help with sorcerer build

[parinho7]

I am about to play in a new campaign and I am quite excited since I have decided to play my favorite class, a sorcerer for the first time ever!!

I made some thoughts on the build but I can't decide on some things and I seek the knowledge of the more experienced members.

Let me first post the campaign details:
-start at level 4 (although I'll plan my char up to level 20)
-34 points for abilities, starting from 10
-other party members: wizard/fighter, hexblade, barbarian/druid
-4000 gp as starting gold from equipment
-books, ph, ph2, dmg (except red wizard) and complete series (except psionics) only, please have that in mind and don't suggest something that isn't contain in one of these books. this rule is very strict

My thoughs about the build now, I definetely want to take levels in Mage of the Arcane Order, the question is "how many?". The build as I though it is going to be a mix of MotAO, Fatespinner and Archmage(??) but I can't decide how many levels should I take in each prc.
Does Archmage worth the feats? If taken, what high arcane should I choose?

What about familiar vs divine companion vs metamagic specialist?
I chose the divine companion because I don't want to bother managing the familiar and I've excluded metamagic specialist because I'm going to take the rapid metamagic feat.I also feel safer with the bonuses since greater resistance and ruin delver's fortune are forbidden. I would like to hear opinions on the matter that could make me reconcider my desicion.

What about feats? With the current build witch is not final (src(7)/fatespinner(4)/motao(9)) I have,
arcane preparation
heighten spell
cooperative spell
maximize spell
sculpt spell
split ray
rapid metamagic
quicken spell
twin spell
Any suggestions? I really miss persistent spell, should I make room for it?!

About the spell selection at level 4.
1st Level Spells: Magic Missile, Bigby's Tripping Hand, +1 more
2nd Level: 1 spell ??
suggestions???

finally, where should I spend my 4000 gold pieces?

thanks in advance!

 

[Xakk]

What is complete series? Is Dragon Magazine included? Because that's got the brilliant Bloodline feats for Wizards, which really lets you flavor your Sorceror the way the class suggests. Even without Dragon, you can start the Draconic Heritage line of feats, from Complete Arcane, which can give you a breath/claw attack, natural armor, flight, frightful presense, resistances, and a new class skill.

For your one remaining 1st level I would suggest Backbiter, from Spell Compendium, not Complete Arcane. The spell causes the next melee attack made with a weapon targeted to hit it's wielder instead, which never misses, and without warning the weapon's wielder. With a wand or two of this spell it becomes a good defense and offense at once.

 

[parinho7]

What is complete series?

Complete Adventurer
Complete Arcane
Complete Champion
Complete Divine
Complete Mage
Complete Scoundrel
Complete Warrior

so, no spell compendium thus no backbiter

 

[Dandu]

Sorcerer5/MotAO9/Fatespinner4/Archmage2

Spell and feats: be inspired by this.

 

[parinho7]

Sorcerer5/MotAO9/Fatespinner4/Archmage2

Spell and feats: be inspired by this.

i don't see the spells

 

[kitcik]

i don't see the spells

Go to the check box labeled "Display Spells and Powers."

Check it.

Wait a few seconds.

Profit.

 

[parinho7]

Go to the check box labeled "Display Spells and Powers."

Check it.

Wait a few seconds.

Profit.

you dispelled my blindness!

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Archmage: Definitely Mastery of Shaping. Beyond that, it's up to preference. Getting a 9th level spell as an SLA 2/day at the cost of a 9th and 5th level slot is probably worth it, Shapechange being the obvious best pick though Time Stop and others are also nice. May not be worth it, though, the feat burden IS very hefty.

Which of those feats other than Coop Spell and Arcane Preparation are actually required for your prestige classes? Maximize isn't worth using, IMO. Having Quicken, Twin, and Split Ray seems excessive. Narrow that down to 2 choices, maybe. How much ray shooting do you plan to do? Do you need Heighten? Without Shadowcraft Mage, it just doesn't seem that useful to me. Just swap lower level slots for buffs later on rather than spells that do nothing on a save and you won't need it. I think Residual Magic (CM) is an awesome reserve feat and worth looking into, ditto for Minor Shapechange (also CM).

Books: Is Monster Manual and UA off-limits? If so, I guess be human, gnome, or halfling. If they're open, Water Halfling, Forest Gnome, and Wild Elf all might be decent for race. Can't find any +Cha ones, though.

Spells: I don't recall Bigby's Tripping Hand being good at all. I'd get Color Spray and Grease. If the orb spells are in C.Arcane, maybe replace magic missile with a lesser acid orb. Are you relying on a wand for Mage Armor? That could be one of your spells. 2nd level, Alter Self, Glitterdust, and Web are the best core spells, I think. Mirror Image is great, but I'd take it later, get a spammable offensive spell first.

