Help me build a versatile Sorcerer

[Li Shenron]

We are going to play The City of the Spider Queen, and my choice will be 90% a Human Sorcerer. My previous attempts to play a Sorcerer have always lead me to make it too much combat-oriented, and now I want something more versatile. At the same time we are going to start at level 8th (but it could instead be even 10th) and I am having difficulties in choosing a good spell selection without duplicates but possibly without holes as well...

Any help really appreciated!

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Ye Numbers

Spells Known
Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
8th 8 5 3 2 1 — — — — —
9th 8 5 4 3 2 — — — — —
10th 9 5 4 3 2 1 — — — —

Feats Known
8th 4
9th 5
10th 5

Ye Guidelines

To choose the spells known I was trying to cover the following functionalities (one spell each might be enough):

- offensive vs single target
- offensive vs multiple targets
- blocking/hampering multiple targets
- increase AC
- runaway
- counter vs invisibility or improve vision
- sneak support

for example, an invisibility spell would be enough to cover both runaway and sneak, plus gives other defensive help.

Other general or specific things I am trying to keep in mind:

- it's ok to have a few rarely-used spells to make the PC more unique
- no touch spells (my Str will be very low)
- no spells with HD cap
- prefer spells which disallow SR, or otherwise take Spell Penetration
- exploit rays and spells with ST (my Dex and Cha will be high)
- obviously look for multi-purpose spells

Ye Spells

Ok, here is a list of spells I like. Level 2 and 3 are the most troublesome, too many nice spells to choose from! The one with * are the currently chosen.

0th (8 or 9 known)
Acid Splash*
Disrupt Undead*
Detect Magic*
Mage Hand*
Message*
Prestidigitation*
Light*
Read Magic*
Resistance

1st (5 known)
Magic Missile*
Shield*
Charm Person*
Disguise Self*
Unseen Servant*
True Strike
Color Spray
Comprehend Languages
Feather Fall

2nd (3 or 4 known)
Web*
Scorching Ray*
Invisibility*
Darkvision*
Glitterdust
Detect Thoughts
Resist Energy
Hideous Laughter
Summon Swarm

3rd (2 or 3 known)
Lightning Bolt* or Fireball
Dispel Magic*
Fly
Invisibility Sphere
Tongues
Clairvoyance
Slow

4th (1 or 2 known)
Shadow Conjuration*
Greater Invisibility
Dimension Door
Lesser Globe of Invulnerability
Black Tentacles

5th (0 or 1 known)
Teleport
Shadow Evocation

There are lots of issue here...
For example, 3 attack spells are far enough and I don't need both Fireball and LBolt: I'd choose the first for the area but the second for the different damage type.
One single invisibility spell is enough, but which one?
DDoor is cool, but I can just wait until I reach Teleport (or swap it later).
Can I leave without Dispel Magic?

Help!

Depending on the spells, I will later choose the feats, probably along the line of Silent Spell, Heighten Spell, Energy Substitution OR Extend Spell, Improved Toughness and Spell Penetration for example.

 

[Thanee]

Even though this is kinda metagaming (unless your character knew beforehand, that he is heading into the Underdark eventually ), I'd strongly encourage you to learn either Blindsight (PGtF) or Deeper Darkvision (Underdark).

Dispel Magic - good spell, especially as a sorcerer, but if others in the group have access to it, you don't really need it. It is useful very often, tho.

I would go for Dimension Door instead of Teleport, it's useful in more situations. At least in the 10th level version. Dimension Door would be my 9th character level major spell pick.

Damaging Combat Spells: I'd pick Magic Missile (very universal spell and force effect), Scorching Ray (powerful single target combat spell), as well as one area effect. Fireball has the disadvantage of being also fire, so maybe Lightning Bolt is a better choice here. That's more than enough. You'll surely have a few other spells, which you can use in combat (like Slow).

Polymorph is an extremely versatile and powerful spell, which you just don't want to leave out.

In 5th I'd probably pick something else... Telekinesis for example.

I'm not sure about the lesser Shadow spells. I don't think they really are that good.

Polymorph is much more versatile than Shadow Conjuration, even tho in a quite different way.

A good and versatile spell is also Blink. Yes, your spells will have a miss-chance, but then again your rays hit better to even that out. It's mostly a defensive spell, but can also be used to cross thin barriers (a door, or something like that).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Camarath]

For example, 3 attack spells are far enough and I don't need both Fireball and LBolt: I'd choose the first for the area but the second for the different damage type.

I would probably go with Fireball and Energy Substitution (which would work with Scorching Ray as well).

One single invisibility spell is enough, but which one?

I would go with Greater Invisibility.

DDoor is cool, but I can just wait until I reach Teleport (or swap it later).

I would just wait for Teleport if I were you.

Can I leave without Dispel Magic?

I think you should take Dispel Magic. It is a very useful and versatile spell.

 

[Li Shenron]

Polymorph is an extremely versatile and powerful spell, which you just don't want to leave out.

Polymorph is much more versatile than Shadow Conjuration, even tho in a quite different way.

I don't know, I don't want to always polymorph myself and jump into melee... :\ I thought I could use it to replicate some interesting ability here and there, but it doesn't replicate supernatural ones and not even special qualities.

