suggestions for a sorcerer build [3.5]

[Shademan]

I am not good at making arcane builds, mostly because I just choose whatever spells sounds the most amusing, so I turn to you guys for help.
What I got is a lv6 human sorcerer who needs to dish out damage. in other words, a blaster.
so any suggestions, hints or ideas are welcome.
(also, suggestions for next levels is welcome too)

[Triaxx]

Staples. Go with Magic Missile, Fireball, Lightning Bolt. Scorching Ray, Ray of Enfeeblement, Stinking Cloud, Fog Cloud, and Acid Arrow. Oh, and Dispel Magic, because you can never have enough dispelling power.

Even if you go pure blaster, you want to be able to slow them down so you can keep blasting.

[Shademan]

so basically just go for the blastiest spells (and some slow-downs) I can find and I'll be a happy man? Fair enough

[Gray Mage]

so basically just go for the blastiest spells (and some slow-downs) I can find and I'll be a happy man? Fair enough

Do you have acess to Complete Arcane? The orb line of spells are pretty good. Add some metamagic feats and spells like Acid Cloud and you're set.

[Shademan]

Do you have acess to Complete Arcane? The orb line of spells are pretty good. Add some metamagic feats and spells like Acid Cloud and you're set.

baby, I got aaaall the books

[Kosjsjach]

This probably won't be the most popular suggestion and it's certainly not optimal, but hey, you're playing a blaster. Consider taking a Reserve feat from Complete Mage to always have a fall-back. IMO, they fit the flavor of a blaster-caster perfectly, and don't require you to rely on wands.

Storm Bolt, Fiery Burst or Winter's Blast would probably work best, and 3d6 elemental damage in a line, burst or cone whenever you need it is nice.

[Pentachoron]

baby, I got aaaall the books

Then definitely seconding the orb spells from complete arcane. No spell resistance, ranged touch, no save (to prevent damage at least).

[Gorgondantess]

This is a handy guide for a blaster. (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19868534/The_Mailman:_A_Direct_Damage_Sorcerer)

[Shademan]

This is a handy guide for a blaster. (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19868534/The_Mailman:_A_Direct_Damage_Sorcerer)

it seems to be rather kobold focused

[randomhero00]

Steps to do damage as a sorcerer

Step 1. Become a sorcerer.
step 2. Continue being a sorcerer
step 3. take spells that do damage
step 4. convince your DM you should get rapid metamagic and not require minor (under 1g) casting implements
step 5. get metamagic to boost your spells so you have no "dead" level of damage dealing
step 6 ???
step 7 profit!

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Power Word: Pain in Races of the Dragon. If you have the Dragonblood subtype, get the feats Fell Drain Spell in Libris Mortis and Practical Metamagic also in Races of the Dragon. Since you'll be casting it with metamagic anyway, get a Lesser Rod of Extend so it lasts twice as long and thus deals twice as many negative levels.

Wings of Flurry is a 4th level Sorcerer-only spell in Races of the Dragon and probably the top damage dealing spell in the game due to its dazing effect and lack of a damage cap.

For a Sorcerer 6 who wants to blast, my spell choices would be Mage Armor, Grease, Benign Transposition (SC), Power Word: Pain; Web or Glitterdust, Wings of Cover (RotD); Fireball or Lightning Bolt. At 7th level pick up Magic Missile, Ray of Stupidity (SC), and either Haste or Stinking Cloud. When you hit 8th level get Wings of Flurry and trade out your least-used spell for something more interesting. Don't pick just damage spells, get a few solid choices for single-target and area effect and you can make some choices for versatility and debuff/disable effects.

[Shademan]

Power Word: Pain in Races of the Dragon. If you have the Dragonblood subtype, get the feats Fell Drain Spell in Libris Mortis and Practical Metamagic also in Races of the Dragon. Since you'll be casting it with metamagic anyway, get a Lesser Rod of Extend so it lasts twice as long and thus deals twice as many negative levels.

Wings of Flurry is a 4th level Sorcerer-only spell in Races of the Dragon and probably the top damage dealing spell in the game due to its dazing effect and lack of a damage cap.

For a Sorcerer 6 who wants to blast, my spell choices would be Mage Armor, Grease, Benign Transposition (SC), Power Word: Pain; Web or Glitterdust, Wings of Cover (RotD); Fireball or Lightning Bolt. At 7th level pick up Magic Missile, Ray of Stupidity (SC), and either Haste or Stinking Cloud. When you hit 8th level get Wings of Flurry and trade out your least-used spell for something more interesting. Don't pick just damage spells, get a few solid choices for single-target and area effect and you can make some choices for versatility and debuff/disable effects.

wings of covers does what?
and what book is that?
Rrrr...eh... Really Oily Tome...no...hm

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Wings of Cover is in Races of the Dragon, it's a 2nd level spell that can be cast as an immediate action, i.e. even on someone else's turn. It automatically blocks the next spell or attack from hitting you, and if you have the dragonblood subtype one adjacent ally per three levels is likewise protected.

