Ryfte

"You said if it moved, shoot it. Well, it moved its toe. That counted!" Hirrin (Custom Origins Race) Hirrin (Origins Race) - (Standard: 1 potent, 3 aux, 1 utl; Lvl 1 Bonus: 1 aux, 1 utl - Not added until confirmation) Generation Tradition: Mortal Size: Small; Type: Humanoid (Hirrin) Speed: Fly 30' (altitude limit 5'); Limbs: 2 arms Languages: Common, Hirrin; Ability Modifiers: Dex +2, Int +2, Cha -2 Cosmetic Elements: Their upper bodies are remarkably similar to gnomes for the most part but have even more extreme variety to them. It has been suggested that the inherent magical energies of the hirrin create these wild variances within their appearance, even within siblings whom can look nothing alike and tend to do so usually. From the waist down they are comprised of a miasma of swirling drifting energies. Typical hirrin's energies will be a greenish yellow mixed hue and quite rarely, other colors. Hirrin have incredibly long lifespans, challenging even the elves for longevity, and tend to be calm, emotionally stable, beings. As a society they tend towards the neutral and lawful rather than chaotic and vary less towards the good or evil axis than most races. They can be good or evil of course but even then they tend to never reach extremes of either and often waver between neutrality and slightly to either side of the spectrum depending on their mood and the situation. They are incredibly valuable workers in numerous fields that require long hours and little rest as they can work continuously without becoming tired or needing to take breaks. Hirrin communities are few and far between and typically quite difficult to reach. Environmental obstacles, particularly water is a favorite defensive method for them as they can pass over water without difficulty at all. Reclusive but not intrinsically xenophobic they are simply cautious of other races. Many interactions with other races have historically gone poorly with the hirrin being seen of as some evil, demonic, creatures upon contact, long before any form of communication could be established. Without the need for typical sustenance they need little in the way of natural resources and their small settlements tend to blend in to their surroundings naturally. They don't need to farm or hunt and have no need for a nomadic life moving on for more resources either. Structures are crafted with the materials on hand and they try to use the environment without damaging it. Some of the more reclusive elven peoples have regular dealings with hirrin and there are some very rare instances of combined communities as well. Hirrin writings are hieroglyphical in nature, quite varied, and their history is mostly carried down in an oral tradition of tale and song. They favor aerial dance and musical arts as opposed to physical arts although both carving and tattoos are a highly popular talent to possess. Adventuring hirrin are usually just considered exotic "adventurers" that are lumped in with the rest of that strangeness anyways, thus their unusual physiology is less threatening and simply more intriguing. They can conceal their lower body beneath long robes or skirts with ease if there is a need to do so although their smooth gait-less movement tends to look strange to others. Some hirrin have learned how to simulate the movement of legged individuals and when hidden beneath their clothing can be virtually indistinguishable from a typical gnomish man or woman. Potent Talents (1) - Form: Endless Stamina Prerequisites: Form sphere (Developed Tolerance (exhaustion, fatigue) [auxiliary]). You are immune to fatigue and exhaustion. The magical energy that suffuses a hirrin continually energizes them, making them immune to both fatigue and exhaustion. Auxiliary Talents (3) - Aptitude: Proficient Background: You gain a single Equipment sphere (discipline) talent or a single Vocation sphere (trade) talent as a bonus talent. Hirrin live a long life. Their childhood and youth are longer than most other races and they tend to learn more than most other races before officially being accepted as adults. - Essence: Hover (Su) (x2, one free from Buoyant Traveler, see below): You may float up to 5 feet plus 5 feet per 5 levels above the ground, with a horizontal movement speed of 5 feet. When floating this way, Fly checks are not required to hover or change direction, although you are treated as flying for the purpose of wind effects and other forces which would move you. When falling you may choose to descend at a slower rate to control your fall. Each round you descend 30 feet, and may move in another direction for 5 feet. You may choose to drift sideways, gliding forwards while descending, or down, safely increasing your rate of descent. You may even choose to drift ‘upwards’ to reduce its rate of descent, even allowing you to negate it entirely and hover midair if your movement speed exceeds 30 feet. You may take this talent a second time, in which case your speed increases from 5 feet to 20 feet. Hirrin float effortlessly, hovering in place without difficulty and can even sleep while doing so. The hovering effect is something they can't in fact switch off although they can hover at ground level if desired. There's only one way to get a hirrin to stop hovering and that's to kill it. Even then it takes a good half day or so for the effect to fade. There have been some odd stories of dead hirrin floating into some pretty unusual situations (Weekend at Bernies anyone?) but those are tales for another time. Their movement