Looking for a versatile Sorc Build

[Lamoni]

And consider being an elf, so you can add...

Or consider not being an elf so you don't take the penalty to CON. I like having a high CON so I can stay alive. Going for high AC doesn't work as well since so many monsters can get through AC's in the 40's or higher at high levels. Right now my level 9 gnome sorcerer has 64 HP... the exact same as the half-dragon barbarian. I still always try to avoid combat, but that isn't always possible and I prefer to cast an offensive spell rather than waste rounds just trying to escape while not damaging the enemy at all.

As far as a bow or crossbow goes... sorcerers have plenty of spells so you shouldn't often run out of ranged offensive spells. And by the time you run into creatures that render your spells ineffective, a crossbow or longbow isn't going to do enough damage to really matter... even if you use true strike to make it hit. It could help if you had to wade through some mooks at level 10 who happened to be standing in an antimagic field... but how often will that come up? And how many of those times will you be by yourself without the other party members to help you?

 

[Antoine]

While this is certainly nice, it surely does not come even close to any higher level damage dealing spells.

But no energy resistance… So it's still a high level winner.

 

[Someone]

Any suggestions to surving Melee with d4 hit points

Dimension door, blink, displacement, mirror image... do not enter melee ever!

Also, I´d add Telekinesis to the list of versatile spells, specially now with the "combat maenouver (sp?)" option. Being able to grapple (with a good bonus) from 400+ feet rocks. Now you only need a black suit and a name that sound well with "Darth" before.

 

[Thanee]

Any suggestions to surving Melee with d4 hit points

Empowered False Life. Bear's Endurance (or even better an item with +Con). Polymorph into Troll (for example).

With those you are certainly able to surpass the fighter in hit points.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

But no energy resistance… So it's still a high level winner.

The biggest downside is the single target, really.
Just compare it with stuff like Horrid Wilting.

The good thing is really, that you can damage pretty much anything with it, but it's hardly more than a secondary backup attack.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Antoine]

The good thing is really, that you can damage pretty much anything with it, but it's hardly more than a secondary backup attack.

An expensive high-level magic missile equivalent !
Can't be countered too.

 

[Tidus4444]

If you're looking for versatility, there's really only one way to go. Take the arcane preperation feat, and go for Mage of the Arcane Order (in Tome and Blood). Access to the spellpool grants your sorcerer all of the miscelaneous spells the wizard gets, allowing you to take all the combat spells you need. I'd reccomend keeping one slot at each spell level open (that is, prepared as a blank spot) so you can use miscellaneous spells. If you've run out of damage dealing spells, you can always call on the spellpool for one more cone of cold to replace that slot.

 

[apsuman]

As far as a bow or crossbow goes... sorcerers have plenty of spells so you shouldn't often run out of ranged offensive spells. And by the time you run into creatures that render your spells ineffective, a crossbow or longbow isn't going to do enough damage to really matter... even if you use true strike to make it hit. It could help if you had to wade through some mooks at level 10 who happened to be standing in an antimagic field... but how often will that come up? And how many of those times will you be by yourself without the other party members to help you?

I agree about the high con....

But about this crossbow thing. I didn't mean to exclude spell use, but your BAB is poor. At low levels, if you have (fill in the blank here -- run out of spells for the day, encounter a baddie with shield rendering your magic missiles useless, etc.) you could cast true strike and with the guarantee (practically) to hit you can even safely (as safe as it gets) fire into melee. Sure your party should be with you, I assume the fighter type is occupying the bad guy so you you have a round to cast TS fire the crossbow.

If you are by yourself I suggest you run away at those levels.

 

[apsuman]

Any suggestions to surving Melee with d4 hit points

The d4 really bites, my suggestion is to avoid taking damage in the first place because all damage eats away at your HP much quicker than other classes. That's why I like mirror image. But here are some others.

high CON
endurance
false life
empowered false life
maximized empowered false life
mage armor
shield
blink
invisibility
fly
vampiric touch
empowered vampiric touch
Leadership (to get a bodyguard cohort)
blindness
mirror image

 

[Thanee]

Access to the spellpool grants your sorcerer all of the miscelaneous spells the wizard gets, allowing you to take all the combat spells you need.

Note, that by a very strict reading of the spellpool rules (which I think should be done there), a sorcerer cannot make use of the spellpool, since they cannot "leave their slots open" as wizards can, not even with Arcane Preparation.

One could be lenient and say, that their regular slots are no different, but that is technically surely not the same, since their slots can be used while in this state, left open wizard slots normally cannot be used directly. So its not the same state the slots are in for sure.

Bye
Thanee