Tiefling Sorceress optimization!

[Mooseberg0620]

Hello all!

So to spare you the boring bits of why, I'm looking for some optimization help with a character I am building (And ultimately going legacy with in Pathfinder and 5e because I really like her story and I think I am going to love playing her.

My big look is for my level 2 feat as well as some general limited* optimization. (Some choices are in stone and I'll tag and explain them. But as it stands Im building this character for level 2 so all other options are open.

Tiefling* Storm Soul Sorcerer* (Tiefling just because I really want to play one, and Storm soul because I love lightning powers. I did have a hard time choosing between it and the Air Elementalist, but I like the range better on the Storm Sorc which I think fits the party needs better...)

Stats: 20 Cha, 16 Dex, 14 Con, 14 Int, 10 Wis, 8 str. Racials are already in (+2 Cha, +2 Int.)

Powers: Lightning Strike, Blazing starfall, Whirlwind, Howling tempest. Level 2 utility Wall of Water.

Feat Selection: Accurate Staff and either a Warlock MC or Staff Mastery. (I was told I should diversify before static bonuses. So I might take Warlock MC first for the skill and a single target encounter power like eye bite.)

Skills: Arcana, Bluff, Diplomacy, and Insight. Warlock MC will be Intimidate or maybe stealth. (or I might trade Intimidate out for Insight)

Thank you to all who reply in advance and to someone whose mother was an orc for kicking me over here.

 

[Mooseberg0620]

And this is for 4e.

 

[Zathris]

A lot of what you were told is wrong.
1. There is nothing wrong with Tiefling Sorcs, while they do favor Fire instead of Lightning/Thunder, they have 2 particularly impressive feats that you ought to work into your list at some point (like level 8+): Imperious Majesty (small boost to Initiative, Large boost to defenses against enemies you hit) and Secrets of Belial (you can learn 1 utility power from any other class)

2. Specialize first so that you're Always Competent at your role, then diversify after you know you can (as a Striker) "kill stuff dead". The caevat to this is to specialize things that make sense, only taking "Storm" powers when there's no real benefit isn't really specializing in anything except fluff. You'll want Flame Spiral, you'll want a different at-will, to fill the desire for Lightning stuff you'll want an Accurate Lightning Staff as your implement as soon as you can get one. Then, and only then, start looking at +Lightning feats/items.

3. Lightning Strike is actually terrible aside from killing minions, which is what Blazing Starfall is for anyway. Acid Orb for range, or Dragonfrost for Forced Movement.

4. I don't know what Staff Mastery is, there's no such feat in 4e. If you meant "Staff Expertise" then absolutely 100% that should be your first feat. If you are planning on using Staffs then there is no better feat in the game (I personally prefer Daggers, but the difference is irrelevant at such a low level)

5. MC Warlock is a good feat (particularly if you take Binding Initiate instead of Pact Initiate) but it can wait until after you take care of locking in your ability to be a Striker.

 

[Mooseberg0620]

itemized points are win.

1.) Also Win

2.) I might be mis representing what i was told. I think exactly it was to choose static boosts second. But Im not sure your point is much different in reference to that.

3.) Dragon Frost I can see, and will look at, but Acid Orb im not as sold on. 1d10 is good as is 2x the range, but most of the time I dont need that much range.

4.)And that was me derping Staff Expertise. I like the idea of Daggers but Im told that there just isnt a comparable option to staff of Ruin for Daggers. Feel free to make that case.

5.) alrighty.

 

[Mooseberg0620]

I should add that there is a plan to go with the Lightning Fury PP So I will get to ignore resistance to lightning and even most immunities will be meaningless.

Tempest Magic and Lightning Soul are also on the list of upgrades.

 

[Zathris]

I think "static boosts second" is misleading, there is sufficient "other stuff" that if you delay static boosts you won't be dealing much damage. Static boosts just need to be meaningful, around mid-paragon it becomes "give me all the static boosts" because suddenly every feat and item is +3s instead of +1s.

