[DnD 3.5] Building a Kobold Sorcerer

[Magugag]

His name is Ix!

Anyways, I don't have a whole lot of experience playing a sorcerer, and I was hoping anyone interested might be able to lend me a hand. Luckily, I do have a few specifics for you as to what I'd like to do with Ix.

I'll be shooting for his role in the party to basically be blowing $@&* up. I want him to be able to hit hard and effectively, whether it's against that dragon at the end of the dungeon crawl or a horde of charging goblins. However, I am most definitely not above picking out some utility spells, especially where helping my comrades is involved. Some of those spells just seem too good to pass up, which makes my limited spell selection a shame. Note that my DM has already approved both Rite of the Dragon feats when Ix qualifies for them.

As for feats, I'd sorta like him to go dragonwrought, and pick him up the aging bonuses. I do not, however, have any intent to go for any of that Loredrake stuff. Beyond that, I have no idea what feats I should ideally take, beyond that a couple Energy Substitutions seem essential. We are allowed three faults, maximum, so you can work with that if you'd like.

After spell lists and feats, equipment suggestions (both mid- and late-game) would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this!

[Eldariel]

What level are you creating him for? Also, how efficient do you want to be?

Either way, three spells that seem like absolute musts:
- Wings of Flurry [RoTD]
- Arcane Fusion [CM]
- Arcane Fusion, Greater [CM]

They're Sorcerer-only and definitely very "boomtastic" so to speak.

[Magugag]

Probably should have mentioned this to begin with... We're starting at level 1, but this campaign is meant to get into high level. Preferably, he should be as efficient as possible- I don't usually do devoted spellcasters, so I don't really know how to make him as effective as he should be, while everyone else will be playing classes they know well and optimizing them.

[Lord of Syntax]

Do you have access to Races of the Dragon and Dragons of Eberron?

[Magugag]

I have access to Races of the Dragon, but not Dragons of Eberron.

[Eldariel]

Probably should have mentioned this to begin with... We're starting at level 1, but this campaign is meant to get into high level. Preferably, he should be as efficient as possible- I don't usually do devoted spellcasters, so I don't really know how to make him as effective as he should be, while everyone else will be playing classes they know well and optimizing them.

Without some serious low-level optimization, your "boomtasticness" will suck for a couple of levels; once you get Scorching Ray/Seeking Ray on 4, things get a bit better but you don't go around shooting people for 1d4+1 with Magic Missile when you have a Crossbow. That's just not rational use of spell slots.

The two options I see are:
- Pick some of the very good low-level spells for use early and switch them out once they become unnecessary (Sleep, Color Spray, Grease for example are excellent low-level combat spells).
- Optimize the crap out of your low-level abilities and retrain the crap later on; otherwise you'll have wasted ~50% of your feats later on. But yeah, if interested in this:
* Precocious Apprentice [CArc] (pick e.g. Scorching Ray)
* Fiery Burst [CMage] (reserve feat)
* Sanctum Spell [CArc] (don't use this tho, it's cheesy, broken and just plain wrong)

This gives you the ability to cast a level 3 fire-spell (Sanctum Scorching Ray in your Sanctum), which empowers your Fiery Burst to 3d6. Of course, you're very much a one-trick pony, this is on a shaky rules foundation and such, but at least you'd do decent damage constantly. Alternatively, pimp out your caster level (such as with the Spell Thematics-feat and Fiery Burst itself) and use level 1 elementals; e.g. Kelgore's Firebolt is quite decent at 5d6 damage on level 1.

EDIT: Hmm, Bloodline of Fire + Spell Thematics would get you 4d6 Kelgore's Firebolts on level 1 (the cap of 5d6 would be reached at level 2; this might cause problems for level 3 until you get Scorching Ray's 8d6 on level 4), which is quite respectable especially with Sorcerer's per days. This would also be a sustaining benefit (though means you need to focus on Fire-spells; not a problem really between Spell Thematics and Energy Substitution making all your spells Fire and Searing Spell removing some annoying obstacles).

It also "only" takes two feats leaving you one for Dragonwrought and one for generic stuff.

EDIT#2: Oh yeah, and Daze (cantrip) is a perfectly fine combat spell on low levels even though it's a cantrip; definitely worth picking up.

