So when you glow and sparkle? That seems awful generic, heh. Maybe the glow forms a floating label above you that is in the language of the reader... "Member of the Twilight Fan Club Casters" 🤣

I think the intent is very much not that, otherwise they'd just make Spellcraft checks in the first place. Magical Signs is just meant to be obvious. Nobody knows, in-character that you used this or that talent from the Enhancement Sphere because those are game mechanics, but when you throw a big fiery fireball, everyone knows that it's a fireball, and when they hear the tortured screams of lost souls accompanying your death magic spell they know that that's the tell-tale sound of a death magician casting a death magic spell. Whether a horse has the intelligence to process or make use of that information is another matter; I think the point is just meant to be that it's incredibly obvious.

Just came back here to say that.

Seeing how Spellcraft is a "trained only" skill, I suppose one could imagine that "automatically succeeded at a Spellcraft check" would only apply to those who could potentially succeed at a spellcraft check, i.e. those with a rank in the skill.

It may help to think of it less as super specific "everybody knows your game mechanics" and more as "they can get a good idea what you're doing and whether you might have some weaknesses" - for instance, if your tradition also has Verbal Casting, they can probably figure "if we stop them from saying the incantation they can't cast". Sphere talents are usually not completely discrete effects or actual in-game categorizations to start with, since talents can frequently modify each other, so people don't need to be able to explicitly in-character identify that you're casting Alter Movement modified by Deep Enhancement, but they'll know you're casting something that makes somebody faster or slower and that it will last a long time. ... Yeah it's not a perfect distinction but honestly most of the time it's the less important half of Magical Signs compared to breaking stealth anyway (and Verbal Casting also does that). The tradition part, in particular, probably makes a lot more sense if you're in a game where there's a number of predefined traditions everybody has to take that have lore implications or common limitations, like the traditions that mimic various vancian casters.

Well the horses would definitely know... But the goats?!? No chance. 😵‍💫 My character has the magical signs Drawback. (Could change) I decided as a character personality trait, he would just refuse to sneak altogether. Thinks it's dishonest.

So I was looking at taking Magical Signs as part of the unified tradition I'm building. The tradition incorporates glyphs / symbols into their gear as both a prepared caster and focus casting. The idea was that when using sphere casting the glyphs would glow. That being said Magical Signs breaks stealth automatically. Okay, makes sense. But then it also says... "... and whenever you use magic all creatures within 60 feet who are observing you are considered to have automatically succeeded at a Spellcraft check to know which sphere effect, talents, and casting tradition you used." That just seems strange to me. Mechanically I'm fine with it but why does little Alice the 10 year old kid in the street playing near the sweets vendor hawking their honey rolls along with the stray dog all automatically recognize the "glowies" that my character has and just says, oh, that's an enhancement sphere and they used a move enhancement using the Hirrin Blaster unified tradition. That seems absurd to me. Now, on the other hand, "Oh, look, magic." I get and if someone is actually skilled in Spellcraft then maybe introduce an enormous modifier for the sphere specifier and perhaps even the talent, but the tradition? That seems exceedingly arbitrary and kind of silly, lol. I mean, it literally says "all creatures" so technically the horse tethered in front of the bar and the crows on the nearby rooftop all know it too! 🤣 "Oh, hey, that person just cast talent X from sphere Y and they're tradition is the Far Northern Reaches of the Arctic Hidden Society of the Glowing Nosed Reindeer of the Mythical Lands Where All the Animals and Snow People Talk." 😛 I suspend disbelief for fantasy games, but sometimes bits of common sense seep through and make me scratch my head in serious confusion. This is one of those many, minor and insignificant, things.

I, personally, don't see any reason not to take a trade tradition. Even if you don't qualify for Adroit. Hand pick the skills that are going to matter to you. Get two to four+ trait-level abilities A talent Free skill points Skill leverage All at the cost of a few class skills you're not likely to care much about. Seems like a clear advantage and anyone not choosing the option is definitely sacrificing character strength. Almost like if it's an option, it should be mandatory. Like some players using Elephant in the Room and some not.

