3.P Alchemist and Sorc Help!

[Snowbluff]

So, I am joining up in a new campaign, Pathfinder with the Regular and Advanced Player's Guides. We are starting at level six, and my DM said he'd allow Ultimate magic if I talked him into it. High point buy, too.

First time making a character in awhile, mostly been DMing alot, kind of want to do something new. I've done lots of melee (Fighter, Fighter/Samurai Gestalt, SS/WB/Mo9), I've done minions (Dread Necro), and I've done buff happy totally overpowered (Druid). So, I'd like to try blasting! :smallredface:

So, I was kind of thinking going Alchemist, since I always wanted to try a Warlock or dragon-breath-thingy guy. Seems week though, and I don't ACTUALLY get to use bombs endlessly! Only, like 11 times at levels six and maxed out into. Hardly a 'blast stuff all day' class.Buffs seem nice, but not too helpful when balance against the alternative and considering my playstyle..

The other option I was thinking of was blasting Sorcerer. I have never done it before. I think i could manage more than 11 spells slots that will all do more than 3d6 damage at this level, to. I could even use a slot or two for buffs.

When looking at the Alc's Bomb ability, it does not seem to useful balanced versus spells. I mean, when you get another +1 Mod to your stat, you either could get a bomb, or another spell slot (:smallbiggrin:) . Seems like a no-brainer right?

[legomaster00156]

Ah, blasting. Completely unoptimized, but heck if it isn't fun! :smallbiggrin: Now, personally, I prefer Sorcerer in this regard, mostly due to the whole "9th-level casting" thing, and the "Sorcerers are the best class ever" thing (YMMV on the second, of course).
Pump CHA, and put secondary points into Constitution (you never know when you need to survive a dragon's breath weapon). Pick up the Arcane, Draconic, or Elemental bloodline. Get the Empower Spell metamagic feat. Grab the following necessary blasty spells: Magic Missile, Burning Hands, Scorching Ray, and Lightning Bolt. Fireball is not necessary, since Scorching Ray is actually better.
That's all I've got. Have fun incinerating everything that stands in your path!

[Snowbluff]

Ah, blasting. Completely unoptimized, but heck if it isn't fun! :smallbiggrin: Now, personally, I prefer Sorcerer in this regard, mostly due to the whole "9th-level casting" thing, and the "Sorcerers are the best class ever" thing (YMMV on the second, of course).
Pump CHA, and put secondary points into Constitution (you never know when you need to survive a dragon's breath weapon). Pick up the Arcane, Draconic, or Elemental bloodline. Get the Empower Spell metamagic feat. Grab the following necessary blasty spells: Magic Missile, Burning Hands, Scorching Ray, and Lightning Bolt. Fireball is not necessary, since Scorching Ray is actually better.
That's all I've got. Have fun incinerating everything that stands in your path!

Yeah,Sorc is the best IMO. If i wanted to do every spell, I'd buy some scrolls XD.

The elemental line seems pretty handy to me. It gets scorching ray as a spells, too. :D

[Psyren]

Fireball is not necessary, since Scorching Ray is actually better.

Be careful with statements like these. Scorching Ray is useless against swarms, for instance. Fireball also has much, much, much longer range.

@ OP: As a primary caster, you need to be sure you cover "the bases." What are the bases?

- Ranged attack roll
- Melee attack roll
- Targets Fortitude Save
- Targets Reflex Save
- Targets Will Save
- Allows no Save
- Not Subject to Spell Resistance or Power Resistance (SR/PR)
- Area of Effect (for fighting Swarms)
- Force Effect (for fighting Incorporeal/Ethereal creatures)
- Effective against Anti Magic Field/Null Psionics Field
- Effective against Globe of Invulnerability

Use these to guide your spell selection, and remember that some spells can fill multiple roles. For instance, Magic Missile doubles as "Force Effect" and "Allows no Save."

[stack]

Crossblooded can get you extra damage added to all you damage dice as well. Orc for fire, dragon for any element, elemental wyld-blood for any element. It hurts your spells known, but you can go human with the extra spell favored class bonus to help make up for that.

[legomaster00156]

Be careful with statements like these. Scorching Ray is useless against swarms, for instance. Fireball also has much, much, much longer range.

I have never, ever fought a swarm, and unless you're in a mass-combat situation, Medium range should usually be far enough for most needs. Scorching Ray has a distance of "Close", but at level 6, that's a fairly nice 65 ft. In general, Scorching Ray is simply more useful of a fire spell.

[Snowbluff]

Crossblooded can get you extra damage added to all you damage dice as well. Orc for fire, dragon for any element, elemental wyld-blood for any element. It hurts your spells known, but you can go human with the extra spell favored class bonus to help make up for that.

