Tactics are coordinated battle plans that require continuing direction from the practitioner to maintain. A creature must have line of sight to, and be able to see, the practitioner to benefit from a tactic. Beginning a tactic is a move action, and it can be maintained each round as a move or swift action. Once activated, you may switch between any tactics you know each time you use a swift action to maintain an ongoing tactic. Tactics affect all allied creatures within a radius of 10 ft. + 5ft. per rank in Diplomacy you possess, and may be centered on any square you have both line of sight and line of effect to. You may recenter an ongoing tactic at a new location as part of the swift action used to maintain it. The benefits of your tactics end immediately if you are helpless, killed, paralyzed, rendered unconscious, or stunned.
When you first gain the Warleader sphere, you gain the following tactic:
While within the affected area of this tactic, allied creatures are considered to be flanking as long as they both threaten the same creature, regardless of their comparative positioning.
Shouts are sound-based effects centered on the practitioner that affect creatures in an area of effect centered on the practitioner with a radius of 10 ft. + 5 ft. per 2 ranks in Diplomacy the practitioner possesses. The practitioner may choose whether or not to include himself in the effects of his shout. The effects of shouts last for a number of rounds equal to 1 + 1 for every 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possesses, and use your ranks in Diplomacy instead of your base attack bonus when determining any saving throws. Unless otherwise noted, using a shout is a standard action. Deaf characters or characters otherwise lacking the ability to hear gain a +5 bonus on all saves against shout effects, and must attempt a saving throw against a shout even if its effects would be beneficial. Practitioners in the area of a silence spell or otherwise unable to make a sound cannot use shouts until they are once more able to be heard.
While some shouts only affect allies or enemies, others affect all targets within their area of effect. When performing such a shout, you may spend a move action to warn your allies to cover their ears and negate the effects, but doing so gives enemies within the area of effect a +5 bonus to their saving throw against the shout’s effects. Some shouts may require you to expend your martial focus, as described in their entry.
When you first gain the Warleader sphere, you gain the following shout:
When you use this shout, you and all affected allies gain a +1 morale bonus on damage rolls on their first attack each turn. For every 2 ranks in Diplomacy you possess, this morale bonus to damage is increased by +1. This is a mind-affecting emotion effect.
You warn your allies easier and quicker before shouting, preventing your enemies from reacting. You may warn your allies as part of a shout, rather than spending a move action. Nearby enemies do not receive a bonus on their save against your shouts when you warn your allies.
When using a shout with an auditory component, you may choose to use a musical instrument (such as bagpipes or drums) as the medium for your shouts. In addition, when adding such an auditory component, the normal radius of effect of the shout increases by 15 feet.
When performing a shout, you may change the area of effect to a cone of twice the length of the shout’s normal radius.
Any ally currently affected by one of your shouts or tactics may spend a move action to restore your martial focus. The creature spending a move action must have an Intelligence of at least 3 and possess a number of Hit Dice at least equal to 1/2 your total Hit Dice.
As long as you hold your clan, house, nation or party’s flag, members of that allegiance who can see the flag (including yourself) treat the effects of your tactics as though you had 5 additional ranks in Diplomacy. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls while within the area of a tactic you create. A flag must be held in either one hand or attached to a longspear, pole, or other similar object in order to grant this bonus. If the standard is taken by the enemy or destroyed, the bonuses granted by this talent become a penalty, you treat the effects of your tactics as though you had 5 less ranks in Diplomacy (to a minimum of 0), and you take a -1 penalty on all attack rolls within the area of tactics you create. This penalty lasts for 24 hours or until you repair your destroyed standard or acquire a new standard. Associated Feat: Flagbearer.
Special: If you have the banner class feature or other similar ability, you may treat your banner as your flag for the purposes of this talent.
Flag: A flag is a colorful banner that bears the heraldry or symbol of a nation or organization. A character with the Warleader (Heraldry) talent who bears a flag can grant additional combat bonuses to allies inside tactics they maintain. Carrying a flag in combat requires a free hand. Cost 10 gp Weight 3 lbs.
Whenever you perform a shout, you may reduce the radius of that shout to a minimum of 5 feet.
Whenever you perform a shout, creatures not within your shout’s radius must succeed at a Perception check against your Warleader sphere DC or be unaware that you performed a shout. This effect’s DC is subject to sound-based Perception modifiers, such as distance to the source (the shout’s area of effect) and obstructing objects such as closed doors and walls.
You may choose to increase the time required to use a shout to 1 minute. If you do, the effects of your shout instead last for a number of minutes equal to 1 + 1 for every 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess.
