Universal Sphere (Adapting 5e Spheres)

[SangoProduction]

Preamble: The universal sphere, true to its name, can broadly apply to every sphere. So, that's probably the next logical step, if I'm trying to adapt from the ground floor up. They are basically the feat-backbone of the spheres in a system where feats don't exist in the same way.
It comes with a fair few packages, including the mana sphere. I am not going to act on the mana sphere today. Simply reviewing it got me in a depressive mood both times. Not sure why - though possibly absolute boredom. Regardless, I am leaving it for later and/or never. Maybe someone else will, and I can just come back and link to it.
I am going to try and combine the existing PF and 5e versions of the respective packages.

Also: No idea what I am going to actually *do* with the labels, but I guess it won't hurt to mark the "less than mechanically useful abilities" as (utility).

Post Notes: Wow. I really struggled with adapting pathfinder's related sphere feats... because Pathfinder... does have feats. But I think I was able to do it relatively well... even though it definitely feels like the vast majority of the re-adaptation work was in working with Dispel / Counterspell, and Metasphere.
Probably because Wild Magic was essentially a non-adaptation. And so was Dual Spheres. And I didn't bother with mana.

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The sphere as presented: The universal sphere serves as a home for various abilities that do not fit in other spheres, interact with multiple spheres, or otherwise need a place.

When you first gain the Universal sphere, select and gain one of the following universal packages: dispel, metasphere, spellcrafting, or wild magic. Some packages have additional requirements or prerequisites to use them. The Universal Package talent grants access to additional packages.

Dispel Package
The dispel package is about dealing with and disrupting magical effects. Upon gaining the dispel package, you gain the dispel ability below (this counts as the Counterspell feat for the purposes of prerequisites):

Dispel
Casting Time: 1 minutes
Range: Short (25 + 5 ft / 2 level)
Duration: Instantaneous
Target: One creature, object, or magical effect
Saving Throw: None
Cost: 0 sp

You attempt to dispel a single active magical effect. Make a magic skill check against the caster or magical effect, hereafter referred to as a dispel check. On a success, the spell ends.

Augment 1 sp: You can attempt to dispel a number of additional magical effects in range equal to 1 + 1 per 2 caster levels.
Augment 1 sp: The casting time is reduced to 1 standard action. When used in this way, you can ready this ability to disrupt a creature’s casting.

Metasphere Package
The metasphere package deals with establishing a firm foundation in magical theory and applying that knowledge to all other spheres you possess. Upon gaining the metasphere package, you may either learn 3 level-0 spells (cantrips) from a traditional spell casting class, or gain the Cantrips feat.
In addition, you gain one (metasphere) talent of your choice.

Spellcrafting Package
Using this package requires possessing two or more different magic spheres. The spellcrafting package has no base ability; instead, upon gaining the spellcrafting package, you gain a (dual sphere) talent of your choice. You can only benefit from a (dual sphere) talent while you possess the talent, its base spheres, and meet any other prerequisites. Additionally, while possessing the spellcrafting package, if you gain a bonus talent from a sphere you may instead gain a (dual sphere) talent that has that sphere as a prerequisite (excluding bonus talents from sphere variants).

Wild Magic Package
Using this package requires the optional wild magic rules found, and thus might not be appropriate for all tables.. Spherecasters who already make use of Wild Magic, such as those who possess a casting tradition that includes wild magic as a drawback can select (wild magic) talents from this sphere without possessing the Wild Magic package.

Chaos Aura
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Area: 5-foot radius sphere
Saving Throw: None
Cost: 0 sp

You emit an aura that twists the fabric of magic, increasing the wild magic chance of all creatures in the area by 50%. Only creatures with the wild magic package, general drawback, or similar class feature (such as sorcerers with the wild magic sorcerous origin) are innately aware of this increase. The area increases by 5 feet every 3 caster levels (3, 6, 9, 12, etc).

Augment 2 sp: The effect persists for the remaining duration without concentration. This augment can be applied after the effect is cast on your turn without an action.

