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I'd like to see Mythic Adventures options for Spheres of Power and Spheres of Might first.

Yeah, about that...

Anyway, I'm pretty sure a 2E conversion is planned, but the main goal is to release Ultimate Spheres of Power. Once that's done, the PF2E and D&D 5E conversions become much, much easier and can start moving forward.

You can make pretty much anything into a Spell Engine - Spheres of Power encourages this - but that's not the same as being able to use that power at the same time as other stuff. So it would basically just be a Spell Engine that looks like a bow unless you dive a lot deeper into crafting.

-Looks in-

Okay, so first off, very important point: Armiger is a Spheres of Might class, not a Spheres of Power class. The two systems are separate, though usable together. Assuming DungeonmasterCal is referring to the class he wrote, the character probably won't have any spellcasting.

Well-built Armigers usually have distinct builds with each weapon - maybe one regular sword to attack with, a bow for long-range attacks, a lance to impale people with... Armigers with three flavors of slashing with a sword in slightly different ways tend to be very sub-optimal from what they could be. XD I personally recommend asking the player what types of talent sets and weapons they plan to use, and sprinkling in a few encounters designed to let them use different parts of their build.

As far as multiclassing goes, martial talents generally advance by BAB or Skill Ranks, so they will continue to get stronger even if a character multiclasses out of Spheres. They won't get more of those talents without further investment, but they won't be 'stuck' the way traditional spellcaster progression can be.

Well, there's always Realm Works if you want to get really into the details. Bit pricey, but solid software overall, especially for campaign management over just a data repository. XD

Bonus Theory: I could get behind Rey being artificially created by Palpatine, and used the entire time as a shield to hide his presence and influence from others. Every bit of her use of the Force? Palpatine, manipulating events to get rid of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and through the last dregs of resistance into disarray. Also convenient for disposing of Snoke so he could acquire direct control with no rivals. So Episode 9 would have a reveal of that and Rey realizing she really is just a nobody in the darkest hour before the light comes.

I'm actually not too upset about taking cues from Episode 4 when making Episode 7. Star Wars also has a theme of cycles in it (the prequels map well to the original trilogy that way, as intended), so that's not inherently inappropriate. It was at least a setup and gave a lot of plot points to expand on, and it made me want to see what happened next. I didn't like it as much as some of the previous films, and I enjoyed Rogue One more, but Episode 7 could've been a lot worse.

Well, given the way Episode 8 went, you almost have to have a greater-scope villain... and that's probably for the best. Might get something out of the wreck of Episode 8 after all...

To detail my idea a little further...

Paladin and Cleric are from friendly but different churches and follow different deities. However, they do respect each other's roles. Cleric is the one with the Quest, and Paladin was sent along as support, and they consult each other in different situations. For example, Cleric occasionally goes "What does Deity of Bravery say about attacking this enemy camp?", and Paladin goes "What does Deity of General Goodness suggest doing about these goblin babies?" They clearly value their own rules, but they're basically split between command of military and social matters.

Fighter is an older, experienced warrior. No magic or special powers, but lots of experience and fights in an extremely practical way, and more than once he helps get rid of nasty, largely non-magical threats. He's going along mainly to supervise Rogue (a female tiefling) and Wizard (a half-elf of indeterminate gender), who he's somewhat fatherly towards. Rogue and Wizard probably stumble across the Quest by accident while running away from trouble and Cleric ropes them into it (getting local law enforcement to stop chasing them), then Fighter steps in and insists on helping, and so the group goes forward and has some adventures.

Personally, I'd enjoy a story like that. XD

It might do well with a classic five-man band, too - a power trio and then two additional figures. Maybe a Paladin added to the standard party? Partnered with the Cleric for the duo, and then the Fighter/Rogue/Wizard are a trio that know each other and are a little newer to the whole adventuring thing, but get wrapped up in the quest?

One point I think is worth noting is that toy sales were waaaaaay down for a lot of these new characters. Like, as far as merchandising goes, people just don't like the new characters. (Notably, it seems that favored characters are still selling quite nicely, so it's not weakness in the overall brand.)

Personally? I really didn't like TLJ, and I came from about as positive a starting place as possible. I used to watch Return of the Jedi every two or three days after school. For months. There were too many parts that felt utterly ham-fisted and absurd within the context of the universe.

Later, I saw some quotes from the director indicating that he liked creating movies where some people loved them and some people hated them. I feel... well, I feel like this was fundamentally inappropriate for a franchise movie that's had a lot of long-time, very dedicated fans. Fans who were already hesitant after a universal reboot relegating the Expanded Universe off to the side and of dubious canon. It didn't help when some of the new characters acted in utterly ridiculous ways.

