Drop Dead Studios Ask Me Anything #3

[thethird]

Q 352 What is the purpose of lightshow feat (from the light handbook)? As far as I can see it works when using a bardic performance to have all allies be affected by a light talent, in the manner of tribal rhythm.

But the second line, applying a light talent that doesn't produce bright light, seems pretty pointless. Beacon of hope gives a morale bonus to saves against fear (doesn't stack with inspire courage). Blinding, Guiding, Irradiance, Sunstroke, and Visual Overload are detrimental (i.e. not something you want on allies). Shinning Arsenal, and Revelation most likely won't target allies (more power to you if you have a lot of intelligent item allies). And the other light talents cause a bright light, and are then ineligible.

Am I reading things wrong? I want to like the feat for I am a sucker for tribal rhythm but I don't think it can work as is.

[netmancer]

Q353
Can the Sniper (Might) sphere be used with the Destruction (Power) sphere? I know some Sniper talents mimic some Destruction talents (such as being able to perform attacks of opportunity) or just flat out don't work (such as reloading, or anything that assumes a physical projectile is being used), but could you use Deadly Shot on a ranged Destruction blast, or Steady Shot to ignore concealment, or even Bouncing Shot to change the direction?

[Mcdt2]

Q353
Can the Sniper (Might) sphere be used with the Destruction (Power) sphere? I know some Sniper talents mimic some Destruction talents (such as being able to perform attacks of opportunity) or just flat out don't work (such as reloading, or anything that assumes a physical projectile is being used), but could you use Deadly Shot on a ranged Destruction blast, or Steady Shot to ignore concealment, or even Bouncing Shot to change the direction?

Standard disclaimer: not a dev.

Most of Sniper is incompatible with Destruction. Breaking Blast, Perfect Shot, and Targeted Assault should work with ranged destructive blasts.

Deadly Shot, on the other hand, is listed as a "special attack action". Making a destructive blast (even with Energy Blade) is "casting a spell" - both of these are specific standard actions.

There's a feat called Spell Attack, which makes Energy Blade and its variants in other spheres count as a special attack action, as well.

Some talents will say "when you use an attack action". These will work with Deadly Shot, and with Energy Blade if you have Spell Attack. However, different special attack actions may not be combined.

Instead, look to the Improved Energy Blade feat. It reads "You may activate the Energy Blade talent as a swift action when making a melee or ranged weapon or natural weapon attack, but not a touch attack. The next successful attack deals your destructive blast damage in addition to its normal damage." This is probably the best way to achieve what you're looking for, though it does have the downside of not targeting Touch AC anymore.

[netmancer]

Standard disclaimer: not a dev.

Most of Sniper is incompatible with Destruction. Breaking Blast, Perfect Shot, and Targeted Assault should work with ranged destructive blasts.

Deadly Shot, on the other hand, is listed as a "special attack action". Making a destructive blast (even with Energy Blade) is "casting a spell" - both of these are specific standard actions.

There's a feat called Spell Attack, which makes Energy Blade and its variants in other spheres count as a special attack action, as well.

Some talents will say "when you use an attack action". These will work with Deadly Shot, and with Energy Blade if you have Spell Attack. However, different special attack actions may not be combined.

Instead, look to the Improved Energy Blade feat. It reads "You may activate the Energy Blade talent as a swift action when making a melee or ranged weapon or natural weapon attack, but not a touch attack. The next successful attack deals your destructive blast damage in addition to its normal damage." This is probably the best way to achieve what you're looking for, though it does have the downside of not targeting Touch AC anymore.

The circumstances with this is I am limited only to the default shape for blast shape and Energy Focus for blast type. I'm looking to using the standard Destruction sphere a little more tactical, so it seems most of what you are saying fits into what I've been thinking as well. I understand using Destruction is "casting a spell", but you still have to make an attack roll against the target. Wouldn't you still have to take in account how much cover a target has and therefore could still benefit from something like Perfect Shot? Do you remember where the Spell Attack feat is listing? Thank you for responding!

