Building a sorcerer in 5e beginner

[justwondering]

Looking to make a sorcerer without making it too complicated. Any tips???

[nickl_2000]

Level 1?

Are you rolling stats, using point buy, or standard array?

[justwondering]

Just using the book for stats

[Mandragola]

Well the thing I'd suggest is to check out one of the class guides. This one, for instance: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?457552-How-to-Rend-Fiends-and-Immolate-People-A-Guide-to-Sorcery

Here are the things you need:

- a good charisma score. 16 if possible
- decent constitution and dexterity scores. 14+
- you may therefore want to pick a race that improves those stats, such as a half elf, human (including the kind that gets a feat), drow elf or something.
- a cantrip that does direct damage, like fire bolt, so you have something to do when out of proper spells.
- some real thought into your spell choices. I really like Shield, because you'll keep it forever. At low level things like thunder wave and burning hands can be good too.
- any background you like really. If you've got a decent charisma and dex you might want to go for a background that gives skills that use those stats.
- food, a rope and a bedroll. Maybe a knife.

Draconian sorcerors are simpler to play than wild magic ones, which may be a factor. Also, you won't accidentally fireball yourself - which is nice.

[Ruslan]

Option 1: Human
1. Starting Array is 15/14/13/12/10/8
2. Race: Variant Human
3. Ability scores, after racial adjustments, become: Str 8 Dex 14 (13+1) Con 14 Int 10 Wis 12 Cha 16 (15+1)
4. Lucky, Alert, or Inspiring Leader as your human feat - whatever fits your character concept
5. Perception as your human bonus skill
6. Draconic Sorcerous Origin
7. Fire Bolt, Shocking Grasp, Minor Illusion and Prestidigitation for cantrips
8. Shield and Burning Hands for level 1 spells
9. Class skills: Deception, Persuasion
10. Background: whatever works. I personally like Criminal.
11. Equipment: You get a Light Crossbow and two daggers from the basic class equipment, that's all the weapons you need. Make sure to get torches or other sources of light, because you ain't got darkvision

Option 2: Half-Elf
Ability scores become Str 8 Dex 16 (15+1) Con 14 (13+1) Int 10 Wis 12 Cha 16 (14+2)
No feat, but one extra bonus skills (Intimidation)
You got Darkvision, so let the other chumps carry the torches.
Everything else is pretty much the same.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Looking to make a sorcerer without making it too complicated. Any tips???

Uncomplicated? Pick the Draconic origin, for sure. Pick Fire Bolt, as others have mentioned. Make sure Charisma is your best stat.

Nothing else really matters at level 1.

For spells, Shield is obviously excellent and Burning Hands is the most damage you can get at level 1. For simplicity, though, Magic Missile and Sleep might also be worth considering. They're extremely easy to use.

[Jaxxen]

Thank you guys for all the tips and help. OP is my wife and brand new to DND told her to post her to try and get some perspective I cant give mostly cause I never play casters!

to help clarify its a level 1 campaign and using just the PHB and SCAG / volos for books.

Its a point buy game for stats and such. I know she could definetly use some help learning when and how to use spells so when it comes to her turn on the table she knows what to do :) thanks again. ( I don't want to be the guy at the table with their SO whose basically just playing two characters I want her to have fun!)

[Ninja_Prawn]

I know she could definetly use some help learning when and how to use spells so when it comes to her turn on the table she knows what to do

To some extent this depends on who else is in the party... Do you know what else you guys are going to have?

[justwondering]

Thank you guys for all the tips and help. OP is my wife and brand new to DND told her to post her to try and get some perspective I cant give mostly cause I never play casters!

to help clarify its a level 1 campaign and using just the PHB and SCAG / volos for books.

Its a point buy game for stats and such. I know she could definetly use some help learning when and how to use spells so when it comes to her turn on the table she knows what to do :) thanks again. ( I don't want to be the guy at the table with their SO whose basically just playing two characters I want her to have fun!)

Thank you Jaxxen for helping to clarify this. Yes I am new but I'm having fun building (which is complicated at times) but I'm trying to grow my wings and build my own W/O help from the SO.