I'm going to give Rise of Skywalker a chance because I've loved Star Wars for a long time. But it's going to make or break whether I go and see another Star Wars movie in the theater again.

I'm willing to pretend I am if I get hot dogs on Fridays.

...I mean, yeah. XD That tends to happen when dualism is the #1 theme of your series.

Well, if it's based on the Divinity engine... probably similar to that? I guess we'll have to wait for gameplay footage, though. XD

I don't want it to end either! ...I've just been dealing with a combination of stress and burnout and depression and not much sleep. One day turns into another, and suddenly it's weeks later and you don't even know where the time went. That said, I don't want to give up on this game - it's a very special game. I had to stop some other games recently, but... let's keep this one going. D<

As for deities and love, canonically, sexuality in Pathfinder is pretty much "do whatever". Local situations may impact societal expectations - for example, the nations around and next to the Worldwound probably have a heavy emphasis on bearing children so the army can retain its forces, while pretty much any noble group at least demands heirs - but otherwise, it's pretty much do whatever. XD The important thing is that you don't make each other uncomfortable.

As the two of you moved through the merchant stalls, you saw more and more vices on offer. Unlike most mortal realms, though, the people here made no real effort to hide their desires. If they were upset, they'd strike others. If they were scared, they'd cower. And about the only thing holding back total anarchy was the patrols of demons who seemed... not organized, exactly, but at least doing a job and clearly working for someone else. As chaotic outsiders, they didn't much care for orderly activities, but that wasn't the same as at least tolerating situations that could benefit them.

Once out of the market, foot traffic noticeably dropped off, leaving it easier to make your way towards the apparent location of the crystal you were here to find. As you got closer, however, it was clear that it was likely located either in or beyond a much more heavily-guarded fortress. Simply not drawing attention wasn't going to be enough to get through. What was?

.......Um.

Let me put it this way: I used to watch Return of the Jedi approximately every two days after school. ...For, like, the whole school year. I want to enjoy Star Wars movies, and I'm willing to be very, very generous about the film to do so. XD (...Which is why I was shocked to find I despised TLJ. I'm not exactly hard to please when it comes to Star Wars movies.)

However much I like it, though, there is a point where I just can't take it anymore. So I'm really hoping ROS is a good movie that can save the franchise for me.

...I mean, I subscribe to the Darth Jar Jar theory, so that particular bit is actually very easy to tolerate. XD

As a bonus twist, there's recently been some allegations that the idea of shutting down a game in a way that doesn't allow people to rebuild it and continue it on their own is, in and of itself, a form of fraud. After all, they sold people a good (and games are goods, not services, not even in the so-called "games as a service" model some companies talk about), and goods have specific legal protections. Things like "we're going to sell this item to you but at an undefined point will take it away from you and you can never access it again" may not actually be legal. ...So, y'know, that's fun. XD

It does, however, say it needs to be "clearly viewed as it is being cast" and "incurs the same penalties as a Perception skill check for distance, poor conditions, and other factors". For me this strongly suggests some of those 'other factors' are the metamagic used as well as Stealth factors. Rules/Guidelines are for those specific factors (metamagic) are non-existant.

In my case, I treat the "other factors" as things that affect line of sight to the caster. So, you're not going to identify something being cast on the other side of an opaque fog or solid wall because you have no line of sight to the caster. Similarly, poor visibility because of weather or the caster being a long way away could stop you from identifying the spell.

As for components... Well, I see it like this:

Creatures can gesture to cast spells even if they're not humanoid. They may have tendrils instead of hands, for example, so their movements might not necessarily resemble those of humanoids in any way. There clearly can't be any universal somatic components everyone can recognize regardless of species, including among species they've never even heard of before, but we can still identify what they're casting. So identifying spells based on somatic components makes no sense.

Creatures can speak to cast magic in any language they know. Nothing in the rules (or any setting flavor I've seen) says there's a universal language of magic that all casters can use. If the "sounds" of magic aren't universal, but we can still identify spells without knowing the language someone is using, then identifying spells based on verbal components makes no sense.

Not all spells have material or focus components, so that can't be it, either. For that matter, some spells (like psychic spells) can be cast with completely different components, so there's nothing unique there, either.

This is why I believe metamagic has no impact whatsoever on identifying spells (unless you've got some kind of "Hidden Spell" effect going, I guess). Removing the components doesn't matter for identification because components were never part of said identification. ...Mind you, I think it's a pretty common house rule that removing the components makes it harder or maybe even impossible to counterspell normally, but that's a house rule not actually supported by the rules text. XD Manifestations are really the only way the general rule "you can identify any spell as it's being cast" works. The rules should be clearer about this.

