Discussion - General Discussion Thread XI

[Patlin]

Here are my known spells:

0 Level
Detect Magic
Light
Message
Mage Hand

...

Here are the spells I'm thinking of adding:
(2) 0 Level-
Disrupt Undead
Daze: Humanoid creature of 4 HD or less loses next action.

Magic Missile and Scorching Ray are great. Daze rapidly becomes obsolete, and Disrupt Undead does very little to very specific opponents. I'd suggest different cantrips.

I don't think anyone should pass up Read Magic. Prestidigitation, Ghost Sound, and Dancing Lights all have a great deal of flavor and utility, I'd suggest one of those:

Prestidigitation can act as a tindertwig, clear off the muck after you've marched through a swamp, or allow you to harmlessly show off your talents in a tavern. Not to mention making trail rations or summoned food a lot more pleasant!

Ghost Sound is, as I learned from watching Beamer, a *great* way to sound an alarm such as summoning the fire brigaid when your inn is getting torched.

Dancing Lights is a good way to project light out ahead of the party.

 

[Salix]

Magic Missile and Scorching Ray are great. Daze rapidly becomes obsolete, and Disrupt Undead does very little to very specific opponents. I'd suggest different cantrips.

I don't think anyone should pass up Read Magic. Prestidigitation, Ghost Sound, and Dancing Lights all have a great deal of flavor and utility, I'd suggest one of those:

Prestidigitation can act as a tindertwig, clear off the muck after you've marched through a swamp, or allow you to harmlessly show off your talents in a tavern. Not to mention making trail rations or summoned food a lot more pleasant!

Ghost Sound is, as I learned from watching Beamer, a *great* way to sound an alarm such as summoning the fire brigaid when your inn is getting torched.

Dancing Lights is a good way to project light out ahead of the party.

Thanks Patlin! The character is a gnome, so he should have access to a few of the other cantrips.

A gnome with a Charisma score of at least 10 also has the following spell-like abilities: 1/day-dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + gnome's Cha modifier + spell level.

Does this mean I get to use one of the three once per day, or (wishful thinking) all three once per day? I'll definitely drop Daze for Read Magic. Would you drop the Disrupt Undead for one of the other three given that I should have access to them?

 

[Dungannon]

Salix, may I recommend Color Spray? It's highly effective against lower-level foes. Ask Patlin about gnomes with Color Spray.

 

[Salix]

Salix, may I recommend Color Spray? It's highly effective against lower-level foes. Ask Patlin about gnomes with Color Spray.

He already has it. Used it in his solo mission in Stuff of Dreams. He was up against a group of young vandals. BTW- How much cash did we make on that one, and can I buy any magic item for the cost listed in the SRD?

Also HPs alternate between 3 and 4 each level for a sorcerer, correct?

Thanks for the help. I don't have the PM, so I use the SRD, and sometimes it's hard for me to pick out all the right rules.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Salix, may I recommend Color Spray? It's highly effective against lower-level foes. Ask Patlin about gnomes with Color Spray.

I have to admit, our Illusionist Gnome Wizard (with 18 Int and Spell Focus Illusion ) kicked major major major ass with Colour Spray in the Paizo Shackled City Adventure Path. However, for a level 4 Sorcerer, since you get to switch out a 1st-level spell at that level, that's one I would think about switching out. Why? Well, it's going to start becoming completely worthless very quickly. I'll edit in a moment with an idea of what to take instead.

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

Magic Missile is a staple sorcerer spell, so definitely keep that one.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Oh dear, you have Hypnotism too. I would not have taken them both because they both go obsolete (both have fairly low HD limits) and you can only switch one of the two out. I have, however, a solution for you if you like--once Ashin's Commission ends (and the last fight starts like right now), my Psion can Psychic Reformation you and let you swap out both of those.

Here are some I might take instead:

Ray of Enfeeblement--even at high levels, this spell is absolute pure gold against bruiser enemies. And since you're probably going to be taking Empower Spell anyway at level 6 as your feat (you totally want to be able to Empower the Scorching Rays so that you need not select a level 4 attack spell and save yourself a slot for coolness!), you can then Empower the Ray of Enfeeblement for even more win!

Enlarge Person--this stays useful up to high levels because big hulking Barbarians with Greataxes or Greatsword love it to pieces when you give them what amounts to a total of +0 to hit and +4.5 or +5.5 (depending on even or odd str) to damage, plus extended reach for AoO goodness!

Mage Armour--this one is a "maybe" spell. You might ask "Why don't I just buy a wand of it and save myself the spell slot, since 1 hour is long enough anyway". You raise a good point. Only get this if you'd like to use your plethora of level 1 slots to cover for, say, yourself and another arcane caster, or yourself and a monk (who will love you and hug you to pieces if you give her this spell)

Expeditious Retreat--Sometimes it sucks to be a gnome. Those sometimes times are usually when something is running you down with your feeble 20 foot speed. But not anymore with this spell

Unseen Servant / Disguise Self--useful utility spells to have on the fly if you are creative. The level 17 enemy Wizard recently used Unseen Servant to carry Delayed Blast Fireballs into an area she couldn't physically enter Disguise Self is less useful for a Gnome than it is for others.

 

[orsal]

Also HPs alternate between 3 and 4 each level for a sorcerer, correct?

Nope. After the first level it's 3/4 of maximum, so 3 for a sorcerer at every level -- it's just 4 HP at 1st level.

 

[SlagMortar]

However, for a level 4 Sorcerer, since you get to switch out a 1st-level spell at that level, that's one I would think about switching out.

A 4th level sorcerer can only switch out a 0th level spell. The spell has to be 2 levels lower than the highest level you can cast.

I agree with the other suggestions. In my opinion, you've got a little redundancy in spells with will save and also in direct damage, though both magic missile and scorching ray are very good spells that are hard to go wrong with.

 

[Rystil Arden]

A 4th level sorcerer can only switch out a 0th level spell. The spell has to be 2 levels lower than the highest level you can cast.

I agree with the other suggestions. In my opinion, you've got a little redundancy in spells with will save and also in direct damage, though both magic missile and scorching ray are very good spells that are hard to go wrong with.

Ah--I misremembered the details due to never playing a Sorcerer (I really don't care for the mechanics) and not having to worry about swapping for NPC Sorcerers I create as a GM.

Anyway, Psychic Reformation can still let him switch out both. It's not just that they have a Will Save--they also have a cap on the number of HD they can affect, which makes those spells both of the variety that quickly become complete deadweight.