Best level 7/8 spells for a high level evil sorcerer?

NewJeffCT · Sep 10, 2009

My evil sorcerer has one level 8 spell and two level 7 spells. Any ideas on good ones to use to help him against a party of 7 level 17 PCs and maybe 1-2 similarly leveled NPCs? The sorcerer will have a cleric and a duskblade as tri-leaders of my evil raiding party, as well as a few minions for protection and cannon-fodder.

I was thinking of something like Otto's Irresistible Dance or Maze, possibly. I just like the image of the dwarf fighter or goliath barbarian dancing for 3-4 rounds... but, could also see using Power Word Stun or Horrid Wilting.

How about for level 7? Maybe Avasculate to use early in the combat against the hit point tanks? Or, maybe Finger of Death or Reverse Gravity?

How about for a mid-level spell to use as a surprise, or to buff the party?

Thanks

Lord Ravinous · Sep 10, 2009

Heightened Confusion works nicely for throwing a wrench in a party's gears. Not exactly what you asked for, but cast that on the tanks, then blow a heightened Feeblemind on the Cleric or Wizard and you got yourself a party...or atleast a lack there of...

Dandu · Sep 10, 2009

Avasculate is good. So is Blackfire (SpC)

StreamOfTheSky · Sep 10, 2009

You have a lot of good ideas already.
For level 8, consider Polymorph Any Object if you haven't banned it. Very powerful buff he could use pre-combat on people and/or himself. It also lets you use it as other spells, so there's versatility.

For level 7, nothing quite beats the horrific randomness of Prismatic Spray: One guy's sent to a random plane, another's stone, while a third took only 20 energy damage. Delightfully unpredictable.

Physiker · Sep 10, 2009

I would go for Shadow evocation, greater as Level 8 spell.

Then cast Mage'S Sword while invisible, it won't take long till they realise that the sword is not real (only 60% real) at this point cast the real one twice and go into hiding

The only concern of your sorcerer left, is to stay undetected for the next rounds.
Nondetection could work, but the save might be to low to fool the Players.

Of corse you will have the problem, that the PC's will have a good chance to dispel your spells...

Shin Okada · Sep 11, 2009

8th-Greater Arcane Fusion (Complete Mage)
7th-Arcane Spellsurge (Dragon Magic), Limited Wish

and maybe
5th-Arcane Fusion

Arcane Fusion/Greater Arcane Fusion effectively allow a sorcerer to cast 2 spells per round.

And Arcane Spellsurge speeds up the casting time of the spell.

Give the sorcerer handy metamagic feats such as Empower Spell or Heighten Spell (or maybe Spell Energy Substitution). Also, giving some 1-round spell is not a bad idea when He knows Arcane Spellsurge.

Round 1

Cast a standard action spell and then, cast Arcane Fusion as a swift action.
or,
Cast Arcane Spellsurge as a swift action and then cast a 1-round spell or standard action spell modified by some metamagic feat(s). The latter is now a standard action.

Round 2 or later, cast one standard action spell (now a swift action) and a 1-round spell or standard action spell modified by some metamagic feat(s). The latter is now a standard action.

If you combine Arcane Spellsurge with Arcane Fusion/Greater Arcane Fusion, you can cast 4 spells per round.

With appropriate metamagic feats, a sorcerer can fight quite well without higher level attack spells. For example, Heightened Glitterdust is always useful. And if you empower 15d6 spell (Cacophonic Burst, Acid Storm), it may deal more damages than to a Horrid Wilting.

Dandu · Sep 11, 2009

If you choose the Metamagic Specialist ACF in the PHB2, you can use it to launch 2 metamagicked spells per round with Arcane Spellsurge.

The round after casting Spellsurge, you cast a metamagicked spell and use Metamagic Specialist to reduce it to a standard action instead of a full round action. Then you cast another metamagicked spell and do not reduce it to a standard action.

So these two metamagicked spells are a standard action (reduced to swift) and a full round action (reduced to standard).

green slime · Sep 11, 2009

Why not get it all over with, and have the NPC just surrender?

No single 8th level spell + 2 7th level spells is going to put even a moderate dent into the stride of 7 17th level PCs... and then 2 NPCs "of similar level".

Given this, the smart move would be to surrender, give up, acquiesce to their demands.

Then the former BBEG can plot his revenge, while pretending to reform.

StreamOfTheSky · Sep 11, 2009

green slime said:
Why not get it all over with, and have the NPC just surrender?

No single 8th level spell + 2 7th level spells is going to put even a moderate dent into the stride of 7 17th level PCs... and then 2 NPCs "of similar level".

Ummm...what?

If you mean he'll get ganged on by sheer numbers, I thought this evil sorcerer was part of Jeff's drow party he asks for advice on in another thread.

green slime · Sep 11, 2009

StreamOfTheSky said:
Ummm...what?

If you mean he'll get ganged on by sheer numbers, I thought this evil sorcerer was part of Jeff's drow party he asks for advice on in another thread.

So what would the PC party do when an enemy tries to surrender? Kill him?

With a sorcerer, I never understand why they try to keep fighting once the enemy is within 120'. I'd either flee or surrender.