Can a Level One Sorcerer Survive on Their Own?

[An Enemy Spy]

I have a friend who is new to D&D and tonight we decided to have a solo game. His favorite class is Sorcerer so I helped him build a character today and we came up with is this (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1357964). Yes, his name is Lord Nefarious, get past that. Will I need to surround his character with NPC bodyguards or are there adventures a level-1 Sorcerer can go on where they won't be KOed in the first round of combat?

[John Longarrow]

ANY 1st level character is going to have a really tough time. A halfling sorcerer won't have an easier time, may even have a harder one.

Two suggestions, 1st switch from halfling to Elf. Gives you the ability to use a bow and a sword, both of which will help the character look less like a target.
2nd, drop true strike. For a sorcerer that is such a limited use spell it isn't really worth having. Mage armor would be far more useful.

Who ever is running the game needs to take into account how difficult it is for most low level characters in solo adventures. Halfling adds the physical inabilities on top (can't carry much, really slow, can't go through a lot of situations that a larger character can) and adds low HP. 5 str screams "Don't use melee" so having two melee weapons works against the mechanics of the character. As such, any adventure should be set up where getting close and personal isn't a requirement and often isn't an option for what ever they face.

[Deophaun]

A solo sorcerer. Ok. You have no backup and no hitpoints. That means you're going to want to avoid combat and if you do get in combat you want to quickly get out of there.

Naturally, you will have chosen appropriate gear, feats, skills, and spells. Let's take a look:

Light Crossbow: A weapon that eats up your move action in addition to your standard so you cannot move. Not a good start.

Combat Casting: Now you can cast spells while in melee where you don't want to be, ever.

Magic Missile: Because throwing glowing darts that do 1d4+1 damage at people is a good way to win friends and influence people.

Spellcraft, Knowledge Arcana, and Concentration: You can now explain to people the properties of the spell you shot them with when they do decide they want to meet you and introduce you to Mr. Scimitar to the Gut.

True Strike: Hold on. Don't go yet. Wait till I tell you it's okay before we start the fight. I just need to cast this one spell first, and then I definitely do not need to immediately sucker punch you.

OK, Sorcerer is not ideal for a solo campaign. This one, though, is prepared to have his four other party members handle whatever comes his way while being a low priority target in the back row when combat breaks out. You've clearly designed a combat-centric adventure for this guy, when that's the absolute last type of adventure you should be throwing at him.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

See if he wants to make his character a Dragonborn of Bahamut, in Races of the Dragon. This gets him a choice of several aspects, namely a breath attack. In this case he should get Entangling Exhalation in that same book so he'll have a very reliable damage source that also debuffs his opponents. In this case use Water Halfling (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfWater) from Unearthed Arcana, he'll keep the swim speed and the extra +2 Con bonus but lose everything else when becoming a Dragonborn.


Combat Casting is a very poor choice, even if he doesn't go Dragonborn with Entangling Exhalation this should be replaced. I'd switch it for Wild Cohort (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) to get a riding dog with trip, so he has another body in combat that gets stronger as he levels up. Alternatively, give him Versatile Spellcaster in Races of the Dragon, which allows him to spend two 0-level spell slots to cast a 1st level spell he knows, and that continues to scale in usefulness as he gets higher level spells.

For his spells, True Strike is only going to waste one turn casting it to waste another turn to deal 1d6 damage. Replace that with Color Spray, which disables multiple opponents and allows him or someone with him to follow up with a coup de grace on unconscious foes. Magic Missile is also a bad choice, especially at 1st level, replace that with Power Word: Pain in Races of the Dragon, which deals 1d6 damage per round for quite a long time. Replace Ray of Frost with Disrupt Undead, since Power Word: Pain doesn't work on mindless opponents.

I'd encourage a higher Str score, probably at the expense of Wis, due to carrying capacity and being able to deliver a coup de grace. Replace his dagger with a punching dagger, it crits for x3 damage so it's better for that. He can cast Color Spray, if his opponents are knocked unconscious or otherwise disabled he can spend his move action to draw the dagger that same round and 5-ft. step toward an unconscious foe. The next round he can 5-ft. step adjacent if needed and use a full round action to coup de grace, which may not deal a lot of damage but with Str 10 or even 12 it's enough to outright kill most 1st level enemies and it's a save-or-die otherwise.