Hmmm... skill points or more spells known... :smallbiggrin: sounds like a great option!


Be careful with statements like these. Scorching Ray is useless against swarms, for instance. Fireball also has much, much, much longer range.

@ OP: As a primary caster, you need to be sure you cover "the bases." What are the bases?

- Ranged attack roll
- Melee attack roll
- Targets Fortitude Save
- Targets Reflex Save
- Targets Will Save
- Allows no Save
- Not Subject to Spell Resistance or Power Resistance (SR/PR)
- Area of Effect (for fighting Swarms)
- Force Effect (for fighting Incorporeal/Ethereal creatures)
- Effective against Anti Magic Field/Null Psionics Field
- Effective against Globe of Invulnerability

Use these to guide your spell selection, and remember that some spells can fill multiple roles. For instance, Magic Missile doubles as "Force Effect" and "Allows no Save."

Diversification sounds like a great idea. Maybe using the Draconic and Elemental spell list together can net a good array of bonus spells.

Now about energy type. Using the 1st level bloodline power of the Draconic (or the Elemental alternate one) give me more damage per die with one type of energy. Which one would be best? Normally I'd with lightning for the Elemental flying bloodline, but Draconic gives me wings at 15 anyway. Fire seems like the option, with Fireball being on my list, which will scale at every level for extra damage, but alot of things are fire-resistant.

I guess what I am asking is, which energy type would affect as many of a blaster's typical spells?

[Psyren]

I have never, ever fought a swarm

This isn't much of an argument, you realize that.


and unless you're in a mass-combat situation, Medium range should usually be far enough for most needs. Scorching Ray has a distance of "Close", but at level 6, that's a fairly nice 65 ft.

Wrong - at level 6 that's 40 feet (25 + 15.) It's +5/2 levels, not +5/level.
Not that it truly matters as both are well within charging range, but plenty of mobs have 40ft move or more.


In general, Scorching Ray is simply more useful of a fire spell.

This is debatable, and isn't what you originally said anyway. In general I would probably pick Scorching Ray too, but it is a choice you actually have to think about rather than being a knee-jerk "X is always better than Y" deal.

[stack]

Taking the normal elemental bloodline works too, less damage, but you can freely convert all energy spells to your favored type.

[legomaster00156]

I admit defeat, Psyren. The way that I worded it was indeed poor, and failed to take into account those factors. And, eh, you're right about Close range, too. :smallfrown: (I still think Scorching Ray is superior, though.)

[Snowbluff]

Taking the normal elemental bloodline works too, less damage, but you can freely convert all energy spells to your favored type.

Man, if only I could take 2 Arcana at once! Oh wait, you don't have to choose between either when using crossblood! Then maybe, for diversity sake, I should use the least represented one of all four? Or shouldI just take the Wild Blooded Elemental instead of energy conversion to get +2 per damage die?

[stack]

I mentioned the wild blooded in a previous post The more recent post was referring to using the regular elemental bloodline to broaden your spell choices for your chosen element in place of the previously mentioned damage.

For completeness, half-orcs can use an alternate FC option to get more fire damage. Works well cross blooded using orc/draconic (red or gold)/wild blooded fire elemental (pick two). Loss of spells known hurts though.

[Snowbluff]

I mentioned the wild blooded in a previous post The more recent post was referring to using the regular elemental bloodline to broaden your spell choices for your chosen element in place of the previously mentioned damage.

For completeness, half-orcs can use an alternate FC option to get more fire damage. Works well cross blooded using orc/draconic (red or gold)/wild blooded fire elemental (pick two). Loss of spells known hurts though.

Think I am going with human, so I can get a few more spells known, but I will take a look at Half Orc.

[jaybird]

Second Sorcerer - you can do some really crazy stuff to your spells in PF now that you have more feats, such as Spell Perfection doubling ALL numerical modifiers to one spell as well as letting you apply one Metamagic for free to that spell. Stack on Arcane Thesis for extra fun.

[Tokuhara]

Third Sorcerer with a Sandshaper Dip and levels in Rainbow Servant. LOTS of Spells!!!


And if anyone says, "Oh! Sandshaper is a terrible PrC..."

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff427/Jared_Ryan_Hays/GaaraDemotivational.jpg

[Snowbluff]

Third Sorcerer with a Sandshaper Dip and levels in Rainbow Servant. LOTS of Spells!!!


And if anyone says, "Oh! Sandshaper is a terrible PrC..."

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff427/Jared_Ryan_Hays/GaaraDemotivational.jpg

Dude, I hate Naruto.

Also, didn't i say what books we are using? I don't think I mentioned any 3.5 or 3e stuff.