Spoiler: Adapter's note

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In Pathfinder most "spend spell points to not concentrate" is only 1 spell point. While it's 2 spell points in 5e. I do not have play testers. You do what you want.

Spoiler: Dispel Talents

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The following dispel talents may be used to augment your Dispel ability, if you took the Dispel package.

Called Counter (dispel, utility)
On readying an action to use Dispel, you may choose to limit yourself to a single sphere. If so, the readied Dispel can only affect an effect that uses that sphere.
When using Called Counter, you may either reduce the spell point cost by 1, or roll twice on your dispel attempt.

Disorient (dispel)
Augment 1 sp: When you successfully counter a spell using Dispel, the caster must succeed on an will save, or suffer disadvantage on all spell attack rolls and grant advantage on any saving throw made against their spells and magic spheres for 1 minute.
Adapter's Note: Disadvantage can mean either -2, or roll twice, taking lowest, GM's call. (Ask before the situation where it's used comes up.)

Fool’s Counterspell (dispel)
Augment 1 sp: When you successfully counter a spell using Dispel, the caster must succeed at a Will save equal to your Illusion sphere DC or Mind sphere DC (whichever is greater), or believe the spell had its intended effect even if they would otherwise be aware of its failure. Treat this effect as a figment with a duration equal to the countered spell, and use the rules for interacting and investigating illusions.

Greater Dispel (dispel)
Augment 1 sp: You can attempt to dispel any number of magical effects in range.
Adapter's note: This is separate and superior to the base augment to dispel a number of additional magical effects. It just takes a talent to access.

Spell Thief (dispel)
Augment 1 sp: When you would successfully dispel an effect that targets a creature or object, you may instead choose to reassign the effect’s target(s). If you do so, you immediately take over concentration for the original caster (if the effect requires concentration), and the original caster cannot choose to prematurely end the effect.
Augment 2 sp: When you would successfully dispel one or more subordinates (such as Conjuration sphere companions, animated objects, or reanimated undead), you may cause all creatures you have successfully dispelled to instead become loyal to you for the effects’ remaining duration. If the target subordinates remains active through concentration, you must concentrate on them to keep their effect active. Subordinates are allowed a Will saving throw once per minute (DC 10 + ½ your MSB + your casting ability modifier) to break free of your control, being dispelled normally on a successful saving throw.

Shaped Dispel (dispel)
You can treat your Dispel ability as a (blast type) talent, shaping it with (blast shape) talents and using your destructive blast’s range when doing so. Your dispel does not deal destructive blast damage when used in this way. Augmentation costs for using these blast shapes apply as normal. Spell effects that must travel to their target through a space occupied by a blast shape with a non-instantaneous duration are also subject to the dispel effect.

Spoiler: Adapter's Notes:

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In being treated as a (blast type) talent, it can implicitly be used in Admixture.

Shaper's Dispel (dispel)
You may instead target a magic item with Dispel. If successful, you suppress the item's magical properties for 1d4 rounds, plus 1d4 round per 4 caster levels.
Augment 1 sp: You instead suppress the magic item's properties for 1 minute per level on a successful Dispel.

Spellthief (dispel)
Augment 1 sp: When you successfully counter a spell that targets a creature or object using dispel, you can instead choose to reassign the effect’s targets. If you do so, you immediately take over concentration for the original caster (if the effect requires concentration), and the original caster cannot choose to prematurely end the effect. If you cannot concentrate on any more effects, it ends at the end of your next turn, unless you either free up concentration to do so, or make it persist without concentration.

Vicious Dispel (dispel)
Augment 1 sp: If you successfully end an effect, the target takes 1d6 force damage, increasing by 1d6 every 2 caster levels. This damage can happen once per target creature per round.