A familiar is more of a liability than a benefit, especially in this situation. I'd replace the familiar class feature with Metamagic Specialist in PH2, or the half-progression Animal Companion from Unearthed Arcana (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#sorcererWizard). For the latter one he can pick up Natural Bond to make it a bit stronger, it won't progress any more if he starts taking prestige classes but it'll still be useful as a mount.

He'll definitely need at least one more warm body, preferably two. A Riding Dog (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dogRiding.htm) normally costs 150 gp, but it can be provided to him by his employer who sends him on his first quest. It's not unusual for mounts to be provided temporarily, it should come with studded leather barding, and he could be given a chance to purchase it once his job is done. Make it trained for war so it has the trip attack, he shouldn't be riding on it during combat so it can stay between him and his opponents. Give it the Magebred template in Eberron Campaign Setting if you want it to be more powerful, and later on it can be upgraded with the Warbeast template in MM2 to make it a little stronger.

If you're going to give him an NPC companion, I'd make it a Gnome (preferably Whisper Gnome in RoS), 1st level Warrior or Fighter, with scale mail, heavy shield, a one-handed x3 or x4 weapon (heavy pick, battleaxe, or warhammer), and Stand Still (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#standStill). If you go with a Fighter, also include Combat Reflexes, and if they travel with him and level up, pick up Dodge and then Titan Fighting in Races of Stone. This companion can also have a riding dog, so they'll be two small characters and two very strong dogs.

[Mystral]

I have a friend who is new to D&D and tonight we decided to have a solo game. His favorite class is Sorcerer so I helped him build a character today and we came up with is this (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1357964). Yes, his name is Lord Nefarious, get past that. Will I need to surround his character with NPC bodyguards or are there adventures a level-1 Sorcerer can go on where they won't be KOed in the first round of combat?

That character is really bad. Not because of him being a halfling, but because of his almost exclusive focus on combat.

He has combat casting as a feat (useless), 4 out of his 6 spells are combat spells, his gear is almost exclusively combat oriented and his skills aren't helping, either.

My suggestion would be: change the skills to allow for a bit more diplomacy and sneaking, drop all combat spells except ray of frost or acid splash and pick utility spells. Get some cheap utility gear, as well. And forget the quarterstaff, he's not going to do anything with that at strength 5. A dagger can be thrown and used to coup de grace, it should be sufficient.

[arkangel111]

Others have told you he won't last and to change his race/add templates and such. If he's married to the idea though those ideas won't work instead I will give advice that will work even if you keep the character as he is(ish).

skills
free up 1-4 pts and grab diplomacy, you are charisma based class, avoiding a fight is the same as winning it for xp purposes.

spells... its already been said the spell list sucks. I'd go..

0 level
acid splash - few things immune to acid especially early level
read magic
detect magic - don't just think of using on magic items... doors, hallways, strange quest givers, any time you suspect an illusion spell
prestidigitation - there is a lot you can do with this, if you can't think of anything at least it can help with disguises or street performance

1st level
Mount - 1hr/lvl summon - best summon spell early game. yea the mount is crappy but its got 2 hooves and 19 hp to absorb a few hits
colorspray - use this when things go bad or if you can get a clump of enemies.

basic tactics

Plan A: Talk your way out of fights, join merc band, rub elbows with the evil vizier, whatever you need to do to gain a few levels, if that fails go to plan B

Plan B: if at range, summon mount and drop prone. fire acid splash or crossbow till the enemy is dust. remember to 5ft shift the mount out of your direct line of attack to avoid the cover for enemy

if melee, get to range or drop colorspray, coup de grace



and consider one of the following ACF's (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?73216-Alternate-Class-Feature-for-a-Sorcerer) to increase survivability

Wilderness Companion (UA, p 58): Trade familiar for animal companion.

