PDA

View Full Version : Multi-class Sorcerer with warrior class



Scalenex
2007-03-02, 02:14 AM
Lets assume Barbarian, Ranger, or Fighter. Paladin and Monk have the multi-class restriction thing. Someone may make a case that these three classes would require widely diffenent spells, I don't really think so because they are apt to have to rely on light armor or no armor no matter what they do if they want to keep their arcane casting. Instead of picking a level build, I'm going to rank spells in the relative order I think they'd be useful. I figure that buffs and touched attacks would be the best way to get to synergy. I'm going to assume that a multi-class sorcerer would want to avoid spells that rely on CL a lot and is likely to have a lower Charisma than a straight class sorcererer so maybe avoid saving throw spells. Though anything with an attack roll would be more valuable because a multi-classed warrior would likely have better attack roll bonuses. Rather than spell out what they'd look like at 20th level, or 10th or any other combo, I figured I just make a list of spells I think would be useful even though no one would be able to cast them all, I figured many would phase out. Magic Weapon could be retired once you get access to actual magic weapons, Summon Monster I could be replaced by Summon Monster III, etc. I put spells that seem obvious to me in bold.

First
Mage Armor, Magic Weapon, Protection from ____, True Strike, Expeditious Retreat (can be used with a charge), Shocking Grasp, Magic Missile, Shield (though the duration is limited), Grease, Ray of Emfeeblement, Summon Monster I (mainly for flanking bonuses)

Second
Protection from Arrows, Resist Energy, Acid Arrow, Glitterdust, Scorching Ray, Mirror Image, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Summon Monster II

Third
Protection from Energy, Rage (lazy man's barbarian levels?), Heroism, Displacement, Blink, Haste, Keen Edge (if and only if you regularly use a 19-20 or better weapon), Ray of Exhaustion, Summon Monster III

Fourth
Lesser Globe of Invulnerability (though by this point the CR may be so high that 1st-3rd level spells are rarely an issue), Crushing Despair, Greater Invisiblity, Fire Shield, Summon Monster IV

Fifth
Interposing Hand, Waves of Fatigue, Shadow Evocation, Wall of Force, Cloudkill, Summon Monster V

I'm quitting at sixth because most games won't get that high level if you're splitting your levels more or less equally. If you aren't you are more like a sorcerer with a dash of a warrior level for flavor.

What do you guys think?

EDIT: What level would be appropriate for a sorcerer spell to instantly recover from a Rage, or would that be too twinky?

marjan
2007-03-02, 02:48 AM
Why not do the following Paladin5/Sorceror1/Abjurant Champion5/Sorceror9.
That would give you BAB 15, CL 15, +5 bonus AC with any abjuration spell that grants armor or shield bonus to AC, double the duration of abjuration spells and let you cast Shield and Greater Mage Armor as swift actions. Plus you would have Divine Grace, Turn Undead which would let you qualify for Divine Feats.
As for the spells buffs would be best spells. You wouldn't have to have armor since with sufficiently high CL your mage armor would last all day.
I would avoid Summon Monster spells since by the time you get to cast them there won't be much use of them, so Summon Monster I would be good enough.
As first level spell Blade of Blood would be good.

marjan
2007-03-02, 02:59 AM
:smallcool: Thats assuming you allow noncore stuff. If you aren't going for paladin/sorceror, avoid spells that allow save esspecialy if they affect single enemy or have no effect on succesful save. I would drop Crushing Despair in that case. Ray of Exhaustion is good because if the target saves it is still fatigued. Barbarian is not suitable for casters unless you are going for Rage Mage.

Scalenex
2007-03-02, 09:33 PM
I do plan to take Rage Mage, depending on how me and my DM can work out whether one can cast spells in a regular Rage or just a spell rage and how regular Rages and spell Rage stack when they are used in tandem since I have reservations about the spell rage power. Most of the spells I'm interested in don't gain much from the extra CL provided by Spell Rage and a double AC penalty for the two Rages together would be very limiting.

Fax Celestis
2007-03-02, 09:48 PM
Barbarian/Runescarred Berserker/Rage Mage is actually kinda decent. Runescarred Berserker is in Shining South, I believe.