[AlienFromBeyond]

Wouldn't you still have to take in account how much cover a target has and therefore could still benefit from something like Perfect Shot?

Yes a ranged touch attack destructive blast would benefit from Perfect Shot, as that talent is a generic passive upgrade and not reliant on the use of Deadly Shot. The first part of concealment rerolling even works for melee attacks!

[Mcdt2]

The circumstances with this is I am limited only to the default shape for blast shape and Energy Focus for blast type. I'm looking to using the standard Destruction sphere a little more tactical, so it seems most of what you are saying fits into what I've been thinking as well. I understand using Destruction is "casting a spell", but you still have to make an attack roll against the target. Wouldn't you still have to take in account how much cover a target has and therefore could still benefit from something like Perfect Shot? Do you remember where the Spell Attack feat is listing? Thank you for responding!

Not 100% sure on sources, since I just use this wiki: http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/start

Spell Attack is under Champion feats, Improved Energy Blade is under Feats -->Sphere-Focused Feats.

Since the blast still has an attack roll, anything that affects "ranged attacks" will work, such as Perfect Shot or the free Precise Shot effect of the base Sniper sphere. Anything that affects "(ranged) attack actions" will only work with Spell Attack. Anything that's a "special attack action" cannot be combined by any method.

Unfortunately Sniper is heavily reliant on Deadly Shot, which is a special attack action. However with Spell Attack you should be able to use it with some other spheres. Duelist works well, as does Lancer with a little extra work. Dual-wielding should also work, though only your main hand can be the Energy Blade/Spell Attack.

Alternately, there's a Fighter archetype called Runesinger, which can give you some elemental rider effects on weapon attacks, in a similar fashion to Energy Blade/Spell Attack. Less flexible effects, but they have a feat to explicitly allow them to combine it with Deadly Shot, as well as some other spheres.

[A.J.Gibson]

Q 352 What is the purpose of lightshow feat (from the light handbook)? As far as I can see it works when using a bardic performance to have all allies be affected by a light talent, in the manner of tribal rhythm.

But the second line, applying a light talent that doesn't produce bright light, seems pretty pointless. Beacon of hope gives a morale bonus to saves against fear (doesn't stack with inspire courage). Blinding, Guiding, Irradiance, Sunstroke, and Visual Overload are detrimental (i.e. not something you want on allies). Shinning Arsenal, and Revelation most likely won't target allies (more power to you if you have a lot of intelligent item allies). And the other light talents cause a bright light, and are then ineligible.

Am I reading things wrong? I want to like the feat for I am a sucker for tribal rhythm but I don't think it can work as is.

A352 It's actually from Light Apocrypha, which I wrote. It's limited to non-bright glows, which are somewhat lacking. It was more useful when I first wrote the apocrypha and it had more talents that didn't require bright light. Still, shining arsenal has it's uses.

[AlienFromBeyond]

Still, shining arsenal has it's uses.

The problem is that RAW Shining Arsenal is not usable in combination with Lightshow. The former requires glows on "a weapon, a piece of armor or a shield" while the latter only makes your allies glow, not any of their equipment. This is the issue he was hinting at with this comment:

Shinning Arsenal, and Revelation most likely won't target allies (more power to you if you have a lot of intelligent item allies).

[ImmortalTimothy]

The problem is that RAW Shining Arsenal is not usable in combination with Lightshow. The former requires glows on "a weapon, a piece of armor or a shield" while the latter only makes your allies glow, not any of their equipment. This is the issue he was hinting at with this comment:

From what I can see, the Lightshow feat can only really be used with the Inner Sun talent. All other talents either target objects or create bright light.

[sunderedhero]

Q354: Does the Alchemical Creation talent from the Creation sphere cost 1sp (as it says in the text) or 2sp (1 for the normal "Create" ability plus 1 more for the Alchemical Creation)?

