How should I arrange these stats?

[windweaver]

Okay so I rolled up a Chaotic Good, Half-Elf Sorcerer with a Fey bloodline for a pathfinder game some friends and I are putting together. I'd actually done this once before but I lost my character sheet and now I'm trying to reroll a new version and I wanted to know a couple of things.

1. How do these stats stack up? I'm a bit of a D&D newbie and I'm curious about how lucky my stat rolls were and how good my Sorcerer's base stats are.

2. What are good places to put the stats I have so that I can be an effective sorcerer and useful to my group?

Here are my stats.
16
17
14
11
16
15

I did not fudge these rolls. When we first did this my DM let us roll up our stats and then if we had a roll we didn't like he let us reroll 1 stat and one stat only. We used the roll 4 d6 and take the 3 highest method.

Anyway, I know my highest number should go into Charisma since Sorcerer's spell selection is determined by charisma but that's all I know. Any help appreciated.

[Kojiro]

Well, Constitution lends to survivability, so one of the 16's can go in there; you'll need all the hit points you can get. Other 16... Dexterity affects quite a few important things, so I'm inclined to put it there. Others may suggest otherwise, but between AC and to-hit for ranged touch attack spells, it seems good to me, at least. After that... Intelligence is always useful, even if you aren't casting with it. Skills and such. Put the 15 there.

Strength and Wisdom, neither are major to you; you already have a good Will save, and you shouldn't be fighting melee, so those two depend on which you prefer for your character.

[Godskook]

For 4d6b3, 1 reroll, that's really good stats. You should prepare yourself now for the inevitable less-awesome character you are going to play next time.

As for this character, I'd reccomend something like:

Str - 11
Dex - 16
Con - 16
Int - 15
Wis - 14
Cha - 17

And my reasons for that are that Dex/Con are two of the most commonly used stats in the game. They control HP, AC, 2 of your 3 saves, Initiative, CMD(iirc) and ranged attack rolls. Wis is less important cause it literally only matters for your will save and possibly low-level skill checks. Int's in a similar position, as it really is only going to matter for skill points, but that's more handy than Str, which should really only ever come up if you have to lug all your team-mates back from a brutal fight(I had to do that once as a wizard....)

'Course, I'm 3.5, so a little of what I'm saying will probably not be accurate in PF, but someone will be along shortly to correct it, I'm sure.

[windweaver]

For 4d6b3, 1 reroll, that's really good stats. You should prepare yourself now for the inevitable less-awesome character you are going to play next time.

As for this character, I'd reccomend something like:

Str - 11
Dex - 16
Con - 16
Int - 15
Wis - 14
Cha - 17

And my reasons for that are that Dex/Con are two of the most commonly used stats in the game. They control HP, AC, 2 of your 3 saves, Initiative, CMD(iirc) and ranged attack rolls. Wis is less important cause it literally only matters for your will save and possibly low-level skill checks. Int's in a similar position, as it really is only going to matter for skill points, but that's more handy than Str, which should really only ever come up if you have to lug all your team-mates back from a brutal fight(I had to do that once as a wizard....)

'Course, I'm 3.5, so a little of what I'm saying will probably not be accurate in PF, but someone will be along shortly to correct it, I'm sure.

Thank you very much for the help both of you. I'll likely go with this distribution but I'd also like to see some other ideas (though I suspect this will be a common trend). Now I was doing some research (why yes, at heart I'm very much a wizard) and I like the thought of dexterity being high because in the first time we did this, we did a bit of back story for my character and when he's choosing his equipment he passes up the chance to buy a crossbow. I suspect that through the course of the game, in character, my sorcerer will have moments where he really regrets that decision and one of his character development moments will be taking a feat for that weapon and it will lead him down the path to become an arcane archer for a prestige class.

[Ravens_cry]

For 4d6b3, 1 reroll, that's really good stats. You should prepare yourself now for the inevitable less-awesome character you are going to play next time.

As for this character, I'd reccomend something like:

Str - 11
Dex - 16
Con - 16
Int - 15
Wis - 14
Cha - 17

And my reasons for that are that Dex/Con are two of the most commonly used stats in the game. They control HP, AC, 2 of your 3 saves, Initiative, CMD(iirc) and ranged attack rolls
<nitpick>
Alas, you are wrong, or rather half right. CMD (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Combat-Maneuver-Defense) is STRENGTH and Dexterity as far as statistics are concerned. </nitpick>

[Godskook]

<nitpick>
Alas, you are wrong, or rather half right. CMD (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Combat-Maneuver-Defense) is STRENGTH and Dexterity as far as statistics are concerned. </nitpick>

Y'know, your quote cut out my weasel words. They were put there for our protection. (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-05-01)

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Obvious sidenote: Put the half-elf's +2 into Charisma.

