How to make a sonic caster?

[CyberThread]

Is energy sub feat the only way to go about making a sonic spell caster, or are their other more fun ways?

[ahenobarbi]

Energy Substitution doesn't allow you change damage type to sonic. You could Energy Substitution to electricity and then use Born of Three Thunders but this kind of sucks (you loose next round...).

At later levels Archamge lets you substitute energy to sonic.

Or you could simply pick spells that deal sonic damage out of the box.

[pyromanser244]

Energy Substitution doesn't allow you change damage type to sonic. You could Energy Substitution to electricity and then use Born of Three Thunders but this kind of sucks (you loose next round...).

At later levels Archamge lets you substitute energy to sonic.

Or you could simply pick spells that deal sonic damage out of the box.

actually, if you can get stuff from faerun or eberon (can't remember which makes the change) then you can use energy sub to get sonic damage. same feat name, same function, one has more options and therefore more power.

I would like to thank WotC for all their hard working put into staying consistent :smallbiggrin:

edit: I know the bard has some interesting options as a sonic caster. but I think they're more in the line of augmenting sonic spells as apposed to converting to sonic. again going of memory so I may be wrong.

[Amnestic]

edit: I know the bard has some interesting options as a sonic caster. but I think they're more in the line of augmenting sonic spells as apposed to converting to sonic. again going of memory so I may be wrong.

Creaking Cacophony (Bard 3, Druid 3) is the go-to spell for boosting Sonic generally. 40' radius spread, 1 round/level duration, forces concentration for casting spells and, most importantly, makes targets take an extra 50% damage from Sonic abilities. SR: Yes. Save: No.

It's in Spell Compendium.

[Lazers etcetera]

Word of Chaos
Wail of Doom
Shrieking Blast
Nightmare Lullaby
Cacophonic Burst

Are all...
old Manowar B-sides

[thethird]

I believe that it's tome & blood version that allows for substitution sonic.

On born of three thunders, I personally like it, just cheat your way to be immune to daze. If you don't want to grease it a lot just take quick recovery and pump your will save. Add levels in stormcaster (from stomwrack) for more stormy fun.

You can also shout STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORM as a verbal component of all your spells with primal spellcasting from frostburn.

[Rubik]

You might look into psionics. Every energy-based power (with a few exceptions) can be manifested using sonic energy. Most powers deal 1d6-1 sonic damage per power point spent, but they ignore hardness entirely.

There are even ways to specialize more fully, such as the Favored Energy feat, from CPsi (+1 damage to any power with your chosen energy descriptor per damage die).

[nedz]

You could Energy Substitution to electricity and then use Born of Three Thunders but this kind of sucks (you loose next round...).

Born of Three Thunders/Extend Spell/Ice Storm

You lose your next round, so do the opponents and everyone else gets an extra round of buffing.

[Kuulvheysoon]

You might look into psionics. Every energy-based power (with a few exceptions) can be manifested using sonic energy. Most powers deal 1d6-1 sonic damage per power point spent, but they ignore hardness entirely.

There are even ways to specialize more fully, such as the Favored Energy feat, from CPsi (+1 damage to any power with your chosen energy descriptor per damage die).

This. Psionics is generally a lot more supportive of sonic energy (other than bards). Besides, psionics is awesome.

[WhatBigTeeth]

If you can't get Mark of the Dauntless, Bo3T+Quick Recovery can still be pretty awesome (just moreso for a Wis or Intelligence-based caster than a charismatic one).

Alternatively, Stormcaster from Stormwrack adds an improved Bo3T effect to its spells at ECL 10 without the daze effect, and gains a nifty ability to sack low-level spell slots for area stunning and minor sonic damage at ECL 6. It might be worth digging up the rules compendium for a couple of the class's purposes, as there are a couple rules clarifications in RC that I suspect make the stormcaster's abilities a little more interesting than its writers thought (making the control weather SLA a standard action unless specifically ruled otherwise, and making the area stun Su ability's DC scale on the stormcaster's HD).

[Norin]

Bard into sublime chord and lyric thaumaturge does pretty well as sonic blaster.

Psion is your best bet power wise earlier on. Keeps being poweerfull at later levels too though.