isn't restricted in any way by their facing and they can quite literally move in any direction desired immediately, without the need for turning, although they can turn if they wish to do so without taking up any movement. - Essence: Magical Flight (Su): Prerequisites: Essence sphere (Hover (x2)). You gain a fly speed of 30 feet with perfect maneuverability which you can use within any range that you can hover. At 5th level, you may move however you wish using your fly speed. You may take this talent additional times, each time increasing your fly speed by 10 feet. Hirrin below 5th level are limited to no more than 5' of altitude. Using their hover ability they can halt their descent from any height, they simply cannot move horizontally without descending nor can they gain any altitude. If they gain more than 30' of flight, regardless of method, they can maintain their altitude regardless of height and move horizontally but still cannot ascend past their 5' altitude limit. - Form: Developed Tolerance (exhaustion and fatigue - Free from assistive device: crystal torso) Choose either two types of effects from the Table: Lesser Developed Tolerance Effects or one type of effect from the Table: Greater Developed Tolerance Effects. You gain a +2 origin bonus to saving throws against those types of effects. You may select this talent multiple times, each time selecting either two additional effects from the Table: Lesser Developed Tolerance Effects or one type of effect from the Table: Greater Developed Tolerance Effects. - Form: Hidden Storage (Free from partial construction; crystal torso) Somewhere on your body are pouches that you can use to hold and carry small loads. In total, these pouches can hold up to a total of 1 cubic foot in volume and 10 pounds in weight, such as light weapons, potions, scrolls, and similar objects. You can transfer a held object to your hidden storage or extract an object from it as a swift action. As a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity, you can instead release all of the items held in hidden storage onto the ground in the square you occupy. You may hide objects in your hidden storage using the Sleight of Hand skill. Associated Feat: Quick Draw. From the sternum, externally, down a hirrin is comprised of an organic crystal that matches the color of the energy that it produces and allows them to fly. This starts out as a small sliver and grows as they mature until they reach adulthood at which point it comprises a fully formed torso. In the early years, as young children, they can barely drift above the ground and as their torso grows their ability to hover increases. The actual structure of their torso includes ridged vertical channels along their sides that form hollow pockets of space that they can use for storing small items. - Form: Utility Training (Free from assistive device: legs; crystal torso) You gain a single utility talent from any sphere as a bonus talent. You must meet the prerequisites for this talent (the talent you gain through this talent may be determined after you have determined other factors of your character if you select this talent when creating a character). You may select this talent multiple times, each time gaining a new utility talent. Utility Talents (1) - Form: Self-Sustaining You do not need to eat or drink. Hirrin are gain all the sustenance they need via the magical energy that suffuses their body. Variations - Essence: Buoyant Traveler: When you gain the Hover talent, you may lose the use of any legs and lose any land speed you possess. So long as you possess this variation, any Form talent you gain which grants additional legs grants legs that cannot be used for walking. This prevents you from taking actions that would normally require legs and imposes a -4 penalty to your CMD due to lack of leverage. You do not gain immunity to being tripped due to hovering. If you do, you are treated as having taken the Hover talent a second time. Hirrin don't possess legs and from the waist down their bodies end in a roiling tapered cloud of insubstantial magical energy that buoys them in the air. - Essence: Partial Construction: Crystal: You may have your body be partially made of metal, crystal, wood, or stone, chosen when you take this variation. This causes you to be treated as a creature made mostly of the corresponding material for the purpose of how magic affects you (for example, a creature made of metal could be affected by the Nature sphere’s Magnetize and would take a penalty to AC and saving throws against the Destruction sphere’s Electric Blast. You may attempt to hide your artificial parts, but doing so requires a successful Disguise check (DC 10 + your character level, roll is hidden). Alternatively, if attempting to hide your artificial parts as part of a more elaborate disguise, this gives a penalty to that Disguise check equal to your character level. Using an illusion, shapechange, or other magical disguise to hide your artificial parts automatically succeeds. If you choose this, you gain either Hidden Storage or Supplemental Artifice as a bonus talent. Alternatively, you may select this variation when you take the Artificial Soul talent to take that talent as an auxiliary talent rather than a potent talent. - Aptitude: Pidgin Fluency: You may choose to add only half your ranks in Linguistics to any Linguistics check that you attempt. If you do, you learn 2 languages each time you gain a rank in Linguistics rather than 1 language. Hirrin live long