While in this stance, whenever you successfully damage a creature with an attack action or attack of opportunity, you may choose to extend the duration of one of your active warleader abilities. If you choose an active shout, increase the duration by 1 round. If you choose an active tactic, the next time you maintain that tactic you may do so as a free action which allows you to recenter the tactic as normal. You can only extend the duration of an individual shout or tactic once per round with this talent.
Your leadership in battle clings to allies and enemies alike. Whenever the benefits of a shout or tactic you initiated would end, their benefits persist for +1 round, increasing by +1 for every 7 ranks in Diplomacy you possess. Instantaneous effects are not affected by this talent, nor are tactics that end because you used a swift action to activate a different tactic.
When using a shout, you may center your shout inside any square of an ongoing tactic you are maintaining, treating that square as the point of origin for that shout. If you have Breath Support or another talent or effect which would allow you to change the shape of your shout (such as into a line or cone), you choose the direction of your shout as normal from that square.
Whenever you make a Diplomacy or Perform check to make a request, you treat indifferent and friendly creatures as one step more friendly for the purpose of the request and its DC. In addition, you do not increase the DC for making a request to a group.
You may use a shout that normally requires you to expend your martial focus without expending your martial focus, but doing so makes you fatigued for 1 minute. If you are already fatigued, you become exhausted for this duration instead. You cannot use this talent while exhausted.
You may use a shout with a visual component, using a form of choreography or signaling devices (such as dance or flags) as the medium for your shouts; this allows creatures who are deaf, but not blind, to be affected by your shouts. In addition, when adding such a visual component, the normal radius of effect of the shout increases by 15 feet.
When you are benefiting from cover or concealment against at least one opponent and you are not within the threatened area of any opponent, increase morale bonuses granted by your tactics and shouts by 1 for every 10 ranks in Diplomacy you possess (minimum 1) until the start of your next turn. Associated Feat: Lead from the Back.
Whenever you succeed on an attack action, you may shout as a swift action. You may expend martial focus to make this shout as a free action.
Creatures may benefit from your tactics even if they cannot see you, as long as they can hear your instructions; this allows creatures who are blind, but not deaf, to benefit from your tactics. You must still be able to see affected creatures and the area within your tactic’s radius to issue commands, but need not have direct line of sight or line of effect; for example, if you are watching an area through a magical viewing device and have a method of communicating verbally with affected allies in the area each round, you can maintain a tactic and grant its benefits to your allies without being physically present.
While outside of combat, whenever a creature makes a Bluff check against you that involves speaking, you can make a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check opposed by their Bluff check; upon making a successful opposed check, you can force them to either tell the truth (as far as they know) about the subject or take a -5 penalty on Charisma-based skill and ability checks (this includes Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate, even if the target uses an alternate ability score to determine their bonuses with these skills) against everyone who listened to them speak for 1 day.
When you use this shout, your opponents’ attention is drawn to you for its duration, making it hard for them to focus on your allies. Allies within the shout’s affected area may make a Stealth check to hide even if they do not have cover or concealment for the duration of the shout, but you automatically fail any Stealth checks for the shout’s duration.
You may expend your martial focus to use this shout and cause all enemy creatures who fail their Will save against this shout to take a -1 penalty on all attack rolls that do not include you as a target. Creatures incapable of targeting you with their attacks (for example, if you are flying out of reach of an enemy whose only available weapons are melee attacks) ignore this penalty. For every 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess, this penalty increases by -1.
Source: Spheres Apocrypha: Debilitating Talents
You may expend your martial focus to cause all affected enemies to attempt a Will saving throw. On a failed save, the creature loses their martial focus. This is an instantaneous effect.
Source: Spheres Apocrypha: Debilitating Talents 2
When you use this shout, all hostile creatures within its radius must succeed at a Will saving throw or have all morale bonuses benefiting them reduced by 1 for the shout’s duration. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. For every 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess, the creature’s morale bonuses are reduced by an additional 1.
Your disorienting screech echoes in the back of the minds of your foes. When you use this shout, all hostile creatures within its radius must succeed on a Will save. All creatures who fail their save against this shout increase the DC of all concentration checks and Intelligence-based skill checks by +2, increasing by +1 for every 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess. This increase to concentration check DCs does not stack with the Disruptive feat or other effects which increase the DCs of concentration checks. In addition, creatures who take damage while affected by this shout suffer 5% spell failure during their next turn, increasing by 5% for every 4 ranks of Diplomacy you possess. If a creature is suffering spell failure chance from another source (such as spell failure from the Somatic Casting general drawback), add this spell failure to the other source to get a single spell failure source. This spell failure applies to all spells, spell-like, supernatural, and spherecasting abilities that the creature possesses. A creature who fails their save against this shout can attempt a new save each round as a free action at the end of their turn.