I'll be multiclassing into 2 (eventually 3) classes, one of which is adroit. This gets me 4 trade talents from the tradition (I get that I could make a custom one, but I'm probably going to just take shadow as-is since it lines up fairly well mechanically and thematically with what I was going for), another I can freely choose from the multiclass, and eventually yet another to be chosen if the character is selected and makes it to level 5. This is very much a beneficial trade in this situation.

Well, you lose all your class skills, but get Perception and a good chunk of background skills (Craft, Perform, and Profession) as class skills regardless of your tradition, much like how martial traditions give you simple weapons/light armor/bucklers.

Don't forget that each vocation talent gives you some bonus abilities too, not just the class skills. They aren't listed on the trade tradition page, you have to go to the vocation sphere page to find them, but those alone absolutely make the trade worth it, even if you end up with fewer class skills overall. There are plenty of X to Y abilities in there. I highly recommend picking up a trade tradition, they are a great way to dip your toe into Sphere of Guile content.

Remember, if you're using a Trade Tradition you lose ALL your class skills, so be sure to double check if you're not losing more than you'd gain, especially for a non Adroit tradition. Each Trade talent nets you 4-5 Skills, non Adroit Traditions give you 2 Trade talents and one Sphere, Adroit Traditions give you FOUR Trade talents and two Spheres or one Sphere and one Talent in that sphere. The flip side being that you can customize your Class Skills a lot more, so if you're a low Int build with only 4 Skills / level you can pick and choose which skills you want to be In Class.

Remember, for people new to spheres, if you trade your starting proficiencies for a martial or universal tradition or begin with a class that has a martial or universal tradition you only start with simple weapons, light armor, and bucklers as your default. To get shield or medium or heavy armor proficiency you need to take an appropriate equipment talent as part of that tradition. Armor training for medium and heavy armor and shield training for shields other than bucklers. Likewise, to be proficient with any specific weapons you will want to take a specific talent for those. *shrug* For example, normally an Armorist begins with proficiency with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). Because they gain proficiency with all martial weapons they can actually take a martial tradition instead. That immediately defaults their new proficiencies to just simple weapons, light armor, and bucklers. They lose their martial weapons proficiency as well as their medium armor and shield proficiency. To regain their armor proficiency either the martial tradition they take would have to include the Equipement: Armor Training talent or they would have to use one of their feat selections to gain it. That would then grant them proficiency with both medium and heavy armor. They would have to do the same for shield proficiency, since they're losing them in the trade, and take the Equipment: Shield Training talent. So, if your character is one that needs to be proficient with armor other than light and / or shields other than bucklers, keep that in mind! 😁 Note: This is actually one of the very few aspects of spheres that sort of penalizes martial characters that rely on a broad selection of weapons, armor, and shields and has been there from the beginning. The martial or unified traditions end up having to include both the Armor and Shield training to get them back to where they were while light and no armor characters don't need to bother. Its a net bonus for all characters of course but for classes that don't rely on medium / heavy armor or shields its an additional two talents that can add options for them.

ok, I have an idea for a reluctant hero, but I am trying not to play a halfling, or maybe not use so many recourses doing the same thing. So this leads to a question Halfling Heritage in Equipment sphere does the same thing ,and more, from the halfling racial trait warslinger. I am trying to use slipslinger Grenadier, and later slipslinger bombardment to sling things. Can halfling heritage count as warslinger racial trait? For clarification this will not be using alchemy sphere items, but will be using chemical armament from spheres of guile artifice sphere.