Q355: Also the text says, "These alchemical weapons remain for the normal duration of a created object at which point they disappear as usual." does this mean they last for "as long as you continue to concentrate, to a maximum of 1 minute per caster level." as the base Create ability and I'm forced to spend another spell point to "allow that object to persist for 1 minute per caster level without concentration." to be able to actually do something with it or does it just last for the 1min/CL?

Q356: When combined with "Plasma Production" on a fuse grenade, as is described in the last paragraph, since I'm creating the device would it be reasonable to create it with a shorter/immediate fuse?

Spoiler: Relevant Text

Show

Alchemical Creation
You may create items that require mixing, such as alchemical items and poisons. You may spend 1 spell point to create an alchemical item(up to a maximum value of 25 gp per caster level). This functions exactly as the normal alchemical item except that any DC is 10 + your casting ability modifier + 1/2 your caster level and any damage it deals is increased by your casting ability modifier. These alchemical weapons remain for the normal duration of a created object at which point they disappear as usual. You may also alter mundane alchemical weapons up to a maximum value of 25 gp, enhancing their potency in the same way for the normal duration, at which point the items return to their normal damage and saving throw DC. This does not stack with other effects that increase the item’s DC.

As your caster level increases, so does your ability to create and sustain more materials. At caster level 5 you may create alchemical items costing up to an additional 25 gp per caster level (a total of 50 gp per caster level). Every 5 caster levels beyond this increases the total value you can create by an additional 25 gp per caster level (75 gp per caster level at 10th, 100 gp per caster level at 15th, and so on).

If you possess Divided Creation you may create any number of alchemical weapons whose total value is less than half the maximum value you may create and whose total size is less than or equal to your maximum size (with each alchemical weapon counting as a small object) but only one object created this way increases its saving throw DC and damage, all others retain their base, non-magical statistics.

If you possess Plasma Production then any time you create an alchemical weapon that includes a fuse as the method of activating it (such as with a fuse grenade and its variants, or fireworks) you may create it with the fuse pre-lit. This allows you to treat the weapon as if you had used it as provided in its description. (For example, creating a fuse grenade with this option causes the grenade to explode in 1d4 rounds.)

[thethird]

From what I can see, the Lightshow feat can only really be used with the Inner Sun talent. All other talents either target objects or create bright light.

Inner Sun needs the creature to glow brightly, so no dice. As far as I can tell it only works with Beacon of Hope. Which doesnt stack with inspire courage, the most common bardic performance in combat. You could spellcraft something on top of it, of course, but that might be beyond the scope of it.

Personally I would change it so lightshow makes the afected allies grow brightly. Or lightshow affect enemies that can see the performance. Either way would make the feat useful. As it is I dont think it works as intended.

[ImmortalTimothy]

Inner Sun needs the creature to glow brightly, so no dice. As far as I can tell it only works with Beacon of Hope. Which doesnt stack with inspire courage, the most common bardic performance in combat. You could spellcraft something on top of it, of course, but that might be beyond the scope of it.

Yup, I missed that somehow. I thought that it worked on any creature glowing not any creature glowing brightly. Yeah, I can not see any other talent that is usable (or useful) with the feat.

[freduncio]

Q357 Most sphere abilities with a duration let you spend a spell point to mantain it active for some time without concentration:

As a standard action you may shapeshift yourself or a touched creature, changing their form for as long as you concentrate. If the target is unwilling, this costs a spell point, and they are allowed a Fortitude save to negate. You may spend a spell point to allow a shapeshift to remain for 1 minute per caster level without concentration. You may dismiss your shapeshift as a free action.

My question: you cast the spell and concentrate on it for, let's say, 2 rounds. Can I, after that, spend a point to mantain it running alone (without having to concentrate) for x minutes, and, after it, go back to mantaining it through concentration?

