Perfect Despot-Sorcerer Spell List

[Ravilah]

The hardest part of being a sorcerer, as everyone knows, is choosing your spells!

So here's the challenge: If you are a level 12 sorcerer and you wish to tyranically rule a small race of mountain-dwelling folk, which selection of spells would be the most ideal? The people you rule are a magicless people, so you are supreme and unchallenged. The mountains cut off your realm from other meddling nations, so you don't expect any infractions from many outsiders. What spells would the most successful, iron-fisted, diabolical sorcerer-king have at his command? (So you don't have to look it up, here are the spells known/level for a Sor12)

6th--1
5th--2
4th--3
3rd--4
2nd--5
1st-- 5
0--9

I'd imagine a lot of enchantment spells to manipulate minions, illusions to frighten the populace, and maybe something more deadly to deal with rebels? I dunno. What do you think?

Thanks!
R

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Not a complete spell list, but:

5: Dominate Person
4: Anticiapte Teleportation, Detect Scrying (only the paranoid survive)
3: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance (you never know when he'll be listening)
2: Detect Thoughts
1: Charm Person

There are a lot of other tempting ones like flesh to stone (for the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe White Witch tactics) or disintegrate (for the Magician's Nephew Queen Jadis tactics on Charn), but offensive options are so varied that you can make do with nearly any of them.

 

[yennico]

For low levels: Sleep
Charm Monster
Also Dispel Magic, Fly, Displacement

Feats:
The Heighten Spell feat is good for every enchantment spell.
Spell Focus (enchantment)
Leadership (either a loyal fighter or a sorcerer or wizard with evocation, summon monster spells, because some creatures are immune to enchantments)

 

[Li Shenron]

I guess you should be looking for spells which affect lots of targets, but without the need to be the strongest spells around. At least IIUC that your idea is a mage who rules over a group of weak creatures.

Then you should take Chain Spell, Split Ray or similar feats who allow more targets with spells which usually target only one.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Mass suggestion?

Major image is a strong illusion - should cover plenty of eventualities.

Lesser Planar Binding is a possible - even minor outsiders could be extremely useful in a magicless kingdom. Don't forget the magic circle to go with that.

Perhaps a fireball to express displeasure in a direct manner?

Edit: Alter self - impersonate the locals to spy/spread fear and so on.

 

[freebfrost]

6th Eyebite

5th Dominate Person, Baleful Polymorph

4th Stoneskin, Phantasmal Killer, Fear

3rd Suggestion, Dispel Magic, Vampiric Touch, Fly

2nd Hideous Laughter, Alter Self, Detect Thoughts, Eagle's Splendor, Scorching Ray

1st Obscuring Mist, Mage Armor, Shield, Hypnotism, Charm Person

0th Resistance, Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Ghost Sound,
Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Open/Close, Message

 

[Ravilah]

I like your selection feebfrost, thought I think I'll switch out Vampiric Touch for Major Illusion. Inconsequenti-AL is right: a good illusion spell can cover many eventualities.

(And I obviously have a fellow Narnia fan in Elder Basilisk. Is there a DnD equivalent to the Deplorable Word, you think?)

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I like your selection feebfrost, thought I think I'll switch out Vampiric Touch for Major Illusion.

I'd make one other change. Either Phantasmal Killer needs to go at level 4 to allow scrying or fly needs to go at level 3 to allow clairaudience/clairvoyance. An evil overlord needs to have a way to see through walls and spy on his foes from afar. The proper way to generate fear is by seeming to know what is impossible to know so that your subjects get the feeling that no secret is safe from you and therefore no conspiracy is too secret for you to penetrate.

Dimension door at level 4 would be a good idea too (if you go for Clairaudience/Clarivoyance). That way, your evil overlord can suddenly appear with a trio of unbeatable lieutenants wherever he needs to.

Inconsequenti-AL is right: a good illusion spell can cover many eventualities.

(And I obviously have a fellow Narnia fan in Elder Basilisk. Is there a DnD equivalent to the Deplorable Word, you think?)

As for a D&D equivalent to the Deplorable Word, you'd probably have to look in the Epic Level Handbook. It would definitely be an epic spell. But since I'm not familiar with those mechanics, I can't make any other suggestions. (IIRC, there was a very similar magic in Ulitma V or VI and even though that's not D&D, Hong may have converted it).

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

With what he faces in potential opposition, he needs something to make him nearly unkillable in melee if it comes down to it, i.e. Stoneskin. He could also wear the material component in an amulet at all times. Could be a good rumor to toss out that some of his power is derived from it.

Also, by spell or coersion, he will need thugs, so any spell that can help them is better than one that helps him directly. Mass Magic Weapon, Mass Energy Resistance, Legions Snakes Swiftness, etc.. The exact flavor is up to you. Is he a fire wielding type? Maybe he has a small force of very skilled archers that he casts Flame Arrow on just before they torch an offenders home as an example to others. Perhaps he brews potions of Str, Con, and Dex enhancments, and in addition to beefing up his hired muscle, they become addicted to the stuff, insuring loyalty. Throw in a little Alchemy skill, and he may even lace the stuff with drugs to grant penalties to the same scores after the effects wear off, and increase their addictiveness.

 

[the Lorax]

6th Eyebite

5th Dominate Person, Baleful Polymorph

4th Stoneskin, Phantasmal Killer, Fear

3rd Suggestion, Dispel Magic, Vampiric Touch, Fly

<snip 0 thru 2nd level spells>

The low level spells are fine, but some tweaking is needed for the higher level ones.

3rd - This is a magic poor populace with virtually no contact with others. The Dispel should go, possibly for an illusion or Fireball/Ligntning bolt.

4th - Nice choices

5th - Dominate is good, but this guy is starting to run a bit low on direct damage abilities. I suggest swaping out the polymorph for either Cloudkill or Cone of Cold

6th - Good