Building a Sorcerer

[Garetek]

Looking to build a sorcerer for a level 7 campaign. I really just want to limit him to keeping himself up with a few spells, and doing a bunch of damage with the others. Believe this is called the blaster type.

I don't really want to get into crazy racial adjustments and such, just want to keep him kinda simple, and maybe use at max a +1 la.

Your thoughts my collective gaming friends?

[Keld Denar]

3rd - 2 known
Scintilating Sphere (SpC)
Haste (alternatively Fly)

2nd - 3 known
Scorching Ray
Glitterdust
Web

1st - 5 known
Mage Armor
Grease
Lesser Orb of Acid (SpC)
Benign Transposition (SpC)
Alarm

You have access to Electricity, Fire, and Acid damage from 3 different spell levels. Scintilating Sphere is a 20' AoE with a LONG range, Scorching Ray is a shortish Ranged Touch with decently scaling damage (8d6 at level 7), and Lesser Orb of Acid works on like, 99% of foes you will fight, especially the ones that the first 2 won't work on.

You don't need 50 different ways to say "I love you, now take Xd6 damage". If you want that, play a Warmage. The spell list I proposed has a little of everything, along with some solid crowd control, buffs, debuffs, and utility.

Race and feats don't make a whole lot of difference. Empower Spell might be kinda good, especially if you are aiming for Residual Magic (CMage), but it might be a bit early. If you really want some shananigans, be a Dragonblooded race (like Kobold or Silverbrow Human) and take Fell Draining(Libris Mortis) + Practical Metamagic(Races of the Dragon) and tack on Fell Draining to your lower level damage spells for only +1 level. That means that everyone damaged by your spell gains a negative level, which results in the loss of 5 HP and a -1 on all d20 rolls including saves vs future nukes. Also, negative levels stack, making each successive casting all the more damning.

[HunterOfJello]

I haven't read through it, but there's a handbook that looks decent called the Short Sorcerer's Handbook (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19871358/Short_Sorcerer_Handbook) that should be able to help you.

As far as spell selection goes, which is obviously the most important part of a sorcerer's character creation, you should check out Solo's Stupendously Superior Sorcerer Stratagems (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2180.0).

You can also check out a popular build called the Mailman from the guide The Mailman: A Direct Damage Sorcerer (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19868534/The_Mailman:_A_Direct_Damage_Sorcerer?pg=1).

[Hirax]

Spellscale is a nice option for sorcerers, it's in Races of the Dragon. Check out PHB2's metamagic specialist variant too, if you're interested in getting the ability to quicken spells.

[Tenebris]

Maybe a dip in Binder and then go with the Anima Mage? Nice Charisma synergy, plus additional options. I recommend binding Focalor. When you run out of spell, you always have your Lightning Strike. And Aura of Sadness lowers your enemies saves by 2 if they come too close :P

[DeAnno]

A low level Sorc like this is really just the time to bust out the War Mage PRC from Age of Mortals, if you can get it. You basically have to sink all your feats into qualifying but +1 damage per die now and another +2 coming up soon is really good.

More generally, (especially if random books from Dragonlance are off the table), you might want to see if you can fly a Web Enhancement Kobold (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a), get a greater draconic rite of passage, and be an effectively 8th level sorcerer (it's almost as if wizards didn't get an innate spell level advantage!) In this case you probably want to go Iron Will/(Empower or Maximize) for your other feats and go Incantatrix for your PRC. If that's off the table as well efficient low level PRCs are starting to run a bit thin, probably just spend the feats on empower/practical empower (or maximize) and stay vanilla Sorc.

As for spell lists Keld Denar's looks pretty good. If you get that extra sorc level off the Kobold Celerity at 4th level is pretty much never a bad call, even without a way out of daze (though if you have the feat maybe pick up Quick Recovery (LoM)).

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Wings of Cover (RotD) now, Wings of Flurry (RotD) in one level. There's your blasting and defense. The rest can cover buffing and utility. If you want more types of damage, I'd go with scorching ray. Low level, no reflex save. Nifty.

[Gavinfoxx]

I like Silverbrow Humans going into Incantatrix (and then, per mailman, Arcane Devotee) for damage sorcerers.

1. Iron Will
Hu Empower Spell
Flaw1 Force of Personality
Flaw2 Improved Initiative
3 Easy Metamagic: Empower Spell
6 Maximize Spell
Incant7 Enlarge Spell
9. Residual Magic
10.Incant. Easy Metamagic: Maximize Spell
12. Quick Recovery
13Incant. Twin Spell
15. Practical Metamagic: Maximize Spell
16Incant. Easy Metamagic: Twin Spell
18. Practical Metamagic: Twin Spell

[JaronK]

If you were a Kobold, you could use the Draconic Rite of Passage for +1 Sorcerer level, which would be enough to use Wings of Flurry at this level. Combined with Arcane Thesis (Wings of Flurry) that spell would do 10d6 damage at this level and daze enemies when it hits... quite nice. Of course, you'd only be using it a couple times per day at this level even with an impressive charisma score, so Manyjaws or something as a backup would be wise.

JaronK

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

If you were a Kobold, you could use the Draconic Rite of Passage for +1 Sorcerer level, which would be enough to use Wings of Flurry at this level. Combined with Arcane Thesis (Wings of Flurry) that spell would do 10d6 damage at this level and daze enemies when it hits... quite nice. Of course, you'd only be using it a couple times per day at this level even with an impressive charisma score, so Manyjaws or something as a backup would be wise.

JaronKI think you have to wait until level 9 for Arcane thesis due to feat progression.

[JaronK]

I think you have to wait until level 9 for Arcane thesis due to feat progression.

...oh right. Well, ignore that part of it then. Still a brutal blast spell.

JaronK