Is what I'm doing correct.

[Zsaber0]

So I'm playing a mid level Sorcerer in a rather fast paced game. There is already a wizard and everyone in the game has told me not to feel bad when the wizard starts outshining me. Taking this to heart I managed to get a look at the spell book the wizard has in-game and then I began spending my gold. So here is my question about legality.

I have 2 Gloves of the Master Tactician, which function as gloves of storing, an efficient quiver, and the quick draw feat. Using these I've been able to cycle through 10 runestaves, increasing my spell list to well beyond the normal limits any sorcerer should have. Whenever we get to an obstacle which the wizard hadn't prepared for that day, but has a spell for, I'm at most a move action away from the needed spell.

So, am I breaking any rules?

[Mikeavelli]

You're being wildly inefficient by duplicating the role of the party wizard, and still going to cry when the Wizard can do your same schtick with class features, and has spent his money on magic items that compliment his abilities rather than replicating yours...

But nothing illegal, no.

[Zsaber0]

Sweet thanks.

Also, I want to help him out. Any suggested items for the Wizard to take? He still hasn't spent most of his hard earned gold.

[SilverLeaf167]

You can only be attuned to one runestaff per day, so yes, this is actually rather "wildly" illegal. An easy mistake to make though.

[HunterOfJello]

Yes, you're breaking the rules. You can only use (be attuned to) 1 runestaff per day.

You can, however, use knowstones (or w/e they're called) to expand your spell list and you can also buy a Drake Helm (from the Explorer's Handbook) to expand your list a bit further. However, the Drake Helm and its associated gems are quite expensive.

~~~~~~~~~

One problem that you appear to have, based on your post is the assumption that a Sorcerer should play or operate in any way similar to a Wizard. This isn't true at all. While the classes seem similar on paper and in the books, once you begin playing them in-game, they prove to be extremely different classes.

A common way to add lots of spells to a Sorcerer's spell list is by entering the Sandshaper PrC from Sandstorm. This does require lots of cross-class skill points being spent, so you might want to take a level or two in something like Ruathar first.

~~~~~~~~


A wizard can be set up to operate like a sorcerer, and a sorcerer can be set up to operate more like a wizard, but they're both better off being operated as what they are originally set out to be.

The wizard is a class that is best used for battlefield control. They have a large selection of spells and can pick out the right spell to use at the right time.

A sorcerer is a class that is better used as an artillery class. They can pump out the damage spells as often as they like and can also shoot out other extremely effective as useful spells en masse to help out the party. When you pick out spells for a sorcerer, go for spells that have multiple potential uses, can be used in a variety of situations, and are highly effective at what they do.

