What are some good feats for a sorcerer that doesn't do anything?

[magicalmagicman]

90% of her spells are out of combat stuff, and the 10% of the spells are minor buffs like haste, greater blink/dimension door, bull's strength, etc.

So... what are some good feats?

I'm looking for minor utility stuff, like eschew materials, craft construct, etc.

I've been maximizing her charisma and Perform (grabbed draconic heritage solely to get this as a class skill) skills. Feats that further boost either of these two would also be great.

[ATHATH]

Have you considered the Vow of Nonviolence feat?

[magicalmagicman]

Have you considered the Vow of Nonviolence feat?

Yes. All the vows suck. I believe vow of nonviolence and peace have additional clauses that you can't help your allies kill, or that you must take prisoner, or a bunch of other restrictions. I hate restrictions so no vows!

[JBarca]

Well, if you want Perform, I guess the obvious "Skill Focus: Perform" is an option, albeit a lackluster one.

The reliance on buffs in combat makes me think that Extend Spell might be a decent metamagic for you. Crafting feats are an option, as you said, though I shy away from suggesting those without knowing if you have a lot of downtime in game, if you're ok with spending xp, if your DM has a magic-mart style of item acquisition, etc.

[magicalmagicman]

Well, if you want Perform, I guess the obvious "Skill Focus: Perform" is an option, albeit a lackluster one.

The reliance on buffs in combat makes me think that Extend Spell might be a decent metamagic for you. Crafting feats are an option, as you said, though I shy away from suggesting those without knowing if you have a lot of downtime in game, if you're ok with spending xp, if your DM has a magic-mart style of item acquisition, etc.

You're completely right on the money here. IF no one gives me a decent suggestion I will be grabbing extend spell and skill focus:perform...

[LTwerewolf]

Vow of nonviolence only punishes you if they kill a helpless/defenseless foe/victim. In fact if they make an oath of surrender and break the oath, your allies can do whatever they want to them and you're 100% consequence free. Also your vow only includes humanoid and monstrous humanoid, so if you find a fey feel free to blast away. It's a rather racist vow.

[Bobby Baratheon]

If you have the Draconic Heritage feat, that opens up a lot of cool prereqs. For one thing, you won't really need a lot of damage spells if you get Blue Dragon Heritage, which I've found to be rather useful. It's no save, no SR, guaranteed damage that scales with level and Cha. Burn a fourth level spell, for example, and get 4 ranged touch attacks that deal 1d6+Cha damage each. Not spectacular, but consistently useful. There's another feat (Draconic Vigor, I think) that heals you every time you cast a spell. Draconic Arcane Grace is a great (if somewhat suboptimal) way to not die, though I think the 4th level spell Ruin Delver's Fortune (or something like that) is a better investment. Draconic power is sweet - an extra caster level and a minor, situational boost is nothing to sniff at.

[magicalmagicman]

Draconic persuasion piqued my interest.
1. Cast arcane spell
2. Gain 1.5 * spell level of the spell as a bonus to your bluff, intimidate, or Perform check
3. Check must be made in the next round.

My sorcerer's perform is dance though. Dancing takes minutes, maybe even an hour. Would this feat grant a bonus to long perform checks like this? Maybe I should make a new thread about this topic. Hmm...

edit: made a new thread regarding the topic. My early level feats are quite packed and time sensitive. If it does rule in my favor I'm still gonna have some difficulty fitting in all my feats in XD.

[Âmesang]

If Book of Vile Darkness is allowed you can manufacture poisons with Craft (alchemy) at a –4 penalty. Follow that up with Master of Poisons from Drow of the Underdark (assassin/blackguard's poison use ability with a little extra) and the fabricate spell to mass produce 'em quickly.

If you're playing in WORLD OF GREYHAWK® or FORGOTTEN REALMS® there's a large number of regional/racial feats you could choose from, even for flavor (though only at 1st level).

…and if you like familiars try to nab Enspell Familiar from DRAGON Compendium; it'll let you share spells with it out to a distance far greater than a mere 5 ft. :smalltongue:

[Bronk]

If you mostly have buff spells, have you considered creating a menagerie?

