Sorcerer Spell Selection

[Kane0]

Hey everybody!

The eternal conundrum for a sorcerer, what spells to pick. Does anybody have any suggestions?
I'm a human sorcerer with the Sage arcane bloodline, using all of my favored class benefits for more spells known. Our party of 7 also has an enchanter wizard but we have no real healer, just off-healers and wands (Shaman, ranger, myself, sometimes the bard if he shows up). I can bring over 3.5 spells on a case for case basis, but I will be following the 'Create your own spell' rules and the DM and I will be making tweaks as they are introduced.
If all is well i'd like to be a mix of blaster and BFC, focusing on debuffs and damage with a few buffs and less summoning or utility. The enchantress is very helpful with utility and buff spells, we'd prefer not to double up with the amount of party members we are working with.

Cantrips (9 + 3 favored class)
Detect Magic
Prestidigitation
Dancing Lights
Ghost Sound
Mage Hand
Acid Splash
Message
Read Magic
Arcane Mark

1st (5 + 1 bloodline + 2 favored class)
Identify
Color Spray
Grease
Infernal Healing
Identify
Sonic Snap
Feather Fall
Silent Image
Will probably change out color spray for a lesser orb of acid or true strike. Maybe trade identify for mage armor if you can trade away bloodline spells too.

2nd (5 + 1 bloodline + 2 favored class)
Invisibility
Frost Fall
Web
Eldritch Conduit
Mirror Image
Seeking Ray
?
?

3rd (4 + 1 bloodline + 2 favored class)
Dispel Magic
Benign Transposition
Great Thunderclap
Maws of Force
collaborative thaumaturgy?
Haste
?

4th (4 + 1 bloodline + 2 favored class)
Dimension Door
Orb of Fire
Resilient Sphere
Tranquilliser Ray (custom)
Emergency force sphere?
Black Tentacles
Enervation

5th (4 + 1 bloodline + 2 favored class)
Overland Flight
wall of stone
Telekenesis
-
-
-
-

6th (3 + 1 bloodline + 2 favored class)
True Seeing
Chain Lightning
Disintegrate
Cold Ice Strike
Contingency
-

7th (3 + 1 bloodline + 2 favored class)
Greater Teleport
-
-
-
-
-

8th (3 + 1 bloodline + 2 favored class)
Power Word Stun
Arcane Singularity (custom)
Prismatic Wall
-
-
-

9th (3 + 1 bloodline)
Wish
Time Stop
-
-

This leaves 3 from favored class at levels 18, 19 and 20 that I can spend on anything 8th or lower as well.

Any suggestions? Big ones that i've missed? Thoughts and opinions?

[JaminDM]

The orb spells (such as orb of acid) are very useful at low level, one of my PCs uses nothing but orb of acid and sleep at 1st level.

[Extra Anchovies]

What's the Sage bloodline? It's not on the SRD, so I don't know.

[Raven777]

Here's my own Sorcerer's spell pick (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Oubwu7XgLrT-4boTaeztddMnHaMGLKySRsOEU3DvIss/edit?usp=sharing), though she's more of an Illusionist/Necromancer.

By the way, you have Dispel Magic listed twince, once as a 2nd level spell, which is probably a mistake.

Also, you should pick up Shadow Conjuration (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-conjuration) and Shadow Evocation (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-evocation) and their Greater cousins once you reach the levels. On a Sorcerer they provide a lot of versatility and enable a lot of shenanigans. I also discovered the wonderful Death Knell Aura (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/death-knell-aura) last week, which has a delicious necromancer vibe : everything that dies around you and fail their save ends up granting you temporary Hit Points and a caster level bonus. Speaking of which, that misplaced Dispel Magic you got on 2nd level, you might replace with False Life (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/f/false-life), which is a good spell to prevent one hit kill accidents or keep yourself topped off between fights.

Finally, contrary to what you might think, you really do not need to pour your 3 first Favored Class Bonuses into cantrips. I think 3 Hit Points would be more valuable, myself. I regret picking the cantrips on my own character. Those beyond Prestidigitation, Ghost Sound and Light never came into play.

EDIT : The Sage bloodline (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/archetypes/paizo---sorcerer-archetypes/wildblooded/mutated-bloodlines---paizo/sage) is the wildblooded alternative to Arcane and allows you to substitute Intelligence for Charisma as your casting stat, at the price of your Familiar and +1 DC bonus when using Metamagic. I find this makes it pretty terrible. Personally, I think sticking to Arcane and casting off Charisma is much better.

[Anlashok]

Also, you should pick up Shadow Conjuration (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-conjuration) and Shadow Evocation (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-evocation) and their Greater cousins once you reach the levels.

Is this still accurate to Pathfinder?

I was reading the most commonly linked "optimization based" Pathfinder guide and it seems to think that the Shadow spells are never worth casting, and specifically calls the Shadow bloodline the worst bloodline in the entire game because it gives you all the "useless" shadow X spells.

So I was wondering if there was something weird about the Pathfinder versions I didn't know about.

[Raven777]

Nothing weird. Yes, they require a Will save to work at 100% capacity, but they are also higher level spells than the ones they emulate and so the DCs are higher to begin with. And they have their own guides :

Shadow Conjuration Guide (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5kvBvq2DEHjR1dOeEVkRUU4WlU/edit?pli=1)
Shadow Evocation Guide (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5kvBvq2DEHjTVF4NEY4SXpSTUU/edit?pli=1)

They allow you to pull off stunts you never could otherwise. Like Detonating (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/detonate) yourself for only 20% of the backlash (you disbelieved your own illusion). Or encasing a melee or casting foe in a Resilient Sphere (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/r/resilient-sphere) that your own spells or arrows can penetrate. Or on yourself, so that enemies (except projectiles) cannot get to you, but you can still cast out of it.

[grarrrg]

"Shadow X" is still a solid choice for a Sorcerer, as you are using 1 spell Known to gain access to a wide variety of options.
Yes, 3.5 had an absurd number of options, so they were 'better' choices in 3.5, but there's still plenty in PF to work with.

[Raven777]

Also, Shades (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shades) is worth picking just for the look on the DM's face when you will Shadow Conjure yourself a Demiplane (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/create-demiplane) as a spell component free standard action to whisk away from danger. Or use Trap the Soul (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/t/trap-the-soul) without a gem.

[grarrrg]

Also, Shades (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shades) is worth picking ...

:smallfrown:
Was hoping that spell did something else...
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121220155814/gurennlagann/images/1/17/Kamina_with_sword.jpg

[deuxhero]

Even with 3.5 cantrips, I'd rather take extra HP for the first few levels instead of more cantrips.

[squiggit]

Yeah, I'd drop Haunted Fey Aspect and pick one of the other FCBs for a couple levels.

[Raven777]

:smallfrown:
Was hoping that spell did something else...

Nah, you're thinking about Cool Shades. That one's a Mythic Spell :smalltongue:

[TypoNinja]

Wings of Cover at second level. Its the most amazing defensive spell ever. from Races of the Dragon.

Read the full text cause its a bit wordy, buy basically, you get total cover from one attack.... as an immediate action. You are effectively immune to one attack of your choice.

[Raven777]

If you go Blaster and if your group has a lack of healing in general, you might like Fractions of Heal and Harm (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/f/fractions-of-heal-and-harm). It will allow you to heal yourself with a fraction of your blast damage as a swift action. Especially effective when you hit multiple targets at once.