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View Full Version : Sorcerer Spell Selection (Specific)



Seffbasilisk
2013-04-14, 05:10 AM
Grittings Dezins.

I'm currently playing an elven (homebrew half-elf, half-fey called 'Feyan'. Mine boosts my Rage bonuses) druid. I'm using two varients, to substitute my proficiency with armor, penalize my wild empathy, shield proficiency, my animal companion, and wild shape, to gain monk's unarmored AC, ranger tracking and favored enemy, barbarian's rage and fast movement, and monk's fast movement. For the Rage, I'm using the Ferocity variant from Cityscape, as well as the 'Strong Stomach' instead of resisting Fey magics. I figure being part-fey should help with that, and my willsave's no slouch either.

Currently he mostly operates as a high speed swiss army knife, filling in wherever the party needs it. He's the highest strength, fastest move speed, and second highest AC in the party. He's the plotter, the blaster, the healer, the savior, the skillmonkey, the get-it-done guy basically. He leads the party by default, and generally sets agenda. Currently he's getting ready to go up against an entire army of Orcs, solo, if the party can't keep up. The orcs are lead by a warlord who has personally defeated the leader of the storm giants, and so has swelled his ranks with pretty high caliber artillery. I'm debating trying to manipulate weather and divert an massive thunderstorm, but I figure that won't do much unless I can break the orcs' hold on the giants.

Anyway, getting to the nuts and bolts of it. Level 9 I took Leadership, and picked up a cohort. The DM designed her, but I've been leveling her as I gain levels. She's gone from blaster-caster (that I mostly keep on the periphery of any fight and just use to winnow the ranks of those that survive my initial onslaught,) to a Swiftblade, enhancing the entire party, and the two of them work in concert at high speed to dismantle foes.

Now, seeing as she's also Feyan (+1 LA homebrew), and has an affinity towards fire (all of her spells are thematically fire, and she has a nigh elemental immunity) I was debating taking as her one fifth level spell Firebrand (MoF) verses Reciprocal Gyre (SC). One fits better, and only uses an alchemist's fire (my druid has scores of those. He was quite a firebug at low level.) The other is single-target, mage-blaster.

Other disputes: Can any fourth level spell be more useful in support, travel, and keeping clear than Dimension Door? I don't think so, which is why I rank it above Bloodstar. Not to speak of the 30gp material component each time.

Similarly, Ray of Stupidity is obvious for 2nd level, and Anticipate Teleportation for 3rd.

I was mostly debating the fourth and fifth, but would welcome any and all suggestions. The big concerns are her Con (abysmal, I've been X-Y, fey-themed to keep it decent, but it still makes her fragile), as well as her CL. 9 for most spells, 12 for fire spells, and a ring that can boost fire spells a few times a day.

I'm level 15. She's level 12.

Thoughts?

Juntao112
2013-04-14, 05:14 AM
False Life might be a good spell for her.

Also, check out the Searing Spell metamagic feat.

Seffbasilisk
2013-04-15, 04:44 AM
The debate on feats is between the reserve feat for teleportation effects and Searing Spell, but it will likely land on Searing Spell.

False Life is a great suggestion though, I'll probably swap out an existing spell (listening lorecall) to pick that up, rather than lose the beastly shutdown of Ray of Stupidity.

ShneekeyTheLost
2013-04-15, 06:28 AM
4th level has some awesome spells

Celerity is stupid broken in the right circumstances. Combo with Contingency for immunity to surprise.

Greater Mirror Image. Like Mirror Image, only swift-action casting time and regenerates images.

DimDoor... well, yea.

Orb of Fire. If you are getting Searing Spell feat, this is pretty much guaranteed damage, and metamagics nicely (see also: Mailman).

Black Tentacles. Unless it has a pretty good grapple check, it's probably screwed. Also keeps casters from casting, unless they have still spell or a spell without somatic components. Area effect lockdown.

Scrying. Because you can't say 'scry n die' without scry!

Confusion. Mind-affecting, but effectively save or lose. And you can bet your bottom dollar those orcs are going to have a lousy will save.

Resilient Sphere. Offensive, defensive, utility... all kinds of uses here.

Illusory Wall. If you want to get tactical and strategic.

Enervation. Because negative levels are fun. Metamagics VERY nicely.

Fear. Yet another area effect Save or Lose.

However, as broken as these spells are, there's one 4th level spell more powerful than all of them combined...

Polymorph.

ericgrau
2013-04-15, 07:19 AM
Firebrand > reciprocal gyre because it hits many more targets at once and hits a greaty variety of target types. I think bloodstar would typically deal about 4 con damage before something dies from damage anyway, so it doesn't seem that special. Dimension door is great utility for party ferrying and so on, yes. For 4th and 5th level spells wall of force or other barriers are my favorites. 4th level has way too many good control/buff spells to explain, especially conjuration but also in every single school except divination. If you want a 4th level fire spell then cascading fire (flame?) in spell compendium is nice, but redundant with firebrand IMO.

Keep the false life up 24 hours via rod extend and/or multiple slots. Surprises suck for squishies. Greater mage armor is nice if she can spare the slot. It may not seem spectacular but it can likewise be up 24 hours for surprises. And because only 1-2 hits are ok. What can really drop or kill her are full attacks where she takes all the hits, even all the penalized secondary attacks. Non-passive defenses can help on top of that, especially swift action ones to save time.