SangoProduction
2023-09-29, 06:21 AM
Build Concept: Have a set of usable spells that are entirely, and utterly, [instill]-talent based. As in, all of the spells in use must be done through a consumable (such as a potion or food). Not just fluffed as a potion, or the like, but literally make use of the potion rules... Which makes it quite the pain in the axe.
First and foremost: There are no rules for administering potions to active combat participants, willing or otherwise, except yourself. So, even if you want to be a support, you've got to actively remind your team that they do have a healing potion, and its their job to take the proper action.
Yay bookkeeping! Even more so than the most punishing of the Prepared Spells drawback. Except these are taken as talents! Per Sphere! (Unless you use the drawback to force casting to be done through instill. Which we obviously will.)
(Foreword: Obviously the different solutions presented here can be mix and matched.)
Obvious solution: Buffs and Heals. Don't even bother trying to be combat effective. You are just a buff bot. This is a rather boring way to do things, such that once you make your items, you literally walk away from the table when combat starts. A very passive aggressive way to say you'd like less combat.
Solution #2: Speed drinking. Although it sucks to spend yet further resources just to negate the negatives of this inferior method of using spells, it is an option.
For this, you'll want Accelerated Drinker... Apparently Potion Glutton used to be a swift action according to the internet. It's not currently to the best of my knowledge.
But, by being able to drink as a move action, you'd be able to effectively "cast" (gain the effects of) twice as many spells in a turn than normal... which is an objective benefit. Only for targeting self, but still, you could convince your entire table to eat a trait pick just for your build. (And then... just... not move the first turn. I guess. Or whenever they remember they have the potion(s) you gave them.)
Solution #3: Complex buffs: The Nature Sphere only allows for instilling spirits. But, each individual spirit talent tends to have 5+ sub-abilities unlocked (3 at a time) by taking Master of Elements. And, for example, Dragonlung, simply gives you a breath weapon while you have the buff. Are they the best buffs out there? No. Are they the best things to spend your actions on? No. Are they much more interesting than "Here's +4 armor. Have fun"? Yes.
Solution #4: Self-Buff martial. We could go for Speed Drinking to apply buffs as a move action, and attack as a standard action. Or utilize Spheres of Might. Problem? Well, one, martials are boring. But aside from that, the point of the build is to be based on using instill talents. As a martial, or martial-focused character, the [instill] buffs are more incidental than the focus. Even for Alteration-based martials, in my opinion.
Solution #5: Blood sphere. Unironically, due to the Manipulate Alchemy talent.... Which... might not actually work as an [instill], due to the ability being an immediate action in response to consuming a potion. But for sake of argument, let's assume it does... So, your entire team has 1 OOT-free-action potion you can proc on them. Indefinite duration too... so long as you concentrate. And you might have to concentrate on each individually... It is unclear, as far as Instil goes. Can you [mass] [instill], and thus only need to concentrate on one effect for the entire party's free action potions? Probably. I'd allow it.
Also, Blood Potion lets you create Potions (actual magic items) that only affect you, and which can be used as a swift action. Which is... neat. I guess.
Basically an expansion on Speed drinking, but includes friends. And eats up your actions (and potions) until it's actually called for. Yeah, blood sphere kinda sucks.
Out of Combat Usage: Divination sphere can be instilled. And you basically don't divine in combat, so this is just a strict...ly meaningless distinction. Much like any long-term buff, where you drink it long outside of combat, and then... again, the distinction of being [instill] is rather meaningless. But usable.
Instill Death: Instill Death is a specific [instill] talent which is a uniquely useful [instill] talent, in that it enables ghost strikes to be instilled, and thrown as small grenades (for an additional spell point). And so long as you don't use die-roll-based effects, you hit upwards of 9 targets with [levels] rounds of paralyze. In addition to obvious out-of-combat utility of raising the dead. And the benefit is that you can throw it, giving range, unlike the [Mass] version which is a cone starting from you.
Energy Bomb is similarly an Instill talent with pretty much the same function, though strictly worse than literally every other blast shape.
