Class Acts: Sorcerer - "The Shivs of Sorcery"

[Klaus]

Hi Klaus. I just want to take a moment and try to clarify what's going on; I've seen a lot of very positive and some very negative comments about your article in several places. It's really not fair.

Basically, your article is like a gourmet gelato - really good stuff - but for the sorcerer, it's the middle of winter.

To answer your question above; there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving the barbarian ranged attacks. The problem is your article assumes the barbarian already has ranged attacks. For people playing a ranged-attack barbarian, this is a godsend, but for most of us, it's not very useful.

When I read your article, I was intrigued, but also bothered by the missed opportunities. A weapon-using sorcerer is a cool idea, but you've fixated on daggers. For example: why can't Master of Knives grant you the ability to use any light blade as a weapon and implement in place of a dagger? This would open up many possibilities for swashbuckling sorcerers, and make multi-classing or hybriding into bard and swordmage more interesting. I know the focus of your article was roguish-sorcerers, but there is no harm in making the individual components a little broader.

I see what you mean, AJ. Some of the powers were downgraded during the design phase, to keep with new power design notions (Teleporting Strike, for instance, was pretty much Twin Strike, with a teleport between attacks). And back when the article was written, there weren't any superior implement daggers.

I'd love to add more powers and more oomph to the powers for a melee sorcerer, I think it's a really cool build that could use more support.

 

[Rerednaw]

So how do you expand crit range for a sorcerer?
Many classes get access to expanded crit ranges at heroic (fighter/warlord vanguard style, seeker via stance daily, etc...)

Sorcerers seem to be stuck until paragon (luckbender for one) and usually late 16+ paragon. There's jagged if you're a dagger wielder and if you can get one.

Anyone?

 

[RigaMortus2]

Ensorcelled Blade
If the target hits or misses you with a melee attack before the start of your next turn, it takes damage equal to the extra damage from your Spell Source class feature.

Why is this worded so strangely?

Why not word it:

If the target makes a melee attack against you before the start of you next turn...

The way it's worded seems weird to me. If the target hits or missed with a melee attack? Is there a 3rd option I should be aware of?

 

[Robtheman]

There is a reason. Other immediate reactions might prevent the attack from resolving. If they do then the atack cannot hit OR miss. This avoids stacking responses from multiple pc's. If you let the attack resolve they get punished by your sorcerer power.

 

[Klaus]

Why is this worded so strangely?

Why not word it:

If the target makes a melee attack against you before the start of you next turn...

The way it's worded seems weird to me. If the target hits or missed with a melee attack? Is there a 3rd option I should be aware of?

"Effect"-based powers are excluded. It must be a "rolled" attack.

 

[Jack99]

So how do you expand crit range for a sorcerer?
Many classes get access to expanded crit ranges at heroic (fighter/warlord vanguard style, seeker via stance daily, etc...)

Sorcerers seem to be stuck until paragon (luckbender for one) and usually late 16+ paragon. There's jagged if you're a dagger wielder and if you can get one.

Anyone?

Actually, most classes get access to increased constant crit-range at paragon-level.

 

[renau1g]

Daggermaster used to be the way to go but WotC tightened up that ability.