You may expend your martial focus to use this shout to restore the martial focus of 1 creature other than yourself within the shout’s affected area. For every 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess, you may restore the martial focus of 1 additional creature. This is an instantaneous effect.
When you use this shout, all hostile creatures within its radius must succeed on a Will saving throw or be shaken. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. This talent may be taken up to twice; the second time this talent is taken, any creature affected by this shout who is already shaken is instead frightened for the shout’s duration.
You may expend your martial focus to use this shout, allowing all allies within its radius to make a new saving throw against any ongoing effect they are currently suffering from that normally grants a saving throw using the original DC, even if they have already failed the initial save and would not normally be granted another. Poison and disease effects that can worsen on a failed saving throw do not count this saving throw as a failure when determining such effects if it is unsuccessful. A creature can only benefit from this shout once in regard to any individual effect.
You may call your allies to arms and give them the strength to push through exhaustion. For the shout’s duration, you and your affected allies may ignore the penalties associated with the fatigued or exhausted conditions. This does not end those conditions nor allow an exhausted creature to use the Roaring Reservoir talent, it simply removes the penalties associated with those conditions for the time being.
You can spur your allies into action to react faster to imminent threats. For the duration of this shout, you and your allies are immune to sleep and fascinated. In addition, when first affected by this shout, any sleeping allies immediately wake up, fascinated allies automatically break free of the fascinate effect, flat-footed allies no longer count as flat-footed even if they have not acted yet, and allies lying prone may stand up as an immediate action, provoking attacks of opportunity as normal.
Source: Arcforge Players Compendium
You may expend your martial focus to use this shout, causing all allies in the area to threaten a critical hit on a 19 or 20 on their attack rolls (or using the normal critical threat range of their weapon, whichever is better). Allies affected by this shout gain a morale bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls equal to half your ranks in Diplomacy.
You can warn your allies to protect themselves better against an enemy’s specific attack. When you use this shout, choose one specific ability you know an enemy possesses (such as a dragon’s breath weapon, a practitioner ogre’s brutal strike (exertion), or a specific spell or magical sphere effect an enemy uses, but not all spellcasting). All allies in the radius of this shout gain a +2 competence bonus to saving throws against that specific ability, increasing by +1 for every 5 ranks in Diplomacy you possess. You may expend martial focus to use this shout as an immediate action, but the bonuses from this shout end after one round.
You must know about the ability to warn against it, such as having succeeded a Knowledge check and learned about that ability, witnessing the ability from the enemy, or learning about the ability from another source (such as an ally informing you).
For spherecasting effects, which can be highly mutable, the bonus from this shout applies to the base ability used rather than an exact combination of talents. For example, this shout can be used in reaction to a destructive blast, and would apply to an unmodified Destruction sphere’s destructive blast or a destructive blast modified by the Energy Strike or Chain Blast talents.
You can rally your allies against the effects of fear. For the duration of the effect, you and your allies ignore the effects of the shaken condition, and reduce the effects of the frightened condition to become those of the shaken condition. Panicked creatures ignore the effects of this shout.
You may expend your martial focus to use this shout, granting you and all affected allies a number of temporary hit points equal to your ranks in Diplomacy; these temporary hit points expire at the end of the shout’s duration.
All allies that start their turn within the radius of this tactic gain a +5 ft enhancement bonus to their base land speed. An ally who begins or ends their turn outside of this tactic’s affected area loses its benefits until they once more start their turn within its radius. For every 5 ranks in Diplomacy you possess, this enhancement bonus is increased by an additional 5 ft.
Addendum [Conq. HB]: You may take this talent twice. If taken a second time, instead of granting an enhancement bonus to base land speed, you may allow allies benefiting from this tactic to move through 5 feet of difficult terrain as if it were normal terrain, increasing by 5 feet for every 10 ranks of Diplomacy you possess, and allows allies to take a 5-foot step into difficult terrain.
Associated Feat: Nimble Moves (if taken twice).
Allies within range of this tactic are granted a +1 morale bonus on Reflex saves to avoid damage from attacks and effects that target an area, such as a fireball spell or the splash damage from an alchemist’s bombs. For every 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess, this bonus increases by +1. Once per round when an ally affected by this tactic fails their Reflex save against such an effect, you may spend an immediate action to allow them to reroll the save.
Allies within range of this tactic are granted a +3 competence bonus on Acrobatics, Escape Artist, and Stealth checks, increasing by +1 for every 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess. Allies benefiting from this tactic may use the Acrobatics skill to move through threatened squares at full speed without penalty. Allies can benefit from your Covert Operations tactic even if they cannot see you.