lives and find language itself to be, in general, quite interesting. Not the specifics mind you but the sheer variety that the various languages can have. They pick up languages quickly but pay less attention to the minor details of the languages they learn, focusing instead on the broader differences between them. Not surprisingly, they approach other aspects of different cultures in similar fashion. - Form: Assistive Device: Body and Mobility You use prosthetic arms, a wheelchair, an external life support shell, or some other tool to perform tasks. Which portions of your body incorporate these assistive devices are decided when you select this variation. These devices, whatever form they take, can be targeted with the sunder combat maneuver, have a number of hit points equal to 10 + twice your character level, and have hardness equal to 5 + 1 per 4 character levels you possess. Targeting assistive devices with disarm or steal combat maneuvers is generally impossible and would likely have the effect of moving the entire creature (and should thus be resolved using a different combat maneuver such as drag or grapple). Components can be fully repaired in a process that takes 1 hour (if any are broken) or 8 hours (if any are destroyed) and removes all negative conditions from broken or destroyed components. The benefits given by components and the penalties for sundered components depends on the type of components you possess, chosen when this variation is selected. A character may possess multiple different types of assistive devices and thus may select this variation multiple times. At GM discretion, the penalties for different assistive devices being broken or destroyed may be exchanged (for example, the penalties for a broken or destroyed Body component may be more appropriate than the Mobility component’s normal penalties for a character who can walk for a limited duration). For every assistive device your character incorporates, you gain one of the talents listed alongside the device to reflect either an advantage conferred by the device or special training used in conjunction with the device. You only receive the benefits of this talent when your assistive device is not broken or destroyed. Arms: Arm components include artificial hands, arms, prehensile tails, limb extensions, and other appendages for manipulation. If an arm component becomes broken, you take a -4 penalty on any attack roll or skill check which involves that arm alongside a -4 penalty to concentration checks. If an arm component is destroyed, the concentration penalty increases to -8 and you cannot use the arm for any purpose until it is repaired. Associated Talents: Hidden Storage, Steadfast (disarm, grapple, steal, or reposition only). Body: Body components include breathing apparati, exoskeletons, environment suits, or artificial organs with some sort of external component. Although you take penalties as if the body component were destroyed whenever you are not wearing the integrated equipment. While a body component is broken, you gain the fatigued condition which cannot be removed or ignored unless the body component is repaired. While a body component is destroyed, you gain the exhausted condition which cannot be removed or ignored unless the body component is repaired. Both of these effects ignore any immunity to fatigue or exhaustion you may possess. Associated Talents: Altitude Acclimation, Developed Tolerance, Hidden Storage, Steady Trek. Hearing: Hearing components include hearing aids, ear implants, artificial ears, and other tools which allow a character to hear more effectively. If a hearing component becomes broken, you take a -4 penalty on Perception checks involving hearing and on initiative checks (this can alter a creature’s place in the initiative order mid-combat). If a hearing component becomes destroyed, these penalties increase to -8. Associated Talents: Developed Tolerance, Utility Training. Mobility: Mobility components cover legs, wings, fins, wheels, canes, and other tools which are used for movement. Even if they constitute multiple limbs or sections, all mobility components which affect a specific movement speed are considered to be a single item for the purpose of being targeted. If a mobility component is broken, you are considered entangled for as long as the component remains broken (this penalty cannot be removed except by repairing the component). If a mobility component is destroyed, any associated movement speed is reduced to 5 feet. Associated Talents: Hidden Storage, Steadfast (bull rush, drag, reposition, or trip only), Steady Trek (with associated movement speed only), Utility Training. Sight: Sight components cover glasses, artificial eyes, and other tools which allow a creature to effectively see. If a sight component becomes broken, you take a -5 penalty on Perception checks involving sight and treat all targets as having partial concealment. If a sight component is destroyed, you take a -20 penalty on Perception checks involving sight and treat any target more than 5 feet away from you as having total concealment rather than partial concealment. Associated Talents: Developed Tolerance, Utility Training. The lower half of a hirrin torso is comprised of an organic crystal that grows as they mature. This crystal is the same color as the energy which it produces, can be damaged and even destroyed. Likewise, it can be repaired as well. If targeted with sunder attacks it can severely compromise the health and mobility of a hirrin.