Potential Sphere
Alteration
Blood
Dark
Death
Destruction
Divination
Enhancement
Fate
Illusion (Glamers only)
Life
Light (Glow only - so screw your team [except Encompassing Light still works without that] )
Dark (No melds - so screw your team)
Mind (You'd need good old deception to actually get them to drink your charm potion)
Nature (Spirits only)
Protection (Aegis only)
Time
Warp (Teleport only)
Weather (Shroud / Mantle only)
Out of the presented (which is shockingly a lot), the most combat-useful and combat-interesting is Death sphere. And Nature Sphere. Everything else is basically a long term buff (for which the fact that it was a potion wasn't relevant) / otherwise out-of-combat, or a heal (which is thematic at lest). Or it's just a straight up worse version of the original sphere with no redeeming qualities. Even the Blood sphere manages to be made worse through [instill]. That is impressive! (You will definitely feel clever when you do convince people to drink your charm potions though. Even if it's strictly worse in every way to just casting it.)
Problem with Death sphere is that you don't actually have people drink the ghost strike version, so not totally in line with the build concept, which leaves only Nature sphere. And Nature does admittedly have its place, and can be a fun enough version of this. Then again, it's also just a long term buff... But is an interesting enough twist on the concept of a buff that it isn't egregiously boring.
I mean, as a self-buff, turning Alteration from a Standard to a Move action, without even having to dip into Shifter is kinda funny. Like you totally obviate the class with a talent and a trait. Now, there are some fringe benefits that it does slowly given, but you have to admit that's the majority of its power. (Much less flexible [on the fly] though. Although combat forms of Alteration sphere tend to be exactly the same, unless very specific situation features are added. Despite the loads of text, there's not actually a lot of choices you tend to make once you have the talents.)
--
Conclusion: This was actually kinda depressing. Not gonna lie. I came in here with a strong vision, and grand hopes. And... despite my efforts, absolutely nothing prevailed. Nature was literally the only one that even seemed remotely fun to use in this way - and not in a way unique to using [instill]. (But remains unique in still being fun despite [instill].)
And before anyone says it: Yes, I know other people can use their actions to do your things. But... most people have their own characters. Who want to do their own things. Even ignoring the tedium of bookkeeping and inventory management, for which your team almost definitely doesn't want to be burdened by your character. So... enjoy.
(Although that "other people" can also potentially be familiars. Which is a great way to get your familiars sniped off the face of the map. But still potentially abusable until they die. Maybe even train some monkeys or something. That way you intend for them to die in their first round of combat and don't feel bad... hmm. Does that make me the bad guy? nah.)
First and foremost: There are no rules for administering potions to active combat participants, willing or otherwise, except yourself. So, even if you want to be a support, you've got to actively remind your team that they do have a healing potion, and its their job to take the proper action.
Yay bookkeeping! Even more so than the most punishing of the Prepared Spells drawback. Except these are taken as talents! Per Sphere! (Unless you use the drawback to force casting to be done through instill. Which we obviously will.)
(Foreword: Obviously the different solutions presented here can be mix and matched.)
Obvious solution: Buffs and Heals. Don't even bother trying to be combat effective. You are just a buff bot. This is a rather boring way to do things, such that once you make your items, you literally walk away from the table when combat starts. A very passive aggressive way to say you'd like less combat.
Solution #2: Speed drinking. Although it sucks to spend yet further resources just to negate the negatives of this inferior method of using spells, it is an option.
For this, you'll want Accelerated Drinker... Apparently Potion Glutton used to be a swift action according to the internet. It's not currently to the best of my knowledge.
But, by being able to drink as a move action, you'd be able to effectively "cast" (gain the effects of) twice as many spells in a turn than normal... which is an objective benefit. Only for targeting self, but still, you could convince your entire table to eat a trait pick just for your build. (And then... just... not move the first turn. I guess. Or whenever they remember they have the potion(s) you gave them.)
Solution #3: Complex buffs: The Nature Sphere only allows for instilling spirits. But, each individual spirit talent tends to have 5+ sub-abilities unlocked (3 at a time) by taking Master of Elements. And, for example, Dragonlung, simply gives you a breath weapon while you have the buff. Are they the best buffs out there? No. Are they the best things to spend your actions on? No. Are they much more interesting than "Here's +4 armor. Have fun"? Yes.
Solution #4: Self-Buff martial. We could go for Speed Drinking to apply buffs as a move action, and attack as a standard action. Or utilize Spheres of Might. Problem? Well, one, martials are boring. But aside from that, the point of the build is to be based on using instill talents. As a martial, or martial-focused character, the [instill] buffs are more incidental than the focus. Even for Alteration-based martials, in my opinion.
