Endarire
2015-12-27, 12:39 AM
...and I don't strictly mean one optimized nor built using Solo's Sorcerer guide. (I have read guide 1 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?74801-Solo%92s-Stupendously-Superior-Sorcerer-Stratagems) and guide 2 (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?471575-Needs-Reformatting-Short-Sorcerer-Handbook-%28bjorsa%29) and guide 3 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?104002-3-5e-The-Logic-Ninja-s-Guide-to-Wizards-Being-Batman) and guide 4 (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?471542-Treantmonk-s-Guide-to-Wizards-Being-a-God-in-D-amp-D-3-5-%28Treantmonklvl20-CantripN-Tsuyoshi%29).)
Character Sheet & Assumptions
Antavius Fin (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=654490)
-All first party and "Dragon" magazine material is allowed. Homebrew and second/third party requires approval before use.
-Stats are from an array of 16/14/13/12/10/9 before adjustments.
-Starting gold is average for a level 1 Sorcerer (75G).
-Discounted items @character creation are from swapping in the magecraft spell and taking 10 on Craft checks.
-We get maximum HP on each hit die.
-I'm not using the Battle Sorcerer variant.
Intro
I'm playing a Homebrew Sorcerer (called the Fun, Powerful Sorcerer (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Qtn0MDtFABUY9upKwTZlzd9SOeNPF7DHfzv4DsAmaNQ/edit?usp=sharing)) for the Infinite Improvised World campaign on Roll20 (https://app.roll20.net/campaigns/details/1149662/the-infinite-improvised-world). This Sorcerer fix gives Sorcerers more spells known, spells per day, class features, a Battle Sorcerer option, and spell swapping! (It's just 1 spell swapped per long rest, but that's infinitely better than 0!)
My race is Savage Aasimar (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a) for the Outsider (Native) type and CHA bonus.
For story purposes, I'd like to keep my class and race.
I'm no stranger to optimizing Wizards. (I've been playing 3.x Wizards since 2002.) I have played Sorcerers before and have regretted so both times - once for a Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil campaign last decade (putting me around level 6) and once for DDO where I played levels 1-28. (Aspenor's DDO Sorcerer Handbook was just so convincing!) I'm new at playing Sorcerers in a likely 1 player character with 1 GM situation. I purposely chose this Sorcerer version because I like spontaneous arcane casting, but the original Sorcerer was too behind the times and too lacking in spells known.
Campaign Premise
Open world campaign. The GM encourages us to build cities and try a variety of things.
Other players are running other characters independently. We may team up eventually. Not depending on it now.
Character Concept
Antavius Fin is an angel come to the material plane to investigate what parts of it should be spared, destroyed, or reconfigured. Mechanically, I want to try a variety of arcane spells and concepts that are generally bad for party play because they'd hog the spotlight or likely hurt my party, such as locate city nukes, a legion of animate dead minions, an army of planar binding helpers, etc.
Mechanically, Antavius is one who relies initially on Power Word Fell Drain, Fell Drain sonic snaps, and launch bolt (4d6 damage version due to Eschew Materials). The mount (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mount.htm) spell is quite useful (much to the disagreement of Solo's advice) due to it providing a Large or Medium meat shield/distraction/trap tripper for 2 hours per caster level as a level 1 spell! That's in addition to its intended purpose of getting me very far very fast.
Antavius can be diplomatic, but whether that's through skills or spells remains to be seen.
Where do I want help?
Goals, skills, feats, spells, strategies, and stuff.
I plan to be single-classed all the way to test this Sorcerer homebrew and because it offers spiffy things without spending skills and feats on misc. unwanted stuff.
Goals
This is an open world campaign. I'm looking for more goals than these for interesting adventures:
-Reclaim an ancestor's gear from this ancestor's stronghold.
-Cast a locate city nuke. (Minimum level 11 due to contingency to get away from the blast radius.)
-Establish/reclaim a kingdom.
-Start a metaphysical revolution (like an industrial revolution in this world, but with magic becoming common) to feed, clothe, and comfort everyone.
-Explore the planes. Make a planar empire.
-Go on aquatic adventures.
-What do you say?