[digiman619]

Q357 Most sphere abilities with a duration let you spend a spell point to mantain it active for some time without concentration:

My question: you cast the spell and concentrate on it for, let's say, 2 rounds. Can I, after that, spend a point to mantain it running alone (without having to concentrate) for x minutes, and, after it, go back to mantaining it through concentration?

Once you spend the spell point, you lock in when it ends. There is literally nothing you can do to continue that particular effect once you do that. If you want to use it again, you need to activate the effect again, spending any spell points as normal.

[AlienFromBeyond]

Q358: How can a a Vanguard utilize Aid Allies to affect an ally's saving throw? This isn't doable by default, and it's unclear if the class feature is suddenly granting this ability (though further unclear if it would apply to all or a single chosen saving throw) or if it's merely futureproofing to affect any potential ability that grants the capability of using aid another for saving throws. The only ability that currently does that to my knowledge is Vanguard Style which seems quite niche to me (though with a fitting name at least).

[Test Pattern]

Not really a question, just a general thing:

Will Spheres of Might be receiving support as planned or will there be plans to instantly jump on converting the system to 2e?

I think Warleader REALLY needs it. Its the only sphere where even the "Specialist" class in it still barely does anything for it (In my book at least).

[Ssalarn]

Not really a question, just a general thing:

Will Spheres of Might be receiving support as planned or will there be plans to instantly jump on converting the system to 2e?

I think Warleader REALLY needs it. Its the only sphere where even the "Specialist" class in it still barely does anything for it (In my book at least).

It's entirely dependent on various sales trends and other projects. There's been some apocrypha support for SoM already but with PF1 approaching "retirement" there's no certainty at this point what direction things will go in, or if PF2 will even see SoM conversions.

As to Warleader, it's much like teamwork feats: so significantly powerful on characters properly set up to use them/it that you have balance to that bar because anything else can prove game-breakingly powerful and/or disruptive. While that does make it a less "casual" sphere than some of the others, it's consistently one of the most powerful options in groups set up to leverage it.

[Test Pattern]

As to Warleader, it's much like teamwork feats: so significantly powerful on characters properly set up to use them/it that you have balance to that bar because anything else can prove game-breakingly powerful and/or disruptive. While that does make it a less "casual" sphere than some of the others, it's consistently one of the most powerful options in groups set up to leverage it.

Really? Perhaps I need build help then. Whats a cool thing it can do (Thats so gamebreaking)?

[Ssalarn]

Really? Perhaps I need build help then. Whats a cool thing it can do (Thats so gamebreaking)?

Hopefully nothing game breaking, unless we missed something.
The action economy of tactics and shouts generally grant you the ability to set up bonuses on the first round of combat that will roll through the rest of combat, particularly with the commander's lingering commands. Aggressive Flanking and Fierce Shout can both be set up on the first round of combat and will then typically last throughout the entire combat for a commander (though non-commanders will generally need to spend their swift maintaining their tactics and don't have shouts that last through a combat until 8th level), giving damage bonuses to every first attack (including attacks made with damaging spells) and making both accuracy bonuses and sneak attack highly accessible with lower risk.
Frightful Roar is an AoE debuff that can inflict frightened on groups of enemies from level 1, which is basically a fight already won with a couple failed saves. Rousing Claxon is a source of functionally unlimited AoE-applied hit points that buffers out damage and will typically buy the round necessary to keep swinging across each round of combat. Deadly Herdsman decimates humanoid opponents from 10th level on when you can ping-pong enemies around the battlefield forcing them to provoke AoOs.
All of the various save-boosting tactics provide up to a +6 bonus that stacks with cloaks of resistance and provides each ally a free reroll on failed saving throws each round, making it very difficult for a party to be impacted too negatively by any save of that type. That can be particularly useful if you have the appropriate knowledge check or research to know what saving throws you might expect, like using Coordinated Reflexes in a fight against a dragon to minimize its breath weapon and then layering some temp hp from Rousing Claxon to soak up some of whatever slips through.
If you're using Legendary talents, it's also extremely difficult to ever actually kill a member of your party during combat.
Commanders then have the added benefit of being able to layer in benefits like teamwork feats (Enfilading Fire can be really nice with the aggressive flanking tactic as it can have your whole group leveraging flanking benefits as long as two melee allies are threatening the same enemy), special movement speeds like climb and swim, additional AoE action economy buffs like movement or extra attacks, and various terrain-specific benefits like evasion or AC boosts in forests or urban areas on top of those base benefits.

