(Psi)SeveredHead said:
Two unrelated questions
1) If you're a sorcerer, what 1st-level spells should you pick? Specifically for offensive spells?
Is Shocking Grasp worth it? Has entering melee to use it been a problem?
Is Color Spray worth it? Unlike Burning Hands, it may fail to have an effect, but it is more powerful (IMO).
Has the low AC and hp been a real problem, and were you able to solve it? What if you've been surprised?
My take on sorcerors and first level spells: Shield and something else.
Pound for pound, shield is simply the best defensive spell available. It's a +7 cover bonus to your AC that will stack with everything else (because it's not easy to get cover bonusses) and it makes you immune to magic missiles.
Your second first level spell should be something semi-offensive that will scale as you advance in level.
True Strike is a good choice--at higher levels, it's useful to make sure you hit with a disintegrate and at first level firing a light crossbow every other round in combination with true strike is almost as good as magic missile (and shield doesn't stop it).
Ray of Enfeeblement isn't a bad choice--but only if you're prepared to crank the save DC with spell focus, etc. Otherwise the people it's most useful against (high fort save fighter types) will almost always make their save.
Tome and Blood's Lesser Orb spells are a good alternative to Magic Missile--particularly if you invest in point blank and precise shot as feats.
Color Spray isn't a very useful later on (although it's better than sleep).
Burning Hands is simply an amazing spell if you pick the right metamagic feats (Sculpt Spell from Tome and Blood) because it can turn into a 2nd level cone of fire. A sculpted Burning Hands is the best 2nd level offensive spell hands down. An Enlarged Burning Hands is better than most 2nd level offensive spells (although glitterdust, blindness/deafness, and Web provide competition). At first level, it's not too impressive though so, even if you plan on going that route, you might want to wait for 3rd level to pick the spell up.
Chill Touch is a good spell if you plan on going the necromancy Spectral hand touch attack route. At first level, you can stand up front and use it in melee for a bit if you have the Shield Spell and a decent con.
Shocking Grasp doesn't scale well, stay away from it--by third level, it deals less damage than Magic Missile and it has no range. It also doesn't effect multiple targets like Burning Hands. The Lesser Energy Orbs are better in almost every way.
Pick up Magic Missile at third level if you're going to get it.
As for Low AC and hit points--allocate a good score to con (14 or higher if available) and consider a toad familiar if that's not enough. There's not much you can do about low AC other than stay in the middle of the party and cast shield. (Well, you could try wearing leather armor and suck up the 10% spell failure but it probably isn't worth it). At higher levels, you can cast a multiple extended Mage Armor with your highest level spell slot available before you go to bed. By the time you hit 8th level, that will last until you camp the next day. At 10th level, you can pick up Persistent Spell (Tome and Blood) and have your Shield spell active 24/7 too.
2) For successful fighter/mages, what's the best overall strategy?
Did you try to maximize your attack bonus? Damage? AC? Is it better to use buffs, or just True Strike? Is taking Greater Magic Weapon worth it, or are you just wasting a spell slot for the day?
What sort of non-buff spells did you pick? Polymorph Other? Hold Monster? Direct Damage?
What do you do if you're surprised? Or de-buffed?
Lastly, what's the best type of wand to use?
Thanks in advance
First a warning about fighter/mage classes--they're very hard to pull off successfully. In my experience, a very optimized fighter/mage is no more effective than your average fighter or wizard. That being said, I play a fighter/wizard in Living Greyhawk who's worked pretty well.
Advice:
1. Decide whether you want to primarily be a fighter or a wizard. Fighter 1 or 2/Wizard X can work and Fighter X/Wizard 1 or 2 (also known as the "Shield Wizard") is quite effective too. A 1/1 fighter/wizard split, however doesn't provide enough fighting abiltity or enough spellcasting to be effective in either role.
2. Allocate your stats accordingly. You can afford to start off with a 14 intelligence if you're going fighter 2/wizard x. If you're planning fighter x/wizard 1 or 2, you shouldn't have more than a 12 int (unless you want expertise).
3. Specialize. If you pick Abjuration as a specialty, you can cast an extra shield, protection from arrows, dispel magic, and stoneskin per day. All you have to give up is enchantment or illusion. Other specialties can be effective too but I'm partial to abjuration.
