The Lord of Striking Thunder (Pimp my Sorcerer!) PF

[NeoSeraphi]

So I'm thinking about the Crossblooded Sorcerer from PF and how I can use it to my advantage. Sorcerers don't really have any particular race that is best for them, so I figure I'll just go human for the favored class bonus in order to make up for the harsh -1 spell known per level restriction of the Crossblood Archetype. (I'll still have a -2 penalty to Will saves, but whatever. Making your saves is boring, it's much more interesting to fail them and see what the enemy was planning to do to you).

Anyway, so now I'm thinking about how to use it. So I can make a Crossblooded Elemental (Air)/Stormborn sorcerer. Now all of my energy spells are [Electricity], and all of my [Electricity] spells get a +1 boost to their DCs.

I figure I'll choose shocking hands* as my 1st bloodline spell, since shocking grasp is already on the sorcerer spell list and I'd probably want that from level 1 anyway. Then I choose gust of wind as my next bloodline spell (because I'll be picking up thunder ray* as soon as I hit level 4). Then I'll choose protection from energy at 7th, and after that, every spell will be from the Stormborn Bloodline, because the ones in the Elemental Bloodline are kind of repetitive and don't really help me blast at all.

For powers, I figure I'll go the following route:

1) Elemental Ray
2) Thunderstaff
3) Elemental Burst
4) Ride the Lightning
5) Thunderbolt

As for feats, I think Empower Spell, Improved Initiative, and Skill Focus (Fly) will all work fine.

So, with that in mind, here's my potential build:

Human Crossblooded (Elemental/Stormborn) Sorcerer 20:
Feats:
1) Elemental Focus (Electricity)
H) Greater Elemental Focus (Electricity)
3) Spell Focus (Evocation)
5) Greater Spell Focus (Evocation)
7) Spell Penetration
7 (Bloodline) Empower Spell
9) Greater Spell Penetration
11) Intensified Spell
13) Maximize Spell
13 (Bloodline) Improved Initiative
15) Spell Perfection (Delayed Blast Lightningball*)
17) Spell Perfection (Chain Lightning)
19) Spell Perfection (Ride the Lightning)
19 (Bloodline) Skill Focus (Fly)

So with Spell Perfection, my Perfected spells will have a total of +9 to their DCs (+1 arcana, +2 Spell Focus, +2 Greater Spell Focus, +2 Elemental Focus, +2 Greater Elemental Focus), and +8 to my checks to overcome spell resistance with them. Plus, I can freely Maximize, Empower or Intensify the first two.

So, overall, how does this look? Pretty decent build? Any suggestions for how to make it better?



* Indicates an existing spell that I have renamed to show that its type and damage type are being changed to electricity from my Elemental Bloodline Arcana.

[Little Brother]

Is 3.5 material allowed?

Oh, and is his name, by any chance, Hamon?

[NeoSeraphi]

Is 3.5 material allowed?

This is a thought experiment. Though I would eventually like to play him in a game, so I'd rather just limit myself to PF for now, and if when a game comes up, it permits 3.5 material, I will know exactly what to do with that. :smallamused: (Stormcaster shenanigans with every spell on my spell list? Yes please)


Oh, and is his name, by any chance, Hamon?

It very well might be. :smallamused:

[Xerinous]

So with Spell Perfection, my Perfected spells will have a total of +9 to their DCs (+1 arcana, +2 Spell Focus, +2 Greater Spell Focus, +2 Elemental Focus, +2 Greater Elemental Focus), and +8 to my checks to overcome spell resistance with them. Plus, I can freely Maximize, Empower or Intensify the first two.

By my reading of Spell Perfection, the DCs for those spells would be at +17.

It's this line here: (Emphasis mine)

In addition, if you have other feats which allow you to apply a set numerical bonus to any aspect of this spell (such as Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, Weapon Focus [ray], and so on), double the bonus granted by that feat when applied to this spell.

So the +1 from the bloodline arcana wouldn't double, but the +8 from the feats would.

I really like this build, I usually discount crossblooded because of the spell loss, but I think I'm gonna be checking out some combos now.

[NeoSeraphi]

By my reading of Spell Perfection, the DCs for those spells would be at +17.

It's this line here: (Emphasis mine)


So the +1 from the bloodline arcana wouldn't double, but the +8 from the feats would.

I really like this build, I usually discount crossblooded because of the spell loss, but I think I'm gonna be checking out some combos now.

No, no no. Spell Focus only provides +1 normally. Same with Elemental Focus, GSF and GEF. So they all get doubled to +2, which is why it ends up being +9. For all my other Evocation [Electricity] spells, it will be +5 to the DC.

Yes, Crossblooded is actually pretty cool if you intend to be a very narrowly focused caster to begin with. Plus, the human favored class bonus gives you an extra spell known per level. So you lose 10 spells known from Crossblooded, but you get 20 spells known from human.

[Xerinous]

No, no no. Spell Focus only provides +1 normally. Same with Elemental Focus, GSF and GEF. So they all get doubled to +2, which is why it ends up being +9. For all my other Evocation [Electricity] spells, it will be +5 to the DC.

Oh, right. My mistake.

Good thing too, I think. +17 would just be ridiculous.

[NeoSeraphi]

Oh, right. My mistake.

Good thing too, I think. +17 would just be ridiculous.

Yeah, I don't think many things would be able to save against me at that point. It'd pretty much be "Did you roll a 20?"

+9 is still very substantial and worth the extra feat, without being too broken.

Also, thanks to my Stormborn bloodline I'll be getting overland flight, so that's one less utility spell I have to worry about. I figure my other non-blasting spells will include teleport, haste and greater magic weapon. Sorcerers don't get too many buffs that aren't personal.

[Waker]

I don't really have too much to add to the build, but one thing I have to ask is why Dodge at 19th level? I realize that there aren't that many feats on the list that are great for what you are building, but wouldn't Skill Focus (Fly) be useful for a character who will probably be flying, possibly in a storm? +6 to a skill isn't terribly amazing but I think it's certainly better than a +1 AC.

[NeoSeraphi]

I don't really have too much to add to the build, but one thing I have to ask is why Dodge at 19th level? I realize that there aren't that many feats on the list that are great for what you are building, but wouldn't Skill Focus (Fly) be useful for a character who will probably be flying, possibly in a storm? +6 to a skill isn't terribly amazing but I think it's certainly better than a +1 AC.

I suppose you're correct. I figured that by level 19, I'd be pretty much auto-succeeding my Fly checks based on ranks alone.

[Waker]

I suppose you're correct. I figured that by level 19, I'd be pretty much auto-succeeding my Fly checks based on ranks alone.

Against a set DC certainly. But when you throw in negative modifiers, such as inclement weather, you may want to have a bit more of a cushion.

[NeoSeraphi]

Against a set DC certainly. But when you throw in negative modifiers, such as inclement weather, you may want to have a bit more of a cushion.

True. It's not like AC is that relevant to a 19th level sorcerer anyway. Alright, Skill Focus (Fly) it is.