Are you trying to build a commander? What's your group composition?

[Test Pattern]

Are you trying to build a commander? What's your group composition?

No Im a GM trying to help a player. None of what you listed was terrible, but nothing in its really....Something worth a primary focus, which is unfortunate since its one of the only real direct buffing things from Martial Spheres.

It's a really a case of "What happens in practice".

In theory yeah big bonuses to saves are nice...In practice your never really sure if its worth the investment because your not really gonna know if your going to encounter this sort of stuff until your hit with it at least once.
Easier flanking is nice....Which is about it.
Its a whole bunch of "Oh this is nice" stuff, but when it's competing with "Woah this is really cool, and radically alters the battlefield", and I wouln't even say its competition is overpowered.

I know Magical comparisons might be a bit unfair but the revamped "War" sphere kicks its butt all the way to saturn.


Id say the biggest issue with the Warleader sphere is a lack of stacking. With the Enchantment Sphere, you can stack allot of stuff.

With the Guardian Sphere, you can stack allot of debuffs from challenges and patrols.
Gladiator stuff usually isn't amazing, but is done as a side effect so is very apreciable.

But Warleader...Well its servicable but in practice quite mediocre.

[Hal0Badger]

Q 359 : Can you use Martial Flexibility to gain Combat Spheres temporarily, since Extra Combat Talent is a Combat Feat?

Q 360 : If you have Skillful Charge talent from Athletics sphere, and Advancing Carnage twice from Berserker Sphere, can you still take 5 ft steps between targets for Advancing Carnage after you charge up to fully your movement speed ?

[Ssalarn]

No Im a GM trying to help a player. None of what you listed was terrible, but nothing in its really....Something worth a primary focus, which is unfortunate since its one of the only real direct buffing things from Martial Spheres.

It's a really a case of "What happens in practice".

[...]
Easier flanking is nice....Which is about it.
Its a whole bunch of "Oh this is nice" stuff, but when it's competing with "Woah this is really cool, and radically alters the battlefield", and I wouln't even say its competition is overpowered.

I know Magical comparisons might be a bit unfair but the revamped "War" sphere kicks its butt all the way to saturn.


Id say the biggest issue with the Warleader sphere is a lack of stacking. With the Enchantment Sphere, you can stack allot of stuff.

With the Guardian Sphere, you can stack allot of debuffs from challenges and patrols.
Gladiator stuff usually isn't amazing, but is done as a side effect so is very apreciable.

But Warleader...Well its servicable but in practice quite mediocre.

I'm not sure what you're getting at when you say it "doesn't stack" since pretty much all the Warleader buffs are relatively straightforward and tactics and shouts are intentionally designed to click together.

A commander will ultimately hit the point where he's stacking a shout, a tactic, five teamwork feats, up to two special movement types, an action economy booster, and a small array of additional benefits that he can then further supplement with whatever effects he wants to lean into from his martial tradition (Beastmastery in particular makes a brutal secondary sphere as it dumps more allies onto the field to trigger teamwork benefits and can provide a mount so the teamwork feats are "always on" for the commander regardless of other positioning).

I barely convinced Adam not to nerf the commander after his playtest games because of how significant its impact on the battlefield is.

In theory yeah big bonuses to saves are nice...In practice your never really sure if its worth the investment because your not really gonna know if your going to encounter this sort of stuff until your hit with it at least once.