Spoiler: Dual Sphere Talents

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Baleful Storm (dual sphere, Death, Universal (Mass (metasphere)), Weather)
When thunder rolls and lightning cracks, your minions rise.
Casting Time: Move action
Area: The area of a severity category 2 or greater Storm that you are in.
Target: All dead creatures in the area
Duration: While both the requisite storm persists, and you are in it.
Cost: 2
You may reanimate any number of corpses within the area of controlled weather each round as a move action, as per the unaugmented Reanimate, without paying the base ability spell point cost. These reanimated corpses still count against your HD limit, and cannot go over it. This effect cannot be further augment.

Spoiler: Adapter's Notes

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This... isn't what I'd call an augment. I really had to twist and wriggle my way around it to make it work as an augment. But it just doesn't fit. So I made it an independent effect. The least "standardized" of all the standard stat blocks. But I didn't want to actuallyrework it. Just convey it more truthfully than 5e does. But... honestly, the basic pathfinder version works fine. And I only got myself into this knot when trying to mesh the two.

And this is the point where I decide that there isn't actually all that much to adapt when it comes to the already-presented dual sphere feats, except to make them talents. I mean, sure it means you don't print them like... 2 or 3 times. But I don't honestly see the utility in me spending like 2 or 3 hours squaring each circle, and/or just copy/pasting what's basically a non-adaptation. I'm not printing a book that has costs per page.

Dominant Counterspell (dual sphere, Universal (dispel package), Telekinesis, utility)
Augment 1 sp: On successfully dispelling a non-instantaneous magical effect which doesn't target a creature or object (such as a Protection sphere "barrier," a Warp sphere "looped space," or a Destruction sphere "energy sphere"), rather than dispelling it, you may instead lift and move the effect as a small object, as per the Telekinesis sphere. You may not bludgeon using such a spell effect.
Additionally, when you would dismiss a sphere affect, you may count it as though you successful dispelled it for this talent's purpose. (And thus spend a spell point to "lift" the effect.)

Spoiler: Adapter's Notes

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Obviously, some spell effects deserve to be larger or smaller than "small." In general, unless the effect creates something physical, or affects an excessive area, "small" is probably an appropriate size category.

Rhythmic Chaos (Dual sphere, Universal (wild magic package), Universal (mana package))
Augment 1: Augment your (expunge) that targets a creature that uses spells. This increases their wild magic chance by 20% for a number of rounds equal to your casting ability modifier, unless they succeed a Will saving throw. This increase to wild magic chance increases by 10% for every wild magic feat you possess (maximum 60%).

Translocating Counterspell (dual sphere, Universal (dispel package), Warp, utility
Augment 1: On successfully dispelling a non-instantaneous magical effect which is not targeting a creature or object (such as a Protection sphere barrier, a Warp sphere looped space, or a Destruction sphere energy sphere), instead of ending the effect, you may teleport the effect to another location within range of your teleport.
Additionally, when you would dismiss a sphere affect, you may count it as though you dispelled it for this talent's purpose. (And thus spend a spell point to teleport the effect.)

Spoiler: Metasphere Talents

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Extended (metasphere)
You can augment the maximum duration of your magic sphere abilities. These augments cannot benefit a magic sphere ability with a duration of instantaneous, greater than 24 hours, or less than 1 minute, nor can it increase the maximum duration of your magic sphere abilities beyond 24 hours.
Augment 1 sp: The maximum duration of your magic sphere abilities increases by 1 step.
Augment 2 sp: The maximum duration of your magic sphere abilities increases by 2 steps. This augment is available at character level 10.

Spoiler: Adapter's Notes

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This, unlike normal Extend Spell, is actually useful for sphere casters. Also, in the 5e version, each step above 1 hour is instead a multiple of 4 hours rather than a day (though both cap out at 1 day). Make of that what you will.
At level 10, due to being able to apply augments independent of each other, they gain the option to gain either 1, 2, or 3 steps of duration, without expending additional talents. This seems more than reasonable, given the expanded spell point cap compared to 5e.
Especially, considering that duration in 5e is flat, and doesn't scale with level. And almost all duration spells are 1 minute in 5e spheres. Which doesn't feel particularly appropriate for a fair few spheres. So, honestly, it would not take a lot to convince me to nerf or get rid of much of these augments
Well, already did it. Too late..