Stalwart Sorcerer (CM, p 36): Lose one spell known from your highest spell level. Gain a martial weapon proficiency, and weapon focus in that weapon, and 2 hitpoints/level.

Spell Shield (DS, p 13): Give up familiar. You can sacrifice a spell slot to prevent damage equal to five times the spell level.

Drakken Familar (DrM, p 12): Don't gain a normal familiar, gain a familiar with the dragon subtype. It doesn't gain normal special abilities, but can breath fire instead.

Divine Companion (CC, 51): Lose familiar. Gain a spirit that stores spell energy and turns it into healing or deflection bonuses.

Battle Sorcerer (UA, p 56): d8 hitdice, medium BAB, replace bluff skill with intimidate on list of class skills. Proficient with light armor and one light or one-handed melee weapon. Reduced spells per day and spells known. (I don't recommend but it is an option)

ultimately the best on the list IMO is Metamagic Specialist (PHB 2, p 61) but it doesn't increase survivability and so I left it off.

there you go, a few small changes and the character should live a few levels, granted a lucky crit can kill even a Barb at level 1. and I didn't touch your feats but I would swap out that too for either a ranged feat or something for survivability (maybe even toughness)

my $.02

[radthemad4]

Taking a Bloodline feat is nice for expanding a spell list. The Anarchic Bloodline feat adds color spray as a 1st level spell known as well as other spells at higher levels, but prevents you from casting spells with the 'lawful' descriptor (probably not a big loss).

That said, when it comes to solo D&D, lowballing encounters is essential for any kind of character.

Incidentally, a Warmage is objectively better than the linked sorcerer (at least at level 1). d6 HD, Light armor, a light shield, true strike and magic missile (and more spells known).

[Captn_Flounder]

What is the context? Are you trying to teach him the systems so you can drop him in a game with other players? Or is this a long term thing? Can't open the link on my phone, so sorry if it's explained there.

Wouldn't start him at level one, more like level 4, since you will have that solo-time with him to explain how his very few spells work. Not like he will be holding up the game for anyone.

And what kinda adventure are you thinking of? Level 1 solo combat adventure is hard for any class. As a sorcerer with almost no Spells Per Day, will he have 1/2 HD monsters come at him one at a time until they hit him and get gets 1 shotted? Like fighting baby wolf

Personally, I would go with a traveling merchant and you DMPC a fighter, hired bodyguard-type. Start him at level 4 and the fighter at 3, since travelling alone is weird. Have him make most or all decisions. The actual setting up a stall and selling is boring so it will be more transporting goods, but even this offers a lot of RP opportunity. Haggling over your goods value with the shopkeeper, meeting travel companions on the road, some sinister, some just lonely.

Ambushes by bandits. Maybe too many bandits and he either willingly gives up his cart or gets roughed up and left for dead. Maybe they do kill your fighter, his one and only true friend. Gets found by travelling adventurers who heal his wounds and give him a lift to town. Maybe it's a party you've ran with before. Maybe the party he will be joining (if the solo campaign is indeed grooming for him to join a larger campaign).

[Bronk]

I have a friend who is new to D&D and tonight we decided to have a solo game. His favorite class is Sorcerer so I helped him build a character today and we came up with is this (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1357964). Yes, his name is Lord Nefarious, get past that. Will I need to surround his character with NPC bodyguards or are there adventures a level-1 Sorcerer can go on where they won't be KOed in the first round of combat?

Well, if you're the one running the solo game for him, it's up to you to make sure he has fun and to not to kill off his character.

Since he's a single character, and previous posters have done a good job pointing out the reasons his sorcerer wouldn't stand up well to a standard CR challenge geared towards a group, you need to give him challenges custom made to be dealt with by one person.

My suggestion would be to either:

A: Rework his character to be less fighty and more geared towards social interactions,

B: Give him some extra equipment to start with, or get him some quickly in game,

C: Give him a friend/sibling/animal cohort for free,

D: Give him a free template,

E: Consider using the gestalt rules to beef him up a bit,

F: Start at a higher level,

or G: Some or all of the above.