You may take this talent twice. If taken a second time, allies benefiting from this tactic may, when using the Stealth skill, move up to their normal speed without the usual penalty. Additionally, attacks against allies with nonmagical concealment (such as dim light or terrain) benefiting from this tactic have a 30% miss chance instead of the normal 20%, increasing by 5% for every 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess, to a maximum of 50% miss chance. This tactic does not grant total concealment; it just increases the miss chance.
Whenever you or an ally benefiting from this tactic successfully deal damage to an enemy with an attack made using the attack action, the individual who made the attack may attempt a bull rush or reposition combat maneuver against the target of the attack as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If you possess 10 or more ranks in Diplomacy, the forced movement caused by the maneuver provokes an attack of opportunity from threatening allies other than the one initiating the movement.
Allies within range of this tactic are granted a +1 morale bonus on Fortitude saving throws, +1 for every 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess, as long as they are within the natural reach of at least one other ally affected by this tactic. Once per round when an ally affected by this tactic fails a Fortitude saving throw, you may spend an immediate action to allow them to reroll the save.
Allies within range of this tactic can use the aid another action to provide a +3 bonus on attack rolls or to AC to any ally benefiting from this tactic against an opponent that ally threatens, increasing by +1 for every 10 ranks of Diplomacy you possess. The bonus from aid another lasts until the beginning of the aiding ally’s next turn. The bonus to aid another actions granted by Masterful Coordination does not stack with other feats, class features, or effects that improve the bonus provided by the aid another action.
You may take this talent twice. If taken a second time, allies benefiting from this tactic may expend their martial focus as a swift action to perform the aid another action. In addition, allies may use the aid another action on any ally within range of this tactic and may aid them against any opponent also within range of this tactic, instead of only against opponents the targeted ally threatens.
Associated Feat: Harrying Partners.
Allies within range of this tactic are granted a +1 morale bonus on Will saves against charm, compulsion, and fear effects, +1 per 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess. Once per round when an ally affected by this tactic fails their Will save against such an effect, you may spend an immediate action to allow them to reroll the save.
Affected targets gain a bonus to their initiative checks equal to 1/4th your ranks in Diplomacy (minimum: 1). A creature cannot benefit from this tactic more than an hour in any given day.
As long as an ally affected by this tactic is adjacent to at least one other ally, they gain a competence bonus to AC equal to 1/4 your ranks in Diplomacy (minimum 1).
When an ally within range of this tactic makes a successful weapon attack against a creature, the next successful weapon attack against that creature made by another ally within range of this tactic ignores any damage reduction or hardness the creature may possess.
Author's Note: Attacks subject to this tactic either allow the next attack to ignore damage reduction and hardness, or ignores damage reduction and hardness (if any). When an attack would ignore damage reduction or hardness, it does not allow the subsequent attack to also ignore damage reduction or hardness.
Effectively: Attack A allows Attack B to ignore damage reduction or hardness, but Attack B does not allow Attack C to ignore damage reduction or hardness. Attack C, however, enables Attack D, and continues alternating.
Allies who are benefiting from a spell or effect that grants a morale bonus on a particular type of roll may also grant that morale bonus with other allies within range of this tactic. Once during that effect’s duration, each ally can apply that morale bonus on a roll they attempt of that type. For instance, if an ally benefiting from this tactic is also benefiting from heroism, once during the duration of the spell another ally could gain a +2 morale bonus on one saving throw, attack roll, or skill check. An individual ally can borrow someone’s morale bonus once per round, and only once per spell or effect. Changing in and out of this tactic does not allow for a bonus from the same spell or effect to be used additional times.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere, Diplomacy 6 ranks.
You may make Diplomacy checks to improve the attitude of undead, including mindless undead. Undead creatures with an attitude of friendly or better towards you can benefit from any morale bonuses, teamwork feats, or mind-affecting effects your shouts or tactics would bestow, and mindless undead whose attitude has been improved to friendly will follow your orders to the best of their ability, though undead who are not closely watched may quickly revert to their prior inclinations. If the undead is under the control of a creature (such as a spellcaster or cleric using the Command Undead feat), the orders of that creature still supercede your own.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere, Diplomacy 15 ranks.
You may expend your focus to perform a shout that saps the very life and will to live from a creature. Any creature within this shout’s radius who fails a Fortitude saving throw suffers 1d4 temporary negative levels that lasts 1 day. You may spend a move action to warn your allies before using this effect protecting them from the shout’s effects, but doing so grants all other creatures a +5 circumstance bonus on their saving throw. This is a supernatural effect.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere, Diplomacy 1 rank.
