Sorcerer spells that stay powerful.

[Xin]

Heya,

I remembered coming across a great thread on sorcerers a while ago (last summer actually) dealing with which spells from 1-9 which where still good in the higher levels. A lot of lists were produced. Knowing that I had come across a goldmine of info I saved the document on my computer, but alas, a crash later and the info was gone.

I dunno if the thread is still around (back in Eric Noah's days), and I can't use the search engine *grumble*. So could anyone try to reproduce a list or two of useful spells? I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

Xin

 

[apsuman]

I don't have a list per se but I do have some suggestions...

I am in favor of the following spells as I think they have value at higher levels:

Magic Missle
True Strike
Shocking Grasp
All the buff spells (Bulls Str, Cat's grace, etc.)
Lightning bolt (in place of fireball)
Fly
Improved Invisibility
Haste


Of course some spells are better with certain metamagic feats. At almost every level casting a heightened Charm Person at a same level fighter has a good chance of succeeding, even at level 20.

Empower is my favorite metamagic. Consider it as well as spells.

Prestige classes cna make a world of difference too. An incantrix gets a metamagic at -1 level, so empower could be even bigger for them.


Must go...

g!

 

[Henry]

Here is a copy of a list suggested by poster "Karinsdad" a little over a year ago. I hope it is useful - it has been to me. I copied it verbatim, so the comments are his from that time.

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Level One
Feather Fall
Identify
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Shield

Level Two
Melfs Acid Arrow
Mirror Image
Resist Elements
Rope Trick
See Invisibility

Level Three
Dispel Magic
Fireball
Fly
Haste

Level Four
Dimension Door
Improved Invisibility
Solid Fog (This could be replaced with Summon Monster IV)
Stoneskin

Level Five
Cone of Cold
Hold Monster
Teleport
Wall of Force

Level Six
Analyze Dweomer (Note: I added a 4th spell here. I think it is STUPID that DND made identification of items so hard and in my campaign, most of Analyze Dweomer is actually in the Identify spell)
Contingency (In other campaigns, I would probably drop Contingency in favor of Analyze Dweomer)
Globe of Invulnerability
True Seeing

Level Seven
Greater Scrying
Limited Wish
Spell Turning

Level Eight
Iron Body
Mind Blank
Protection from Spells

Level Nine
Foresight
Time Stop
Wish

 

[Zog]

I would add a few spells to that list...

at Second level: Web - a str check at 20 is decent for many monsters. Even a str of 30 gives a +10 - makes the check 50% of the time....

Detect thoughts - Even if you can't read their minds, you can get the # of beings in the area and their intelligence. I see no reason why this would not detect invisable/hiding critters....

3rd level - strike dispel magic. At higher levels it becomes next to useless- d20 +10 trying to beat 11+opponent level - you need to roll their level+1 on a d20 to dispel something. You need the full bonus from the 6th level version. Yeah, its great at lower levels, and as soon as you get it - but at higher level you need the 6th level version.

4th, 5th & 6th level - Shadow Magic, Evocation, Conjuration, Shades, etc. Versitility, choices, options. They are weak, but you have options.

4th level - Add polymorph Self. Don't leave home without it. If you need a high strength, wings, water breathing, a high armor class, disguise yourself, whatever - you got it.

9th level (HA!) Gate - instead of Foresight or Time stop. Time stop is an emergency escape/caught with pants down spell. Not as useful as it seems. Foresight - I've always thought belonged a level or two lower. Whatever you need, whatever skills you lack, just open a gate and ask for some help....

back to 6th level Summon Monster 6. Celestial Dire Bear. Celestial Unicorn, which can cast healing spells(!!!). Chaos Beast. Yikes nasty stuff.

There are WAY to many Really GOOD level Six spells - Analze Dweamor, Greater Dispelling, True seeing, SM6, Contingency, Shades, Greater Shadow Evocation

level 7 - Delayed Blast Fireball. Even with the Erratta a fine, fine spell.

Level 8 - Horrid Wilting. Only affects the living, but d8 per level, 25d8 (or is it no max?) Ouch

And finally, Level 9 - Meteor Swarn. 24d6, no save. Plus the poor cooked fellow who is *also* in the burst takes 6d4 x2 save for half.

 

[James McMurray]

I would second the Dispel Magic thing. At higher levels it is nearly useless.

I would have to disagree with Polymorph Self though. Go for Polymorph Other. You can affect your friends or enemies, and the duration is much greater. Heck, if you can wait, go for Polymorph any Object instead. You can affect undead then.

Also, metamgic feats are your saving grace: Tasha's Hideous Laughter is a fine 5th level spell when maxkized. Greater Dispelling is even meaner when made into a 9th level Chained Greater Dispel. Empower is nice if you have a lot of spells that have random effects.

My Sorcerer (18th level) has empower, maximize, still, and chain spell metamagic feats. His spells are:

1st:
Magic Missile
Mage Armor
Shield
Glue (from Relics and Rituals, but Grease could work here as well)
Hypnotism (never used)

2nd:
Blazing Shield (from R&R)
Tasha's Hideous Laughter
Cat's Grace
See Invisibility
Invisibility

3rd:
Lightning Bolt
Displacement
Fly
Suggestion

4th:
Sacrifice Spell (from Relics and Ritual, even with out house ruled ersion that doesn't last one round per level, it can deal some hefty damage when you need it to.)
Scrying
Confusion
Greater Magical FLow Enhancement (from Book of Eldrith Might)

5th:
Teleport
Wall of Force
Feeblemind
Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum

6th:
Mass Haste
Greater Dispelling
Permanent Image

7th:
Limited Wish
Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion
Spell Turning

8th:
Polymorph any Object
Mantle of Egregious Might (from Booek of Eldritch Might)

9th:
Gate

 

[Oni]

I was thinking about this just the other day, what would be the most ideal spell list for a sorcerer that I could use from the core books.

I decided against spells with costly material compotents, as a sorcerer casting spells over and over again is likely to happen and as you have have very limited number of spells to know, to suddenly not be able to use one because of lack costly material components seems like a bad idea.

1st - magic missle, shield, true strike, color spray, expiditious retreat

2nd - Invisibilty, See Invisibility, Blindness/Deafness, knock, mirror image

3rd - protection from elements, haste, fly, fireball

4th - enervation, minor globe of invulnerability, Evard's Black Tenticles, Otilukes Resilient Sphere

5th - Teleport, Wall of Force, Telekenesis, Hold Monster

6th - Greater Dispelling, Control Weather (ok, this probably isn't optimal I just really dig this spell), disintegrate

7th - Limited Wish, Finger of Death, Spell Turning

8th - Horrid Wilting, Iron Body, Polymorph any object

9th - Time Stop, Shapechange, Wail of the Banshee.



There are probably a lot of changes to be made to make it better, and some of it is just based on personal preference.

 

[Numion]

Wish

Huh? At 5000 Exp a pop, isn't that quite unusable?

I wouldn't probably even choose Haste, but rather buy a pair of haste boots.

 

[Bonedagger]

At second level (Can't believe nobody mentioned it)... Alter Self. It's a Change Self, Fly and Water Breathing spell all in one (Only personal though). 10 min./level. It could even be used to give yourself claws if the need should arise.

Edit: And it only needs V and S components. Can be very important.

It's to cheap to miss.