Basically, this is a friend of yours, and if you want to have a DnD friend, you want to give a great first impression!

[AvatarVecna]

This character has two melee weapons and Str 5. This character has three weapons and no food. This character spent extra money for silk rope, where the only advantage for silk is that it weighs less, but he's not even the one carrying it. This character took Combat Casting because he expects to be casting in melee range. This tells me more or less everything I need to know about how well this character will survive in a solo game.

By the way, the damage on your quarterstaff and dagger are wrong. They should be -3, not -2. Your attack is only -2 because of the size bonus to attacking.

[ExLibrisMortis]

How about replacing Combat Casting with Shape Soulmeld (Astral Vambraces) and using a flaw to pick up some essentia? That gets you DR 4/magic, which should go a long way towards death-proofing a level 1 sorcerer, and the long-term prospect of Soulcaster synergy.

[AvatarVecna]

How about replacing Combat Casting with Shape Soulmeld (Astral Vambraces) and using a flaw to pick up some essentia? That gets you DR 4/magic, which should go a long way towards death-proofing a level 1 sorcerer, and the long-term prospect of Soulcaster synergy.

At the very least it should be swapped out for Improved Initiative. I'm not saying that's a better choice than Shape Soulmeld, of course, but going first that much more often is more useful than Combat Casting for sure, and it's PH so it's unlikely to be un-allowed.

[Deophaun]

Heck, replace it with Weapon Proficiency: Longbow. Even Skill Focus (anything not Concentration) is a better choice.

[Nifft]

I'd switch it for Wild Cohort (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) to get a

Seconded. Wild Cohort is absolutely fantastic at level 1.

If Flaws are allowed...
- Wild Cohort
- Shape Soulmeld (dissolving spittle)
- Share Soulmeld

You & your Familiar can both spit for a total of 2d6 acid per turn, all day, while riding away on your Wild Cohort. If you're cornered, your Wild Cohort fights about as well as a Fighter 1.


Alternately...
- Wild Cohort
- Precocious Apprentice (scorching ray)
- Fiery Burst

You blast 2d6 fire damage at 30 ft. range and then ride away on your Wild Cohort. If you're cornered, your Wild Cohort fights about as well as a Fighter 1.


Having any sort of 2d6 at-will damage attack gives you freedom to pick non-attack spells, stuff like Charm Person or Silent Image which can solve problems or make combat encounters go away entirely.

Elf with a nice composite shortbow is also probably also fine, but then you'll want to invest in Dex because you're targeting AC instead of touch AC. This might be easy if you have a high Point Buy, or impossible if you're using a low fixed array.

[Bronk]

As for the type of game you run, I'd stay away from wilderness adventures and things like that. Why would this character even be out in the woods alone?

I'd go for a city adventure, or maybe he's an apprentice arcanist who starts exploring some portals in his master's tower, accidentally frees an imp, and has to figure out how to trap it again...

[AvatarVecna]

Heck, replace it with Weapon Proficiency: Longbow. Even Skill Focus (anything not Concentration) is a better choice.

Actually, since Combat Casting only applies +4 to a small sub-set of Concentration rolls, even Skill Focus (Concentration) for +3 to all Concentration rolls would be better.

[Nifft]

Actually, since Combat Casting only applies +4 to a small sub-set of Concentration rolls, even Skill Focus (Concentration) for +3 to all Concentration rolls would be better.

Agree.

In my games, I flat-out replace Combat Casting pre-reqs with Skill Focus (concentration), and eliminate Combat Casting as a feat.

[emeraldstreak]

I have a friend who is new to D&D and tonight we decided to have a solo game. His favorite class is Sorcerer so I helped him build a character today and we came up with is this (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1357964). Yes, his name is Lord Nefarious, get past that. Will I need to surround his character with NPC bodyguards or are there adventures a level-1 Sorcerer can go on where they won't be KOed in the first round of combat?

What Nifft said.

Example: this wizard for level 1 PvE (obviously a Sorcerer is not a wizard, but you'll have to do as good as possible).


25-pb, 75gp 1st level Wizard with spell selection for damage and some disabling, ability to do decent damage all-day long via fiery burst, and tanking capacity via variant animal companion.