"Sir Adol." Maika responded promptly. "My, we seem to have quite the gathering of personages here, don't we?" A faint humming could be heard from her artificial eyes as she looked towards the sky, remembering a tall tower with a moon floating high above it. "Perhaps this is not mere coincidence after all. More than a few have interests on the Cage..." Her voice trailed off slightly, but she shrugged a moment later. She didn't judge other people's objectives very often - as long as people paid what was owed for magic provided, she kept her nose out of morality and objectives. Trust was very important, and she'd spent a long time working to ensure that all figures from all faiths and secular sellers - from the most welcoming to the most paranoid - would feel equally comfortable working with her and her Guild. "I'm afraid the lady here has already received the first offer for my services, but if she declines, I will be available if you'd care for any support here."

You can move with your target when you do a bull rush, but you must have the available movement to do so. You can't use a type of movement you don't possess, though personally, I'd probably allow you to make a high jump (via the Acrobatics skill) to push off as you're launching them.

You cannot use Perpetual Motion with Launching Uppercut. LU gives you the Bull Rush as a free action and (manhandle) talents cannot be applied to maneuvers performed as a free action.

As an owner, I can confirm it's a pretty good book, though it covers a lot of ground - this is not a small product. XD

Full staff shuffles are quite rare - he usually likes personnel there to be stable, especially so customers can develop a sense of trust. Maika thought as she reviewed the schedule. She set out a moment later, though, her mechanical limbs all but tireless in environments like these. She still had enough time to get there on foot; it wasn't so far away that teleportation was necessary to get things done in a timely manner, but she did plan to help them with the certification process before the end of the day - an important tenet of her Guild was to avoid keeping people waiting for an unreasonable amount of time. Trust was key in every transaction.

"Everything seems to be in order." Maika said as she flipped through the documents that the wizard had given her. She had people to do most of this work - there were far too many magic sellers to visit each of them personally - but she liked to do at least some of it herself as a reminder to all of them that someone had a very deep, very personal interest in their pricing schemes and that if they claimed to be a member of her organization, they had darn well abide by its rules. A faint whirring could be heard as the technology in her 'eyes' flicked her vision back and forth.

The Wizard - a fairly young human, capable of third-level spells at best - swallowed slightly and nodded.

"Congratulations on your new business, Guildsman. As always, if you need to contact the Guild for any matter, you may direct such inquiries to the nearest Bank of Abadar-" Some people still called them churches, but anyone who knew better was aware of their primary activity, "-and they will be addressed as expeditiously as possible. Be sure to hang up the license in a public place where visitors can read it."

"Of course, of course!" the Wizard said, nodding. "And thank you so much for that Limited Wish - now that I've seen such magic with my own eyes, I know it really is possible for me to do that myself one day."

At that, Maika smiled slightly. "That is the principle of our Guild - magic given to those who pay for it, without fear or favor. Members are certainly no exception. Good day." she reached across the table to shake his hand, then stepped out of his small shop, looking forward to what it might someday become.

You know, I don't actually have any mini's since I tend to play stuff online. What sorts of miniatures do the rest of you recommend, and why?

Mm. XD; For some context, the Clone Wars had Armadas (the set of ships in a particular sector, not all of which were together) generally ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 warships, plus support vessels and starfighters. The way Episode 8 was presented, one or two squadrons would run roughshod over the entirety of the First Order - they don't come across as big enough to even consider moving a fleet (100-300 units), much less any larger unit. And how was the Republic dumb enough to have all their forces in a single star system?

-Sighs-

I have... issues... with Episode 8. Episode 9 is probably going to make or break the franchise for me. I've loved Star Wars so much I'm giving them one final chance.

I didn't back the Kickstarter and I have no particular stake in its outcome - but as someone watching from the outside, I'd also like to thank you for taking the time to make a statement. I'm sure this isn't the situation anyone wanted, but I still hope that ultimately, people get what they paid for.

I like Godzilla as the Patron Saint of Collateral Damage. XD He'll solve your problem, but expect stuff to get wrecked in the process.

(Deciding when to summon Godzilla can be very interesting, too...)

@MerlinCross: Actually, Spheres of Might doesn't add or change a whole lot. Most of the system is basically "When you can do a Vital Strike, you can also do this stuff". About the only thing it really adds is a condition. Think of the spheres as really expansive Style feat chains and you're most of the way there. XD You may find this page helpful, too.

As someone who backed for the physical version, I'm looking forward to this. XD

I thought a big point of Episode VIII was that the Skywalkers weren't the be-all and end-all of the force paladins. So why does "Skywalker" (individual or clan) need to rise in order to cap the series?

Because we really want to retcon Episode 8?

That said, there are so many ways to interpret that title. XD

Heh.

Incidentally, for anyone who's curious, the new magic sphere in this book is especially relevant for games with lots of constructs or technology - either on the enemy's side or your own. So, like, Iron Gods, probably Legendary Planet Adventure Path, and so on.