I mean, if you're fighting ghouls (or most non-minion undead) and anyone in your group has Knowledge (religion), you know you're going to be making Fortitude saves. If you're fighting dragons it's generally pretty apparent you're going to need to worry about Reflex and maybe Will saves. Really the only thing that's going to "surprise" you are enemy spellcasters who aren't advertising what their schtick is (or whose schtick is "diverse generalist"), and that's why there's the Harangue shout to give a hard reset after you set up your save-boosting tactic (which then allows your allies to reroll the saving throw again as an immediate action with the bonus if they failed the reroll from Harangue). A commander can even throw the Shake It Off feat on top of that, boosting the save ceiling to +10, which can give even characters with a bad save they've done nothing to shore up a chance at making it.

YMMV.

[Test Pattern]

A commander will ultimately hit the point where he's stacking a shout, a tactic, five teamwork feats, up to two special movement types, an action economy booster, and a small array of additional benefits that he can then further supplement with whatever effects he wants to lean into from his martial tradition (Beastmastery in particular makes a brutal secondary sphere as it dumps more allies onto the field to trigger teamwork benefits and can provide a mount so the teamwork feats are "always on" for the commander regardless of other positioning).

Well why didn'tcha say that example before? I never thought about it that way. Thats a good way of putting it.
Maybe Il make the next boss a Commander then.

Edit:....Actually looking it over....
No this is still pretty mediocre from a support build to hit at Level 20. Shouts are mediocre, tactics are mediocre, I still don't see anything all that good about teamwork feats, you do get some action economy boosters and indeed some environmental buffs.

But it runs into the similar issue of this being a collection of long lasting benefits that aren't all that super amazing when combat usually isn't a continous thing or happens 5 times a day.
And thats COMMANDER. Going 100% in all the way into being Support. Your losing 5 talents and 5 points of BAB for this.

Maybe Im just stupid or not build savy, but Im not seeing any elements that are super powerful outside theoreticals (If you have an entire party dedicated to tripping and have that tripping teamwork feat for instance but thats not fire and forget).

[Ssalarn]

Well why didn'tcha say that example before? I never thought about it that way. Thats a good way of putting it.
Maybe Il make the next boss a Commander then.

Commanders make awesome martial bosses; when Adam and I were doing our special Kickstarter backer game we had a commander miniboss with a phalanx of shield grunts who ended up being more difficult to defeat than the actual boss because he was able to spend his more efficient action economy restoring the grunts' martial focus so they could use Shield talents to block and redirect every turn without needing to stop attacking, while simultaneously giving them some other boosts.

One of my big villains was a noblewoman with Beastmastery and Warleader who had a menagerie of killer birds (she was actually a scholar though, so her birds could bombard the party with alchemical items).

During a campaign I ran a little bit ago, the party was fighting a drow house protected by squads consisting of 3 drow snipers (5th level conscripts with the Sniper sphere and specialization) and 1 drow lieutenant (8th level commander) who would restore the sniper's martial focus with Focusing Cry while one of the snipers spent their move action restoring his focus through Focusing Tactics. Then all the snipers and the commander got an extra attack by benefiting from the Target of Opportunity teamwork feat, meaning that every round the commander was adding four extra full-bonus attacks to his team in addition to allowing the other members of his team to burn martial focus every round for bonus damage. That was more damage than he would have been adding as a standard full-BAB making a full attack and was not the only benefits he was adding.
Target of Opportunity also works if you have a caster firing ranged attack spells (such as rays) and anyone in your party is using a ranged weapon since the spell can still serve as the trigger. If you're not worrying about restoring your allies' martial focus that opens up your tactical options even further.

