My first sorcerer

[ducttapebandit]

So, a couple weeks back I was here asking for help with a bard (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195791). The campaign he was for went belly up.

The DM has decided to put us through a dungeon crawl. A long dungeon. The World's Largest Dungeon. :smalleek:

Everyone else is going with level 1 versions of their characters from the aborted campaign:
-killoreen druid (mostly uses healing spells)
-warforged crusader
-samurai (I'll edit in his race when I catch it)
-raptoran artificer

No shooty-type person and no arcane caster in the mix. Hence, I'd like to play a sorcerer focusing on ranged attack spells. I also don't want to neglect anything else that may be helpful in the given environment. I have yet to play a spell caster, or do a real dungeon crawl, so I need some major help on spell selection and familiars. I also wouldn't mind suggestions on which race maximizes my return on the rolls. Also, which skills and items would be most important in the dungeon? I'm taking a writing-intensive English class right now, so I don't have time to peruse every single spell in each book on my own.

I'm open to almost any race as of now. I'd prefer not to be a "vanilla" human.
My rolls: 16,16,15,14,13,10*
My thoughts: 16 cha, 16 con, 15 dex, 14 int, 13 wis, 10 str
Does that look good?

Our combined book collection is extensive. Operate under the assumption that we own the 3.5/3E book in question, as long as it's not called Complete Divine, BoVD, BoED, Magic of Incarnum, or MM3/4/5.

I am open to switching to other spontaneous arcane casters. No, I will not switch to a wizard. Waiting for them to do their daily spell selection annoys me and I can't imagine being the one that holds up the party.:smallannoyed:

*note: All other group members are using the same base rolls to generate their characters. We decided to experiment a little. Each of us rolled one set of stats and we pooled the sets. Each player was then free to pick any of the sets, even if the stat set in question was already taken by another player. The other sets had a single high roll and garbage or a bunch of a few 12-14 with garbage. It was an easy choice.

[AslanCross]

Is it possible to take the Pathfinder sorcerer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer) instead? It's strictly better as the bloodline you pick gives you an expanded spell list and a couple nifty abilities.

Regardless, you want the orb spells. The entire line of Lesser Orbs is lv 1, with the more powerful ones coming in at Lv 4.

For race, I'm not sure how optimal, but a uurnaen Illumian will be able to make good use of the bonus on attack rolls; you just have to find a way to gain Sneak Attack (you could multiclass with Rogue and take the Practiced Spellcaster feat).

Others can probably give more optimal builds.

[Amnestic]

The Silverbrow Human (Dragon Magic) are a nice alternative to the basic one if you stick to the Sorcerers=Dragonblood fluff WotC seem to settle on. Keep the bonus feat, but gain the Dragonblood subtype and a Feather Fall SLA in exchange for the bonus skillpoints.

[CigarPete]

Have you read the Mailman (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.wizards.com%2Fgo%2Fthre ad%2Fview%2F75882%2F19868534%2FThe_Mailman%3A_A_Di rect_Damage_Sorcerer&rct=j&q=mailman%20sorcerer&ei=mqq-TciEE4ar8QP7m929BQ&usg=AFQjCNHNFa3i3jxcxPGeJVgTBFlBwfyi4A&cad=rja) guide? Even if you don't go for the racial shenanigans, the spell selections are all there for you to choose from.

[Winds]

I like humans for most classes. That extra feat is pretty useful, as it can be pretty much anything you think the char will need. The stat selection you picked is good, by the way.

Familiars can be difficult to choose. On my recent one, I got a weasel. +2 to reflex saves, and has the 'Attach' ability. If it succeeds on its bite, it latches on and deals damage from bite every round after, without rolls being needed. That ability saved us from a total party wipeout. Twice. (There was a lot of luck involved there, though.)

Biggest thing I'd suggest would be to look into Heritage feats. I tried that at level 6...didn't understand that Sorcerer level 1st meant at 1st level only. :smallfrown:

I know there's Draconic Heritage in Complete Arcane, I've heard of others. Most of them are or are similar to the Pathfinder bloodline perks, at the cost of it being feat progression instead of class perks.

As far as spells, Magic Missile is also nice, being that it always hits and the missiles can hit whichever and as many targets you want.

[Metahuman1]

Lesser Asimar gives you a Cha boost, I'd go with that.