[justwondering]

Option 1: Human
1. Starting Array is 15/14/13/12/10/8
2. Race: Variant Human
3. Ability scores, after racial adjustments, become: Str 8 Dex 14 (13+1) Con 14 Int 10 Wis 12 Cha 16 (15+1)
4. Lucky, Alert, or Inspiring Leader as your human feat - whatever fits your character concept
5. Perception as your human bonus skill
6. Draconic Sorcerous Origin
7. Fire Bolt, Shocking Grasp, Minor Illusion and Prestidigitation for cantrips
8. Shield and Burning Hands for level 1 spells
9. Class skills: Deception, Persuasion
10. Background: whatever works. I personally like Criminal.
11. Equipment: You get a Light Crossbow and two daggers from the basic class equipment, that's all the weapons you need. Make sure to get torches or other sources of light, because you ain't got darkvision

Option 2: Half-Elf
Ability scores become Str 8 Dex 16 (15+1) Con 14 (13+1) Int 10 Wis 12 Cha 16 (14+2)
No feat, but one extra bonus skills (Intimidation)
You got Darkvision, so let the other chumps carry the torches.
Everything else is pretty much the same.

Thank you this is a good basic start to creating one.

[Jaxxen]

To some extent this depends on who else is in the party... Do you know what else you guys are going to have?

Unfortunetly I really don't know what they plan to play :smalleek: I know I'm gonna try a lizardfolk Monk cause my EQ itch is happening and I wanna play an iksar monk :smallsmile:

[Ruslan]

Its a point buy game for stats and such. I know she could definitely use some help learning when and how to use spells so when it comes to her turn on the table she knows what to do
The how-to for a level 1 Sorcerer in combat is pretty simple. You only have two (non-Cantrip) spell slots per day and two spells known.

Use Shield only if you're hit by a big monster and it looks like he's about to knock you out.

Use Burning Hands only if there are several enemies bunched up and you can catch them all in a cone.

Otherwise, use Firebolt or snipe with your Crossbow.

If forced into melee, dual-wield daggers and yell for the party fighters to save you ;-) Or use Shocking Grasp, then retreat.

If you have prep-time before battle (like when you're setting up an ambush), use Minor Illusion to create cover to hide behind (illusion of a table, a log, or whatever is appropriate for the environment).

[nickl_2000]

Alright a Point Buy Sorc built for simplicity
Half-Elf
Str: 8
Dex:15 -> 16 with Half Elf +1
Con: 15 -> 16 with Half Elf +1
Int:8
Wis: 10
Cha: 14 -> 16 with Half-Elf +2

You get Darkvision so you don't need to worry about lighting. You are weak, but the most simple Sorc isn't in combat anyways.
Draconic Bloodline - Red Dragon (fire) as other have mentioned
You don't get armor, so you starting AC is 16 (13 for Draconic Resilience +3 for Dex)
Get a Bonus to HP and AC so you are a lot less squishy than you were before.


You know 4 Cantrips and 2 Spells
Cantrips:
Flame Arrow - Good Damage, good range, and set stuff on fire for fun
Minor Illusion - Many, many uses outside of combat. Do a little research on things people have done on here there is a lot!
Mage Hand - Grab stuff from a distance, open door and not get hit by traps, there are lots of uses for this
Shocking Grasp - If someone does get close to you, zap them and run away without getting smacked on the way out

Level 1 Spells:
Burning Hand - You like to burn stuff, so burn more!
Sleep - Amazing at early levels, put them to sleep and kill them at your leisure.

[justwondering]

To some extent this depends on who else is in the party... Do you know what else you guys are going to have?

no it just depends on who shows up

[justwondering]

The how-to for a level 1 Sorcerer in combat is pretty simple. You only have two (non-Cantrip) spell slots per day and two spells known.

Use Shield only if you're hit by a big monster and it looks like he's about to knock you out.

Use Burning Hands only if there are several enemies bunched up and you can catch them all in a cone.

Otherwise, use Firebolt or snipe with your Crossbow.

If forced into melee, dual-wield daggers and yell for the party fighters to save you ;-) Or use Shocking Grasp, then retreat.

If you have prep-time before battle (like when you're setting up an ambush), use Minor Illusion to create cover to hide behind (illusion of a table, a log, or whatever is appropriate for the environment).

This is good advice. Thanks

[Ninja_Prawn]

Okay, so I think we've covered the basics of sorcery. How about we give the OP the tools she'll need to become self-sufficient? I'll start with some theory...