I think Paizo's obligation is to do the best they can to ensure this Kickstarter is successful - and from what they've said, they are continuing to try and help make this KS into an eventual success, rather than an ultimate failure.

In summary: Yes.

I would totally watch Marvel's Son of Coul.

If it helps at all, I've been working on Martial Packages and Casting Packages to make it easier to quickly convert creatures to spheres. These are more additions than total rebuilds, but they should be good enough to fake it for your players if the PCs aren't fighting bosses.

First chunk of content is up on the Wiki. Still a ways to go, but if anyone here doesn't have the book, it's a start. XD

*Ahem*

I'm not sure I'd qualify fairly regular posts here as radio silence.

That said, I think it's very obvious that a lot of people have specific things they want Paizo (and its executives) to address about this topic - and I know it can be very frustrating if you get a public statement that doesn't cover the things you actually want to hear about. Of course, even the best executives and customer service representatives are only human - they're not mind readers and they can't just know what exactly we want them to discuss.

Given that, may I suggest that those who are interested make a list - and post it in here - of the specific things you'd like Paizo's official statement on this to address? The more specific, the better. "What did you know and when did you know it?" is pretty vague. "Did you have non-public information that convinced you Ninja Division was the best choice at the time?" may be easier to get a concrete answer for.

However frustrating the entire situation may be, attacking Paizo or its employees won't help - personally, I think everyone will be a lot happier if we help them help us. ^^

Hah. XD This is rapidly becoming one of my favored settings, so I get that feeling.

Striker's pretty mobile. Spheres of Might mainly uses the attack action - a standard action - leaving your move action free to dart around the battlefield. In many cases, this can be actively helpful as you learn abilities to make use of that movement.

Also, "hobbit" is one of the more... well-protected... names for a race. XD

I have a question.

How did Fury know Carol would survive the snap?

He didn't. He had no idea of the full scope of what was going on, so he sent out a message he hoped would be received.

Carry a lead plate for cultural reasons.

Honestly, I think that bit should be way more prominent. o wo If you don't read carefully, it's pretty confusing.

...

Which also seems weirdly appropriate for a section on how tomes of eldritch lore can screw with your head...

All right! o wo I can do this.

Dread occurs in stages - the higher the stage, the worse the effect. The effects of the stages are not cumulative - you only have the effect of whatever stage you're at. Some characters are more resistant to Dread than others; your threshold before you start actually counting ranks is 3 + Wis Mod. So, your average Cleric will be able to tolerate Dreadful stuff a whole lot better than the average Wizard.

Dread is caused by exposure to nasty and creepy things - the really nasty stuff, like hearing eldritch secrets or being hit by an insanity spell or being around Lovecraftian monsters. This is mostly decided by the GM. You do get a Will Save to resist it, though, depending on the effect that caused it.

Dread slowly goes away on its own. It's also a fear effect, so anything that helps resist fear (Fighters appreciate this) will help you resist Dread.

That's the basics of it - the rest is just elaboration.

Discussion Thread, so we don't have to clog up the Discord.

Either that, or maybe very few souls actually become outsiders (excluding demons, anyway). Most probably remain Petitioners and eventually fuse with their plane.

I don't know how fast things are actually going to move, but I think Paizo's going to keep on this until there's a final resolution. "It took a lot longer than we wanted, but people got their mini's in the end" is significantly better than "everyone got burned and lost all they invested".

Well, to keep it simple... basically this.

Ideas about giving things to backers.

I agree that trying to get stuff to backers would be good. The problem is if Paizo can't get everything to backers - if they could only get, say, 10% of the mini's with the profit they received, how do you decide who gets them? Do you give them to the people who invested the most, leaving the minor backers out of luck? Do you try to send one to everyone, which could mean some people getting everything they ordered and some people getting 1 out of a whole lot more? What about international backers, for whom shipping is way more expensive? No matter what they choose, somebody is probably going to say it's unfair - and might even try to bring legal action because of it.

I suppose there's creating another product to give to backers, like a unique adventure or PDF... but even then, some people might go "this isn't what I ordered and I don't even want to play Starfinder as a result of this debacle, why didn't you give me some mini's or something else?".

Point is, even asking Paizo to use the profits they got in a particular manner is difficult at best. (I'm assuming that Paizo probably values all backers - large and small - and wants to do right by everyone. Short of trying to get every mini everyone ordered, though, this is really, really hard. Which is one reason I've been asking people for ideas here. If there's some kind of group consensus on what could be done - something reasonable for Paizo to do as a business AND satisfactory to the huge majority of backers - maybe we can lobby enough to make it happen. It may not be all the mini's to everyone, but hopefully it would be better than absolutely nothing.)