Need 3rd level spell for 6th level Sorceror

[Rashak Mani]

In 6th lvl your fireball will do a paltry 6d6 damage. 21 average damage... I suggest getting Fireball later.

Haste vs Slow: Depends on party size and the enemies you face. If your DM tends to send single big/strong creatures slow isn't that good. If he sends bigger number of smaller creatures then its useful I think. Haste... the bigger your group is and the more heavy combat guys the more useful Haste becomes. If you got a small melee light group forget haste... if you have a lot of heavy hitters haste is GOOD and works for you too.

 

[Gilrion]

I'd definitely go with Slow. It's a great offensive spell right now, usable against lots of critters, and will keep on being useful later to negate creatures' full attacks.

I agree that Fireball is not the best choice atm. Your Scorching Ray already does 4d6 fire damage, albeit only to one person. Fireball isn't that great a spell. Yes, it's a classic, but I find that it gives me a bit of an itch to fire first and ask questions later (so I won't hit allies in melee), and that's not positive IMO. A much better damage spell at 3rd level is Lightning Bolt, although we use the 3.0 version (can't understand why they changed it). Also consider that adding another fire spell to your repertoire may not add versatility to your sorcerer--something you should be striving for is a spell useful for every situation.

 

[LordAO]

The problem with item creatins feats as a sorcerer is that all you're doing is creating more uses of spells you already know.

... and get a gazzilion times per day anyway.

 

[Trainz]

I went with the spell Slow and the feat Empower.

First encounter: 6 ogres, that bashed me to -3 HP's. Didn't have time for Slow. Even if I did, ogres only have one attack, so it would have more or less meant -1 to hit and -1 ac, not very useful...

Second encounter: 3 Dire wolves. Once again, these critters only have one attack. I did manage to launch a Slow, but only one was affected (lucky DM). Dire wolves make a trip after a successful attack, and if the trip is successful, it is followed by a free attack. If the critter is Slowed, can he still do it ? And is a slowed critter entitled to attacks of opportunity ?

Third encounter: 2 Displacer Beasts. I did manage to affect one of them, and given the fact that these critters make 3 attacks per round, FINALLY it was effective. It helped turn the tide of battle immensely.

I finished off the other Displacer Beast with an empowered Magic Missile. That was also nifty.

Overall, I'm happy with my decisions. I want to thank you all for the advice, I would have probably went for fireball without it (advice), and there wasn't a single fight tonight in which I could have used fireball effectively. At later levels, Fireball with the Purify Spell feat will be quite potent though, and that's definetely on my to-do list.

 

[Darklone]

Hmm, I would have gone for Lightning bolt

 

[Ferox4]

Second encounter: 3 Dire wolves. Once again, these critters only have one attack. I did manage to launch a Slow, but only one was affected (lucky DM). Dire wolves make a trip after a successful attack, and if the trip is successful, it is followed by a free attack. If the critter is Slowed, can he still do it ? And is a slowed critter entitled to attacks of opportunity ?

I'm not seeing the extra free attack in the Dire Wolf entry (3.5). I believe that the Trip attempt is a result of a successful bite and furthermore, since it is described as a free action, I would allow it.

I can't find anything about AoOs and slowed, but we don't allow Slowed creatures to take them.

 

[Malin Genie]

Given you already have the Point Blank and Precise Shot Feats, I would personally have gone with Ray of Exhaustion. Hit a creature and it's basically hors de combat if it fails a save, and at a significant disadvantage (-2 to everything) even if it saves. And even if it saves, it can't run or charge, so it's a good "hit the big bad thing and run away" spell if outclassed.

 

[James McMurray]

Yep, slowed critters still get free attacks from improved trip (they don't require a full attack action to trigger). They also get all of their AoOs.

 

[Ferox4]

They also get all of their AoOs.

Really? Where does it mention that?

 

[James McMurray]

It neve states anywhere that they don't. AoOs are not tied to makin a full attack action.

So while it doesn't come flat out and state that they still do, there is absolutely no rule to suggest that they don't.