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" 🤣

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.

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.

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

Spheres of Guile is actually viable for any class that gets 5 or more skill points per class level. You don't need a rogue. Any 6 skill points class will work. In fact, Reapers qualify nicely so they get the extra adroit stuff! Edit: Well, its viable for any class... of course. I just meant when using it you give up your skills from the base class so whether your class grants 6 or 8 skill points per level they're on the same footing when you're using SoG. ;)

A lot of archetypes really focus a character in a certain direction. The Living Armorist is nice in that it doesn't narrow their options down really at all and instead broadens them, generally speaking. The Blaster really goes the other way, its one feature really being the arm cannon. Since that's primarily modeled around weapon use as a firearm it really needs combat talent support, generally speaking. That forces you to shift over to combat talents to support it along with the destruction sphere of course. Sort of a different spin on it, closer to an armiger or blacksmith really, despite being a caster class. I traded feat progression for the Adept level Combat Talent Progression for that reason. As long as you don't have a combat talent progression (including blended) or a high caster, you can do the feat for combat talent progression swap and both levels are typically worth it if you're getting any bonus feats to start with.

Wait, so you're saying that your character is PEE (i.e. Prodigious Exploitant Extemporizer) then? Because if there are any sarcastic / smart-ass actual characters selected that have a rudimentary sense of humor its going to become a running joke. As in, their character runs by yours "Outta' my way I gotta PEE!" That's the sort of thing that happens in my house all the time! The kids (grown ups but still our kids) will come over (with a couple grand babies in tow) and we'll have 8 or 9 people in the living room and kitchen and without fail the conversation and jokes will turn to peeing, farting, and pooping and my wife thinks its the funniest thing in the world. 😁 Edit: As an actual comment, its interesting that I'm making an armorist as well but I'm going with the Blaster archetype. Despite being the same base class (one level for your build) they're nothing alike, lol. It shows how spheres allows you to really customize a character. 👍