Solution #5: Blood sphere. Unironically, due to the Manipulate Alchemy talent.... Which... might not actually work as an [instill], due to the ability being an immediate action in response to consuming a potion. But for sake of argument, let's assume it does... So, your entire team has 1 OOT-free-action potion you can proc on them. Indefinite duration too... so long as you concentrate. And you might have to concentrate on each individually... It is unclear, as far as Instil goes. Can you [mass] [instill], and thus only need to concentrate on one effect for the entire party's free action potions? Probably. I'd allow it.
Also, Blood Potion lets you create Potions (actual magic items) that only affect you, and which can be used as a swift action. Which is... neat. I guess.
Basically an expansion on Speed drinking, but includes friends. And eats up your actions (and potions) until it's actually called for. Yeah, blood sphere kinda sucks.
Out of Combat Usage: Divination sphere can be instilled. And you basically don't divine in combat, so this is just a strict...ly meaningless distinction. Much like any long-term buff, where you drink it long outside of combat, and then... again, the distinction of being [instill] is rather meaningless. But usable.
Instill Death: Instill Death is a specific [instill] talent which is a uniquely useful [instill] talent, in that it enables ghost strikes to be instilled, and thrown as small grenades (for an additional spell point). And so long as you don't use die-roll-based effects, you hit upwards of 9 targets with [levels] rounds of paralyze. In addition to obvious out-of-combat utility of raising the dead. And the benefit is that you can throw it, giving range, unlike the [Mass] version which is a cone starting from you.
Energy Bomb is similarly an Instill talent with pretty much the same function, though strictly worse than literally every other blast shape.
Potential Sphere
Alteration
Blood
Dark
Death
Destruction
Divination
Enhancement
Fate
Illusion (Glamers only)
Life
Light (Glow only - so screw your team [except Encompassing Light still works without that] )
Dark (No melds - so screw your team)
Mind (You'd need good old deception to actually get them to drink your charm potion)
Nature (Spirits only)
Protection (Aegis only)
Time
Warp (Teleport only)
Weather (Shroud / Mantle only)
Out of the presented (which is shockingly a lot), the most combat-useful and combat-interesting is Death sphere. And Nature Sphere. Everything else is basically a long term buff (for which the fact that it was a potion wasn't relevant) / otherwise out-of-combat, or a heal (which is thematic at lest). Or it's just a straight up worse version of the original sphere with no redeeming qualities. Even the Blood sphere manages to be made worse through [instill]. That is impressive! (You will definitely feel clever when you do convince people to drink your charm potions though. Even if it's strictly worse in every way to just casting it.)
Problem with Death sphere is that you don't actually have people drink the ghost strike version, so not totally in line with the build concept, which leaves only Nature sphere. And Nature does admittedly have its place, and can be a fun enough version of this. Then again, it's also just a long term buff... But is an interesting enough twist on the concept of a buff that it isn't egregiously boring.
I mean, as a self-buff, turning Alteration from a Standard to a Move action, without even having to dip into Shifter is kinda funny. Like you totally obviate the class with a talent and a trait. Now, there are some fringe benefits that it does slowly given, but you have to admit that's the majority of its power. (Much less flexible [on the fly] though. Although combat forms of Alteration sphere tend to be exactly the same, unless very specific situation features are added. Despite the loads of text, there's not actually a lot of choices you tend to make once you have the talents.)
--
Conclusion: This was actually kinda depressing. Not gonna lie. I came in here with a strong vision, and grand hopes. And... despite my efforts, absolutely nothing prevailed. Nature was literally the only one that even seemed remotely fun to use in this way - and not in a way unique to using [instill]. (But remains unique in still being fun despite [instill].)
And before anyone says it: Yes, I know other people can use their actions to do your things. But... most people have their own characters. Who want to do their own things. Even ignoring the tedium of bookkeeping and inventory management, for which your team almost definitely doesn't want to be burdened by your character. So... enjoy.
(Although that "other people" can also potentially be familiars. Which is a great way to get your familiars sniped off the face of the map. But still potentially abusable until they die. Maybe even train some monkeys or something. That way you intend for them to die in their first round of combat and don't feel bad... hmm. Does that make me the bad guy? nah.)