You may perform an ear-splitting scream. All targets within the area of effect suffer 1d8 sonic damage, +1d8 per 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess. In addition, the targets become deafened for 1 round, +1 per 4 ranks in Diplomacy you possess. Targets are allowed a Fortitude save to halve the sonic damage and negate the deafened effect.
You may expend your martial focus when performing an explosive ululation. If you do so, all targets who fail their Fortitude save (as well as unattended objects) are immediately subject to a bull rush combat maneuver performed as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, using your ranks in Diplomacy + your Charisma modifier as your CMB. Targets are pushed directly away from you, and you cannot move as part of this maneuver. There is no size limitation on what creatures you may bull rush in this manner.
You may spend a free action to warn your allies before using this effect protecting them from the shout’s effects, but doing so grants all other creatures a +5 circumstance bonus on their saving throw. This is a supernatural effect.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere, Rousing Claxon, Diplomacy 10 ranks.
Whenever an ally affected by this tactic would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, you may spend an immediate action to grant them a number of temporary hit points equal to twice your ranks in Diplomacy. These temporary hit points are applied directly to the damage dealt first, with any remaining temporary hit points applied after the attack is resolved. This ability may be used as a free action that can be taken even when it’s not your turn, though doing so expends your martial focus and ends the tactic.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere, Diplomacy 7 ranks.
Any ally affected by this tactic can use the aid another action to assist you on a skill or ability check as an immediate action as long as they are within close range. Any creature who comes into physical contact with you while this tactic is active must succeed on a Will saving throw or have their attitude towards you instantly improved by 1 step for 1 hour. Once a given creature has attempted a saving throw against this effect, they cannot be affected by it again for 24 hours.
Prerequisites: Stealth 10 ranks, Scout sphere (Lurker, Walk Unseen, Vanish), Warleader sphere (Covert Operations (tactic)).
Allies benefiting from your Covert Operations tactic can attempt Stealth checks to hide even when observed. When an ally breaks stealth (such as by attacking or not stealthing at the end of their turn), they gain concealment until the start of their next turn.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere.
Whenever you would be affected by a magic effect that would make you unable to speak (such as the silence option of the Suppression Illusion talent), the caster must first attempt a magic skill check against a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 your Diplomacy ranks + your practitioner modifier (minimum 1). If the caster fails, your voice is not affected by the magic effect, allowing you to speak, use shouts, tactics with verbal components, etc. If the caster succeeds, your voice is completely silenced and affected by the effect normally. If the effect would suppress other forms of noise (such as moving), they still remain suppressed even if the caster fails.
Additionally, whenever the effects of your shouts would be either reduced in range or completely negated with a solid barrier or wall, they instead carry through the obstruction without interruption.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere, Rousing Claxon, Diplomacy 10 ranks.
You may expend your focus to recall the spirit of a creature within range of your shout that has died within 1 round. The target is healed for an amount equal to your ranks in Diplomacy + your Charisma modifier. If this healing is enough to raise the slain creature’s hit points to an amount greater than its Constitution score in negative hit points, it is returned to life and stabilizes at its new hit point total. If the creature’s hit point total would still be at a negative amount greater than or equal to its Constitution score, it remains dead. Creatures brought back to life via this ability gain a temporary negative level that lasts for one day. This is a supernatural effect.
Prerequisites: Diplomacy 5 ranks, Warleader sphere.
You may release a shout that causes nearby metal weapons to suddenly resonate with sound. For the shout’s duration, you and your affected allies’ weapon attacks made with metal weapons deal an additional 1d6 points of sonic damage. This damage increases by 1d6 at 10 ranks in Diplomacy and every 5 ranks beyond.
You may expend your martial focus when using this shout to allow the shout to benefit all kinds of weapons. Additionally, at 10 ranks in Diplomacy, the damage die size is also increased to d8s instead of d6s.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere, Recall Spirit, Rousing Claxon, Legion Unending, Diplomacy 15 ranks.
You may use your recall spirit shout on a target that has been dead within 1 minute rather than 1 round. Rather than healing the target for a specific amount, the target is returned to life with a number of hit points equal to twice your ranks in Diplomacy + your Charisma modifier, and no negative level (if this would grant them more hit points than they would normally have, they gain any excess as temporary hit points). At the end of the shout’s duration, the creature dies regardless of its hit points, and may not be affected with this talent a second time unless they are returned to life by other means. This is a supernatural effect.
Source: Arcforge Players Compendium
Prerequisites: Guardian sphere (Extended Guard*), Warleader sphere.
Any ally affected by this tactic may share any AC bonuses granted from fighting defensively or taking the total defense action with allies within their reach.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere, bardic performance or raging song class feature.