Glyph (metasphere)
Augment 1 sp: You bind a magic sphere effect onto an unoccupied 5-foot cube within range creating a glyph for 1 hour or until triggered. The augmented sphere effect must target a creature or area and have a casting time of no longer than 1 action. Any creature who enters the space activates the effect; if it is normally a targeted ability, the creature is immediately affected by that ability, though they are allowed a saving throw as normal, if appropriate. This counts as a trap being triggered for the purpose of trap sphere talents. If the effect normally creates an area effect, the cube itself is used as the center of that effect (even if it would normally be centered on the caster) and all creatures within the area are immediately affected by the ability, making saving throws as normal if appropriate.

Any bound magic sphere effect with a duration longer than instantaneous lasts for 1 minute, regardless of its normal duration, though you can dismiss it on your turn with no action required.
You can only have 1 active glyph at a time; placing a second glyph dismisses the first; However, you can select this talent multiple times, increasing the number of glyphs you can have active at once by 1 each time you do so.

Augment 1 sp: Your glyph binds a magic sphere effect onto an unoccupied 10-foot cube, increasing by 5 feet per 2 levels.
Augment 2 sp: Your glyph lasts for 24 hours or until triggered.
Augment 4 sp: Your glyph lasts indefinitely, until triggered, or dispelled. Your maximum spell point total is reduced by the number of spell points spent creating the glyph; this reduction goes away when the glyph is triggered or dispelled, though the spell points are not regained until such a time as you would normally regain them.

Heightened (metasphere)
Augment 0 sp: You can add 2 + 1/4 character level to your MSB for the purpose of overcoming spell resistance and the dispel checks.
Augment 0 sp: You can suffer 1d4 nonlethal damage per 2 character levels (ignoring any resistance and immunity) to gain advantage on your next a magic skill check. Possessing the Draining Casting Drawback reduces this damage to 1 per character level.
Augment 2 sp: You can add 1 + 1/4 character level to your MSB for the purpose of overcoming spell resistance and dispel checks. If you have the Wild Magic package, you may increase your wild magic chance by 50% rather than spend spell points on this augment. You gain access to this augment at character level 5.

Mass (metasphere)
You can increase the number of targets that your sphere effects can affect per casting. This can only be applied to a magic sphere ability that targets a single creature or object. This cannot be used on a magic sphere ability that targets an area and each target of the magic sphere effect must be within range. Augmenting a magic sphere effect with Mass (metasphere) doesn’t change or remove other limitations on the sphere effect (such as the maximum size for the Telekinesis or Creation spheres), and all affected targets must have a combined size smaller than this limitation.
This counts as a single effect for the purpose of concentration, as well as for talents or abilities that allow them to be dismissed or expended for additional effects (such as motif and succor effects); however, when dismissed or expended, they would affect all valid targets.

Augment 1 sp: Spell effects augmented by Mass (metasphere) talent may now target unwilling targets.

Only one of the following augments may be used to apply the effects of the Mass (metasphere) talent to a single sphere effect.
Augment 1 sp: You may evenly split the duration of a sphere effect with a duration of at least 1 minute between up to 2 + 1/2 caster level number of willing targets. Divide the total duration by the number of targets.
Augment 2 sp: You can increase the number of targets of a magic sphere ability by 2 + 1/2 caster level, but the targets must all be willing.

Opportunistic (metasphere)
Augment 1 sp: When a hostile creature’s movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a sphere effect at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The sphere effect must have a casting time of 1 standard, move, or swift action, and must target only that creature. You can only apply this augment once per round.

Quicken (metasphere)
Augment 1 sp: When you target only yourself or an object you are attending (holding, wearing, or wielding) with a magic sphere effect, you can reduce the casting time of a magic sphere ability from an action to a swift action.
Augment 2 sp: You can use the Quicken (metasphere) talent augment when targeting any single willing creature, not just yourself.

