Building a sorcerer in pathfinder

[Slain barbarian]

I am new to pathfinder and am looking for advice in how to make a strong fighting sorcerer. Like what feats and spells I should think about taking. I am starting at level 1 and am a half-orc. Please help me out!!!!

[The_Jette]

I am new to pathfinder and am looking for advice in how to make a strong fighting sorcerer. Like what feats and spells I should think about taking. I am starting at level 1 and am a half-orc. Please help me out!!!!

Build a fire sorc and use your favored class to get +1/2 damage per level to fire spells. It might seem like much, but from there you just build up. Instead of taking more hp, or skills, focus on your fire spells. By the time you're tenth level you'll be doing +5 to all fire spells, including cantrips, which you can affect with elemental substitute. 1d3+5 isn't bad when you can do it at will. Other than that, make sure to buff your Charisma and Constitution. Skills that would be good are Diplomacy, spellcraft, and use-magic item. Plus, get an idea of where you want to go with your character. Do you want to be an elemental savant? Do you want to be an archmage? This will give you an idea of what spells and feats to pick. The fire spells will just keep you alive to get there...

Unless you run into a demon. Then you're screwed.

[Calthropstu]

Build a fire sorc and use your favored class to get +1/2 damage per level to fire spells. It might seem like much, but from there you just build up. Instead of taking more hp, or skills, focus on your fire spells. By the time you're tenth level you'll be doing +5 to all fire spells, including cantrips, which you can affect with elemental substitute. 1d3+5 isn't bad when you can do it at will. Other than that, make sure to buff your Charisma and Constitution. Skills that would be good are Diplomacy, spellcraft, and use-magic item. Plus, get an idea of where you want to go with your character. Do you want to be an elemental savant? Do you want to be an archmage? This will give you an idea of what spells and feats to pick. The fire spells will just keep you alive to get there...

Unless you run into a demon. Then you're screwed.

I think he means a melee sorcerer?

A decent fighting sorcerer build would likely entail either dragon dosciple or eldritch knight.

Head into your chosen prestige class as early as possible. Pick up a level in fighter or paladin (dip 2 levels in paladin if you go that route to pick up cha to saves) for eldritch knoght. Pick up combat caster for casting melee to help avoid aoo. Keep in mind this build will be massively multi ability score dependent.

Use spells such as polymorph to gain some sweet combat benefits. Make sure to have mage armor and shield as spells known, anc pick up some bracers as soon as it is viable.

[Particle_Man]

If you go for the dragon disciple prestige class, you might want to look at the prestigious spellcaster feat - it can fill in the sorcerer levels that some dragon disciple levels skip.

[Rerednaw]

I am new to pathfinder and am looking for advice in how to make a strong fighting sorcerer. Like what feats and spells I should think about taking. I am starting at level 1 and am a half-orc. Please help me out!!!!


You mean martial with arcane splash? Bloodrager works fairly well.

[The_Jette]

I think he means a melee sorcerer?

How did you get melee sorceror from fire sorceror? My suggestion was to grab fire spells and use them to their highest effectiveness by using the half-orc favored class ability to maximize damage. The half-orc favored class bonus to sorceror is +1/2 damage to fire spells, so at second level you get +1, and every even level after that gets an extra bump. +1 damage per fire spell might not sound like much, but given how many spells per day the sorc gets, it adds up. Your suggestion is decent, as well, and I'm not downplaying it. But, at no point in my post was I suggesting he build a melee sorceror.

[Mystral]

I am new to pathfinder and am looking for advice in how to make a strong fighting sorcerer. Like what feats and spells I should think about taking. I am starting at level 1 and am a half-orc. Please help me out!!!!

Needs more information to answer.

[Barstro]

Slain barbarian, could you please provide more detail?

1) Are you set in stone to be a half-orc?
2) What specific role do you wish to fill? (Melee, ranged, etc.)
2b) If melee, are you planning on being the tank, or will someone else be there to protect you?
3) Does it need to specifically be a Sorcerer?
3b) If not, what specific aspects of a Sorcerer do you wan to retain?

[Vogie]

How did you get melee sorceror from fire sorceror?

You didn't - the OP stated he's looking for a "strong FIGHTING Sorcerer", hence Calthropstu thinking that may mean melee.

[The_Jette]

You didn't - the OP stated he's looking for a "strong FIGHTING Sorcerer", hence Calthropstu thinking that may mean melee.

Ah, okay. I was searching through my post trying to figure out how I was that bad at communicating an idea...

[Briton]

A way i found building a good sorceror made for combat (or as i liked to call it, a battlemage), is to go the orc bloodline route. +1 damage to all damaging spells is a great way to start. Make it more thematic and be a half-orc, and focus on STR, CON and CHA. As a half orc, use the weapon familiarity and wield a falchion in battle, as well as having orc ferocity when needing to flee.


When choosing spells, always consider one attack spell and one defense spell. Examples of attack spells at level 1 include:

Summon Monster
Magic Missile
Burning Hands (Not as highly recomended personally from me)
Enlarge Person (if you have the STR for your weapon attacks to be decent)


While some handy defensive spells include

Shield (Perfect for pesky magic missile spells)
Mage Armor


Feat wise:
If you are deciding to go the fire route, get Spell Focus (Evocation) and make those saving throws tougher to beat.
Consider improved Initiative, to hit groups of enemies before they have a chance to scatter, or to make yourself bigger and stronger.
Toughness gives what equivalent to 1 free HP per level, so that can be handy.
If you are going into melee, Power Attack. Always consider Power Attack.
Endurance and Diehard can be useful if you are expecting to get hurt.

[Calthropstu]

You didn't - the OP stated he's looking for a "strong FIGHTING Sorcerer", hence Calthropstu thinking that may mean melee.

You are correct. I was pointing out that "Fighting" probably meant Melee. Not knocking the fire hurling build, it's decent. Just didn't seem what the OP was asking for.


A way i found building a good sorceror made for combat (or as i liked to call it, a battlemage), is to go the orc bloodline route. +1 damage to all damaging spells is a great way to start. Make it more thematic and be a half-orc, and focus on STR, CON and CHA. As a half orc, use the weapon familiarity and wield a falchion in battle, as well as having orc ferocity when needing to flee.


When choosing spells, always consider one attack spell and one defense spell. Examples of attack spells at level 1 include:

Summon Monster
Magic Missile
Burning Hands (Not as highly recomended personally from me)
Enlarge Person (if you have the STR for your weapon attacks to be decent)


While some handy defensive spells include

Shield (Perfect for pesky magic missile spells)
Mage Armor


Feat wise:
If you are deciding to go the fire route, get Spell Focus (Evocation) and make those saving throws tougher to beat.
Consider improved Initiative, to hit groups of enemies before they have a chance to scatter, or to make yourself bigger and stronger.
Toughness gives what equivalent to 1 free HP per level, so that can be handy.
If you are going into melee, Power Attack. Always consider Power Attack.
Endurance and Diehard can be useful if you are expecting to get hurt.

I generally do 1 attack and 1 utility instead of defense. My defense is "hide behind the meat shields."

Works pretty well. I'm generally the last one standing if it comes down to a tpk situation... at which point I flee to get help.