I just noticed your stats, if you are remotely planning on getting to epic, switch your Int and Str scores. Int is meaningless (sorry, you'll never be the Arcana god that Wizards are) and you need 15 Str in Epic for the expanded crit range.

Staffs: Staff Expertise prevents provoking, which saves you from having to take Shimmering Armor. Staff of Ruin is a great damage boost in Heroic, but in Paragon damage type optimization is worth more than Ruin and selecting powers that natively have that type is a terrible idea (at least for Sorcs), it's also not worth having your bonuses only apply to some of your powers. So eventually you ditch the Staff of Ruin for a Lightning/Frost/Radiant Staff anyway. If rares are an option, Staff of the Magi is a good golfbag item.

Daggers: War Wizard's Expertise gives you a penalty to hit your allies, useful for the couple unfriendly powers that are actually good (most unfriendly powers actually are not good!) or if you get Dominated. Daggers are necessary for Ensorcelled Blade at-will, which is a must-have if you have a Warlord/Bard/Ardent/Shaman that's going to be grating you attacks. Daggers likewise come in Lightning/Frost/Radiant but they also come in Thunderbolt, which is like Lightning but entirely better (1/day free action Dragonfrost/Acid Orb) and the phenomenal though Rare weapon of speed (+Initiative, 1/enc minor action Dragonfrost/Acid Orb).

Basically, Daggers are better in an optimized party where there's a leader that's going to be granting you attacks, otherwise I like the convenience of Staffs.

 

[Noctem]

+1 to everything Zathris has said.

 

[Mooseberg0620]

So feat wise it sounds like we are pretty comfortable with Staff Expertise, it will defenitely be my level 4 feat. Level 2 is getting bumped to Accurate Staff and my level 1 feat is going to be the Binder MC. (Reasoning below because its not an Op reason.)

My Stats do include the +2 int Tieflings get so reorganized would be a 10 Int and a 12 str. So I'd need to drop a point into str at some point to grab the 15. I will definitely consider it as int doesnt factor into any of my feat plans, Lightning Fury, or Heir to the Empire (Though I do get a +2 to my int from that.) Our party has no Arcana trained folks at the moment, BUT I can get the same +2 bonus from my background instead. So at least someone will have an idea of what they are doing when we come upon magic stuff.

Daggers/Staff of Ruin. I kind of like the idea of a Dagger for this character (though not sure how you use a Dagger as an implement thematically.)So I'd like to know more about about the limitations on Staff of Ruin and it's damage bonus. it's an item Im not familiar with just been told "GET IT AND LOVE IT!" And it doesnt look limiting, but Im not familiar enough with the sorc to say it's fine when given reason to doubt it being fine.


So I picked the Binder MC so early because my character's backstory is that she was kidnapped as a child by a cult who decided she was their key to infernal or otherworldly powers (dooms day, Y2k, blah blah blah.) Part test subject, part living Goddess she was pushed to become a Warlock, she never liked the idea of it, and her innate sorcerous magic resisted the process, but she still learned quite a bit and got friendly with some otherwordly powers even if she didnt form a pact like most Warlocks do.

 

[MwaO]

There's no reason whatsoever to ever take Accurate Staff over Staff Expertise in terms of order - you can use an Accurate Magic Item, you just don't get the +1 to hit. +1 to hit <<< +1 to hit+no provoking.

Tieflings can put their +2 into Con/Cha instead of Int/Cha.

Picking an MC feat into Warlock gives you some sort of pact. You're just not the full-fledged kind.

 

[Mooseberg0620]

ok.

and I might go with Con, 2 extra HP, anda surge. (forgot about that.)

And my error in word choice. I didnt mean wasn't forming a pact, I just meant that she wasn't forming the same pact that most Warlocks forge. And I think I'll have her do it later in life but still before the adventure begins.