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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pawsplay" data-source="post: 3424762" data-attributes="member: 15538">1. That's a matter of taste.2. Yes. It's not a simple equation.For a 1st level character, I always know one of mage armor, magic missile, sleep, or shield. It's not a bad idea to know two of those. In general, I take the first spell of each level in my specialty, and the rest according to general usefulness. Sometimes specific concerns take precedence; for instance, haste may be more valuable than other 3rd spells within my theme. There are three classes of spells that deserve special consideration. Those are summonings/calling, portmaneau spells, and basic vanilla spells. Summon and call spells are extremely useful for sorcerers because summoned creatures have a variety of abilities. Fighting a troll? Summon a fire elemental. Attacked by fliers? Summon your own. Can't get past a special door? Call a powerful outsider with a useful spell-like ability. Because you summon from a list, knowing such a spell is like knowing several spells.Portmanteau spells are spells that do more than one thing. The prime example is shadow conjuration, which allows you to cast a huge number of conjurations. Sure, it eats up a higher slot and allows will saves, but it's one spell that could be any of a number of other spells. You never know when you'll suddenly, desperately, need a grease spell or a summoned creature with poison or a wall of ... something. Otiluke's freezing sphere is another good example. A less obvious example is gate, which in a pinch can be used to attack someone, escape, acquire an ally, or imprison someone. Basic vanilla spells include everything that is just really useful, like haste, magic missile, dispel magic, and so forth. This includes virtually all damage dealing spells. Do NOT take lots of damage dealing spells; take the minimum you can get by on and damage creatures of various power levels.My general procedure:1. At each new spell level, take one in your theme, unless the choices of that level stink.2. Second, if you didn't take a vanilla spell last spell level, take one this time. This particularly includes attack spells. If you took scorching ray, don't take fireball, but conversely, if you haven't had an attack spell since magic missile, take an attack spell.3. Take the summon monster spell of that level, unless you took one last level 4. Take spells that you like that you anticipate casting on an occasional basis (use scrolls and wands for spells used rarely).5. Take more spells within your chosen theme.</blockquote>

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