 

[parinho7]

Archmage: Definitely Mastery of Shaping. Beyond that, it's up to preference. Getting a 9th level spell as an SLA 2/day at the cost of a 9th and 5th level slot is probably worth it, Shapechange being the obvious best pick though Time Stop and others are also nice. May not be worth it, though, the feat burden IS very hefty.

I decided to take it down a notch with optimization in favor of role playing so I am making an insidious, money-grubbing gnome gambler so the first 6 levels are going to be: silent spell and arcane preparation, cooperative spell (for the MotAO). so i won't waste more feats to become an archmage.

Which of those feats other than Coop Spell and Arcane Preparation are actually required for your prestige classes? Maximize isn't worth using, IMO. Having Quicken, Twin, and Split Ray seems excessive. Narrow that down to 2 choices, maybe. How much ray shooting do you plan to do? Do you need Heighten? Without Shadowcraft Mage, it just doesn't seem that useful to me. Just swap lower level slots for buffs later on rather than spells that do nothing on a save and you won't need it. I think Residual Magic (CM) is an awesome reserve feat and worth looking into, ditto for Minor Shapechange (also CM).

ok, maximize is out! I am keeping quicken. The other feats I think are going to depend on the spell selection and style of play. I'd like to be debbufer/bombardier, I am thinking of spells like, ray of enfeeblement/exhaustion slow, enervation, waves of exhaustion, walls and fogs for debbufing/controlling and missiles, fireballs, orbs and of course disintegrate for bombing. I expect some suggestions on the feat selection according to my style of play. As I see it I think split ray might be useful but I am expecting feedback to make my final decisions.

Books: Is Monster Manual and UA off-limits? If so, I guess be human, gnome, or halfling. If they're open, Water Halfling, Forest Gnome, and Wild Elf all might be decent for race. Can't find any +Cha ones, though.

I haven't checked with the dm for mm races but I am going with gnome. As for UA even mentioning it will mean even banning me from the campaing!!

Spells: I don't recall Bigby's Tripping Hand being good at all. I'd get Color Spray and Grease. If the orb spells are in C.Arcane, maybe replace magic missile with a lesser acid orb. Are you relying on a wand for Mage Armor? That could be one of your spells. 2nd level, Alter Self, Glitterdust, and Web are the best core spells, I think. Mirror Image is great, but I'd take it later, get a spammable offensive spell first.

i was thinking of taking bigby's th untill level 6 and then replace it with protection from evil. spells like mage armor and alter self I get through spellpool. what do you think about
magic missile
protection from evil
ray of enfeeblement
true casting
true strike
for level 1 spells?

also I have a big problem deciding my 4th level spells, i've narrowed down the selection to dimension door
solid fog
ice storm
bestow curse
enervation
polymorph
greater mirror image
orb of force
assay resistance
unluck
wrack
and I must pick only 4

any suggestions on spells of any level are welcome!

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

The main benefit to Split Ray is, iirc, there is no metamagic rod to replace it with. Still, don't get it w/o a bunch of rays you plan to get, though enervation almost singlehandedly makes it worth the feat.

If MM races are allowed Forest Gnome is basically regular gnome plus a bunch of cool minor bonuses (though you'd need Int 12 or some ranks in speak language because they don't automatically know common), I suggest using that.

Spells:
Protection from Evil, True Strike, and True Casting care just about nothing for CL or casting mod, so I'd wand/scroll those rather than waste a spell known or spellpool usage. At least with Mage Armor it lasts so long having a high CL to protect from dispel is a valid reason to learn it or get from spellpool. As a sorc, be very picky with your spells known, don't get anything that works just as well from a cheap item.
Ray of Enfeeblement is a solid spell. I like Ray of Clumsiness (identical, but transmutation and penalizes Dex) better, though, if it was printed in C.Arcane before it was in SpC.

Level 4 spells:
Almost all of those are pretty good. I would not get Unluck (it actually got shifted to 3rd level in SpC and it's still debatable if it's that good), Bestow Curse (it's melee touch range and clerics get it earlier -- casting spells on the cleric list already makes you a sucker according to Logic Ninja, casting cleric spells at a higher level REALLY makes you a sucker ), or Wrack (not familiar w/ it in the completes, but IIRC it's a humorous but albeit too limited evil spell that is melee touch and only works on humanoids by causing them severe horrific pain, is it the same?).
Polymorph, aside from being one of the best spells in the game, has a lot of versatility which is a boon to a sorc, and you can use it to buff the melee people as well as yourself, so I'd say that's the top pick. Others are all pretty good, I'd take Solid Fog over Ice Storm and definitely not both. Also don't like the damage on orb of force, especially if you're already packing magic missile for when you need force damage. That reminds me...you may want Empower Spell instead of Maximize. It's sort of worth the cost, unlike Maximize, and it shines on d4 +x type variable numbers (since it multiplies the entire thing).