Isn't it grand? My first post back and I roll a natural 1. 🤣

DESCRIPTION Very thin, young halfling woman with auburn hair, pale brown-amber eyes, fair skin (lightly freckled checks and nose), a rounded button-like nose and narrow features. Short and slender even on the smaller side for a halfling her ears are half-again larger proportionately than most. She smiles easily and is a quiet woman (for the most part) who prefers remaining more in the background in most situations.| | Fiona Inderman Female, Neutral Good, Halfling , Unchained Rogue (detailsCounterfeit Mage Escapologist Investigator Knife Master) 1 AC/TAC/FFAC: 17/15/13 | HP: 9/9 | S/D/C/I/W/C: +1/+4/+1/+3/-1/+0 | F/R/W: +1/+6/-1 | Move: 30', Climb 30' Low-light Vision, Perception: +3 She'd hung back, uneasy about the entire situation. It seemed, well, too easy. * Nothing is ever easy... and if you think it is then something is definitely wrong... * She'd spotted Vanthus heading in the direction of the trapdoor and knew that she couldn't take him on alone. With only a few seconds to make up her mind she had managed to slip down the rope ladder moments prior to Vanthus' arrival. For a brief moment she had almost remained above but she knew that on her own there was no way she would have been able to deal with him and being below ground never bothered her anyways. She was used to clambering about in dark dank sewer tunnels and this wasn't all that different. Vanthus hadn't seen her at least, she was certain of that fact. She had clung to the side of the tunnel in the darkness, her tiny claws easily finding purchase in the stone and allowing her to remain unexposed. The sound of the door being secured above clearly made the decision for them all and she shook her head ruefully. * Not enough of a lookabout... always running right into the danger... * She chuckled as she followed the others quietly. She hated zombies. Well, any undead really. They left pieces of themselves everywhere and they smelled, reallly, really, bad! And biting them, no way! She slipped around the top edge of the room, hidden in a blanket of darkness, and flung a knife at the head of one of the zombies. * Why in the world didn't they simply withdraw back to the entrance. Let the zombies advance instead and Shelton, fool that he was, wouldn't be getting cold and leaking blood all over the place. * A grimace and wince as her blade missed her target and sailed across the room where it tumbled uselessly to the ground. * Just... great... * OoC Summary: Sneaking to a good hiding spot and attacking... Standard: Throw Knife at whatever zombie is viable. Swift: --- Move: Stealth Move Free: --- Offenses: Bite (+5, 1d4+1 (primary natural attack); Fort DC11 or Sickened, 20/x2) Rapier (+5, 1d4+1, 18-20/x2) Daggers (+5, 1d3+1, 20/x2, 10' ri, +5 attack if thrown) Throwing Blades (+5, 1d3+1, 20/x2, 20' ri) Sneak Attack: 1d8 (with daggers / throwing blades) or 1d4 (bite / rapier) SKIILLS: Acrobatics +8 Appraise +7 Climb +13 (30') Disable Device +8 Escape Artist +8 Handle Animal +6 Know (Dungeoneering) +7 Know (Local) +7 Linguistics +11 Perception +3 Sleight of Hand +8 Stealth +14 Swim +5 Stat Block Female, NG, Skinwalker (Nightskulk) - Halfling, Unchained Rogue (Counterfeit Mage, Escapologist, Investigator, Knife Master)), Level 1, Init 4, HP 9/9, DR --, Speed 30', Climb 30' AC/T/FF: 17/15/13, CMD 14, Fort 1, Ref 6, Will -1, CMB 0, BAB +0 Dagger +5 (1d3+1, 19-20/x2) Throwing Blade +5 (1d3+1, 20/x2) Rapier +5 (1d4+1, 18-20/x2) Lamellar Curiass (+2 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size) Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 08, Cha 10 Condition Shapechange: Nighskulk Standard action to change shape to or from her hybrid form which resembles a wererat. Basically she appears as a ratfolk with a slighlty leaner build to her. She can change shape an unlimited number of times. Changing back to the "normal" humanoid shape is a standard action as well. When in hybrid (i.e. rat-like) shape she can select 2 of the following features: - Bite primary natural attack 1d3; Fort DC 11 or sickened - Climb 30' - Scent 30' Rat Squeeze When in your bestial form you can squeeze through narrow spaces at least half as wide as your normal space without slowing your movement; each move into or through a narrow space counts as 1 square, though you still take all the normal penalties associated with squeezing. Magical Expertise (Ex) You add half your level to Disable Device checks to disarm magical traps, Perception checks to find magical traps, and for Use Magic Device checks to activate scrolls and wands. You can use Disable Device to disarm magical traps. Hidden Blade (Ex) You add half your level on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal light Blades. Sneak Stab (Ex) You use d8's for your sneak attack damage with a daggers and similar weapons but d4's with all other weapons. This includes the dagger, kerambit, kukri, punching dagger, starknife, or swordbreaker and may include other weapons at your DM's discretion. Elusvie (Ex) Add half your level as a bonus on all Disable Device and Escape Artist checks. Follow Up (Ex) You can roll twice on any Diplomacy check made to gather information, and receive information for both results. This takes the same amount of time as one checkand if the lesser of the two rolls receives false information you are aware of it. False information is not revealed in this way if the people questioned don't know it to be false.