(BTW, I knew you were going to be the 1st to reply! )

 

[Camarath]

I don't know, I don't want to always polymorph myself and jump into melee... :\ I thought I could use it to replicate some interesting ability here and there, but it doesn't replicate supernatural ones and not even special qualities.

Well you are in luck because Polymorph has Target:Willing living creature touched. So just use it on the fighter and let him go to town.

 

[Pax]

If you have access to Magic of Faerun - get Firebrand. It is EXTREMELY useful for combat in small, restricted speaces. 4th level spell, 1d6/level damage (15d6 cap), creates one 5'-radius burst per caster level. Overlapping the bursts doesn't produce extra damage, though. And as with fireball, reflex for half.

Glitterdust will be extremely useful in dark environments - one target or multiple, it'll coat 'em with gold glowing sparkles. And has a chance of blinding them, too (as a GM, I think I'd apply a circumstance penalty of -2 or -3 to the blindness saves for creatures with light sensitivity, given the nature of the spell - but that'd be up to your GM, of course).

Instead of Dimension Door, pick up the one-level-higher "Lutzaen's Frequent Jaunt )also in Magic of Faerun). One dimension door per round, for 1 round per caster level, as a Move action. VERY good for short-term "stutter-teleport" mobility, and for combat maneuvering. And if you prefer Teleport, you can always swap out the LFJ once you pick up greater teleport ...

Melf's Acid arrow can beboth a single-target combat spell ... and, in some situations, a handy lockpick, too (acid damage isn't halved against metals, IIRC).

Any of the Shadow Conjuration / Shadow Evocation spells are OBVIOUSLY spells you will consider MUST-HAVES.

Reflective Disguise (from Underdark) may be EXTREMELY useful to you, if it fits your character or you don't mind metagaming (makes you look like a member of the viewer's own species). There's a 6th-level "Mass" version, too.

Shatterfloor is a cone-area, 3d level Sonic-damage spell from Magic of Faerun that has the added benefit of pulverising the top 6" of the floor below wherever you aim it. Given how delicate and spidery the Drow make parts of their cities, this could serve double-duty as a bridge-demolisher (especially effective if you do so while pursuers are ON the bridge ... heh!)

Bladebane (from Unapproachable East) gives any one weapon a single Bane property, of your choice. VERY versatile - whatever you'r facing, the fighter(s) get Bane weapons against it in short order.

The Draconomicon also has several spells which are specially-advantaged for sorcerors (they gain +1 caster level for that spell), soe of which are quite nice.

 

[two]

ditto glitter

Ditto on Glitterdust.

Very strange spell. Will save? or be blinded -- this is nice for a 2nd level spell, plus it's area effect.

Then, top it off, it exposes invisible creatures, etc.

So, for one spell, you get attack or defense, or rather (often) attack and defense at the same time (save or be blind, oh well you made the save, at least you are not invisible anymore).

 

[jgsugden]

Some things to keep in mind:

When you gain a new spell level, your first spell should be a multipurpose spell that you'll want to cast often.

You need to balance your spells across a number of fields:
1.) Offense 25 - 35%
2.) Combat Defense 10 - 20%
3.) Utility 15 - 30%
4.) Movement - 10%
5.) Social Spells (Charms, etc ...) - 10%
6.) Party Aiding (haste, bulkl strength, etc ...) - 20%

You also need to balance your spells so that you can use them effectively:
1.) Spells you plan to cast during combat - 30%
2.) Spells you cast in preparation for combat - 30%
3.) Spells you use (often) for noncombat purposes - 40%

If you have too many combat spells, many of them will be redundant.

Most sorcerers ignore lower level SM spells thinking that they become useless at high levels. They are not useless. They change from combat spells to utility spells. SM I or SM II is a fine spell for finding traps, activating distant portals, etc ...

Offensive combat spells should eventually fill the following areas:
1.) Mass Fire Damage (Fireball)
2.) Mass Cold Damage (Cone of Cold)
3.) Acid Damage (Acid Arrow)
4.) Electrical Damage (Lightning Bolt)
5.) Force Damage (Magic Missile)
6.) Sonic Damage (Shout)
7.) Will Save Enemy Negation (Hold Monster)
8.) Fort Save Enemy Negation (Flesh to Stone, Disintegrate)
9.) Reflex Save Enemy Negation (Resilient Sphere)
10.) Duration Damage spell (Acid Fog)
11.) A mass damage spell with no reflex save (Ice Storm, Horrid Wilting)
12.) A damage spell that ignores SR (Acid Arrow)
13.) Indirect Damage (Summon Monster)

Some spells fill multiple of the above areas.

 

[apsuman]

IMHO, are more important for a sorcerer.

You would have 5 at level 9.

The feats you choose should be determined by the spells you know. For example, I love empower, but without a couple (or more) random dice spells, it is not that good.

Extend is really good, but only if you have a number of spells you can use it with.

Energy substitution is great but if you have many different types of energy spells may not be as necessary.

 

[mikebr99]

I would just wait for Teleport if I were you.

I'll 2nd that... but I don't want to spoil it to much as to why...

Mike