No two games of D&D are the same - even if they're based on a published module, different DMs will bring different flavours and emphasise different things. That said, it is generally accepted that most games feature some combination of three elements: Combat, Exploration and Social Interaction. Some games will have an even mix, others might favour one or two pillars at the expense of the others. In a vacuum though, not knowing what kind of game you'll be facing, we should be trying to make sure you have something useful to contribute to each of the three pillars.

Combat. In D&D, combat is generally about small groups of heroes fighting small groups of monsters. It is quite tactical and experience from MMORPGs or even card games like MtG might come in handy. In 5e, combats tend to be quick and brutal - you should be able to tell who is going to win after three rounds. You should expect to face 6 to 8 encounters per day, most of which will be battles (or have the potential to become battles).

Sorcerers can fulfill a couple of roles in combat situations, but they are most effective as either blasters or support casters. As a blaster, you'll look to use the Careful Spell, Empowered Spell, Heightened Spell and Quickened Spell metamagics to kill enemies with area-effect spells - none of the other spellcasting classes can match your efficiency here. It's a straightforward task: if you're killing enemies, you're doing it right. As a support caster, you'll probably spend most of your spell slots casting buffs like Haste and Fly on your allies. The Twinned Spell metamagic means that you can do the work of two wizards or bards in this area. This role requires a bit more thought to identify who needs which buffs and when, and how best to manage your concentration.

Exploration. The worlds of D&D are dangerous places, and you can die just as easily from a trapped chest or cave-in as you can from monsters. Exploration is about the day-to-day adventuring tasks that you will face: navigating at night, climbing cliff faces, disarming traps and decoding ancient runes.

Sorcerers have less to offer in this pillar. You don't have enough spell slots to be casting spells all day and, unlike the wizard, druid, cleric and bard, you don't have the Ritual Casting feature. You also don't get many spells known, which means you can only prepare yourself for a narrow range of situations. Detect Magic, Feather Fall, Jump, Darkvision, Knock, Spider Climb and Dispel Magic are on your spell list, but it's hard to justify choosing them over other spells. You should try to make the most of your subclass features in exploration situations: at level 6 with a red dragon bloodline, you can gain an hour of fire resistance for 1 SP. This could be useful for walking through the desert (you'll be immune to the effects of the blazing sun), escaping a burning building or plucking objects out of a bonfire.

Social Interaction. D&D is a social game, and your characters will often find themselves dealing with sneaky, devious and untrustworthy NPCs (that's the only kind of NPC that exists). Social skills can help characters to negotiate their way out of false imprisonment, win allies to their cause and overawe their enemies with force of personality.

With charisma as your main stat, a sorcerer is likely, as a minimum, to be competent in social encounters. Picking up proficiency in some charisma skills such as persuasion or deception can bolster this, making you the go-to person for talky missions. If you want to focus on this even further, you'll find Subtle Spell useful for sneakily casting in crowded markets and raucous ballrooms, and spells like Friends, Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Silent Image, Suggestion and Detect Thoughts can give you an edge when things get tricky.
Some spells have been mentioned already. Here's some more theory.

Concentration. You can only concentrate on one spell at once. Make sure you have a mixture of concentration spells and non-concentration spells to ensure you're using this resource efficiently.

Picking Spells. A sorcerer doesn't get to pick many spells, so you need to make those selections count. For example, you don't need two straight damage-dealing spells at level 1 (I'm not talking about cantrips here). It would make more sense to pick 1 offensive and 1 defensive spell (if you're aiming for a blasty role) or 1 combat and 1 social spell (if you're expecting a social-heavy campaign). Flexible spells that can be used in multiple situations, like Suggestion, are particularly valuable to you.

Illusions. Spells like Minor Illusion and Silent Image can be very powerful, but they depend both on your imagination and your DM's willingness to play along. It might be better to avoid them until you get a bit more experience.

Blasting. Fire Bolt is the strongest cantrip you have access to, in terms of raw damage. It won't deal as much damage as a warlock with Eldritch Blast or a fighter with a greatsword, but you have one advantage: you can Quicken an attack spell like Burning Hands and cast Fire Bolt on the same turn. You can't keep it up forever, but when you absolutely have to throw out lots of damage in one turn, the sorcerer shines.

Be aware than most damage spells don't scale well. You may want to replace Burning Hands with Fireball when you reach level 5 and Fireball with Cone of Cold when you hit level 9, rather than carrying all three of them. This applies doubly to Sleep, which is kind of like a non-violent blasting spell.

