What spell should I choose for my sorcerer who just leveled up?

[Klorox]

Hey all.

I'm playing a half elf brass (fire) draconic bloodline sorcerer. I've just hit level 2. I'm playing through Horde of the Dragon Queen.

I need to choose a new level 1 spell.

What's my best option?

Here's my current spell list:

Cantrips:
-fire bolt
-mage hand
-prestidigitation
-minor illusion

Level 1:
-shield
-sleep

The rest of the party is a cleric, monk, barbarian and rogue, so I'm the only arcane spellchucker.

Thank you!

[strangebloke]

chromatic orb is nice in that it gives you a fire spell, but also grants you more damage types if you don't want to use fire. Magic missile is of course comparable.

Depends on your party comp. Fog cloud will make your rogue love you, but is kind of bad otherwise.

Bear in mind that you get very few spells overall and that concentration spells taken at low levels become crap at later ones. You can retrain some spells, fortunately, but not all of them.

[Zman]

It's hard to overstate just how good magic missile is. Guaranteed damage, and it's solid damage. At this level it's roughly equivalent to firing firebokt three turns in a row.

[Joe the Rat]

Since the other thread covered Chromatic Orb vs. Burning Hands...

As a damage option, Magic Missile is a solid, reliable choice. Guaranteed hit, good as single or multiple target, force damage (if it's immune to fire and force, it's built to get you specifically), modest scaling.

On the more utility side:
Charm Person can help with a lot of social / information situations, and the occasional mook-stopper.
Fog Cloud: Instant Obscurement. Good for distraction, or to cover an escape, or to utterly confuse.
Silent Image: Like Fog cloud, only a more limited area, but with more versatility - you can make actual things. The "cover the hole in the wall with a wall illusion," "foreshorten the hallway" and "hide the pit trap you accidentally set off earlier" are always fun, as is "illusion of the sentry your rogue just ganked still standing on watch".
I personally like Disguise Self, but that relies on more of a subterfuge and trickery approach.
My other recommendations can be covered by the Cleric - and as such should be his business, since the Cleric can change spells with a good night's sleep, while for you it takes about 13 encounters.

[Specter]

If you're going for damage, Chromatic Orb/Magic Missile. If not, then Tasha's.

[Contrast]

I like Silent Image for the versatility. If my experience is anything to go by, in combat nothing will beat using every spell slot to cast sleep.

You've got more and bigger decisions coming at level 3 so I'd recommend starting to think about that now :smalltongue:

[Findulidas]

I quite like Ice knife myself. Otherwise Ive got nothing to add which hasnt been said. Except maybe detect magic is useful later on even as a low level spell. Not as much when you are a low level sorc though.

[Beechgnome]

I like Silent Image for the versatility. If my experience is anything to go by, in combat nothing will beat using every spell slot to cast sleep.

You've got more and bigger decisions coming at level 3 so I'd recommend starting to think about that now :smalltongue:

I like Silent Image too as an alternative to your damaging cantrips. It's also thematic to a Brass Dragon (not Bronze, I assume) as something like it is one of its regional effects.

[Klorox]

I like Silent Image too as an alternative to your damaging cantrips. It's also thematic to a Brass Dragon (not Bronze, I assume) as something like it is one of its regional effects.

Yes, brass! My bad!

[Klorox]

I edited the original post to correct the dragon type and include the mod we're playing through.

[ImproperJustice]

Yeah. Coming from the last thread I favor Chromatic Orb for early blastliness.

Although Ice Knife is a good choice as it gives you a small AoE, another damage type, and it can be twinned.

For non-damage?

Sadly Tasha's HL is not on the Sorc list for reasons.
You could try Catapult simply for the humor of pelting foes with random objects or depending on your GM, use it hurl alchemists fire, acid, holy water, sheepbladders full of yuckiness, beehives, etc from long range. It can also be twinned.

Otherwise suggestions previously given are all solid. Twinned Charm Person could take one or two baddies out of action for a bit.

At 3rd level, I recommend scorching ray and drop sleep for Maxmillian's Earthen Grasp.

[TheUser]

Burning hands

There are few people in your group who can hit multiple foes and so you can fill that niche and go for a nice blast to soften/kill clumped up weaker foes. It's also guaranteed damage since a save only halves the damage.

[Citan]

Hi!

I strongly suggest you to read this whole thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?534241-Burning-hands-vs-chromatic-orb) on a very similar question. ;)

[Azgeroth]

burning hands.
chromatic orb is awesome, but it does have a GP M requirement, if you have that, take chromatic, otherwise, burning hands.. aoe goodness... also, as a brass sorcerer, having a cone of fire does make sense..

[Klorox]

Hi!

I strongly suggest you to read this whole thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?534241-Burning-hands-vs-chromatic-orb) on a very similar question. ;)

LMAO.

I started this thread hoping the one you linked to would die off. You can't delete threads after a certain amount of time here. :smalltongue::smalltongue:

[Wolfem]

Like most things in D&D, it depends on your group dynamic, the setting your in, and your personal play style.

Looking at your current selection of spells I would agree with most that a 1st level damage spell would be advantageous.

Most would agree that Burning Hands/Chromatic Orb will be your best bets for this. They each have pros and cons to them

Burning Hand is a 15-ft cone AoE that forces those in its range to make a Reflex Save and will hit for at least 1/2 of the damage you roll. At these levels you are hitting something and dealing damage to it. However at higher levels it becomes less effective as fire is one of the most resisted things later on.

Chromatic Orb only hits one target but has versatility for the type of damage done, making it harder to resist at higher levels. You do need that diamond worth 50gp which could be hard at this level depending on your campaign. You also have succeed on a ranged spell attack so this could miss the target altogether, something not the case at lower levels for Burning Hands.

[Klorox]

Like most things in D&D, it depends on your group dynamic, the setting your in, and your personal play style.

Looking at your current selection of spells I would agree with most that a 1st level damage spell would be advantageous.

Most would agree that Burning Hands/Chromatic Orb will be your best bets for this. They each have pros and cons to them

Burning Hand is a 15-ft cone AoE that forces those in its range to make a Reflex Save and will hit for at least 1/2 of the damage you roll. At these levels you are hitting something and dealing damage to it. However at higher levels it becomes less effective as fire is one of the most resisted things later on.

Chromatic Orb only hits one target but has versatility for the type of damage done, making it harder to resist at higher levels. You do need that diamond worth 50gp which could be hard at this level depending on your campaign. You also have succeed on a ranged spell attack so this could miss the target altogether, something not the case at lower levels for Burning Hands.
Thanks. The setting is Forgotten Realms (I think), we're playing through 'Horde of the Dragon Queen'