Building a Halfing Sorcerer/Rogue

[Wraith-Hunter]

If you can start with magic items DUDE GET SCROLLS!!!!

They are cheap, and you would have the flexability of a wizard. Pick up scrolls of spells that are good here and there but not worth knowing as a sorcerer. Don't be afraid to pick up a couple higher level ones as well. Get a scroll organizer to carry them, it is mundane equipment from FR.

Also a couple potions are good, get some healing. There are not many decent permanent cheap magic items. But if you are starting out with magic you will probably have some good loot very soon. Potions and scrolls can help you survive to get that loot.


For feats decide if you are going to be more of a caster or more of a sneak attacker. If you are going to cast alot maybe spell focus in a school of magic. Improved initiative is always nice. So is point blank shot and other ranged feats. I took enshew materials for flavor reasons.

But man I would love it if my sorc got 1000gp for magic items starting out. Most 2nd level spells are only 150 and 1st level are 25. Lots of good potions for 50

For cantrips Read Magic and Detect Magic. RM for your free scrolls and DM gives you another way to find things it has a bunch of uses. Message is good for comunications at range in quiet. Dancing lights is also great. Presdigitation is a MUST have. This is like weak do anything and it lasts an hour. If you are creative you can use this for tons of things with it. Last game I used this one spell more than any other.

Another good spell is silent image. Get creative there are lots of posts on how to get the most out of this spell. The area of effect is huge and the range is long. Great for hiding and sneaking, as lasts as long as you concentrate.

 

[Wraith-Hunter]

A 1st level socerer has two known first-level spells. But a 3rd or 4th level sorcerer has three of them - see this table.

Didn't see your char levels thought you were starting at 1st! Slap to the forhead

 

[sfedi]

Replace Dodge with Improved Initiative.

Ditch Mage Armor, use scrolls or a Wand for that.
Ditch Ray of Enfeeblement, as another poster said, it´s no use for you SA.
Although it´s a useful spell, but better to cast it from scorll or wand.

Don´t do sneak from melee.
Use range, and for generating your own concealment, independent from the battlefield, use smoking sticks or a scroll of Obscuring Mist.

Dont forget to use Ray of Frost and Acid Burst, your best 0 level spells: hide + ranged touch + sneak damage

 

[szilard]

Core only makes it rough.

Have you considered Bard 7/Rogue/3/Arcane Trickster X? Your hit points, BAB, Skill Points, and Saves would thank you....

Spell selection would be very different, though. Not all bad mind you. You could wear armor, so Mage Armor wouldn't be necessary.

-Stuart

 

[szilard]

Also, as a Bard/Rogue you could go the UMD route and pick up wands for sorc spells you couldn't otherwise cast.

-Stuart

 

[Demoquin]

Vampiric Touch is debateable on whether you can apply sneak attack dmg. If you can use this spell for SA's would you get the extra dmg back in health?

 

[Darklone]

Vampiric Touch is debateable on whether you can apply sneak attack dmg. If you can use this spell for SA's would you get the extra dmg back in health?

Certainly you can apply sneak attack damage to V-Touch.

I't been debated whether this increases the temporary hitpoints...

Would rog2/sor4 be possible? Being able to toss around Scorching rays already as a 6th level char would make me feel so much more safe.

Hmm. Core only? That means Deadeye shot from PHB2 is out of the line (not too sure if it could be applied to spells, probably not).

Edit: Imp Toughness at level 9. False Life will be your best friend as your second level 2 spell. Get the cleric to cast Shield Other on you the whole day.

His general combat strategy would be to first cast Mage Armor on himself, bringing up his AC to 20 - plus Dodge bonus! If there is a tough "boss monster" that other party members have problems with, he will cast Ray of Enfeeblement with it - possibly multiple times. He has a "to hit" roll of +10 for this, guranteeing almost automatic success against enemies without Spell Resistance (since this is a ranged touch attack).

I do think you know that only the best Ray of Enfeeblement counts, they don't stack?

If not, he will cast Expeditious Retreat and maneuver in a way that allows him to make a ranged sneak attack with a light crosbow (or possibly a sling). Here, he also has +10 to hit - though he needs to beat the full AC of the target in this case.

Crossbow Sniper and Deadeye Shot from PHB2 would be sooo nice for this char.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

I do think you know that only the best Ray of Enfeeblement counts, they don't stack?

No, I didn't. Where does it say this? The spell description only says that Str cannot sink below 1...

Replace Dodge with Improved Initiative.

Ditch Mage Armor, use scrolls or a Wand for that.

We are playing in a relatively magic-poor game, so I can't count on those being available. Furthermore, I won't be one of the "regulars" in this group - for job reasons, I will only be able to play in one session out of four or five. So I'd rather rely on "innate" abilities than on magic items which my character might or might not be able to get.

Ditch Ray of Enfeeblement, as another poster said, it´s no use for you SA.
Although it´s a useful spell, but better to cast it from scorll or wand.

Dont forget to use Ray of Frost and Acid Burst, your best 0 level spells: hide + ranged touch + sneak damage

Does it say explicitly somewhere that Sneak Attack works with those spells?

 

[IcyCool]

No, I didn't. Where does it say this? The spell description only says that Str cannot sink below 1...

It bestows a penalty, and so is not cumulative (like ability damage would be).

Does it say explicitly somewhere that Sneak Attack works with those spells?

Complete Arcane has a bit on weaponlike spells. The basic gist is, if it requires an attack roll and causes damage (or ability damage, or negative levels), then you can sneak attack with it.

 

[Cutty Sark]

Woops...beaten to the punch. I do think that the ray is a good spell to take, though. Once you get third level spell slots you can empower it and do some serious strength penalizing.