Reaching (metasphere)
The range of your magic sphere abilities increases by 1 step. (Self > Touch > Short > Medium > Long) You can take this talent up to three times, its effects stack. When you increase the range of a magic sphere ability with an initial range of Self, the target of your ability must be a willing target.
Augment 1 sp: Double the range of your spherecasting ability. Doubling the range of a sphere effect with a range of touch allows you to target creatures an additional 5 feet away.

Striking (metasphere)
Augment 0 sp: When using a magic sphere effect that targets a single creature or object and is cast as an action, you can deliver the effect through a single weapon attack, which replaces any spell attack (if any) required by that effect. Any creature or object damaged by the attack is also subjected to the sphere effect. All limitations of the effect must otherwise be met, including spell point cost and range.
Augment 1 sp: If you miss with an associated melee weapon attack (see above augment), you may retain the charge until you either hit, cast a new spell, or dismiss it, for up to a number of rounds equal to your caster level.

Spoiler: Adapter's notes

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I think the augment 1 sp is actually implicit for melee touch attacks. But I'm not sure it's implicit for melee-weapon-hit-triggering spells. So, just to make sure...

Widen (metasphere)
Augment 1 sp: When using a magic sphere effect that targets an area, double the area of effect (a 5-foot radius becomes a 10-foot radius, a 30-foot cone becomes a 60-foot cone, etc.).

Spoiler: Adapter's Notes

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I say that the real metamagic feat is overpriced as heck, and this is actually reasonable.

Spoiler: Wild Magic Talents

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Blood Dampening (wild magic)
When you trigger a wild magic event (but not a major event), you can choose to negate the event by reducing your hit point maximum by 1 per level. This reduction can only be removed by completing a long rest. If you possess at least 4 wild magic talents, you can use this ability on a major event (see Variant Rules) by reducing your hit point maximum by 2 per level.

Careful Caster (wild magic, utility)
When casting a sphere effect that suffers from a wild magic chance, you may increase the casting time by one step to reduce the wild magic chance by 25%. This ability does not stack with itself. This reduction increases by 5% per additional wild magic feat you possess, to a maximum reduction of 50%.

Chaotic Counter (wild magic, utility)
Prerequisites: Counterspell or the ability to cast dispel magic.
When you successfully end a spell or sphere effect using Dispel, the caster suffers a 50% increase in wild magic chance until the end of its next turn. This penalty increases by 10% per wild magic talent you possess, to a maximum of 100%. The affected caster is not implicitly made aware of this increase.

Curse of Chaos (wild magic, utility)
As a swift action, you can spend a spell point to charge your next attack with disruptive energies. The next creature you deal damage to with a weapon attack before the start of your next turn increases its wild magic chance by 100% for a number of rounds equal to your casting ability modifier (minimum 1). Affected creatures are not implicitly made aware of this increase.

Energy Shift (wild magic, utility)
Casting Time: None; See text.
Range: Self
Duration: Instantaneous
Target: Your destructive blast or damage-dealing evocation spell.
Cost: 0 sp
When casting the target spell, you can increase your wild magic chance for that destructive blast or spell by 50% to change its damage type to one of the following types: acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, lightning, piercing, or slashing. You can instead increase your wild magic chance by 100% to change the damage type to force, necrotic, poison, psychic, or radiant.

Augment 1 sp: As an immediate action, you may instead apply the effects of this talent to a destructive blast or damage-dealing evocation within close range, that was not cast by you. The caster of the target spell suffers the wild magic chance. A failed magic skill check negates the damage type change, but still has the same chance of wild magic.

Greater Chaos Aura (wild magic)
You learn new and exciting ways to augment your chaos aura.
Augment 1 sp: You can choose to exclude any number of creatures that you can see from the effect.
Augment 1 sp: You can target another creature within close range instead of yourself. That creature emits the chaos aura instead of yourself. A successful will saving negates the effect, and the target can spend a move action to make a new saving throw at the end of each of their turns to end it early.
Augment 1 sp: The wild magic chance increases to 100%.

