[3.5] sorcerer spell suggestions

[sadi]

I'm starting a game as a level 5 character. I've decided that I'm going to play a kobold sorcerer, with level 1 dragonblood substitution level since the party is currently lacking arcane power. I can either hit dracolexi or dragonheart mage at level 6 for prestige classes.

The real question is what spells should i take in both cases. I'd think that if I'm planning on going dragonheart I won't need the offensive spells since I took copper dragon for my draconic heritage, and thats a line breath weapon.

Please give me suggestions at level 5 for the two prestige class options, and if you would swap out any spells if you took the dragonheart mage path.

[Superglucose]

Search button be your friend. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74801&highlight=solo%27s+sorcerer)

[Doc Roc]

Also, there's a guide in my siggie!

[blazinghand]

From the friendly CO people at the wizards boards: http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-183763

[valadil]

As a low level sorcerer you can have a lot of fun with sculpt spell plus grease and color spray if you ditch your familiar to gain fast metamagic.

[ErrantX]

Make sure to consider the kobold sorcerer cheese of the Rite of Draconic Passage, Draconic Reservoir, and the Greater Rite of Draconic Passage so you can get a free level of spells. This will allow you to take a PrC that drops a level of sorcerer casting and not feel the burn. Worth every penny, I feel.

-X

[DragoonWraith]

Also perhaps useful: my thread on the same subject (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108468). The first page or so is mostly me deciding on the Sorcerer class, but the rest of it is spell selection.

[dragonfan6490]

I may take some hate for this, but fire. Lots and lots of fire. It fits with the draconic theme. You become the Kobold of Blasty-Blast, the undisputed master of (fire) Evocation.

[Doc Roc]

Fire's doable, and fun, but you'll need a way to over-come all fire resist. Orb of fire is actually a great spell, but you can't base your entire list around it.

Playing an arcanist involves what I think of as the Contract. You're gaming with your friends and fellow droogs. You COULD steal the show entirely, you could also blow it and get everyone killed repeatedly. Your job is to follow a bunch of silent agreements and strike an elegant middle point so that you can function within the contexts of the group.

All fire is not the way to do this. Sorry.

[sadi]

Thanks for the information. I've pretty much locked my draconic heritage in as copper, aka acid. So from my character idea, I'm going to try to focus most if not of all my energy based damage as acid. The greater draconic rite of passage definitely makes up for the no casting at first level on the prestige. I'm thinking if I do dragonheart path, my spells will look something like

detect magic, mage hand, read magic, ghost sound, message, and ?light? (i know i don't need it but half the party can't see in the dark, and I have a feeling the bard/cleric are both less than competent)

orb of lesser acid, shield, silent image, grease

alter self and glitterdust.

The rite of passage and level 3 feat total of 3/day sp true strike, not that i'm expecting to be able to hit 12 to get quicken spell like ability, but if i did that combined with the orb spells get a good hit and way to avoid evasion and spell resistance. Otherwise line breathweapon on target of opportunities. As it is, the party should be 8-10, I'm thinking I don't need kill everything, just stay out of harm's way and throw in "precision" damage when needed. (That and If I do area spells, I'd "unintentionally" kill atleast 2 party members cause they annoy me)
If I'm reading dragonwrought correctly, alter self only has a few valid forms anymore like tiny dragons since I'm no longer a humanoid, but a dragon [reptile]. Let me know if i'm wrong on that. Thanks.

[Keld Denar]

Actually, you wouldn't have to take any damage spells at all if you wanted. With Draconic Heritage you can nab Draconic Breath which allows you to convert any spell slot into a stream of acid with a DC equal to the spell level that does 2d6/spell level. That gives you one "damage" spell that scales with you always, and can be modified with metabreath spells like Blinding Breath or Dispelling Breath. That frees up a lot of your spells known for utility/croudcontrol/disable spells rather than having to take a ton of redundant damage spells. Both feats are in Dragon Magic.

[Doc Roc]

Also, 2d6/Level is incredible, as damage spells go. I vote with Keld here, presuming his memory hasn't decayed during his northward sojourns.

[sadi]

Actually, you wouldn't have to take any damage spells at all if you wanted. With Draconic Heritage you can nab Draconic Breath which allows you to convert any spell slot into a stream of acid with a DC equal to the spell level that does 2d6/spell level. That gives you one "damage" spell that scales with you always, and can be modified with metabreath spells like Blinding Breath or Dispelling Breath. That frees up a lot of your spells known for utility/croudcontrol/disable spells rather than having to take a ton of redundant damage spells. Both feats are in Dragon Magic.

Thats what dragonheart mage does, gives you the feat at class level 1 (can take at level 6), except the die size increases as the class progresses to 2d8, then 3d6 per level. And it costs nothing to get into the prestige class feat wise, since taking the level 1 sub sorcerer level gives you draconic heritage feat for free. You lose 2 caster levels total, but make up 1 of them from the greater draconic rite of passage.

[woodenbandman]

Also, 2d6/Level is incredible, as damage spells go. I vote with Keld here, presuming his memory hasn't decayed during his northward sojourns.

It's not per caster level, it's per level of the spell sacrificed, making it effectively 1d6 x(caster level -2)

[ErrantX]

I 3rd Keld on this one, metabreath feats will save you a ton of heart ache so you can focus on different sorts of spells.

Just make sure whatever other spellcasting classes you take don't lose more than 1 more level, and even that hurts.

-X

[sadi]

It's the gms first game running 3.5 so I don't want to dominate everything. The fact the prestige class is pretty much designed around the breath weapon and getting bigger and better dice on it, it involves taking 10 levels in it to get the 3d6 per spell level. I'm not trying to optimize a sorcerer to instakill everything. Just fry anything that makes the mistake of approaching me.

Without the +1 sorcerer spell level from greater draconic rite of passage losing 2 caster levels would hurt badly. The breath weapon route isn't by any means going to be the best path, but gives more spell flexibility without burning feats on extra spell.


My other option, the dracolexi would add 3 power word spells (at -1 level) and 2 language dependent spells, plus the specials, all for 1 feat, a few cross class skill points and 1 caster level (which would be negated by the rite of passage) The 5 extra spells would give you the ability to have a little more flexibility. I think the dracolexi is by far more powerful, it's a matter of do I want to play it and will the gm allow it. The specials even if they're only allowed to target a person once per day, still have unlimited usages which seems a bit powerful. The way it seems to me, with the level 10 ability you get a free empower on every spell you cast as long as it doesn't target the same creature twice in the same day.

[Keld Denar]

Another funky draconic PrC is Wyrm Wizard (I first typed it Wyrm Wyzard...much cooler!). It allows you to canibalize other spell lists to cherry pick neato spells. Heal (thats Heal, not heal) as a sorcerer? Possible.

Drawback, also loses CLs (why do all the flavorful dragon PrCs lose so many CLs???).

[quick_comment]

For blasting, dalamar's lightning lance from Dragonlance campaign setting is like scorching ray, but better. Its level 4 and deals 3d6 physical damage plus 1d6/level of electrical damage (max 10d6), fort save for half. At level 10 you get two lance, and level 15 you get three lances.

So at level 15 you get 39d6 damage, and its not subject to evasion.

[Kylarra]

Another funky draconic PrC is Wyrm Wizard (I first typed it Wyrm Wyzard...much cooler!). It allows you to canibalize other spell lists to cherry pick neato spells. Heal (thats Heal, not heal) as a sorcerer? Possible.

Drawback, also loses CLs (why do all the flavorful dragon PrCs lose so many CLs???).because dragons are too awesome, so PCs trying to be dragons must be weakened. :smallfrown: