Best Sorcerer Damage over Time Spells?

[Endarire]

Greetings, all!

I'm a big fan of the feat Fell Drain (Libris Mortis). This feat works well with damage over time (DoT/DOT) effects. Power word pain (Races of the Dragon) is an excellent first level Sorcerer spell to apply this to. PWP eventually stops working due to [Mind-Affecting] immunity or/and subjects having too many HP.

The best spells are ones with no save, or that deal damage even on a successful save. No SR is also a plus.

Single-target, multi-target, and area effects are all legal here!

EDIT: Each projectile that inflicts damage inflicts a neg level. Magic missile FTW! (Other spells are options, too!)

[Crake]

Greetings, all!

I'm a big fan of the feat Fell Drain (Libris Mortis). This feat works well with damage over time (DoT/DOT) effects. Power word pain (Races of the Dragon) is an excellent first level Sorcerer spell to apply this to. PWP eventually stops working due to [Mind-Affecting] immunity or/and subjects having too many HP.

The best spells are ones with no save, or that deal damage even on a successful save. No SR is also a plus.

Single-target, multi-target, and area effects are all legal here!

I believe fell drain only applies the negative level once per creature per spell, as it says "a creature damaged by this spell" not "each time a creature is damaged by this spell" otherwise a single magic missile spell focused on one creature would apply the same number of negative levels as it has missiles.

[Endarire]

The way my GM and I are playing it now is that Fell Drain applies on each round (and perhaps each projectile - still awaiting word).

Carry on!

[avr]

Acid Arrow is a simple answer. Single target and not a lot of damage, but good in all other ways.

Blistering Radiance is higher level but has area, range and duration on its side.

Fire Shield is a much stronger deterrent with level drain working for it.

[Crake]

Well, in that case, Acid fog is a pretty good choice, not only does it deal damage, there's no save, no SR, and it acts like solid fog, making it really hard to escape from, and almost impossible to negate short of acid resistance of 12 or higher.

[Anthrowhale]

Would Wounding Spell metamagic work in your campaign?

[Troacctid]

Power Word Pain and Thunderhead are good for damage over time.

[MisterKaws]

Crushing Fist of Spite and Maw of Chaos are both pretty good for extremely high-leveled spells.

[DeAnno]

Vortex of Teeth.

[Calimehter]

Flaming Sphere is probably not the 'best' damage over time spell, but it is only 2nd level and, unlike Power Word Pain, you can swap targets with a move action if the situation calls for it.

Since you already have the DMs approval for Fell Drain every round, you could always shoot for Fell Drain on flammables set on fire with the spell. ;)

[Starkeeper]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Kelgore's Grave Mist yet, it's thematically appropriate, no save, SR only blocks the Fatigue portion, 20 foot radius and it's a mere level 2 spell.

[DrMartin]

No mention of the black tentacles yet? area control, no SR, solid spell even without fell drain.

Defenestrating sphere is always worth a mention I think. Allows SR and requires a touch, still totally worth it even just for the lols.

Belker Claws can also be nasty as a fire and forget damage over time, since you can cast a couple of them and let them shred while you move/teleport away, and your target has no way short of dispelling to get rid of them.

[Jormengand]

The Caltrops spell from the spell compendium pages 42-43 is pretty mean - each round a creature stays in, or moves through, the area, it might step on a touch-attacking caltrop that gets attack bonuses from your caster level and drains a level. Oh, and it's a cantrip.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Vortex of teeth is stationary, but it's force damage, which is always nice.

[Ger. Bessa]

Cloud of Knives lets you spread the love each turn. Also, you can chanel your inner Gilgamesh.

I remember seeing a lv3 spell that destroys a weapon and sends 3 copies at a target, applying bonus damage three times on these boards. I think it's 3rd party though.

[DrMartin]

Cloud of Knives lets you spread the love each turn. Also, you can chanel your inner Gilgamesh.

I remember seeing a lv3 spell that destroys a weapon and sends 3 copies at a target, applying bonus damage three times on these boards. I think it's 3rd party though.

Cloud of Knives is also Range: Personal and Target:You, and that means it's both persistable and sharable with your familiar, if Pinging away twice per round, all day long can be your thing.
Maybe the spell you're talking about is Threesteel? that's from dragon of faerun. Setting specific, but still 3.5.

Steeldance can also work nicely. Pair it with Cloud of Knives and you're approaching being a literal cloud of steel. Animate Weapon could also be interesting, if the animate objects didn't have such a low attack bonus.

[ericgrau]

Wall of fire is both area and DoT. And if you use mass energy resistance you can exclude allies. Acid fog is a bit high level but it is area, DoT and slows creatures.

[Darrin]

I remember seeing a lv3 spell that destroys a weapon and sends 3 copies at a target, applying bonus damage three times on these boards. I think it's 3rd party though.

Threesteel in Dragons of Faerun. 1st party.