Character Build () Show Casting Tradition: Arborist While Art Florists are potentially considered niche by other arcane academics, Arborists are in yet another obscure niche of their own, being so few in number and so inclined to go about their studies without sharing their esoteric knowledge with even other Art Florists. When inducted into this order as an apprentice, young Arborists are gifted a new name derived from the torn remnants of a faded tome written in an indecipherable yet clearly phonetic language. This is done to encourage Arborists to focus on their craft and forget about attachments like duty to family. Presuming an outsider could ever get close enough to learn firsthand about the secretive Arborist tradition and philosophies, they would most likely brand its practitioners extreme idealists, for the chief goal of every Arborist is to uncover a connection through their magic to the essence of nature referred commonly in their ciphered texts as the tree of life; by thus calling on this conceptual entity, the order could theoretically restore all landed environments to their ideal paradise states, just as they provided nourishment and shelter to innumerable civilisations past. (Some Arborists openly joke that their order was founded over a mutual hatred of irradiated deserts.) Casting Ability Modifier: Intelligence General Drawbacks: Innate Curse (Reclusive) Due in part to the secretive nature of Arborist magic, but equally because theorems can be so delicate in their implementation, Arborists are loath to accept beneficial magic from allies in tense situations like combat, for fear the two styles of magic will interact in dangerous ways. Allies must succeed on a melee touch attack to affect Arborists with touch spells, and Arborists must always roll a save vs beneficial spells cast by allies during combat. Magical Signs (Hologrammatic Theorem Interface) Arborist magic can be surprisingly flashy, as casting is conducted by applying visible strings of theorems via a semi-tangible hologram interface that blinks into existence before the Arborist as they tap into their mana, like an eerie green window writhing with snakelike vines, leaves and petals. Prepared Caster Theorems are complicated concepts, and thus Arborists need to constantly review and rehearse their knowledge of these to ensure they maintain control over their magic when influencing nature. Rigorous Concentration Should a distraction make itself known, an Arborist has to work harder than most spellcasters to keep their active theorems from unwinding chaotically. Somatic Casting Arborists need to be able to gesture across their hologram interface in order to effect their will. They can still wear light armour while doing so, however (and indeed, Arborists tend to find need of the protection armour affords, as they are spend more time in the wilderness than settlements). Spell Tokens Arborists can only call to mind so many theorem permutations at a given time, and are thus limited in how much they can achieve at a given moment. Terrain Casting An unfortunate side effect of Arborist magic is the consumption of natural energies in the surrounding environment when their magic is used, as this energy is what truly powers the interface through which they cast spells. Sphere-Specific Drawbacks: Bodily Enhancement (Gain Natural Enhancement when acquiring the Enhancement Sphere) Arborists can further enhance the attacks of the trees they animate, but are not skilled at enchanting manufactured weapons or armour. Inhuman Healing (Gain Esoteric Healing when acquiring the Life Sphere) Arborists are primarily interested in controlling and shaping forces of the natural world, with an emphasis on tree-based plant matter. Their theorems do not account for more sentient biology. Limited Nature (Pummel) (Gain Pummel Mastery talent, cannot use Harvest or Entangle) Unlike generalist Art Florists, Arborists have a diminished capacity to affect general vegetation growth. (NB: I'm honestly only taking this drawback so that creating food isn't in the toolkit, as it would impact the survivalist theme of the setting as I perceive it.) Boons: Easy Focus (Maintain Concentration as a Move action instead of a Standard action) Once a theorem is cast, it is simple enough to keep the stream of mana flowing into it so long as there are no distractions. Bonus Spell Points: +1 per level in a casting class Show Trade Tradition: Field Researcher Operative Modifier: Intelligence Automatic Trade Talents: Doctor, Scrounger Trade Talent Class Skills: Heal, Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Religion), Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Survival, Swim. You automatically succeed at skill checks to get along in the wild and protect against the weather. The bonus to Fortitude saves granted against severe weather by successful Survival checks increases by 2. You may use Intelligence for Heal checks. Automatic Skill Sphere: Herbalism (NB: Below is irrelevant for Colour, as he isn't likely to ever become Adroit.) Adroit Trade Talents: Esoteric Scholar, Translator Adroit Bonus Skill Talent: Faction Sphere