EDIT: Nope, Unapproachable East. Specifics (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/prestige2.pl?Runescarred_Berserker).

Lidjis
2007-03-02, 10:04 PM
Abjurant champion is all kinds of powerful. Make sure your dm doesn't have a problem with you being impossible to hit. If he doesn't, take that prestige class!

Scalenex
2007-03-03, 01:22 PM
I wanted input on spell selection, not suggestions for prestige classes

Fax Celestis
2007-03-03, 01:43 PM
Ah. Oops. Um. Fire-and-forget duration spells (like Cloud of Knives, Manyjaws, and Black Blade of Disaster) would be my personal choices.

Person_Man
2007-03-04, 04:10 PM
If you want to hit things with melee+magic power combos, then my suggestion is to play a Duskblade from the PHBII. They do what most people want from a Gish, but much much better.

If you want to buff yourself with magic and then hit people, my suggestion is to play a Cleric with the Time and Travel domains, which will grant you the Improved Initiative feat and the cool Freedom of Movement power, plus access to True Strike, Haste, Contingency, Time Stop, Longstrider, Fly, Dimension Door, Teleport, and other useful spells. Possible Gods: Hermes, Mercury, Thoth, Chronos, Aoen, HG Wells, and Scott Bakula. You can look at all the domains on Crystalkeep - most arcane spells can be found on the domain list somewhere, making Cleric a superior choice for someone who wants to fight on the front line with a magic buffs cast on them. If you need still more arcane spells, you can also take a Prestige class that grants additional domain (there are several), or buy magic items to duplicate the one or two killer spells that you want access to (e.g., Ring of Improved Invisibility). Or you can take cross-class ranks in Use Magic Device, and buy a wand.

Another idea is for you to play a Melee build, and simply ask someone else in the group to play a Sorcerer or Wizard and have them buff you. If you each specialize and then work together, you'll be a lot more powerful then if you try and shoehorn everything you want into one build. If no one else in your gaming group wants to pull this off with you, talk to your DM about taking the Leadership feat.

If you are dead set on playing a Sorcerer+melee class combo, try and pick a class with which they have Cha synergy - that means Paladin, Hexblade, Marshal, or Crusader. If you don't like the Paladin alignment restrictions, you might want to look at the Unearthed Arcana variants (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/unearthedCoreClass.html#paladin). Paladin of Freedom might be what you're looking for.

Also, I highly suggest buying the Spell Compendium. Wraithstrike is the most important spell a Gish can have.

Person_Man
2007-03-04, 06:39 PM
If you want to hit things with melee+magic power combos, then my suggestion is to play a Duskblade from the PHBII. They do what most people want from a Gish, but much much better.

If you want to buff yourself with magic and then hit people, my suggestion is to play a Cleric with the Time and Travel domains, which will grant you the Improved Initiative feat and the cool Freedom of Movement power, plus access to True Strike, Haste, Contingency, Time Stop, Longstrider, Fly, Dimension Door, Teleport, and other useful spells. Possible Gods: Hermes, Mercury, Thoth, Chronos, Aoen, HG Wells, and Scott Bakula. You can look at all the domains on Crystalkeep - most arcane spells can be found on the domain list somewhere, making Cleric a superior choice for someone who wants to fight on the front line with a magic buffs cast on them.

Another idea is for you to play a Melee build, and simply ask someone else in the group to play a Sorcerer or Wizard and have them buff you. If you each specialize and then work together, you'll be a lot more powerful then if you try and shoehorn everything you want into one build. If no one else in your gaming group wants to pull this off with you, talk to your DM about taking the Leadership feat.

If you are dead set on playing a Sorcerers+melee class combo, try and pick a class with which they have Cha synergy - that means Paladin, Hexblade, Marshal, or Crusader. If you don't like the Paladin alignment restrictions, you might want to look at the Unearthed Arcana variants (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/unearthedCoreClass.html#paladin). Paladin of Freedom might be what you're looking for.

Also, I highly suggest buying the Spell Compendium, if for no other reason then to get access to Wraithstrike, the most important spell a Gish can have.