Skills
Skill-wise, I'm feeling short, even with 4+INT modifier. I'm building toward Arcane Thesis @6 (see below), and since I can't have any Dragonmark feats, I can't take Mark of the Dauntless for stun/daze immunity for celerity. (I can, however, take favor of the martyr @8 and boost its duration via Day of Sorcery.)
I'm prioritizing Knowledge (Religion) because my GM mentioned the likelihood of Undead foes, and because it fits thematically with my character being an angel.
What skills are best for solo survival in a world where I'm otherwise uncertain what to expect?
Feats
-I'm planning on taking Arcane Thesis for Evard's Black Tentacles at character level 6, using Expanded Sorcery @5 and spell swapping to learn EBT due to the Blackwater domain.
-Improved Initiative, Ancestral Relic, and Item Familiar all seem worth taking.
-I'm looking for suggestions here.
Spells
-Having played Baldur's Gate II and Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition as solo Sorcerers, I have an idea on how to pick spells. In short, make an army and buff 'em so I'm safe and foes die. I remember animate dead + stinking cloud to be a tremendously effective combo in Icewind Dale, and a combo I'd likely use in this campaign.
-Remember, metamagic! I purposely started this campaign with Fell Drain, Easy Metamagic (Fell Drain), and Sanctum Spell so I can easily one-shot foes @level 1 due to Fell Drain, and DoT foes to death in early levels due to Fell Drain power word pain (AKA Power Word Fell Drain). Due to the homebrew Sorcerer's explicit rules, I can use metamagic without increasing casting time.
Strategies
-My character is a 'sniper,' hitting foes with spells and fleeing or hiding - at least at first. Before mirror image is up constantly, and before I can layer defenses like cake frosting, I'm expecting my survivability to be due mostly to avoiding damage.and avoiding detection.
-At early levels, Power Word Fell Drain. It's basically the Final Fantasy condemned condition, but with faster results.
-Minions work wonders. Having played Infinity Engine games, even intelligent foes were dead meat against a swarm of my minions.
-Once I reach level 2 spells, Web/Command Undead and Wings of Cover/Invisibility/Alter Self seem my first picks.
-On a similar note, there are many good things I want for feats, spells, and items, but what are my priorities? I'm looking for suggestions here!
-Remember, due to Fell Drain, I expect to be making Wights. Some I can control via command undead. These may be bothersome. How best to deal with Wights as a low-level Sorcerer besides gaining levels rapidly?
Stuff (Items)
I've read the guides (Bunko's, Shax, essential items) and I'm curious what you believe is most important for me considering this unusual circumstance.
Character Sheet & Assumptions
Antavius Fin (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=654490)
-All first party and "Dragon" magazine material is allowed. Homebrew and second/third party requires approval before use.
-Stats are from an array of 16/14/13/12/10/9 before adjustments.
-Starting gold is average for a level 1 Sorcerer (75G).
-Discounted items @character creation are from swapping in the magecraft spell and taking 10 on Craft checks.
-We get maximum HP on each hit die.
-I'm not using the Battle Sorcerer variant.
Intro
I'm playing a Homebrew Sorcerer (called the Fun, Powerful Sorcerer (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Qtn0MDtFABUY9upKwTZlzd9SOeNPF7DHfzv4DsAmaNQ/edit?usp=sharing)) for the Infinite Improvised World campaign on Roll20 (https://app.roll20.net/campaigns/details/1149662/the-infinite-improvised-world). This Sorcerer fix gives Sorcerers more spells known, spells per day, class features, a Battle Sorcerer option, and spell swapping! (It's just 1 spell swapped per long rest, but that's infinitely better than 0!)
My race is Savage Aasimar (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a) for the Outsider (Native) type and CHA bonus.
For story purposes, I'd like to keep my class and race.
I'm no stranger to optimizing Wizards. (I've been playing 3.x Wizards since 2002.) I have played Sorcerers before and have regretted so both times - once for a Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil campaign last decade (putting me around level 6) and once for DDO where I played levels 1-28. (Aspenor's DDO Sorcerer Handbook was just so convincing!) I'm new at playing Sorcerers in a likely 1 player character with 1 GM situation. I purposely chose this Sorcerer version because I like spontaneous arcane casting, but the original Sorcerer was too behind the times and too lacking in spells known.
Campaign Premise
Open world campaign. The GM encourages us to build cities and try a variety of things.
