One-Shot, Sorcerer 20 needs spell help.

[ElectricDragon]

I am getting to play! No DMing for me this time. It is for a one-shot 20th level adventure. I want to play a 20th level sorcerer (Cha 37 without magic, don't ask, back story takes up many pages). I rarely get to play a character usually being behind the DM screen; so this will be my first time as a sorcerer and I want to get the best spells possible. I usually play a wizard; but want to get my own opinion of the strengths and weaknesses of the sorcerer class. I can only use the Core Rules (plus a few house rules that mostly don't matter here). I know Thanee had several sorcerer optimized spell lists at one time, but they seem to have disappeared and I didn't copy them. So I am asking for help optimizing my spells known list for this one-shot. I have two weeks from today (Sunday, January 25) to get my character ready.

Among the house rules that do matter are several home-brewed spells I will have access to; I can list them and their general effects (if asked), but as I did not make all of them, I hesitate to put forth the full descriptions. Here are the number and levels of them: 0th-1, 1st-2, 2nd-4, 3rd-3, 4th-2, 6th-1, 7th-5, 8th-1, 9th-1. The 9th level one is out (alignment restrictions) and the 6th level one is a must-have for my character personality (kind of a signature); otherwise any could work.

Please note that I am familiar with magic items and need no help there and do not wish to dilute the sorcerer class with any prestige classes: this is essentially research into whether a sorcerer really needs compensation, as some of my players suggest (complain, really).

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

Ciao
Dave

 

[blargney the second]

What does the rest of your party look like?
-blarg

 

[Shin Okada]

How much "expendable" XPs will you have? There are several good spells which has XP costs. But if you start that one-shot game with XP total exactly needed to reach 20th-level, you can't use them.

 

[Thanee]

I can only use the Core Rules (plus a few house rules that mostly don't matter here).

No Spell Compendium and no PHB II then? Too bad, there are some really nifty spells in there for Sorcerers.

I know Thanee had several sorcerer optimized spell lists at one time, but they seem to have disappeared and I didn't copy them.

Did I?

The best I can remember is, that I posted the list from my own higher (not quite that high) level sorceress a good while ago, which was not really optimized, but more like built for a good, broad selection of spells to grant many different options as well as good protection without too much overlap (so, some optimization in this regard, of course).

Other than that, I once made a collection of all the "Which Wizard spells are the best for their level" threads and turned them into a Sorcerer Spell Selection, mostly to see what this leads to (a pretty good selection, actually). I will see that I can hunt them down...

EDIT: Here are the most useful ones... including the two I had in mind.
http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-3rd-edition-rules/63553-sorceress-spell-selection.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-3rd-edition-rules/93959-wizards-core-spellbook.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-3rd-edition-rules/106782-dcollins-poll-sorcerer.html

Anyways, if you are going with just PHB spells (or did I misunderstand that), there are certainly a few gems you want to look out for (some require certain metamagic feats to work well, especially Heighten Spell and Empower Spell).

Bye
Thanee

 

[ElectricDragon]

The Party (what I know so far) All level 20:
Fighter-type probably with prestige classes for optimization
Rogue-type ditto on PrCs
Barbarian, probably straight with no PrCs
Cleric/Druid/Shaman, some kind of divine caster or possibly a bard even, don't really know
And a wild card: new player, so got no clue

XP
Half way toward next level, so 10,000 free xp. I don't intend to make any magic items (as we get to choose them any way) or waste feats on that either (metamagic all the way) so all this xp can be for spell usage.

BTW we are going after a demon lord of some kind, hints include: insects, jungle environment, overly hot, breath weapons, dinosaurs, dragons, and no published demon lord. (Knowledge skills bonus info/player whining).

Ciao
Dave

 

[ElectricDragon]

Yeah, only Core Rules/PHB. And the few home-brewed ones. After looking them over, only two are really good choices: one 7th level and the 6th level for my signature. The 7th level one is a decent damaging spell with the added factor that it teleports myself or an ally next to the target. It is called Ride the Lightning and sounds fun.

Ciao
Dave

Edit
Core Rules for our group also includes the few spells from Deities and Demigods and those in the Expanded Psionics Handbook (so I guess SRD is a more appropriate description).

 

[Thanee]

Post edited above with the links (this takes forever with the slow site speed ).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Shin Okada]

Fighting Demons and Dragons in a 20th-level adventure with only core rules? Hmm... that sounds tough.

First of all, I guess you will struggle on penetrating SRs of Dragons and Fiends. So many spells and feats for overcoming SR are added in later supplements. And so many non-SR damage spells are added, too. But you can't use them. +4 bonus from Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration helps. But still, it may not be enough against SR value of CR 20+ creatures.

So, when meeting creatures with high SR, you should better use well-selected No-SR spells in core, such as Glitterdust, Grease, Evard's Black Tentacles, etc. Many of them are not direct-damage spells. And you can't find such spells in every spell level. Thus, taking Heighten Spell feat will be a good idea.

2nd, your party lacks versatility miserably, as a 20th-level party. Other than that new wild card player, you and that multi-classed divine caster are the only spellcasters. So you need Limited Wish at least. In 20th-level adventure, anything may happen. And it often happens that no one know nor preparing the exact spell to save the party from a certain situation.

 

[ElectricDragon]

Thanks Thanee, those were exactly what I was looking for (I must have skimmed rather than read them and that's why I misremembered what they were about).

Also, thanks Shin Okada, I will keep those spells and feats in mind. Yeah, wish is kind of out of the choice list though because of the xp cost (half my available). I will try to whine more xps out of the DM, but I don't hold much hope for it.

Dragons are tough, but I did notice that in the hints there was no mention of demons other than the demon lord (got my fingers crossed). Half-fiend smart dire dinosaurs, fiendish giant insects, half-dragon dinos, and demonic versions of hell wasp swarms will be problems enough.

Ciao
Dave

 

[blargney the second]

With starting Charisma of 37, you should be able to get that up to 48 with a +5 tome and a +6 cloak of charisma, so your save DCs will be 29 + spell level. In other words, don't be shy on picking save or die spells. They combine quite nicely with Improved Initiative.

Your party looks like it has 3 melee beaters. They will *love* you if you take Otto's irresistible dance. And besides... who doesn't like the idea of a tap-dancing demon lord?
-blarg