During our Monday night game at the Paizo office we have a paladin, luchador, bard, commander, fighter (gloomblade), and a sorcerer. The commander picked up Precise Strike with her enhanced tactic, so right now at third level between her and the bard the party is picking up +3 to hit and 1d6+3 bonus damage pretty consistently (+1/+1 from the bard and +2 / +1d6+2 from the commander). The commander's setup requires more tactical positioning but also has significantly stronger payouts.

Mounted commanders can move about without ever provoking AoOs using Escape Route and turn into absolute terrors at 14th level when they can start charge-stacking with Coordinated Charge (which can also turn the +8 damage from Fierce Shout into +16 damage for anyone performing a mounted charge with a lance, or +24 with Spirited Charge). With the Aggressive Flanking tactic and the Distracting Charge teamwork feat that can quickly turn into a +6 accuracy boost for every charge attack after the first (+8 and AoOs whenever someone crits if the Commander also has the Outflank teamwork feat).

The commander is always going to want a group that took the time to coordinate a bit, but it can stack up some really significant benefits and share them to a broad group of people, and it has a few different options for manipulating action economy and adjusting which benefits it's bestowing based on the situation.

[Ssalarn]

Q 359 : Can you use Martial Flexibility to gain Combat Spheres temporarily, since Extra Combat Talent is a Combat Feat?

A359 Yes, and intentionally so.

[stack]

Q 360 : If you have Skillful Charge talent from Athletics sphere, and Advancing Carnage twice from Berserker Sphere, can you still take 5 ft steps between targets for Advancing Carnage after you charge up to fully your movement speed ?

A360: Yes, as written you can. The movement limit on advancing carnage only applies to the movement granted by that talent. If I had thought of it at the time, I might have reworded it so you couldn't get that extra movement after the charge, but it is unlikely to be worth errata.

[Lirya]

Maybe Im just stupid or not build savy, but Im not seeing any elements that are super powerful outside theoreticals (If you have an entire party dedicated to tripping and have that tripping teamwork feat for instance but thats not fire and forget).

Yes, Warleader sphere is a bit lackluster on its own. The talents are mostly new options that are less good than the ones you selected initially. In my opinion the key if you want to focus on the Warleader sphere is to spend your resources elsewhere to get the synergies you need to make your Warleader investment pay off. The main example is getting the Beastmastery sphere [handle animal] + Greater Trainer x3 + Purposeful Training + Animal Companion x2. The wall of fur will benefit greatly from Aggressive Flanking + teamwork feats to perform whatever specialized tactics you enabled by training them in specific spheres (currently imagining 4 dire bears trained in the wrestling sphere playing rugby, with your character is the coach).

I would recommend limiting your investment into Warleader to a few talents for Diplomacy ranks unless you are playing a Commander or a Conscript with Warleader specialization. Even then, there are clear diminishing returns as you invest more talents into the sphere. My favorite Warleader talent is Harangue to save against TPK when half the party gets panicked by a fear effect (or dominated, nauseated, etc.).

[Minion #6]

Q361: Is there any way to be able to dismiss Magnify/Minimise from the Creation Sphere? Thinking of a character who carries a variety of items Minimised with Lengthened Creation, dismissing the effect when the item is needed.

[Kitsuneymg]

Once you spend the spell point, you lock in when it ends. There is literally nothing you can do to continue that particular effect once you do that. If you want to use it again, you need to activate the effect again, spending any spell points as normal.

Where are you getting that from? As far as I can see absolutely nothing in spheres implies that.

[EldritchWeaver]

Where are you getting that from? As far as I can see absolutely nothing in spheres implies that.

Let's look at Alteration (test is basically the same in every sphere, once you have the option to spend spell points to avoid concentration):

As a standard action you may shapeshift yourself or a touched creature, changing their form for as long as you concentrate. ... You may spend a spell point to allow a shapeshift to remain for 1 minute per caster level without concentration.

The second sentence implies that the shapeshift just ends. There is no text which implies differently. You would need text to imply differently to have it work as you think that it works, but since there is none to be found, digiman's interpretation is the correct one.