages dipping other spheres.
Death: Despite my disdain for minionmancy, I have to admit that if the DM gives you the allowance, the range of undead you make can lead to interesting roles for said undead. Thus they could potentially have good utility. A lot of creatures have things that can be taken over by zombie / skeletal version of themselves. Additionally, having more debuffs to throw around with ghost strike is nice - which alone wouldn't make it the best, but together, does.
Mind: You want to have an army of NPCs doing your work for you? Well, have fun with like DC 42 will saves by level 5 or so.
Bear: While a generally bad joke sphere, with limited utility, its power does tend to scale more with talents spent than caster levels, and its abilities are basically borrowed from a wide set of other spheres.
Telekinesis : While generally pretty bad, if you absolutely focus every single resource you have into telekinesis for combat (or make use of it to indirectly affect foes), then you can actually make something come of them.
Warp: While expensive, a good, long range warp can be effectively save or lose, as they fly off to god knows where. Plus all the other benefits of being able to transpose time and space at a whim.
Worst:::: Destruction and Life: When focusing on Life, you completely overwhelm the typical encounter's damage, in all but the most lethal of games. And a focus on Destruction gives you flexibility in how you do damage. Which is remarkably not-useful. This isn't pokemon. You only occasionally encounter vulnerabilities. And to get around most resistances, just have 1 extra damage type.
Life: A bit of healing goes a long way.
War: Momentum talent make for the most impact-for-spell point, and action, of any magic in the spheres. It just does it over time, in small, discrete amounts. This actually allows for remarkably high power without feeling overwhelming. "Oh no, you blocked 5 damage 7 times that fight." Sounds absolutely pitiful. Yeah, that was more healing than a CL 10 Cure Serious Wounds, split as you pleased throughout that combat, for one spell point and one action (which needn't have even been spent in combat) to recharge the momentum pool. But it doesn't "feel" like you're doing a whole lot for the DM or players who want a bit of tension in their combat.
Dark / Light: Basically accomplish the same goal of ticking a field of [impairment] on an ally and then them running unto the enemy. Both accomplished with basically 2-3 talents. Light also has the psuedo-enlarge, which needs exactly 1 talent to accomplish.
Weather: With the base sphere, you can be your team's one-stop-shop for stealth.
Illusion / Creation: Although not quite as versatile as when focused on, they get much of their versatility just by their base sphere.
Alteration: The most overpowered use of Alteration is to turn enemies into fish. Enough said. Another use is as a disguise, though it's less versatile than illusion sphere's version.
Alchemy (Formulae): The formulae branch demands absolute dedication to it, to get the most use out of it. Which is kinda on point with alchemy, have to say. It scales with skill roll, and talents.
Open Hand: The trip sphere.
Wrestling: The grappling sphere. But it kinda makes grappling good, if you take all of it. Also grappling is inherently a 3 turn kill thing (by tying up an opponent after pinned). Some builds turn it into a 1 or 2 turn kill.
Beastmastery: Basically the same reason as Death sphere, but worse. But with easier RP.
Tech: Once you get past the absurd complexity, it really does just make for the perfect artificer sphere. Even better if you find a way to regularly flex out your talents at least each day.
Sniper: Requires a ranged weapon, but the snipes do give you that nice bit of rider debuff effect, even more so when focused on.
All: They were all kinda made to be splashed. So it not being specifically mentioned here doesn't mean it's bad at that. Also, many feature bonus skill points, which innately make them splashable.
Boxing: It's just fun to be able to "ready an action" for your attack, without being held down to a singular trigger.
Berserker: Just a load of bonus durability in the base sphere.
Dual Wielding: It's got a niche, and even outside of silly cheese, that niche is achievable in as little as a singular talent.
Lancer: People like to call it op. It can be. I like it for being able to lock an opponent onto you, without any tripping or "you get disadvantage when not targeting me," or arbitrary taunts. This function can be fulfilled on the base sphere.
Guardian: Most of the function can be fulfilled in a talent, or maybe 3. But it scales well enough as a main sphere, so you get the best of both worlds.
Alchemy (Poison): Literally an entire sphere package dedicated to three-turn-kills. Pick your favorite.
Beastmastery: Entire Class features, scaling with character level, for mere talents.