[Shademan]

Wings of Cover is in Races of the Dragon, it's a 2nd level spell that can be cast as an immediate action, i.e. even on someone else's turn. It automatically blocks the next spell or attack from hitting you, and if you have the dragonblood subtype one adjacent ally per three levels is likewise protected.

nice, indeed.

also, do you know a good spell for flying? theres levitate, but thats not really good for quickly getting out of a courtyard being filled with very angry men (and some women for political reasons) with sharp impliments

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Right, I guess I forgot to put Alter Self on there. There are just so many good choices for 2nd level spells!

[Shademan]

alter self? disguise my magnificent blasty self?
BLAAASPHEMY!

[Triaxx]

Disguise? Pshaw. Only if you're disguising yourself as a 20' tall you, flinging balls of flame from both fists.

Don't forget that snagging Force Missile Mage can vastly enhance your ability to deal damage to just about anything. Might not be DM friendly.

[Sith_Happens]

Don't pick just damage spells, get a few solid choices for single-target and area effect and you can make some choices for versatility and debuff/disable effects.

This. Especially with limited spells known, you only need a handful of damage-dealing spells, to be used with metamagic at your discretion (don't forget to pick up Energy Substitution so your Fireballs and Scorching Rays will still work on things with fire resistance). Use your other spells known on things that make it harder for enemies to hit you back. In particular, spamming Fireballs into a Solid Fog containing the entire group of enemies should be fun.:smallcool:

[Rasman]

I...forth...or is it fifth now?...the Orb spells, they're teh aw3zome

Energy Substitution is a great pick up for a blaster as well, so I second it too...but for EVEN BETTER it's a prereq for Energy Admixture, your fireballs will turn into nasty against anything that isn't immune to fire and whatever you choose for your ES energy type, I'd highly suggest Sonic...compared to everything else, there's almost nothing that's immune to Sonic damage.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

The mailman can work quite well with a Spellscale who meditates on Io during adventures. The Empower 3/day is nice, and the bonus to spellcraft can be a godsend for your Metamagic Effects. Remember, the Mailman's eye lasers (Ocular Spell, LoM) are generally his big guns at the mid levels, and they're essentially powered by spellcraft checks.

Blasting things is nice; note, though, that the great thing about a sorcerer is that you only need one or two X-type spells to do X-type action all day. Even if you don't plan on casting things like Fly or Glitterdust a lot, you can still spend spells known on them, use Fireball a lot, and then cast the other stuff when it comes up.

Wings of Cover is... really good. The only times I wouldn't take it as a sorcerer would be (1) I was a non-draconic race with Celerity (PHBII), Quick Recovery (LoM), and a ridiculous will save, or (2) I was in a low-powered game. Without (1) or (2), Ruin Delver's Fortune can also be quite nice; remember that WoC doesn't totally block AoE stuff; it just gives you a bonus to the save. On the other hand, Ruin Delver's Fortune gives you CHA modifier to the save of your choice, plus a menu of goodies (like evasion!).

[Shademan]

meditating on Io? that does not fit the character.
But hye! Lots of nice and useful advice in here! I'm sure he'll become nice and dangerous

[Gray Mage]

Also pick the ACF from Complete Arcane that lets you use metamagic normally in exchange of your familiar (the name escapes me right now).

[Aspenor]

Post #2 (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=10141.0)

Replace Stalwart Sorcerer with Weapon Focus in your human bonus feat. Or maybe just take some other feat that you'd like to have.

Done

[Zaq]

This is just a single spell, but I'm fond of piling disgusting quantities of metamagic on Hail of Stone (level 1 spell, SpC). It's one of the most unavoidable sources of damage in the game. There's no save, there's no SR, and RAW, even DR doesn't stop it (because it's a spell, not an attack).


Damage Reduction

A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks. Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly (in either case, the opponent knows the attack was ineffective). The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. A certain kind of weapon can sometimes damage the creature normally, as noted below.

So yeah, it's only 5d4 damage unmodified, but pile enough metamagic on that bad boy (the Fell X line is pretty good, but even a vanilla Empower/Maximize/Twin/Repeat/whatever combo hurts like hell) and it can be quite a staple. No worrying about Scintillating Scales, no worrying about natural 1s, just nearly unavoidable damage. I'm pretty sure that the only way to stop it is an immediate action wrench-in-the-works like Abrupt Jaunt or Wings of Cover.

Sure, it's got an expensive material component, but it's the lamest expensive material component in the game. 5 GP? You can afford an average of 15 of those with your level 1 starting gold. A sickle costs more. A morningstar costs more. A hooded lantern costs more. A single shot of alchemist's fire costs four times as much. It doesn't really have an expensive material component.

Hail of Stone is a good spell.