If you're level 1, get Sleep as a spell known. It goes well with the Fey bloodline. Normally I'd suggest Human for any sorcerer, but I'm guessing you're set on Half-Elf, which is fine. Bonus spells known is great, but you get extra HP! With that stat line you'll actually be one of the meatier party members. I'd crack open the APG and look into some alternative racial traits; Arcane Training stands out as an obvious plus, and Dual Minded is worth a look.

[windweaver]

Obvious sidenote: Put the half-elf's +2 into Charisma.

If you're level 1, get Sleep as a spell known. It goes well with the Fey bloodline. Normally I'd suggest Human for any sorcerer, but I'm guessing you're set on Half-Elf, which is fine. Bonus spells known is great, but you get extra HP! With that stat line you'll actually be one of the meatier party members. I'd crack open the APG and look into some alternative racial traits; Arcane Training stands out as an obvious plus, and Dual Minded is worth a look.

Thanks. I'll have to do some research because I don't know what Arcane Training, or Dual Minded are but I agree that I should take sleep and will when we get back together. I forgot half elves got a +2 to something and yeah, that definitely goes in charisma.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Thanks. I'll have to do some research because I don't know what Arcane Training, or Dual Minded are but I agree that I should take sleep and will when we get back together. I forgot half elves got a +2 to something and yeah, that definitely goes in charisma.Note that all the information is available online; specifically, Arcane Training, Dual Minded, and other alternate Half-Elf racial features are available on the page describing Half-Elves (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/core-races/half-elf) (a little further down).

[windweaver]

Thank you very much for the information. I appreciate it. What would you recommend since I'd like to prestige my character into an Arcane archer eventually? It would be some time down the road of course, but eventually.

[Retech]

Wait Wait wait wait wait wait wait.

Awesome oppertunity for you, since you're already going down the Fey Bloodline road. If you look on the SRD and go downish, there are various "wildblooded" options, which are just variants of the original bloodlines.

One of them is Sylvan, which grants you an animal companion that functions as a druid of (your level - 3). Add boon companion and you've got an absolutely beastly personal tank.

(If you don't mind a bit of cheese, take an ape advanced to large at level 4, with the point boost into intelligence, wielding a large reach weapon and smashing everything in its path. Alternatively, consider some sort of mount, so you can arcane calvary archer stuff)

Also, with the improvements to sorcerers in Pathfinder, it would be more versatile if you just went straight sorcerer, and picked up archery with that. Like, arcane archers are pretty limited, so at least with straight sorcery, you have an oppertunity to back out of the archery root if it doesn't appeal to you.

Random Fun Idea that I had: Riding on the back of your ape (taking -5 for unusual mount, but buffing ride is easy), shooting stuff with your bow, while your ape is shooting stuff with ITS bow.

The ape actually has a pretty good dexterity stat and its massive strength will let you really pump the enemy full with a high strength rated composite longbow. (Actually, better idea. Play a small race like a halfling firing arrows, riding on the back of one of your medium-sized party members firing arrows, riding on the back of your large ape, firing arrows!)

With Pathfinder's abundance of feats, the ape should be able to get someways down that archery lane and contribute plenty of damage, especially if you pass down your handy-down flaming +1 longbows and stuff.

[windweaver]

Wait Wait wait wait wait wait wait.

Awesome oppertunity for you, since you're already going down the Fey Bloodline road. If you look on the SRD and go downish, there are various "wildblooded" options, which are just variants of the original bloodlines.

One of them is Sylvan, which grants you an animal companion that functions as a druid of (your level - 3). Add boon companion and you've got an absolutely beastly personal tank.

(If you don't mind a bit of cheese, take an ape advanced to large at level 4, with the point boost into intelligence, wielding a large reach weapon and smashing everything in its path. Alternatively, consider some sort of mount, so you can arcane calvary archer stuff)

Also, with the improvements to sorcerers in Pathfinder, it would be more versatile if you just went straight sorcerer, and picked up archery with that. Like, arcane archers are pretty limited, so at least with straight sorcery, you have an oppertunity to back out of the archery root if it doesn't appeal to you.

Random Fun Idea that I had: Riding on the back of your ape (taking -5 for unusual mount, but buffing ride is easy), shooting stuff with your bow, while your ape is shooting stuff with ITS bow.

The ape actually has a pretty good dexterity stat and its massive strength will let you really pump the enemy full with a high strength rated composite longbow. (Actually, better idea. Play a small race like a halfling firing arrows, riding on the back of one of your medium-sized party members firing arrows, riding on the back of your large ape, firing arrows!)

With Pathfinder's abundance of feats, the ape should be able to get someways down that archery lane and contribute plenty of damage, especially if you pass down your handy-down flaming +1 longbows and stuff.

My sides hurt a little bit from laughing at that mental image. I like the idea of keeping my options open and again, I wouldn't go for the prestige class too early but I really do appreciate all the creative ideas and help prepping for this. I like going into situations with lots of information.