How Kalasilya thinks: Social interactions with Kalasilya are usually a clinical or precise affair, as he doesn't like to mince words or expend unnecessary energy in basic communication. He relies on cunning and logic, navigating conversations like a puzzle to be solved in the most efficient manner possible. That being said, all bets are off when it comes to discussing magical theory with a fellow researcher, as he forgets to control his normally guarded, neutral facial expression when he can delve into his true passion. He has difficulty controlling his temper when taunted or provoked, and he has a habit of feeling ashamed of these outbursts after he has cooled off because he wants to be better at maintaining self-control. In the long-term, this personality quirk has only encouraged Kalasilya all the more to study his specialty arcane discipline, for surely if he becomes the greatest authority on the search for the tree of life, he is less likely to make mistakes or have knowledge gaps others might exploit or bully him over. In relation to the endgoal of his training as an Arborist, Kalasilya is unwavering in his faith that his magic has intangible and tangible merit, even if he should never live to discover the Perfect Theorem which would usher in a new verdant age and restore the many wastelands comprising this world. Yes, Arborist magic in the present day causes temporary blighting of the surrounding landscape that takes time to heal, but even the smallest botanical creation is worth the cost - a misshapen field of corn plants or a blanched garden of sunflowers is better to have than nothing at all. The fact there is such fervent hope and dreaming accompanying this enigmatic naturalist discipline of magic helps Kalasilya appreciate and respect other spiritual beliefs and arcane traditions as well as their adherents. (He has the Righteous Indignation drawback, and the following traits: Clever Wordplay, Ease of Faith, and Seasoned Climber.) How Kalasilya got here: Probably born, but definitely at least raised, in the Orange Land, the child who would surrender his birth name and family network for access to enigmatic arcane power, becoming Kalasilya or Colour, was deemed defective (or more kindly 'a little different') when compared to his multiple siblings and cousins. For starters, he would never join in when someone else began singing, and he would never be found humming idly to himself to pass the time away. Nor would he try to hog the limelight or thrive on the attention of others, despite this being the norm encouraged throughout the Oranjetic community, where song, socialisation, and entertainment of all kinds (so long as they don't involve introversion or isolation) are the essential foundations of culture. When he was old enough to express himself, and indeed, a bit older again when he felt others would take heed of his perspective, Kalasilya made it clear to anyone who would listen that laughing and crying and what have you is a waste of time when there is learning to be done. He got by in his early years through paying attention to stories and ballads shared at gatherings, with the Orange Land lacking anything in the way of a respectable, accessible library. As Kalasilya grew into adulthood, it felt crystal clear that he would go unfulfilled if he remained under his parents' ramshackle roof, and so he set out to Emerald City. -induction into the Arborists -joining the caravan

WIP~ Name: 'Colour' to those outside Art Floristry circles, 'Kalasilya' to those in the profession. Concept: Scholar of the Arborist branch of Art Florists, intent on discovering as many plant species as possible to further his understanding of plant biology while working on his magnum opus (one Colour can't seem to make a concrete decision about yet...). Will spend most fights interacting with a bioluminescent hologram interface to create his spell effects, namely creating and manipulating big trees that wallop, taunt, or hinder enemies. (Elementalist [Geomancer] focusing on the Nature sphere) Colour's commission art completed by the wonderful Syncthart ()

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🚧 WIP Basic Concept: an Elemontalist, since the Steppelanders have all that citrus theming. (Xinos is Greek for "sour".) Probably going to swing one or another way of picking up some Survivalism sphere, but my familiarity with SoG so far is mostly in Performance and Body Control so I may well be playing that part by ear. Whatever I do with that, combat is probably mostly gonna be blasting, area-control, and debuffing because that's what Elementalists excel at.

In general terms that sort of thing is usually gonna be a talent within a sphere if it exists, or there are going to be feats that improve action economy by letting you use one ability at the same time as another. For pathing specifically I'm not finding one that's just that, but there is the feat that lets you combine Athletics and Navigation spheres to lay down pathing when you use a movement mode you have an Athletics package for. (Side note: the spheres wiki is usually very helpful, but wikidot's inbuilt search is awful. You're better off using regular google with site:spheresofpower.wikidot.com included in your search terms, if you don't know what pages to be checking for something on. This is not Rednal's fault - the spheres dev who maintains the wiki, and yes, it's only one guy - he works super hard, it's a limitation of working with wikidot I'm pretty sure.)

I've only dabbled into SoG with this build, just getting my feet wet as it were. A question please of the more knowledgeable. Is there any way to get the standard actions of say like the Path of the Navigator sphere as a move or swift action?

That is a nice bonus for a skilled character build. 👍

My Prodigy archetype specifically allows adroit skill tradition despite being only a 4+int class. That was a nice surprise after I'd already basically committed to the class.