1st level Domain (fire) Illumian (krau) Wizard

trait: spellgifted (evocation)
flaw: noncombatant
flaw: murky-eyed

Str 8 Dex 16 (pb 10) Con 13 (pb 5) Int 16 (pb 10) Wis 8 Cha 8

racial Su and Ex: luminous sigils, power sigil (krau), glyphic resonance, final utterance, superior literacy

feats: precocious apprentice (scorching ray), fiery burst, bloodline of fire, scribe scroll

spells per day:
0: 3 + 1 domain
1: 1 + 1 int + 1 domain
2: 0 + 1 feat

attacks:
fiery burst (range 30', radius 5', damage 2d6, Ref half DC 15)
ranged touch +3
club: melee -3 1d6-1; ranged +3 1d6-1

spells known:
0 - all
1 - kelgore's firebolt, mage armor, power word: pain, power word: fatigue, enlarge person, true strike, burning hands (domain)
2 - scorching ray

example spells prepared:
0 - daze x3, flare (domain)
1 - kelgore's firebolt, true strike, burning hands (domain)
2 - scorching ray

caster level:
general 1 (1 base + 1 power sigil krau - 1 trait)
kelgore's firebolt 5 (5d6 at 150')
burning hands 7 (5d4 cone)
scorching ray 7 (two rays 4d6 each)

init +3, speed 30', hp 5
AC varies (dex +3, shield +2, mage armor +4)
fort +1, ref +3, will +1 (+2 racial v shadow spells)
skills: handle animal, concentration, spellcraft, ?, ?

equipment
heavy wooden shield 7gp
component pouch 5gp
spellbook (free)
outfit (free)
club (free)
5 self-crafted scrolls (mage armor, pw:pain, pw:fatigue, enlarge person, true strike) 62.5gp

Variant: gain animal companion, lose familiar (starting money is not enough for familiar ritual anyway)

Animal Companion: war-trained riding dog

init +2, speed 40', hp 13, AC 16 (14-20), fort +5 ref +5 will +1
attack: bite +3 1d6+3
attack when enlarged: bite +3 1d8+4
reach 5' (10' when enlarged)
SA: trip
Link, Share Spells
Tricks: ?

Tactics:

Normally, the wizard simply uses fiery burst. If anything gets close, the dog deals with it. Fiery burst is not affected by arcane spell failure, which allows the wizard to use a shield. It can be removed when resorting to spells.

There are several tactics against stronger opponents:
at distance: kelgore's firebolt or true strike+kelgore's firebolt
at closer distance: power word fatigue followed by power word pain or dog charge. Use daze to lock humanoid opponents.
at very close distance: burning hands

If that's not enough, there's always scorching ray for 2 x 4d6 (av. 28). A DC 8 CL check is needed to cast it, however it succeeds automatically. Use true strike to increase the hit chance.

A special note must be made about Share Spells and its tactics. It allows the wizard to share Mage Armor with his companion. More interestingly, it can allow sharing Enlarge Person and True Strike. So, cast Enlarge Person, share with dog (despite it not being a humanoid), move behind it, then enjoy the benefits of the dog's improved reach, damage, and trip. Boost with True Strike if needed.

[Grod_The_Giant]

NPC friends will help on a variety of levels-- not only will it make combat more survivable, it'll give the player someone to regularly interact with.

Also, for small-group games, gestalt rules can be really helpful. A Sorcerer 1 will struggle; a Sorcerer 1/Crusader 1 (say) would be much hardier.

[ExLibrisMortis]

What Nifft said.

Example: this wizard for level 1 PvE (obviously a Sorcerer is not a wizard, but you'll have to do as good as possible).
How are you getting CL 7? As far as I can see, you have the following boosts:

1 base
-1 trait (non-Evocation only)
+1 krau sigil (up to maximum of 1)
+1 domain (domain spells only)
+1 trait (Evocation only)
+1 Fiery Burst ([fire] only)
+2 Bloodline of Fire ([fire] only)
= 6 total caster level for [fire] domain evocations. With this order of application, Kelgore's fire bolt would also get CL 6, but that's very generous. More commonly, it'd be CL 5.