Support. To be most effective in this role, you'll have to get a good handle on what your fellow PCs are capable of. Who will benefit more from Haste, the fighter or the rogue? Try to figure out who is contributing the most to a particular situation, and make them better at it - or help someone to contribute if they've been hamstrung (such as a melee-focused barbarian who can't hit the flying monsters. Fly would really help them to do their thing). Remember that you can use spells like Enhance Ability in social and exploration situations, too.
Is that helpful? Too much? Not enough?

[Hrugner]

For something very simple, I'd go with a lightfoot halfling shadow sorcerer.
Halfling won't make you the most potent caster, but it keeps you from getting trapped behind monsters since you can walk through them and it lets you hide within the party rather than requiring cover.
shadow sorcerer gives you a chance to stay up when you'd normally be knocked out of the fight. It also gives you darkvision and many darkness spells if needed.
cantrips: minor illusion, firebolt, control flame, mage hand
level 1 spells: sleep and anything else, sleep will be the best use of your spells for a few levels. Shield probably isn't a bad choice for the second spell.
Take a background that can get you stealth

stat priority chr>con>dex>wis>str>int

[Ruslan]

How-to for a level 1 Sorcerer in social situations:


Ideally, you want to be proficient in Deception, Negotiation and Intimidation - the big three social skills. You can get two of them from your class list, and the third from background or racial bonus skill.
Insight would be nice too, but you probably don't have the Wisdom to support it.
Make use of your Charisma and proficiencies by taking point on negotiations.
Use Prestidigitation and Minor Illusion whenever it would help to distract, amuse or intimidate the people you're talking to.
Use Friends when negotiating a bit more aggressively, if you don't mind the hostility later.
You can also ask the second-most-social party member to help you on negotiations, so you can get Advantage on the checks.

[khachaturian]

my two coppers... mostly solid advice. I would avoid shocking grasp. if you are in a situation where you are stuck in melee range, the better option is probably just to disengage

[Ruslan]

I would steer clear of Sleep for a new player. Its all-or-nothing nature requires a bit of metagaming and memorizing which monsters have how many hits points. It also leads to moments of frustration when a newer player doesn't realize that one strong enemy has ~30 hit points and would not be affected by sleep at all. At least Burning Hands is guaranteed to always do something useful.

Also, Sleep has a larger area of effect, which, ironically, makes it easier to friendly-fire your own guys. Imagine the frustration of not realizing the enemy has 16 hit points ... but the party Barbarian, who's also trapped in the area of effect, has 15, and is therefore affected before him.

Those drawbacks are manageable with experience, but all in all, they make Burning Hands far more new-player-friendly.

[justwondering]

This is most helpful. I didn't realize how much can go into this. Still making my character though.

[justwondering]

my two coppers... mostly solid advice. I would avoid shocking grasp. if you are in a situation where you are stuck in melee range, the better option is probably just to disengage

I think i'm going to pick 2 range and 2 melee cantrips.

[Ruslan]

I think i'm going to pick 2 range and 2 melee cantrips.
You don't need to dedicate all your cantrips to combat. 1 ranged and 1 melee is quite enough. The other 2 can be utility (Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Friends, Prestidigitation, whatever).

[Ninja_Prawn]

You don't need to dedicate all your cantrips to combat. 1 ranged and 1 melee is quite enough. The other 2 can be utility (Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Friends, Prestidigitation, whatever).

Agreed. It's worth having two damage cantrips in case you run into something that's immune to fire (a reasonably common immunity), but you don't need any more than that. You might be surprised how much value you get out of utility cantrips, especially Minor Illusion. It's certainly my wizard's favourite...

[Ruslan]

Agreed. It's worth having two damage cantrips in case you run into something that's immune to fire (a reasonably common immunity).A crossbow? :smallbiggrin:

[nickl_2000]

A crossbow? :smallbiggrin:

Frankly a good crossbow will beat out cantrips for damage at early levels (assuming you have decent dex). Although it is less fun than imagining shooting a bolt of flame out of your hands

[Squiddish]

Couple notes: If your DM allows the Elemental Evil spells, you could swap out burning hands for ice knife; while it does do a bit less damage the range is better and it's fairly precise.

Also consider magic missile if you want guaranteed damage.