For the most part, I think that the best spells are in the PHB. I did a similar study of the "canonical" sorcerer build on another message board. (The results are below.) The problem is that other choices (feats, ability scores, prestige classes) can have a big effect on what's best. So, my list makes some generic assumptions in order to achieve a baseline.
Nonetheless, I think this can be a very informative catalog for the 3.5e sorcerer...
These assumptions are made:
1. Average saving throw DCs (16 Charisma at 1st level; all ability
bumps to Charisma; Cloak of Charisma purchased early and upgraded
ASAP; but no Spell Focus)
2. Average ranged touch attack (perhaps a 14 Dex to start)
3. Average AC and hp
4. Prefers to avoid getting into melee range (i.e., avoids offensive
touch spells)
5. No metamagic feats (as suboptimal as that is)
6. No prestige classes
The spells are listed prefixed with what level you are when you take
them. If a spell is swapped out, that is indicated with an arrow
containing the level when the swap occurs that points to the new
spell.
Other Notes:
1. The pattern to my spell selection is to have a good spell from each
of these categories that uses the highest or second highest
available spell slot:
1: damage dealing spell (Starting at 6th level I try to always
have one that effects one creature and one that effects an
area.)
2: protective or buff spell (or anti-buff in the case of dispel
magic)
3: battlefield control or BDF disabling spell (these
ideally must have no save or require a Will save)
4: utility spell
2. Another consideration is to cover the bases with saving throws and
SR. Ideally I want to have at least one knockout spell that
requires a Will save and one that requires Fort. Damage dealing
spells cover the Reflex save category. Finally, I wanted to have
about two spells (one low level and one high) that ignore spell
resistance.
3. In some cases, there's clearly a choice to be made between two or
more spells that that serve a similar purpose or have the same
category (e.g., they are both utility spells). In this case, I've
put what I think is the "usual" and/or "best" choice first and the
other choices in parenthesis after it.
4. Under each spell level heading, I've listed the scrolls that the
sorcerer should have on his person at all times. These get cost
prohibitive pretty quickly and money is better spent on other
items. So, it's a very limited list and it peters out after 3rd
level.
1st level Spells:
-----------------
1: Magic Missile (Lesser Orb of <energy>)
1: Mage Armor
--12--> Expeditious Retreat
3: Shield
5: Grease (Color Spray/Cause Fear)
--6--> Ray of Enfeeblement
7: Guided Shot (Unseen Servant)
Scrolls: Prot. Evil, Comprehend Languages
Notes:
- Braver sorcerers should swap the order of Grease and Shield
- Lesser Orb is going to make you more effective earlier but less
effective later. Consider taking the lesser orb but swapping in
magic missile later
2nd Level Spells:
-----------------
4: Glitterdust (Scorching Ray)
5: False Life (Alter Self/Mirror Image)
7: Swift Fly
9: Invisibility
--8--> Resist Energy
11: Alter Self (Rope Trick)
Scrolls: Spider Climb, Locate Object
Notes:
- Magic Missile usually has more expected damage than Scorching Ray
unless the sorcerer is particularly good at ranged touch attacks.
- Alter Self becomes much more valuable for sorcerers who are willing
to get closer to melee
3rd Level Spells:
-----------------
6: Fireball (Lighting Bolt/Resonating Bolt)
7: Haste (Dispel Magic)
9: Displacement (Blink)
11: Greater Mage Armor
Scrolls: Wind Wall, Invis. Sphere, Magic Circle vs. Evil
Notes:
- Fireball beats Lightning Bolt not only because of greater range but
also because you have to get to a place where you can be charged to
cast the latter.
- Displacement beats Blink mostly because you can cast it on others.
4th Level Spells:
-----------------
8: Evard's Black Tentacles (Otiluke's Resiliant Sphere/Rainbow Pattern/Confusion)
9: Orb of <energy> (Enervation/Blast of Flame)
11: Dimension Door (Greater Invisibility/Stoneskin)
13: Assay Resistance (Polymorph)
5th Level Spells:
-----------------
10: Prismatic Ray (Cone of Cold/Arc of Lightning)
11: Wall of Force (Telekinesis)
13: Mass Fly
15: Teleport
Notes:
- Cone of Cold can make caster vulnerable by forcing him to move to a
position that's reachable by enemy BDFs.
6th Level Spells:
-----------------
12: Contingency (Greater Heroism)
13: Disintegrate (Greater Dispel Magic/Flesh to Stone/Chain Lightning)
15: Repulsion
7th Level Spells:
-----------------
14: Limited Wish (Power Word Blind/Prismatic Spray)
15: Spell Turning (Energy Immunity)
Directly Offensive Spells on this list with no SR:
--------------------------------------------------
Primary:
Grease (1st)
Glitterdust (2nd)
Evard's Black Tentacles (4th)
Orb of <energy> (4th)
Secondary:
Lesser Orb of <energy> (1st)
Arc of Lightning (5th)
Power Word Blind (7th)