Benefit: The character gains the ability to attach tactics they create to their songs. While using bardic performance or raging song, the character may maintain an active tactic as part of the song without spending additional actions, this has no effect on the area affected by the tactic. They still must pay any costs associated with the tactic, such as martial focus if required, to use the tactic.
Once per round you may recenter an ongoing tactic maintained as part of using bardic performance or raging song at a new location. Whenever the character creates a new tactic, they may attach it to their song or create it normally. Tactics attached to songs can be ended as a free action. Finally, as long as the song continues, the character may shout once per round as a swift or move action.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: You may give your actions to members of your squadron. The type of action required to do this is equal to the type of action given: swift, move, standard, full-round, or attack of opportunity. If you give an attack of opportunity action to another squadron member, they must use it to attack the target that provoked the attack of opportunity from you. A character can not receive more than one extra action per round this way, regardless of how many squadrons they might be a member of.
Prerequisites: Gladiator sphere, Warleader sphere.
Benefits: Whenever you are able to perform a boast, you may instead perform a shout with the same action.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: When members of your squadron use the aid another action on other squadron members, they grant their ally an additional +2 bonus.
Source: Baron’s Glorious Arena
Prerequisites: tension pool, Communication Sphere, Posse Commander; War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefits: As an immediate action, you may allow an ally in your squadron to use your tension pool and any abilities which involve spending tension as if they also had them until the end of the current turn. The tension cost of any ability used in this way increases by 1. A character cannot use both another squadron member’s tension and their own during the same turn.
Your intricate plans come into motion faster.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere, tactician class feature.
Benefit: You may begin a tactic as part of the same action as your tactician ability. Your tactic must still be maintained each round as normal.
Source: Baron’s Secluded Library
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Hive Mind, Troop Commander: caster level 5th or 5 ranks in Diplomacy.
Benefits: Whenever a member of your squadron would take strain damage. Any willing member of your squadron may choose to take any amount of that strain damage in place of the original target. Strain damage gained from redistribution effects within 1 minute of each other is cumulative for the purpose of determining if a character gains a severance.
Source: Spheres Apocrypha: Banners
Prerequisites: Banner class feature or Warleader sphere (Heraldry), Shield sphere.
Benefit: A decorated shield you carry can act as your banner or flag, allowing you to benefit from those features without needing a free hand. Your shield only counts as your banner or flag while it gives you a shield bonus to AC.
Source: Baron’s Uncanny Gateway
Prerequisites: Destruction Sphere (any (blast type) talent), Warleader Sphere (resonating chorus)
Benefit: When you use the Resonating Chorus shout, you may apply a single (blast type) talent to the shout, replacing the sonic damage with the damage type of the (blast type) and adding any additional effects of the (blast type) to creatures damaged by the blast. This effect lasts for 1 round. If the (blast type) talent requires spending a spell point, you must spend a spell point to apply it to the shout. If you possess the Admixture talent, you may pay the additional costs of Admixture as normal to apply multiple damage types to the shout or alter only half of the damage of the effect (with the other half retaining the original sonic damage type).
Prerequisites: Navigation sphere, Warleader sphere.
Benefit: Whenever you use pathing as a standard action, you can begin or maintain a tactic as a free action; doing so changes the area of the tactic to the area of your pathing.
While within the area of your pathing, you can maintain this tactic as a free action.
Prerequisites: Performance sphere ((act) or (dance) package), Warleader sphere.
Benefits: You may begin an act or dance as a free action when you begin a tactic as a move action. Whenever you maintain a dance or complete an act’s scene or finale, you may maintain a tactic as part of the same action.
When all the pieces come together to make something amazing.
Prerequisites: Warleader sphere, ability to share teamwork feats, challenge class feature, character level 11th.
Benefit: When using your challenge class ability to challenge a target, allies you have shared a teamwork feat with (such as with the Cavalier’s tactician ability, Warleader conscript specialization’s born leader ability, the Cavalry Officer Cavalier’s officer ability, or any other similar ability subject to GM discretion) and are benefiting from a Warleader tactic you created also receive half the benefits of your challenge class ability, including half the benefits from your order if applicable (minimum +1). Allies benefit from your challenge’s bonuses until the target of your talent is dead or unconscious or until the combat ends.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: As a swift action, you may spend a spell point or expend your martial focus and designate a target. Until the beginning of your next turn, whenever a member of your squadron hits that target, all members of your squadron receive an additional +1 circumstance bonus to attack rolls and damage against that target. Members with iterative attacks can benefit from bonuses generated earlier in the same turn. This bonus stacks with itself, up to a maximum equal to your War caster level or your ranks in Diplomacy, whichever is higher.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander; caster level 5th or 5 ranks in Diplomacy.