I think you may be counting on krau sigil to provide +1 CL? Krau sigil can only increase CL up to character level, like Practiced Spellcaster. I don't see a way to use that, except to compensate the loss from Spellgifted for non-Evocation spells (which is a neat trick).

Incidentally, Improved Krau sigil can get you +1d6 Fiery Burst damage, but it would require some serious sacrifice (-2 CL on [fire] spells). Still, since you're not hitting that second scorching ray, it may well be worth it.

[Eldariel]

Yeah but not like this. Arcane magic on L1 is 10/10 on offense but like 3/10 on defense. Your combat style has to be about ending fights quickly. Not 1d4+1, Color Spray or Sleep should be your offense - they oneshot things that might reasonably fight you. Pick up something like a Scythe to behead helpless enemies. And yeah, Light Crossbow is fine for the clean-up.

Your second spell could be Charm Person to empower the social side of things and find allies and to get non-combat resolutions with enemies. Just because you're a lone adventurer doesn't stop you from attracting aides and using your Charisma after all.

Other reasonable spells include Grease and Mage Armor but ultimately your duration and relative lack of spells/day would have me favour other utility.

Also yeah, as many animal companions as possible. You can trade your familiar (good on L1, sucks later) and get a Wild Cohort. Non-you replaceables tanking makes combat much less dangerous and defense less important. But solo works if you nuke 'em first. But it doesn't reliably keep winning.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Basically the consensus is: Yes, a level one sorcerer can survive on their own, if he has the appropriate feats/ACFs to get companions capable of melee combat. However, that level one sorcerer is not built properly to be able to survive on his own without some serious ex machina help from the DM.

[Jormengand]

Charm person and either sleep or colour spray will be more useful than damaging spells, and definitely more useful than true strike which is almost invariably worse than just making the second attack roll. Stop trying to do damage; that's the warlock's job, not the sorcerer's. In the second instance, the best feat you can have is probably actually Toughness - yes, yes, I know, but you can retrain it later and you'll appreciate the hit points you'll get from it for the first few levels.

He shouldn't need a companion if he can charm people; the DC 15 (swap that DEX and CHA, please) will make it difficult to resist and it lasts long enough that he can have a warrior (whose -1 bonus to will saves will totally help him resist the spell) following him around anyway. Sleep and colour spray can take down whole encounters. Alternatively, he can learn mount to summon a creature that's stronger than most creatures he'll be fighting, and with five uses per day, he can potentially have two horses about for each encounter if he's lucky with the encounter pacing.

As for cantrips, I would take mending, detect magic (usually better for a sorcerer than read magic), prestidigitation and ghost sound (which may not be able to defeat entire encounters, but with some liberal DMing can distract them or even make them run away; the battle cries of four clamouring humans would make most people flee after all).

[Psyren]

Answer to thread question - yes, absolutely.

The sorcerer you posted however is as good as dead.

[zlefin]

If they're on their own, an appropriate encounter would be cr 1/4 there's not a lot of monsters at that cr and lower. and it'd be odd to end up fighting lots of them.

[bahamut920]

What, you've never heard of the Dog Mafia (https://youtu.be/7SgvV-FPo6c)?

In all seriousness, level 1 campaigns are difficult, level 1 solo campaigns more so, but they are doable. You have to remember to plan around the fact that the characters (even fighters) have absolutely no durability and can be one-shot by practically anything that rolls lucky. A high-Con barbarian, crusader, knight, or warblade might survive a max damage crit. Acting first and acting definitively should be paramount to the character's success.

Perhaps a 1st-level adventure should involve situations with less lethal consequences for failure than a combat situation. Social situations work nicely. Maybe "adventurer" is an officially licensed position (call it "troubleshooter" or something similar in-game) and unlicensed wanderers found slaying bandits or raiding dungeons are arrested, so our intrepid halfling friend needs to pass a test or schmooze his way into getting a license. If you make the process involved enough, it could give the character a level or two, and perhaps the "adventure" would conveniently get him enough starting funds to hire a bodyguard or introduce him to a friendly DMPC or two to help him start off.

His highest stat should be Cha, because he'll be needing those save DCs in order to incapacitate enemies before they get anywhere near him, via spells like color spray or sleep. If he's reduced to shooting his crossbow or especially whacking with his quarterstaff or dagger, he's already lost. Weapons on a solo sorcerer should be chosen for their critical multiplier; you're an executioner, not a warrior.

Improved Initiative is rarely a wasted feat. Make sure the character has something to actually do with his turn first (not hard with access to the sor/wiz spell list, even at low levels), but after that, prioritize going first. I've had characters with 10 Dex who nonetheless had +7 or +8 initiative at level 1.

I also second implementing either Grod's suggestion of making the game a gestalt, so he can pick up a slightly more durable class (or one with more skill points and access to stealth skills), or Captn_Flounder's suggestion of making him a traveling merchant with a bodyguard.

[Endarire]

I read of a character who soloed as a Sorcerer from level 1 with mage armor, color spray, and hirelings.

At spell level 2, he learned invisibility and things became trivially easier.

If you're serious about this solo Sorcerer game, strongly consider my Fun, Powerful Sorcerer (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Qtn0MDtFABUY9upKwTZlzd9SOeNPF7DHfzv4DsAma NQ) homebrew.

[Bronk]

Let's see, Lord Nefarious is Neutral Good, right... How about this: Your sorcerer friend lives in Waterdeep and is a member of The Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors, the official group that tracks all magic users in the city as well as taking care of magical threats.

He's called up on his first mission, and sent out to deal with a disturbance at the residence of a local wizard, a fellow member of the order. His neighbors called in the City Watch because of a ruckus, but when the Watch responded, they saw the work of sorcery and called it in to the pros. The Sorcerer is given a badge, official ID, assigned two warriors as backup, told he'll get a reward if he's successful, and sent on his way.

They make their way across the city, crossing the bazaar. On his way through, the sorcerer will see the sights, and might see things he wants to buy. With a spot check, he might also see some kids pickpocketing shoppers. He and his backup can nab the kids, confiscate their ill gotten gains, and hand them off to the watch.

When they get to the correct address, it's in a relatively quiet ally, and appears to be a cottage surrounded by a stone wall. The neighboring houses all have their gates shut and their shutters drawn, yet opened just a crack to see what's going on. A single member of the watch is hunkered down in front of the wizard's house, hiding behind a stone wall with several big stones missing. She makes shushing noises, but gestures for the sorcerer to go away (the backup guys won't go further). He'll need to show his ID before she relents and beckons him over. Once there, she'll repeat what the sorcerer already knows in hushed tones (the watch showed up for a noise disturbance by was attacked, the hurt were taken away and she was left to keep the public away), and adds that this is over her pay grade, and gestures for him to look through one of the gaps in the wall.

Inside the yard all seems quiet at first, and the sorcerer can clearly see the cottage, the yard, a stone patio, and a stone pathway that extends towards the main gate. With a spot check, the sorcerer can can see movement in the dirt, and with a knowledge arcana check will recognize a small earth elemental. It seems quiescent at first, then forms a small mound that glides through the dirt towards the gate! However, a chittering noise rings out from the house, and the elemental pauses, grabs a big rock out of the stone wall (making another hole), and chucks it! It sails over the house and into the next yard, almost breaking through one of the neighbor's walls. Screams issue from the house, and a quick look shows that there are a lot more busted walls around, as well as - if he's really observant - traces of blood. This elemental is pretty angry! There's some more chittering, and some smaller stones are thrown at the elemental... they miss, but it moves towards the house again and away from the gate.

A spot check can reveal movement on the roof as well, but it's fleeting and obscured by the roof. However, he can go around to the other side, where he can see a tiny monkey! It shines golden in the daylight, and it appears to be prying up slate from the roof in order to get more ammo! Another knowledge arcana check will reveal this guy is a celestial monkey!