[jiriku]

Since you're already dragon-blooded, definitely take a look at practical metamagic in association with a metamagic feat that you're nearly always going to want to use. For example, practical empower gives you +50% damage for the low low cost of a +1 spell level increase, practical reach spell lets you use touch attack spells at range cheaply, and practical split ray doubles the effect of your ray spells for +1 level (I think, my memory on split ray is vague).

[Keld Denar]

Fell Draining! Fell Draining! If you are gonna put Practical MM on any feat, it should be that. Very few things are immune to negative levels, they scale well with levels, and subsequent castings make each spell harder and harder to resist!

Slap it on your favorite AoE or multi-target spell (like Magic Missile) and get draining!

[Ernir]

His name is Ix!

A kobold Sorcerer named Ix? Holy ****!!! (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=21063)

Don't take optimization advice from that sheet, though, that character is in a game with people who I'm not sure know the meaning of the phrase "character optimization". :smalltongue:

Anyway.

Metamagic (and more importantly, Metamagic cost reducers) is usually the key to efficient blasting. Arcane Thesis (PHB2) and Metamagic School Focus (CMage) coupled with a few of the blasty MM feats should go a long way. Arcane Fusion and Arcane Spellsurge (already mentioned) should cover the rest.
Add Incantatrix (PGtF) if you really, really have to break the damage threshold to hell. :smallbiggrin:

[The Glyphstone]

Weird. One of my players in a game has an elven crusader named Ix. Small language.

Also, completely off-topic.


Not sure what to offer, most people have covered the basics...prestige classing? Mage of the Arcane Order is made of win and cheese sauce for sorcerers, but it's also, by default, heavily tied into the lore of a specific organization...if it fits your ideals, talk to the DM early about getting it set up so you can join their ranks by level 6-8, as soon as you qualify. In general, since you'll be spending lots of your spells known on boominess, you want ways to add additional spells known for free...MotAO is an awesome one. Sandshaper is another good one, though it costs a spellcasting level. If you want to play up your draconic aspect further, enough feat slots will eventually get you Draconic Heritage for a couple of mediocre spells.

[JaronK]

Don't forget the Greater Draconic Rite, found in the online supliment. You need to do the Lesser Rite first and then take Draconic Resevoir, but the result is +1 Sorcerer level. This puts you even with Wizards.

Wings of Flurry is going to be your best friend once you can get it. Arcane Thesis + Sculpt Spell means it's going to be the only blast spell you need. Later on consider Twin Spell and Maximize spell to make things more interesting.

Also, the Mage of the Arcane Order PrC will give you tons of flexibility, so it's a good solid choice for any Sorcerer.

For lower level attack spells, Scorching Ray, Glitterdust, Grease, and Manyjaws should suffice. Also eventually get Orb of Acid in case of the rare Force immune or something.

JaronK

[Magugag]

Thank you all very much for the help! I think I'm getting a good idea of what I should be doing, though if anyone has more suggestions for higher levels I'd be grateful!

[SethFahad]

Don't forget the Greater Draconic Rite, found in the online supliment. You need to do the Lesser Rite first and then take Draconic Resevoir, but the result is +1 Sorcerer level. This puts you even with Wizards.


By Lesser Rite you mean: Draconic Rite of Passage (RoD p.43)???
Where can I find this Greater Draconic Rite online?

Nevermind, got it....

[Magugag]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a

Right on this page! It's one of the things that made me decide on Ix being a sorcerer.

[Kosjsjach]

If you haven't already, you're going to want to look at some Kobold subraces (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/variantRaces.htm). A Con penalty is never a good thing, so consider being a Jungle or Desert Kobold (-2 Int or Wis in place of the -2 Con). As an added benefit, if you do take Dragonwrought as your first-level feat and go Old or Venerable, the stat penalty is negated anyway!

[2xMachina]

Try to acquire White Dragonspawn template later?

+1LA, for stats, and +1Sorc lvl

Buy off for more fun.

[strider24seven]

Just google Dragonwrought Kobold and you can find all the absurd things you can do with it. The aforementioned White Dragonspawn for example. So you can cast like a sorcerer 2-5 levels above your character level. Boomstick indeed.

If only there was a Half-Phaerimm template to go with it...