Sorcerer Guide

[BlueInc]

I've got a friend playing a Sorcerer in a 3.5e. Are there any guides for sorcerers on the Playground?

[Amphetryon]

I find this guide useful (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2180).

[MammonAzrael]

As far as I'm aware, Solo's guide (linked above) is the only handbook dedicated to sorcerers.

You can check out the various wizard handbooks for idea, but be sure to remember the sorcerer's differences! (Solo covers them well)

[Olo Demonsbane]

Here (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7229) is a guide for how to select sorcerer spells.

[Fizban]

I've got a quote saved from a thread on the WoTC boards for this:


How to play a sorceror well:

One good will save spell.
One good fort save spell.
One good reflex save spell.
Heighten Metamagic feat.
Make sure that for the rest of your sorceror career, you cast the spell which targets the enemy's weak save.

One good spell with no save.
One good spell with persistant effects, like Evard's Black Tentacles.
Vampiric Touch, because its functionally a healing spell.
Polymorph.
Consider all bases covered.

As you level up, replace your attack spells with higher level spells, and move the lower level slot into something based around utility. (This is extremely hard with the standard replacement, but the PHBII retraining rules make it easy.)
Remember to take generically useful buffs, like polymorph, then cast them on the entire party. Lots of problems can be solved by casting polymorph four times in rapid repetition.
Bloodline feats (Dragon Magazine feats, google them and ask your DM)are not a bad idea, they give you many more spells known, and add flavor to your character.
Keep an eye out for spells which scale on their own better than normal. Evard's Black Tentacles grapple check scales by caster level, for example.

Remember that you get more out of metamagic than a wizard, because you always have it when you need it.
Still Spell means you need never fear grappling again, just remember which spells have no material component.
Additions in bold by me.

I'd add Sculpt Spell to the list of must-have metamagic, but I don't consider Vampiric Touch and Polymorph absolutely neccesary. You can get alternate class features or actual healing spells that don't require you to be in melee range of your enemy, and Polymorph is so broken I just ignore it nowadays. It may not be clear if your no-save spell should be damage or no-save-just-lose. The answer of course is that you should have both. After all, this is still DnD, so you're gonna want some kind of damage (usually Scorching Ray until you get an Orb spell at higher levels).

Additionally, you should take advantage of the "stealth fix" sorcerer-only spells. In particular, Wings of Cover, Wings of Flurry, and Arcane Fusion/Greater Arcane Fusion. Wings of Cover lets you just be immune to something 1/round, and Wings of Flurry has no damage cap and dazes on a failed save, making it a good choice if you don't have many other combat spells. Arcane Fusion is the big one: this lets you cast two spells at once, combining a 4th and a 1st, and the Greater version of course goes higher. This lets you use 1st level spells like True Strike and True Casting to make sure your spells hit, or if you don't have to worry about accuracy and defenses, you can instead just tack on a Lesser Orb and just deal more damage. Or you can try nifty combo tricks like Grease and Solid Fog, or buff while attacking, or buff two allies, or . . .

[Keld Denar]

Don't forget about Arcane SpellSURGE!!!!

[BlueInc]

Excellent. I'll send him all of these suggestions. Thanks very much everyone!