Benefit: You gain the ability to communicate telepathically with all members of your squadron regardless of range, allowing you to send messages and for them to send their own. In addition, you do not need to touch members of your squadron in order to renew your bond with them; they need only be in telepathic contact with you when you take a minute to renew your bond. So long as at least one member of your squadron is aware of a threat, all members are aware of the threat and cannot be flanked by threats that others are aware of. Such awareness can spread along a “chain” of creatures under appropriate circumstances, potentially alerting distant creatures.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: Choose a skill you are trained in. All members of your squadron are treated as having at least as many ranks in that skill as you. If you possess the skill unlock for that skill, members of your squadron may use the skill unlock powers made available by your number of ranks in the skill. Whenever you rest for 8 hours, you may change the skill you have chosen to share.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander; character level 10th.
Benefit: After you roll initiative, you may spend a spell point or expend your martial focus. If you do, squadron members may use your natural d20 roll in place of their own roll. They keep their own modifiers.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander, casting class feature.
Benefit: When using a sphere ability on a single creature in your squadron other than yourself, you may spend an additional spell point to target any number of creatures in your squadron. All squadron members must be within the range of the sphere ability. You must have line of sight and line of effect to affect them, and you may include yourself as a target. This cannot be used with sphere effects that do not have the option of being augmented by a (mass) talent. If the sphere ability has a duration greater than 1 hour, it is reduced to 1 hour.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: Members of your squadron do not provide cover to enemies, and members do not take penalties for shooting into melee against enemies in melee exclusively with other squadron members.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: Squadron members may use a swift action to move a squadron member who is in a square adjacent to them to another square that is also adjacent to them. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Source: Baron’s Secluded Library
Prerequisites: Communication sphere, Posse Commander; or War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefits: Choose a creature when you gain this feat. That creature does not count towards the maximum number of creatures in your squadron and you never need to renew your bond to keep that creature in your squadron. Whenever you use a Squadron feat that normally requires spending a spell point, plan, or martial focus, you do not need to spend the resource if it only affects creatures you have selected with this feat.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times, each time selecting a different creature. If you have the Bonded Casting drawback, you may select this feat as a drawback feat.
Source: Spheres Apocrypha: Banners
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +8 or Diplomacy 8 ranks, banner class feature or Warleader sphere (Heraldry).
Benefit: As long as your banner or flag is clearly visible, all enemies within range of your banner (or tactics if you possess the Heraldry talent) take a -2 penalty on saving throws against fear effects.
Special: If you possess the Gladiator sphere Strike Fear ability or the Terrifying Pierce Lancer talent, when you attempt to demoralize a creature affected by your banner, you can lower the DC of the check by 2.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: While a member of your squadron is adjacent to another member of your squadron, they receive a +2 circumstance bonus to AC and melee attack rolls. This bonus increases by +1 for every additional member adjacent after the first.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: When two or more members of your squadron flank an enemy, their flanking bonus applies to damage rolls as well as attack rolls.
Prerequisites: Conjuration sphere, Warleader sphere.
Whenever you summon a companion as a standard action, you may activate a tactic as part of the same standard action, so long as the conjured companion is included in that tactic’s affected creatures.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: The number of members of your squadron increases. Your squadron includes yourself and 4 allies plus an additional ally for every 2 caster levels or ranks in Diplomacy (whichever is higher) you possess. You may add troop or crew creatures to your squadron, with each counting as 4 creatures.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander; casting class feature.
Benefit: You may choose to have your sphere talents or abilities which target a willing creature have a range of close rather than touch when targeting members of your squadron.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: Any member of your squadron may expend a standard action requesting assistance. You may immediately respond by using a sphere ability that targets them (and only them, not an area around them) as a free action. You must be in range, and you must be able to use the sphere ability. Using the sphere ability draws attacks of opportunity normally.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: As a swift action, you may spend a spell point or expend your martial focus to mentally communicate with the rest of your squadron the location of an enemy you have successfully damaged that turn. Until the beginning of your next turn, the target does not benefit from concealment or any form of stealth.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: Whenever a member of your squadron leaves a square adjacent to another member of your squadron, they do not provoke attacks of opportunity from adjacent enemies.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: You always know the position of members of your squad relative to yourself even if you cannot see or hear them. Members of your squad are always aware of your position and each others’ positions in a similar manner. In addition, you are treated as having line of sight on all members of your squadron at all times but increase the action necessary to affect creatures you cannot directly see with your Squadron feat abilities by one step.
Author's Note: The ability to ignore line of sight and targeting restrictions only extends to other squadron feat abilities, and not to other abilities.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander; character level 10th.
Benefit: If a creature is a member of the squadron of one of your squadron members, you may treat that creature as a member of your squadron.