4. Know your strengths and your limitations. You will have a lot of flexibility but not a lot of attack bonus. Make your feat choice correspond to this. My character (currently fighter 2/wizard 6) has Power Attack, Cleave, Dodge, Quickdraw, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Scribe Scroll, and Extend Spell. His next two feats will be Expert Tactician and Persistent Spell. (If I had it to do over again, I'd skip dodge for Weapon focus (Glaive) though. My AC is very good already but my attack bonus is anemic).
5. It's easier to build a defensive fighter/wizard than an offensive one. Leather armor, a 14 dex, large shield, and the shield spell give you an AC of 23 at second level. As soon as you can get a mithril chain shirt that goes up to 25. If you get the Cat's Grace or protection from evil spells as well, that's 27. With Haste, that's AC 31. On the other hand, there's not much a wizard can do to increase his attack bonus or physical damage output--magic weapon (quite limited), bull's strength, greater magic weapon, and a few others.
6. True Strike. It's a very good spell but you have to use it tactically. If you just want to deal damage, you're probably better off attacking twice than casting true strike and attacking once--even if you power attack. In any event, the extra damage you deal that way isn't usually worth the opportunity cost of a first level spell. True strike is best used against concealed foes (negates miss chance), in conjunction with a disarm attack (it's hard to beat an opposed attack roll with a +20 bonus) and for those ranged attacks that would otherwise be impossible (an orc in armor 400 feet out, behind a tower shield, spotting for the catapults).
7. Look for synergies. Power attack/true strike is an example of this (although not a great one). Shield +real armor+real shield is an example of this. So is Darkness+Blindfight (feat) but only if the rest of your party has blindfight. Blink, Color Spray, Blindness/Deafness, and Glitterdust also have great synergy with Expert Tactician. Flaming sphere also has pretty good synergy for a low-mid level fighter/mage (Since your BAB is low, you only attack once per round which means that you have a MEA left to direct the sphere--it's the fighter/mage's version of multiple attacks). Burning Hands is also good for a mid level melee oriented fighter/mage since you'll usually be in a position to make good use of it.
8. As you can see, I favor a mix of buffs and save or screw spells with a little direct damage tossed in on the side. My character's currently known spells are: 1-Shield, Protection From Evil, True Strike, Endure Elements, Color Spray, Burning Hands, Magic Missile, Mage Armor, Alarm 2-Bull's Strength, Protection From Arrows, Resist Elements, Glitterdust, Flaming Sphere 3-Haste, Dispel Magic, Protection From Elements, Blink.
His usual spell loadout is : 0-Dancing Lights x2, detect Magic, Presdigitation; 1-Shield, Protection From Evil, True Strike, Magic Missile, Open Slot (for alarm if he doesn't need to replace another spell before evening); 2-Bull's Strength, Protection From Arrows, Glitterdust x2, Flaming Sphere; 3-Blink, Dispel Magic, Haste (x2)
I also tend to favor save or screw spells with will saves since they're not level dependant in terms of effect (like direct damage spells) and my save DCs haven't been very impressive historically. (That's what you get with a 14 starting int and no spell focus feats). Few bad guys have good will saves.
9. Debuffed? I cast Bull's strength if there's a reasonable expectation of combat in the next few hours and protection from arrows if I suspect trouble in the next hour. Those are my character's only long-term buff spell though. Usually, a round 1 haste, Shield, MEA combo is all the buffing I get.
10. Surprised? I'm just as screwed as everyone else. Combat reflexes (can take multiple AoOs while flatfooted) and a reach weapon help though.
11. Good wands? If you're the fighter x/wizard 1 or 2 then a wand of shield is a great idea. Load up on heavy armor and cast shield through the wand. Save your spells for non-combat things or true strike/Feather Fall spells (no verbal components on either).
Otherwise, a wand of magic missile never hurt any wizard. Wands of haste are nice but very expensive. Wands of Enervation would be good too if you're willing to shell out the big bucks. A wand of shield could be useful for you as well if you're worried about spell failure (or just want to use your 1st level slots for something else). In general, wand spells should be spells that don't have saves since the save DCs will be the minimum possible to cast the spell. For a fighter/mage, however, I actually think that scrolls are better--buy all sorts of utility spells on scrolls (hold portal, knock, levitate, unseen servant, etc.) That way, if you need 'em you have them. But you probably won't ever use more than one or two of each so wands would be a waste.
Best of luck.