I am, apologies for the delay, lol. Getting back into the swing of things. I'll get a post in later today; after work (west coast). 😀

Hmm, 1 => +1, 3 => +2, 5 => +3, 7 => +4 add on the trick that increases one of your bound items by +1 ... well I'll be, lol. Guess you can hit the +5 at 7th level! That progresses more quickly than I'd remembered as well. That's what I get for not seeing a spheres game in a few years! 🤕

No worries at all. Been married for almost 3 decades with 5 adult children now... that creates much more real life abrasive situations! Here we're just chatting about strengths and weaknesses of game stuff. 😀 I agree there is some flexibility built in there as there is with most of the classes. I don't know that 10 magic talents and 10 armorist tricks can be compared to some of the power levels I'm looking at though. Reaper gets full the same chassis as the Armorist and Mageknight for example (i.e. d10 hd, full BAB, 2 good saves) but it gets 6 skill points per level which when using Spheres of Guile actually doubles the vocation talents and it gets full blended talent progression along with its class abilities including the reaper techniques which allow it to get caster talents. Granted the Reaper is recognized as one of the more powerful classes although typically less so than the Sage. I'm not suggesting they're innately weak either, simply that for the role they're intended to play the resources they are granted, as a class, force the player to pidgeonhole their character as an overly specialized build to be good suitably effective at that role. There's nothing wrong with that, it merely isn't the case with some of the other classes that have more resources built into them. On a side note the mageknight is overall even less flexible as their class chassis is almost identical to the armorist but without the gear built in and their primary class feature almost exclusively revolving around spending spell points. Yeah, I like the Living Weapon archetype a lot. It doesn't really give up anything but adds a lot of flavor and a few extra perks to the base Armorist class at the same time. Giving it all good saves, i.e. improving their one weak one, and adding more armorist tricks is nice and being able to create the magic armor and magic shields along with all the normal armorist enhancements that their normal physical counterparts can have is fun as well. I think its much more balanced and better designed than the Blaster, giving up a bit less to get a bit more, particularly flavor. Don't get me wrong, despite the discussion I really enjoy playing Armorists. As I've been building out my mechanics it has been a very stark comparison after having created a Mountebank (Phantom Thief) initially. Regardless I'm feeling the character much more than for the prior build, i.e. the mountebank (phantom thief). I do remember as well that as the Armorist gains more bound items their flexibility really starts to scale up, its just much less apparent at lower levels. Then again, all characters are like that aren't they? 🤣

All true stuff... I wasn't advocating for a full CL though either. I was literally suggesting that low caster classes that were on the "relatively" weaker side be able to select a single "extra" magic sphere to be a mid-caster in. That doesn't seem like some huge power spike or anything, lol. With the Full BAB I wasn't suggesting, in any way, for a full caster. Its interesting to note this though with regards to combat talent progression... "Some practitioner classes gain the Combat Training class feature, granting them bonus talents based on their role in combat. The acquisition of these talents will typically, but not always, mirror the practitioner’s base attack bonus progression." With many of the 3rd party stuff and the newer classes they followed that guideline much more. With the older classes they simply didn't. I was using the armorist as an example as it is a full BAB, low caster class, with no combat talent progression that is intended to be martial despite being in the "caster" class category, its a black sheep. That means it gains 10 magic talents at which it is a low caster as a 20th level character and no combat talent progression. Yes, it does get "free" equipment in that it doesn't cost them gold but its really their entire class chassis effectively. The mageknight, which is similar as a full BAB class low-caster without any combat talent progression still has a broader selection of class abilities that can differentiate it from its gear, a bit. 😉 Regardless, I guess I was thinking that when they reviewed them that the more martially focused low casters should have been converted to an Adept progression Blended version to support their juxtaposition of being "martial-mage" classes without martial support. The martial armorist and martial mageknight do in fact grant blended training but neither increase the count of talents selectable so you end up with those 10 magic talents now being distributed over both the magic and combat spheres, more than anything making them weaker, heh. Now I played a gestalt spheres game and paired an armorist on one side with a reaper and that was crazy. Fun, but just over the top. Then again any gestalt with spheres is going to be pretty insane! 🤯 Please take all of this with a grain of salt. I just like chatting about game mechanics and sphere's stuff, of which TheFred and Steel Warrior are very well aware, heh.

