Better blaster: evoker or sorcerer?

[Nifft]

There are numerous ways to use Quicken as a Sorcerer, like the feat or the alternate class feature in PHB2 (who wants a familiar anyway?).

If the PHB-II is allowed, then I choose the Conjurer variant (with Immediate Magic: Abrupt Jaunt) as superior to the Sorcerer.

Actually, the more splat books you allow, the more the Conjurer eats the Evoker alive.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Particle_Man]

Complete Mage has a specialist alt. class ability and specialist prestige class that, I think, puts the evoker wizard on par with the sorcerer in spells per day (as long as a lot of them are evocation)

 

[Felix]

One word: Quicken.

Cheers, -- N

Back at you: Inflexible.

If you say that all the Evoker is going to do is blast stuff, and that's how you prepare your spells, then that's all he can do. A sorcerer can blast all day but if a problem shows up that can't be solved by a [Quickened] spell, he can use his other spells known. Once an Evoker prepares his spells, he's locked in (unless he leaves slots open to prepare a spell in 15 minutes; but then that slot is no good if he needs it now).

The only way an Evoker is going to be better is if he always knows ahead of time which spells he should prepare, [Quicken], [Empower], and leave open for later. The less prescience he has, the fewer spells per day he'll use, and the less effective a Boom-mage he'll be.

 

[Felix]

Complete Mage has a specialist alt. class ability and specialist prestige class that, I think, puts the evoker wizard on par with the sorcerer in spells per day (as long as a lot of them are evocation)

Oh, sure. The best Boom-mage is going to be a Focused Specialist Evoker / Master Specialist. Just make sure not to pick Conjuration as your barred school, since you'll be pulling from that school quite a bit.

Actually, the more splat books you allow, the more the Conjurer eats the Evoker alive.

The Orbs are the tipping point. If they're allowed, then it's the Conjurer that's the best Boom-mage. Damn shame, that.

 

[Nifft]

If you say that all the Evoker is going to do is blast stuff, and that's how you prepare your spells, then that's all he can do. A sorcerer can blast all day but if a problem shows up that can't be solved by a [Quickened] spell, he can use his other spells known. Once an Evoker prepares his spells, he's locked in

There's this nifty item creation feat Scribe Scroll; Wizards tend to have it, and it allows them a lot of flexibility.

The only way an Evoker is going to be better is if he always knows ahead of time which spells he should prepare, [Quicken], [Empower], and leave open for later. The less prescience he has, the fewer spells per day he'll use, and the less effective a Boom-mage he'll be.

An Evoker can use a Rod of Metamagic (Quicken) -- he does not need to know in advance which spells he will want to cast twice per round.

Sorcerers (who are limited to the PHB) do not have this option. They are inflexible in their own way.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Nifft]

The Orbs are the tipping point. If they're allowed, then it's the Conjurer that's the best Boom-mage. Damn shame, that.

QFT.

C, -- N

 

[Felix]

There's this nifty item creation feat Scribe Scroll; Wizards tend to have it, and it allows them a lot of flexibility.

By all means. The Wizard is welcome to spend GP and XP to catch him up to something the Sorcerer can already do with his spells. The sorcerer has fewer spells to do it with, so we're back to even. So it still depends on how much prescience the Evoker has.

An Evoker can use a Rod of Metamagic (Quicken) -- he does not need to know in advance which spells he will want to cast twice per round.

Sorcerers (who are limited to the PHB) do not have this option. They are inflexible in their own way.

Cheers, -- N

*Shrug*. The rods grant "the ability to use the given feat a specified number of times per day." Sorcerers must use the Metamagic feat the same way they always do: by using a full-round action. How do Wizards *use* metamagic feats?

You've heard the argument of course. It's not without opposition, but the argument can be fairly easily made that Wizards must use the Rods when they prepare their spells, and not while casting on the fly. Depending upon the DM's ruling, your Quicken rod would help your case, or not really.

---

And absolutely Sorcerers have their own brand of inflexibility. Wizards have good strategic flexibility (adaptable over time and with preparation) and Sorcerers have good tactical flexibility (adaptable on the spot); but since the question is about a field-artillery character, I'd rather have flexible tactics than flexible strategy; the second you're in a firefight, the time for strategy has already passed. Unless you know the fight is coming. Prescience, again.

 

[WhatGravitas]

...but since the question is about a field-artillery character, I'd rather have flexible tactics than flexible strategy; the second you're in a firefight, the time for strategy has already passed.

Therefore my recommendation to get a runestaff... they give the wizard a great deal of extra flexibility.

 

[Felix]

Therefore my recommendation to get a runestaff... they give the wizard a great deal of extra flexibility.

What's a runestaff?

 

[Nifft]

*Shrug*. The rods grant "the ability to use the given feat a specified number of times per day." Sorcerers must use the Metamagic feat the same way they always do: by using a full-round action. How do Wizards *use* metamagic feats?

You've heard the argument of course. It's not without opposition

"Not without opposition" is an understatement. That's an uncommon reading. About as uncommon as allowing a Sorcerer to pick spells from other spell-lists, which is another can of worms we shouldn't open.

Anyway: without splatbooks, Sorcerers can't Quicken.

With splatbooks, Conjurers beat both Sorcerers and Evokers.

Sorcerers do get some nice things, but a Wizard with time and money is an absolute terror. (And above a certain level, Wizards can pretty much print their own money...)

- - -

Runestaves are from the Magic Item Compendium. They allow you to spontaneously convert a prepared spell (or unused spell-slot) into a specific spell imbued in the Runestaff, 3/day per imbued spell. It's a great item for Wizards and Sorcerers, since it gives the Wizard more tactical flexibility and it gives the Sorcerer more spells known.

Cheers, -- N