Source: Diamond Spheres: Harmony & Discord
Prerequisite: Survivalism sphere ((dredge) package), Warleader sphere.
Benefit: Whenever you dredge an area, you can expend your martial focus to also apply the effects of a tactic to the area. A tactic applied this way does not need to be maintained, but cannot be moved from the dredged area. This does not function on instantaneous (tactic) talents.
Source: Spheres Apocrypha: Banners
Prerequisites: Diplomacy 10 ranks, Warleader sphere (Heraldry), banner class feature.
Benefit: An ally who benefits from a tactic you create is considered to be within range of your banner and receives its benefits accordingly.
Prerequisite: Warleader sphere.
Benefit: You have a squadron of allies who experience greater benefits from your tactics. Your squadron includes yourself and up to 3 additional allies, plus an additional ally for every 5 ranks in Diplomacy. You can change membership any time you get a full-night’s rest, but you must touch the ally to add it to your squadron. You must spend 1 minute every day renewing the links between you and your squad members. You must have access to each member you wish to include.
Squad member allies must be specific individuals. Allies can include summoned companions that are effectively the same creature being summoned each time (such as the companion summoned with the Conjuration sphere), but not spontaneously created creatures. Alternatively, instead of adding any additional allies, you may include one crew or troop. For example, if you have 5 ranks in Diplomacy your squad may be made up either yourself and four additional allies, or yourself and one crew or troop.
Members of your squadron gain increased bonuses from your tactics. If a tactic grants a bonus to any d20 roll or any number that is the target of a d20 roll (such as AC, attack rolls, saving throws, CMB, CMD, ability checks, skill checks, concentration checks, or spell penetration checks), that bonus increases by +1, and an additional +1 for every 10 ranks in Diplomacy you possess.
For the purpose of determining how many additional allies you may have in a squadron, this feat doesn’t stack with Squadron Commander, but this feat counts as Squadron Commander for the purpose of feats and other elements with Squadron Commander as a prerequisite.
Prerequisites: War sphere, Squadron Commander; or Warleader sphere, Troop Commander.
Benefit: You may rally any ally in your squadron within long range or that you can see, even if they are not within range of a totem, and you can always rally yourself.
Source: Spheres Apocrypha: Radiant and Righteous
Prerequisites: Protection sphere, Warleader sphere.
Benefit: When creating or while concentrating on a ward, you may expend your martial focus to apply the benefits of a (shout) or (tactic) talent you possess to all allies in the area of the ward for 1 round. When you create a ward, you gain a bonus to your caster level equal to half the number of ranks you have in the Diplomacy skill, rounded up, when determining the effects of your ward ability. This cannot increase your caster level above your Hit Dice.
You do not gain the tactic ability and cannot take (tactics) talents. You gain Breath Support with this drawback.
Whenever this sphere uses or grants ranks in Diplomacy or calls for a Diplomacy check, you instead gain ranks in Perform or attempt a Perform check. You use your ranks in Perform instead of Diplomacy when determining saving throws. This drawback does not grant a bonus talent; removing this drawback does not require spending a talent, but requires GM permission. You use Perform ranks in place of Diplomacy ranks for prerequisites for feats and talents that require the Warleader sphere.
Author's Note: If you possess multiple spheres that grant ranks in the same Perform subskill, you gain a competence bonus on those Perform checks equal to half your base attack bonus instead of retraining the ranks multiple times. This is only applied once.
You do not gain the shout ability and cannot select (shout) talents or other talents that rely on shout. You gain Verbal Commands with this drawback.
Incompatible: Barbaric Shout, Lead By Example, Meek Leader.
You do not gain the shouts ability. You gain Verbal Counter as a bonus talent.
You may only use a shout while threatening an enemy. You must take Triumph with the bonus talent gained through this drawback.
Incompatible: Meek Leader.
You do not gain the shout ability. You cannot take (shout) talents. You must take Courier’s Dash with the bonus talent gained through this drawback.
You do not gain the shout ability and cannot select (shout) talents or other talents that rely on shout. You gain Preparation with this drawback.
Incompatible: Barbaric Shout, Impeccable Command, Lead By Example, Meek Leader.
You do not gain the tactics ability. You gain Rallying Beseechment as a bonus talent. If you also select the Interjector drawback, you can take the Warleader sphere using a [utility] talent slot as if both drawbacks had the [utility start] tag.
You do not gain the tactics ability and cannot select (tactics) talents or other talents that rely on tactics. You gain Verbal Counter with this drawback.
Incompatible: Barbaric Shout, Impeccable Command.
You do not gain the tactics ability nor Fierce Shout. You gain Rallying Beseechment and Inspiring Speech instead.