I suppose my rating despite enjoying the Armorist is that its a full BAB class with NO combat talent progression at all that is a low caster and relies 100% on its gear summoning for effectiveness. Its slightly better mechanically than a soulknife is but still, virtually every aspect of the class can be bought with coins. Given, shirt and armor was a bad example as it just isn't valid, lol. But you know what I meant. Anyways, I don't mean to increase the power with the CL so much as broaden them out a little bit instead of being more of a one trick pony. The same for any class that's less broad and more focused which a lot of the older ones are. *shrug*

I was actually going to aske about the Cantrips feat, lol. And a few other things as well... Such as... Many spheres games I've been in have granted the Cantrips feat as a bonus feat for all classes / archetypes that have casting progression. Is that something you would consider for this game? Any chance this game would be one where the Light Body Techniques () Or... Martial Contracts might be used? (also ) For Origins races can we add the bonus progressions for them to represent their advancement under expanded origin talent access? (). I ask as the reality of the origins races is that you have what are effectively 5 points / features in total to create the race (typically 1 potent, 3 auxiliary, and 1 utility) which isn't much to detail out a full race. If you look at the examples of the core races built with this you see that they are sort of skeletons of the actual published races if you will. Many low-caster classes get the short end of the stick and players avoid any talents based on caster level. Allowing any low-caster to select a single magic sphere as a focus sphere for which they count as a mid-caster is an easy, quick modification. That allows a player to grab a single magic sphere and be half-decent with it. This doesn't grant a bonus talent or anything, simply improves their facility with a sphere they can then spend some resources on. This tends to broaden what a player will build and makes it so the low-caster classes have more variety instead of just avoiding magic spheres that heavily rely on caster level. *shrug* Armorists bound equipment, and similar class features that lock down an item slot, are in addition to other magical items / attunements and don't prevent you from wearing or attuning a normal item in the same spot. Fluff accordingly. Otherwise the bound class feature reduces their ability to use and equip other gear that all other classes could. This doesn't mean you could stack two suits of armor but you could wear a shirt and armor or a pair of boots and on the boots have a bound worn implement like bonded clasps for example. As a side note, and don't get me wrong, I love the reaper, sage, mountebank, etc., but their power level is without question much higher than many of the original classes. Most of the champions of the spheres and definitely most of the 3pp stuff doesn't need any help. They tend to be overpowered as they are compared to many of the older established spheres classes that are low or mid casters and / or low or mid martials. Its like comparing the Reaper or Sage to many of the older spheres classes, lol. Reapers for example get full BAB, D10 hd, 6 skill points, Blended Talent Progression with a talent at every level, low-caster, a fully fleshed out class kit which includes a Reaper Technique every even level that gives them the flexibility to gain more feats, talents, special features, rogue talents, etc. Since you're allowing most of the newer, higher powered classes, adding small tweaks such as some of these for the original classes might make sense. All that being said it is merely my opinion. My wife tells me I'm wrong all the time and this may certainly be one of those times! 🤣

SoG is the reverse of a GM saying, I'm throwing out the rolling for interactions, we're going to actually RP it all. Your results will be based on that. Spheres says, we'll have none of that now! We want you to roll for EVERY single little detail possible. In fact, roll for a modifier for your roll and make sure everyone else does the same. Then take the mean of the first set of rolls and divide... *AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!* 😏

I do agree overall with this. There are some bits of it that are excellent. Its like having a few wonderful chapters in a book with a couple dozen chapters though!