~

While a wizard may prepare 1 or possibly 2 Fireballs a day, a Sorcerer might choose to learn a slightly different spell like Shatterfloor instead. Shatterfloor has a shorter range, slightly smaller area of effect, and does a bit less damage, but it has more potential uses since it's both a Sonic based damaging spell and automatically destroys, "stone, wood, ice, or material with
hardness less than those" (SC p188).

~~~~

I'm sure there are better posts out there about what a Sorcerer's role should be in a party that contains a Wizard, but I hope I've at least made a small point in that regard. Don't try to be a Wizard. You aren't a wizard, you're a sorcerer, and you can still be extremely effective in a party that already contains a wizard if you pick out the right spells and PrCs to take.

[Juntao112]

Sorcerer Guide (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2180.0)

Sorcerers can blast, but can easily do buffing, utility, and battlefield control as well. A bit of each will likely be necessary.

If you blast, I suggest Magic Missile, Melf's Unicorn Arrow, and Wings of Flurry. Fireball, or its electric cousin Scintillating Sphere, isn't bad. Works well combined with Pyrotechnics as a chaser.

[Sith_Happens]

Also, metamagic is your best friend. It lets you keep many of your lower-level spells relevant so you can minimize redundancies in your list, and of course being able to apply it on the fly is just extremely useful in general.

[Zsaber0]

You can only be attuned to one runestaff per day, so yes, this is actually rather "wildly" illegal. An easy mistake to make though.

I shall correct this post haste.

And in reference to trying to be a wizard. I'm not trying to be a wizard, I've just been playing 3.5 for years now wanted to try to do something silly.

[Sith_Happens]

You also can't use two Gloves of the Master Strategist at once. Even if it's only a single glove, it still takes up your entire gloves slot.

[ahenobarbi]

Why not Mage of the Arcane Order... it's an awesome PrC.

[Spuddles]

Wizards are really great if they can sit in their cave, put three spells together, and come up with something awesome, then change their load out for a dungeon. That's their strength. Clean a dungeon out, need to haul everything back up? Move some spells around. Looking to assault a dungeon? Spend a couple days probing its defenses with Arcane Eye and summoned monsters.

A sorcerer's strength is delivering what you need, right now. In combat & unexpected situations, they tend to be much stronger than wizards because they can brute force something where the wizard may have only a single spell prepared to solve the problem, and with that spell used up, he's out.

Of course, at higher levels, wizards have the luxury of layering a crapton of defensive spells on themselves.

But most wizard lists look fairly similar on adventuring days, and they're stuck with hard decisions like preparing one or two false lifes or dimension doors or permeable form.

You don't have that problem as a sorcerer. They're actually quite versatile, and playing utility sorcerer can actually have better results than a wizard, especially if the wizard is stuck preparing generic spell load outs.

If you are looking to play a utility sorcerer, here are some things you may find helpful:

Apprentice, DMG- A first level feat. Pick the caster option. You gain a bonus 1st level spell, but more importantly, you can change a spell known for a different spell known every time you gain access to another level of spells.

Sandshaper, Sandstorm- it adds a TON of spells to your list, including some very strong utility spells, save-or-dies, and some weak summons. Use Apprentice to trade out spells you don't like.

Cerebrosis, dragon magazine- a feat you can gain for free by making some knowledge checks, spending a little gold, and losing a point of con. Gives you 12 decent spells, including some good save-or-dies, decent summoning, and some debuffs.

Bloodline feats, dragon magazine- 1st level feats. Some of these aren't worth it, because you lose access to too many magic schools of kinds of spells. Others don't have very good spells. Undead bloodline may be one of the better ones.

Mother cyst feat, libris mortis- adds ten or eleven spells to your list. Some aren't bad, but most aren't worth it. Combine with Apprentice, at level 1, to basically give you 1 free spell known/spell level.

Ancestral Relic, feat, Book of Exalted Deeds- Make your relic a runestaff. Change what spells are in it every day with a ritual that takes some time and costs 0 gold, so long as the price of the runestaff doesn't change.

Mage of the Arcane Order, prestige class, Complete Arcane- As a full round action, call any spell of a certain level to mind, ready to cast the next round. Can use it a total of 1/2 CL times per day.

Exalted Arcanist, prestige class, Book of Exalted Deeds- Capstone adds all sanctified spells to your spells known. That's 30 spells, including 9ths, some of which are quite powerful. Requires being exalted, of course.

Sorcerer class feature- Remember, every even level you can trade two spells out of a spell level two lower than the highest you can cast. You can game this a bit- versatile spellcaster and heighten spell changes that to effectively one lower than the highest of your spells known. Sanctum Spell will do the same thing, and these feats will stack so every even level you can trade out the highest spell you know. This is especially useful in conjunction with some of the worse spells from sandshaper, a bloodline feat, or cerebrosis.

Limited Wish, spell- use this spell to replicate Psychic Reformation. You can then repick all your feats, skills, and spells.

Summon Monster, various-
SMIV gets you Mephits. They give you access to a few spells. There are mephits in MM1 and a couple in sandstorm. You can get access to glitterdust, gust of wind, wind wall, soften earth & stone, haboob, and stinking cloud. Not entirely sure a 4th level slot is worth it, JUST for that.

Summon Monster VII gets you Bone Devils, which can cast fly and wall of ice at will. Spend a full round action to get yourself basically a free wall of ice every turn and flight being thrown around like skittles. Can be helpful.

Everything after Summon Monster III gets you Storm Elementals, MM3. They are a good source of blasty spells, if a little weak for their slot. Combine with the Rashemi Elemental Summoning feat for truly blasty elementals. Summon those bad boys instead of having to worry about keeping up with your blast spells known. They're definitely action efficient, though.

Remember, spells cast by summoned creatures expire when the summoning spell expires. Refer to a summoning handbook to see what Summon Monster is right for you. Personally, I think SMIV through SMVII are worth it. You get some decent bruisers, some good casters. I would rather have Greater Planar Binding and Gate as 8th and 9th level spells known, though.