Inspired Surge (wild magic)
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Self
Duration: 1 minute
Target: Personal
Cost: 1 sp

You can grant yourself an additional magical talent from a magic sphere you possess; you must meet any prerequisites that the talent possesses. You increase the wild magic chance by 100% any time you use the granted magic talent, either by casting a sphere ability granted by the talent, or applying the talent’s effects to another magic sphere effect you cast. You retain knowledge of this talent for the duration or until you cast Inspired Surge again, whichever is shorter. You can cast Inspired Surge twice per day.

Manipulate Result (wild magic)
When you trigger a wild magic event (but not a major event), you can spend an immediate action to roll twice and choose which result to take. You can use this talent a number of times per day equal to the number of wild magic talents you possess.

Overpower Resistance (wild magic)
Augment 1 sp: When casting a sphere effect, you can increase your wild magic chance for that effect by 100% to impose disadvantage on saving throws against that effect.
Adapter's Note: Disadvantage can mean either -2, or roll twice, taking lowest, GM's call. (Ask before the situation where it's used comes up.)

Shift Cost (wild magic)
Augment -1 sp: Reduce the maximum number of spell points you can spend on an ability or sphere effect by 1 spell point, to a minimum of 1 spell point cost. Increase your wild magic chance by 50% for that ability or effect.

At character level 10, you can double both the reduction of (spent and spending limit of) spell points and wild magic chance increase.

Shift Effect (wild magic)
When you trigger a wild magic event (but not a major event), you can spend an immediate action after the result is revealed to roll 1d20. On a result of 1-10, subtract the result from the result of your wild magic roll and take the new result, even if it is worse. On a result of 11-20, subtract ten from your roll, then add that number to your wild magic result, taking the new result even if it is worse. If you possess at least 6 wild magic talents, you can use this ability when triggering a major event (if the major event rules are being used).

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Universal Sphere feats are feats that are related to the Universal sphere, but which I don't believe are appropriate for placement as talents. Especially the martial-leaning feats.

Spoiler: Universal Sphere Feats

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Dissipation Artistry (dispel, combat)
Prerequisites: Universal sphere (Dispel Package), Base Attack Bonus +3
Benefit: Gain the following augments for your Dispel sphere effect, and you always know of any magical effects that may make the creature resistant or immune to a maneuver or your weapon, when they are in your reach.
Augment 2 sp: When initiating a combat maneuver, you may attempt to use Dispel on the target of your combat maneuver as a free action. This Dispel attempt happens before the effects of such protections take effect.
Augment 2 sp: Whenever you successfully strike a target with a weapon attack, you may use Dispel on the target as an immediate action. This functions on only one target per round.

Spoiler: Adapter's Notes

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Base PF counterspell has a cost of 1 sp. And the Dispel here has a cast time of 10 minutes. Thus, any "dispel quickly" is implicitly worth at least 1 spell point. (Even more so, since augment 1 is already down to standard.) I figured that either 2 or 3 sp was an appropriate cost. And because they are martial-leaning I went for 2. Talent augments can explicitly be straight upgrades to base augments, because it cost a talent to gain.

(There *was* more here. It just quickly became redundant or better adapted as a talent.)

[stack]

Wild magic talents should be available to anyone with wild magic chance or abilities (wild mage thaumaturge, etc.), not just those with wild magic in their tradition.

[SangoProduction]

Wild magic talents should be available to anyone with wild magic chance or abilities (wild mage thaumaturge, etc.), not just those with wild magic in their tradition.

I don't know how, but I managed to miss that little sentence. As in I didn't even know of its existence. Adapted.

[Ady]

Was it a conscious choice here not to include any equivalent of the Counterspell Mastery feat (or an equivalent to the Counterspell talent from the spheres 5e version)?

It's a very potent ability, so I could believe it was on purpose, but I wanted to verify.

[stack]

Was it a conscious choice here not to include any equivalent of the Counterspell Mastery feat (or an equivalent to the Counterspell talent from the spheres 5e version)?

It's a very potent ability, so I could believe it was on purpose, but I wanted to verify.

I don't remember what was in the draft and I don't seem to have ready access to it.