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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 394495" data-attributes="member: 3146">Since you're new to 3rd edition, I would recommend that you play a wizard. Sorcerors' spell selection is irrevocable. If you pick a spell that was great in previous editions but is no longer worthwhile, you're stuck with it for the rest of your career. For wizards, that's not as big a deal. (It can be replaced with a bit of gold and needn't be prepared anyway).In short, here's a summary of the differences:Feats:Sorcerors get much more milage out of metamagic feats since they can apply them when they cast the spell.Wizards get more milage out of item creation feats since they're more likely to have the prerequisite spells for an item they want to make and can aquire those spells if they don't already have them.Wizards also have more feats since they get scribe scroll for free and bonus feats every 5 levels.Skills:Wizards have a better skill list than sorcerors (which makes it easier for them to qualify for prestige classes) and, since intelligence rather than charisma is their prime attribute, wizards generally are smarter and therefore get more skill points.Weapons:Sorcerors get more weapon proficiencies but after 2nd level, who cares? If you're in melee you're generally up a creek anyway. (Unless you're designed as a melee arcanist but that's pretty hard to pull off and I wouldn't recommend it for your first character).Spells Known:Sorcerors select the spells they can cast every time they level up.Wizards select the spells they can cast every morning when they prepare spells.Wizards don't actually get that many more free spells than sorcerors although they can spend money to expand their repertoire. They do, however get two spells of the highest level they can cast every time they level up so at any given point in time, the wizard will have two to four times as many spells known at their higherst level than a sorceror of equal level.Spells per Day:Except at first and second level, sorcerors have no spells/day advantage over a specialist wizard on their highest level of spellcasting ability. They will, however, have significantly more lower level spells than a wizard of equal level.Spell progression:Sorcerors gain new spell levels one level behind wizards. This makes wizards a superior choice for most multiclassing (although charisma gives sorcerors excellent synergy with paladins). This is also why specialist wizards always have at least as many spells per day at their highest spell level. (At odd levels, the wizard has higher level spells than the sorceror and therefore wins by default. At even levels, the specialist has 2+1+ability bonus spells per day in the highest level spell slot and the sorceror has 3+ability bonus).Preparation:Sorcerors don't have to prepare their spells ahead of time. At their highest level of spellcasting ability this isn't much of an advantage since the wizard could just prepare the same spell in all of his slots and have almost as much flexibility as the sorceror. In other levels of ability, however, this is very significant as the sorceror doesn't need to guess whether true strike, shield, or magic missile will be more useful on any given day.Vulnerabilities:Sorcerors don't have spellbooks.Magic Item Versatility:Sorcerors can use all magic items. Specialist wizards can't use items (scrolls, wands, etc.) from their opposed schools unless non-spellcasters would be able to use those items.</blockquote>

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