Hello Everyone!
A friend of mine is running a Spheres of Might/Power home game (starting at level 1) in a month or two, i'm fairly new to the spheres system and still learning new things about it, so far I've decided on playing a Halfling Scholar.
After looking up the scholar class, i have some questions about it that maybe those who are more rule savvy or familiar to the system might be able to answer.
Questions:
1) the alchemy combat sphere allows to make a certain number of formulae for free at a time, but how many formulae can you make per day?
"You may craft any item whose formulae you know in 30 minutes, or 15 minutes if you have access to an alchemist’s lab or alchemist’s crafting kit, but due to the volatile nature of the enhanced formulae you cannot prepare more formulae at one time than a number equal to 1/2 your ranks in Craft (alchemy) (minimum 1) + the number of formulae talents you possess. For every 4 ranks in Craft (alchemy) you possess, you may craft 1 additional formulae as part of the same 30/15 minute time period"
if i have 2 alchemy formulae talents (can craft 3 formulae in 30 mins)
do i:
a) craft 3 formulae per day?
b) craft 3 formulae and then craft more once the first 3 are used up?
bonus question: if you know the improved alchemist fire formulae, can you craft it normally? (spend the appropriate gps and time to craft it) or is using the above method the only way to make a improved version?
2) the scholar ability "Careful packer" allows you to use your intelligence score in place of your strength score for carrying capacity, how does this interact with abilities/items like ant haul spell and masterwork backpack that all stat "treat your strength score as "x" higher"?
3) the scholar knack "Large Animal Training" says you keep your familiar's special abilities and the Intelligence score. what counts as special abilities?
a) do i keep stuff like Alertness/improved evasion/etc? natural armor?
b) do i keep the bonus it grants me, say a fox's +2 bonus to it master's reflex saves?
c) does it still gain more familiar abilities in addition to animal companion abilities as i level up?
d) can you have a familiar archetype and a animal companion archetype on it at the same time?
e) if i misunderstood how this knack works, what does it do exactly?
4) is the scholar knack "Genetic Modification" just a reverse version of "large animal training?
Advice:
1) what knacks are good or useful to have?
2) besides the alchemy sphere, are there any really good combat spheres that work well with scholar? any particular talent combos that i should focus on?
3) is a pet build viable for the scholar? or should i focus more on crafting or healing? or all?
4) feats?
A few helpful things if needed:
my stats after modifiers, str 8, dex 16, con 12, int 18, wis 14, cha 9
party is made of:
-either a maneuver based technician or a Dps Striker
-Incanter focused on the Protection sphere
-undecided, but probably a blaster type caster or melee tank
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1) Alchemy doesn't have a daily limit. It has a "at one time" limit and a crafting limit. You can spend all day crafting alchemy if you want or need to to heal your team with something like Salve. At level 1 if you have 2 Alchemy talents, you can have 3 active talents at one, each taking 30 minutes to craft. If you spend 1.5hrs crafting, uses your formulae, you spend another 1.5hrs crafting again.
2) They don't do anything RAW. You treat your strength higher, but you aren't using strength.
3) Natural Armor isn't a Special Ability of Familiars. You basically get to keep everything except the Natural Armor. Which makes the Sage archetype super strong.
4) No. Improved Familiar is something very different from an Animal Companion. It is best if you look up a guide about Improved Familiar. You can however combine it with Large Animal Training in order to have a super useful pet with great combat power.
Martial Study is a really great knack. Pick a sphere and use it on all your attacks. You are now full BAB technically, but only when using that sphere. Barrage or Sniper for ranged, Berserker or Duel Wielding for melee.
Any sphere that is based on skill ranks, like Scout, Warleader, and Tech; all do well with the Scholar. You have a ton of skill ranks and not good BAB. If you take Martial Study Knack, you are good at only one sphere in combat.
Scholar pet build is one of the best pet builds since you have a super smart animal companion with possible illegal combinations due to being able to grab Improved Familiar to grab reach, something that isn't usable for the animal companion version of the feat, Improved Animal Companion.
Depends on build. Improved Familiar/Animal Companion are great for pets. Extra Martial Talent is always great. Extra Scholar Knack is super useful.
1st level Scholar.
Alchemy Sphere (Imp Alchemy Fire as the free formula) + Salve
In a 30/15 minute crafting session you make 1 Formula
You can have a Max of 3 Formulas ready at 1 time
So 1 Session you make a Salve
2nd Session you make an Imp Alchemy Fire
3rd Session you make another Imp Alchemy fire.
During the adventure you use the 2 of the Alchemist fire. If the Party has time you could make a new batch or some new Salves. But you can't have more than 3 things prepared at a time.
Keep in mind though you gotta beat those DCs. DC 20 on the Alchemy fire is a bit tough at 1st level. It can still be done (especially if you push things with feats) but you might want to consider Acid Flask for 1st level.
You can't make the improved formulas in the normal way. just the regular stuff.