Make me not bored (sorcerer)

[arkangel111]

Ok, so I run a game with my family, and I am by far the most experienced so GMing has fallen to me. Originally the group was too small so my wife joined in. Anyways my wife decided she would play but I had to make her character. In order to keep down on bookkeeping I created a decently optimized sorcerer, though its for damage. After a few games she has given me the following complaints about her character.

"all I do is cast a spell and roll the dice and my turn is over"
"My character is boring, but I like the character"
"everyone else spends 10 mins doing their turn, and then they also get to interrupt enemy turns" (AoO's)
When asked what she wants to do she just says "I don't know, I just don't want to be bored"
When told that she is the only reason they survived a hard encounter (colorspray) she still replied along the same lines but added that she likes being the reason they won but wants to do more on her turn.

So I originally optimized her using traits to reduce metamagic and for casting burning ARC and such but she just wastes her turn casting magic missile, so she can't miss. Because she hates wasting her turn rolling the dice and missing the enemy.

I am the GM and have let everyone continually tweak their characters between sessions because they all are new gamers. So changing everything is Ok, but she really wants to keep the feel. So I am trying to keep her a sorcerer but want to adjust her stats and her traits/feats/spells.

Character is level 4 sorcerer, I don't have the stats cause I am on vacation but her Cha is 20 all other stats are decently high because I didn't want them killing themselves with their lack of knowledge about the system. I prefer not to have her use summons because the table sometimes has 9 party members and sometimes has 3. It is lokking like 3 is gonna be a weekly occurance with as many as 4 more added at least once a month and 2 more that could pop in randomly.

The 2 regulars are a Rogue and a Magus. I am debating a DMPC tank for when the party is only 3. Party is just about appropriate WBL but in the middle of a dungeon, so have items of a 1st level party, except random items found in dungeon.

TL;DR: wife is bored with blasty sorcerer, and wants to feel more a part of the combat. Party is sometimes too big for a summon focused sorcerer but that doesn't rule it out entirely. I'd like to keep her sorcerer but it can change if necessary.

Ideas?

[weckar]

Too bad she's only level 4.

It really seems like she'd feel good about using spells that can be used creatively, such as illusions or mind-affecting enchantments. She may also do good with land-morphing spells, although those may be out of her reach at her level. Being able to directly alter the battlefield sounds like it would be a far more interesting thing for her to do than direct damage, and immediately facilitates interaction with the environment, and thereby a certain degree of roleplay.

[aleucard]

An illusion specialist, especially if you get SCM, could do pretty much anything she'd want. A bit like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer, but if the rest of the party is alright with her being the heavy artillery, then go for it. Most of the requirements are completely easy to get within a few levels (that can be taken by some other PrC she qualifies for), but the Gnome race may be a tough sell. You ARE the DM, though, so this sort of thing is mutable.

[lytokk]

have her pick up a few summon spells. They can always be traded out at later levels with the standard spell swap rules.

[Auron3991]

In all reality, sorcerers don't do much on other character's turns until they hit higher levels. I'd almost suggest switching the character to a dusk blade, but if the character is to remain the same you do have a few options. Swift and move action spells will give extra casts, spells like chill touch and shocking grasp will give AoO chances as long as they're held (I believe the Light of series can as well if you're willing to dip into the spell compendium, and they don't fully expend on a single use). As was mentioned by others, summons will also provide more to do, even if they only last 4 rounds at this point. It will take some work, but it is possible.

[Renen]

Give her more battlefield control spells. If for example enemy moves and triggers black tentacles (I know its higher lvl), then she gets to make an AoO on behalf of tentacles. Stuff like that.

[Raven777]

Does she have a familiar? If yes, it can also act on her turn (or its own initiative if you prefer) and roll intimidate checks to make enemies shaken using its master's Intimidate ranks. That's one extra helpful action she could take. Then again, it also turns her familiar into a target. Later on, she could get an Improved Familiar and outfit it with some wands.