Heritage feats are also in the Players Handbook II and Complete Mage. They have, in addition to the Complete Arcane's Dragon Heritage feats, Fey Heritage, Fiendish Heritage, Celestial heritage, and I think Demonic Heritage. (Haven't looked at them in forever so I might be wrong on the last one.)

Familiar, what ever you do don't take one there worthless. Take an ACF in stead, any ACF. Pathfinder Sorcerer is great for this if you can get it, since it gives you kick but bloodline ability's instead of a glorified pet.

Spells. Orbs are required if you want too do damage. Doing damage is sub optimal for Arcane casters.

Instead, worry about spells that are save or suck/lose/die spells. Grease, Web, Color Spray, Glitter Dust, Slow, Bestow Curse, Solid Fog. Spells like these will end encounters often in short order. Learn them. A couple of Key attack spells (Orbs of an energy type that almost never meets resistance and useful buffs like Haste, Shield, and Eagles Splendor (To be traded out soon as you get something that is an Item that grants a +4 or better to Cha.)

[ducttapebandit]

Is it possible to take the Pathfinder sorcerer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer) instead? It's strictly better as the bloodline you pick gives you an expanded spell list and a couple nifty abilities.

Regardless, you want the orb spells. The entire line of Lesser Orbs is lv 1, with the more powerful ones coming in at Lv 4.

For race, I'm not sure how optimal, but a uurnaen Illumian will be able to make good use of the bonus on attack rolls; you just have to find a way to gain Sneak Attack (you could multiclass with Rogue and take the Practiced Spellcaster feat).

Others can probably give more optimal builds.
No can do on the Pathfinder version. The Illumian concept sounds interesting. Might have to look into that a little more.


The Silverbrow Human (Dragon Magic) are a nice alternative to the basic one if you stick to the Sorcerers=Dragonblood fluff WotC seem to settle on. Keep the bonus feat, but gain the Dragonblood subtype and a Feather Fall SLA in exchange for the bonus skillpoints.Not only does that look useful, but my group has a running gag about silver dragons.:smallamused:


Have you read the Mailman (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.wizards.com%2Fgo%2Fthre ad%2Fview%2F75882%2F19868534%2FThe_Mailman%3A_A_Di rect_Damage_Sorcerer&rct=j&q=mailman%20sorcerer&ei=mqq-TciEE4ar8QP7m929BQ&usg=AFQjCNHNFa3i3jxcxPGeJVgTBFlBwfyi4A&cad=rja) guide? Even if you don't go for the racial shenanigans, the spell selections are all there for you to choose from.
I hadn't seen that. They've got some great advice on feats and spells. Thanks!


Familiars can be difficult to choose. On my recent one, I got a weasel. +2 to reflex saves, and has the 'Attach' ability. If it succeeds on its bite, it latches on and deals damage from bite every round after, without rolls being needed. That ability saved us from a total party wipeout. Twice. (There was a lot of luck involved there, though.)

Biggest thing I'd suggest would be to look into Heritage feats. I tried that at level 6...didn't understand that Sorcerer level 1st meant at 1st level only. :smallfrown:

I know there's Draconic Heritage in Complete Arcane, I've heard of others. Most of them are or are similar to the Pathfinder bloodline perks, at the cost of it being feat progression instead of class perks.

As far as spells, Magic Missile is also nice, being that it always hits and the missiles can hit whichever and as many targets you want.A weasel doesn't sound bad. I'll look into the rest of your suggestions when I have a chance. My brother, the DM for this, previously started on a Force Missile Mage, so I was considering trying for that PrC.


Familiar, what ever you do don't take one there worthless. Take an ACF in stead, any ACF. Pathfinder Sorcerer is great for this if you can get it, since it gives you kick but bloodline ability's instead of a glorified pet.

Spells. Orbs are required if you want too do damage. Doing damage is sub optimal for Arcane casters.

Instead, worry about spells that are save or suck/lose/die spells. Grease, Web, Color Spray, Glitter Dust, Slow, Bestow Curse, Solid Fog. Spells like these will end encounters often in short order. Learn them. A couple of Key attack spells (Orbs of an energy type that almost never meets resistance and useful buffs like Haste, Shield, and Eagles Splendor (To be traded out soon as you get something that is an Item that grants a +4 or better to Cha.)I'm not sure which ones are worthless. In general, which are the least useless? Pathfinder isn't available. I recently was on the losing side of Color Spray in an arena-style fight. Wasn't pretty.