Other players are running other characters independently. We may team up eventually. Not depending on it now.
Character Concept
Antavius Fin is an angel come to the material plane to investigate what parts of it should be spared, destroyed, or reconfigured. Mechanically, I want to try a variety of arcane spells and concepts that are generally bad for party play because they'd hog the spotlight or likely hurt my party, such as locate city nukes, a legion of animate dead minions, an army of planar binding helpers, etc.
Mechanically, Antavius is one who relies initially on Power Word Fell Drain, Fell Drain sonic snaps, and launch bolt (4d6 damage version due to Eschew Materials). The mount (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mount.htm) spell is quite useful (much to the disagreement of Solo's advice) due to it providing a Large or Medium meat shield/distraction/trap tripper for 2 hours per caster level as a level 1 spell! That's in addition to its intended purpose of getting me very far very fast.
Antavius can be diplomatic, but whether that's through skills or spells remains to be seen.
Where do I want help?
Goals, skills, feats, spells, strategies, and stuff.
I plan to be single-classed all the way to test this Sorcerer homebrew and because it offers spiffy things without spending skills and feats on misc. unwanted stuff.
Goals
This is an open world campaign. I'm looking for more goals than these for interesting adventures:
-Reclaim an ancestor's gear from this ancestor's stronghold.
-Cast a locate city nuke. (Minimum level 11 due to contingency to get away from the blast radius.)
-Establish/reclaim a kingdom.
-Start a metaphysical revolution (like an industrial revolution in this world, but with magic becoming common) to feed, clothe, and comfort everyone.
-Explore the planes. Make a planar empire.
-Go on aquatic adventures.
-What do you say?
Skills
Skill-wise, I'm feeling short, even with 4+INT modifier. I'm building toward Arcane Thesis @6 (see below), and since I can't have any Dragonmark feats, I can't take Mark of the Dauntless for stun/daze immunity for celerity. (I can, however, take favor of the martyr @8 and boost its duration via Day of Sorcery.)
I'm prioritizing Knowledge (Religion) because my GM mentioned the likelihood of Undead foes, and because it fits thematically with my character being an angel.
What skills are best for solo survival in a world where I'm otherwise uncertain what to expect?
Feats
-I'm planning on taking Arcane Thesis for Evard's Black Tentacles at character level 6, using Expanded Sorcery @5 and spell swapping to learn EBT due to the Blackwater domain.
-Improved Initiative, Ancestral Relic, and Item Familiar all seem worth taking.
-I'm looking for suggestions here.
Spells
-Having played Baldur's Gate II and Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition as solo Sorcerers, I have an idea on how to pick spells. In short, make an army and buff 'em so I'm safe and foes die. I remember animate dead + stinking cloud to be a tremendously effective combo in Icewind Dale, and a combo I'd likely use in this campaign.
-Remember, metamagic! I purposely started this campaign with Fell Drain, Easy Metamagic (Fell Drain), and Sanctum Spell so I can easily one-shot foes @level 1 due to Fell Drain, and DoT foes to death in early levels due to Fell Drain power word pain (AKA Power Word Fell Drain). Due to the homebrew Sorcerer's explicit rules, I can use metamagic without increasing casting time.
Strategies
-My character is a 'sniper,' hitting foes with spells and fleeing or hiding - at least at first. Before mirror image is up constantly, and before I can layer defenses like cake frosting, I'm expecting my survivability to be due mostly to avoiding damage.and avoiding detection.
-At early levels, Power Word Fell Drain. It's basically the Final Fantasy condemned condition, but with faster results.
-Minions work wonders. Having played Infinity Engine games, even intelligent foes were dead meat against a swarm of my minions.
-Once I reach level 2 spells, Web/Command Undead and Wings of Cover/Invisibility/Alter Self seem my first picks.
-On a similar note, there are many good things I want for feats, spells, and items, but what are my priorities? I'm looking for suggestions here!
-Remember, due to Fell Drain, I expect to be making Wights. Some I can control via command undead. These may be bothersome. How best to deal with Wights as a low-level Sorcerer besides gaining levels rapidly?
Stuff (Items)
I've read the guides (Bunko's, Shax, essential items) and I'm curious what you believe is most important for me considering this unusual circumstance.