I suppose its intuitively obvious but... Spheres of Guile is wonderful for a skills based class. That being said I find some of the talents to be derivative / restrictive / constraining if you will. Many of them seem like they're specific detailed descriptions, for example, of what one might use an existing mechanic for. The dirty trick maneuver, for example. Like blinding someone by pulling their hat down over their head as a talent instead of just what a character would do with a dirty trick maneuver. It doesn't need to be a talent of its own! Edit: I'm finding myself conflicted with my character trying to make it viable in combat to support stealing but also being an illusionist and general rogue at the same time... so many aspects to cover! I'm tempted to switch over to my Armorist (Blaster) or alternately an Armorist (Living Weapon) concept for the sheer simplicity in character creation either one offers me, lol. 😊

Either way, yeah, weapon finesse takes a slot. With EitP I could grab another interesting Scoundrel talent instead or a more interesting feat. *shrug* Personally I don't mind one way or another. After all, we've played the game many more years with the need for the feats that not, lol. It's not like we're not all used to it after all. :D Oh, and thanks for the responses on what does the same thing, always appreciated. I did know about both of those, neither of which really is any different or better than simply taking the original feats really. Same resource investment either way.

My having to take weapon finesse and combat expertise beg to differ with the idea that spheres addresses the same problems as EitR, lol. 😆

Guyblue has been very flexible so far. *shrug* I built out Dox's app with a few of her forms / personas since she's a changeling. If selected I'll fluff them with appreciably more information as well as adding a couple more that she uses regularly.

My background is a hash of two of them and then for the fluff parts I wrote up my own flavor on top of blending as well. :D

Sheet mechanics need to be polished up but they're close. That's all that remains although I will be adding a bit more fluff and editing it some, polishing it up a bit. Adding a few more names / people into the mix as NPC's.

DESCRIPTION A plucky mercenary for hire and an ex-guard from Sharn. She's likes to socialize, and drink, anything from bad ale to the highest quality wines. She doesn't appreciate the fine "quality" but loves alcohol regardless. A skilled lute player she will join in and accompany anyone in a tavern or inn she's at. She's quite average build wise with natural red hair that reaches to mid-back when she wears it loosely, and pale but normal flesh toned skin with lots of freckles. Her clear eyes are a brilliant sky blue and she favors complimentary blues when picking out her clothing. She's a casual individual, not stuffy or reserved about things, and gives off a "you see what you get" sort of vibe to her. Her laugh is full bodied and unrestrained and she comes off as friendly and open without regard for personal space, which can be a little uncomfortable for some.| | Dox: Abigail Ruger Female, Neutral Good, Gnome (Changeling), Fighter (Battlemaster) 2 AC: ?? HP: 20/20 S/D/C/I/W/C: 0(+2)/+3/+2(+4)/-1/+2/+1 | Move: 30' | Senses: Passive Perception +4 Trained: Athletics +2, Insight +4, Perception +4, Performance +3, Persuasion +3, Sleight of Hand +5, Survival +4 Untrained: Acrobatics/Stealth +3, Arcana/History/Investigation/Nature/Religion -1, Animal Handling/Medicine +2, Deception/Intimidation +1 Abigail shrugged, "Of course I want another! This was only my, my..." The concentration on her face was clear to see and a moment later it was even more obvious she had already had enough. "Well it doesn't matter then does it! Fill 'er up again!" She slammed the mug down on the counter and grinned at the barman as she waited expectantly. The place was a whirlwind of chaos. People moved about the tavern floor, a swirl of bodies like water flowing through rocky shorelines. A few of the tables had been pushed together, out of the way, and a handful of patrons were dancing to the music if not with rhythm then with wholehearted abandon. The laughter and conversations echoed off the walls and columns in the gathering room and added to the chaos. OoC All that crunchy mechanics stuff in here.