You could take leadership (for a cohort), extra familiar, wild cohort, dragon cohort, and so on.

[Inevitability]

Versatile Spellcaster is good on any sorcerer.

[magicalmagicman]

Versatile Spellcaster is good on any sorcerer.

Already have it.

[ATHATH]

We're the Pirates that don't do anything...

[ATHATH]

If you mostly have buff spells, have you considered creating a menagerie?

You could take leadership (for a cohort), extra familiar, wild cohort, dragon cohort, and so on.
Here's my list of useful spells for acquiring long-term allies, by the way: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?480523-Build-it-for-me-please&p=20506950#post20506950

[Darrin]

If you want a feat that doesn't do anything... Skill Focus: Speak Language.

Have you considered reserve feats (Complete Mage)?

Summon Elemental can give you a minion that can sit around and also do nothing whenever you like.

Minor Shapeshift can be pretty darned useful.

If you want something more constructive to do every round, Acidic Splatter.

[Ravens_cry]

We're the Pirates that don't do anything...
. . . We just stay home and lie around . . .

[Fizban]

Arcane Training from Player's Guide to Faerun could give possibly give you all cantrips and a couple slots via spellbook, though it's "special" entry seems to completely negate the first part of the feat so maybe not. Complete Arcane has a series of feats that give you a couple 0th and a 1st level spell like ability. Complete Mage has fey/fiendish heritage feat lines that give spell like abilities focused on mind affecting/teleportation/summoning. Dragonmarks from Eberron are yet more spell like abilities, mostly focused on minor utility stuff.

Or just spam Extra Spell, even with the default level restrictions more spells known is more spells known.

[Troacctid]

Improved Familiar, Celestial Familiar, or Planar Familiar. Get yourself an imp, coure eladrin, or lantern archon, respectively, depending on your alignment. All of them are fantastic for utility and will help you both in and out of combat (but especially out of combat). Just look at their suites of spell-like and supernatural abilities. They're absurd.

Nymph's Kiss is a very good utility feat as well.

[Psyren]

Or just spam Extra Spell, even with the default level restrictions more spells known is more spells known.

This - if you can't think of anything else, Extra Spell/Expanded Arcana is never a bad choice. For a spontaneous caster, spells known are bae.

[magicalmagicman]

Improved Familiar, Celestial Familiar, or Planar Familiar. Get yourself an imp, coure eladrin, or lantern archon, respectively, depending on your alignment. All of them are fantastic for utility and will help you both in and out of combat (but especially out of combat). Just look at their suites of spell-like and supernatural abilities. They're absurd.

Nymph's Kiss is a very good utility feat as well.

I already got Nymph's Kiss.

I traded out my familiar for spell shield, mainly because I hate familiars.

Extra spell seems nice. Level 3, 4, and 5 spell knowns are extremely crowded.

[Troacctid]

I traded out my familiar for spell shield, mainly because I hate familiars.
If you traded away your familiar, you can get it back with Obtain Familiar. Then you can take Celestial Familiar to gain:
- At-will Detect Magic as a free action
- At-will Detect Good as a free action
- Continuous Magic Circle against Evil
- At-will Faerie Fire as a free action
- Magic Missile 3/day as a free action
- +2 bonus on all skill checks
- Alertness as a bonus feat
- Arcane Eye variant at will as a free action
- Roll all Spot, Listen, Sense Motive, Knowledge, and Spellcraft checks twice and take the better result

[Inevitability]

If you traded away your familiar, you can get it back with Obtain Familiar. Then you can take Celestial Familiar to gain:
- At-will Detect Magic as a free action
- At-will Detect Good as a free action
- Continuous Magic Circle against Evil
- At-will Faerie Fire as a free action
- Magic Missile 3/day as a free action
- +2 bonus on all skill checks
- Alertness as a bonus feat
- Arcane Eye variant at will as a free action
- Roll all Spot, Listen, Sense Motive, Knowledge, and Spellcraft checks twice and take the better result

Don't forget that the familiar can activate magic items, which shifts the action economy in your favor.

[Vogie]

. . . We just stay home and lie around . . .

... And if you tell us
to do anything
we'll just tell you...