The sorcerer knows (and can be reminded that he knows) celestial - He can call out to this monkey and talk to it! If asked what the heck is going on, the monkey will reveal that something went wrong inside the wizard's cottage, throwing the wizard's defenses into disarray. The small earth elemental and the celestial monkey were unwillingly bound to the cottage as protectors. Their binding slipped, though, and the elemental started getting unruly. When the watch arrived, the elemental fought them and realized it could now escape. The monkey didn't want to be there either, but didn't want people to get hurt either, and was keeping it occupied until help arrives.

Now what?

Well, the sorcerer has his own skills and magic, but he also has allies. The two warriors he came with (1st level warriors), for starters. The celestial monkey seems to want to help already. Finally, he can use some diplomacy to get the help of the lady from the watch (first level fighter) as well. He's already made his knowledge arcana rolls, so tell him that the elemental is earthgliding around (swimming through the ground as if it were water), but can't glide through worked stone (the wall, which, if asked, must extend down and under the yard, the patio, and the walkway).

They could just mob the thing, but it'll be tough since it's in the ground. Best case scenario, he could ask the monkey to bait it and lead it to the other side of the house while the sorcerer and his backup sneak in and hide around a corner, then lead it back onto the porch, where it would be exposed... Then they could rush it and beat it up from ambush. If it manages to get an attack in, have it hit one of the minions, not the sorcerer.

Boom! The small earth elemental is defeated, and the celestial monkey wishes him luck. Maybe if the sorcerer talks to it some more, they can make friends, otherwise it takes off. The watch lady is impressed, and the minions assess where they're at and down a potion of cure light wounds or two.

Meanwhile, the neighbors come out and congratulate him!

*********

That could pretty much be the first game right there, and is doable even with the sorcerer's character as it stands now. Make the DC for the rolls low, like 5 or so. If he tries to shoot the monkey, remind him that he's a good guy and the monkey came from heaven.

All of this can be accomplished by the sorcerer even with his current character. He's got all the skills he needs, and a useful language.

*********

With the elemental taken care of, the sorcerer will have to decide if he wants to go into the wizard's cottage, or go back for his reward. The reward will be waiting for him no matter what, but there's clearly something wrong in there. You can tell him that the wizard might be hurt in there, and maybe he cares, maybe not. There's also the possibility of treasure in there though!

Does the Watch lady want to go with? Maybe! Time for another diplomacy check.

At this point, it's more like a dungeon, but since it's a wizard's place, all the traps are magical, and would be pretty obvious to the sorcerer. Meanwhile, getting into the house could require a spellcraft check instead of an open lock check, because magic (and the lack of rogues). Once inside, there can be hidden rooms, hidden treasure, maybe a running battle between an imp and a pseudodragon... The imp might try to tempt the sorcerer, maybe with locations of hidden treasure or agreeing to be his new familiar, and they could team up with the pseudodragon to take it down!

Afterwards, the sorcerer would be in pretty good shape!

The Watch lady could be a new contact for him, or a friend, or maybe more! If so, you can always upgrade her level of fighter to something better, and if not, no big loss. Meanwhile, the pseudodragon could take a shine to him and follow him around as an ally, as they sometimes do. It could eventually take levels in rogue! If the next adventure helps out some cleric somewhere, you'd already have a nice little NPC party for your friend's character to adventure with.

Plus, if he clears out the entire house, he might be able to move in, making it his new base, complete with friendly neighbors! All part of keeping a game fun, with good continuity, and something to look forward to in the next game!

[Calthropstu]

Depends to be honest. A PF sorcerer will be MUCH more able to survive.
I recommend spells with a wide variety of uses rather than spells like true strike.
Combat is a no, instead focus on something to keep you out of combat. Charm person is an excellent choice for a solo sorcerer. If combat is inevitable, a summoned monster will keep you alive long enough to escape. A vanish spell will also be incredibly useful for escape, as would expiditious retreat. At first level, survival counts on escaping rather than overwhelming opponents.

[emeraldstreak]

How are you getting CL 7? As far as I can see, you have the following boosts:

1 base
-1 trait (non-Evocation only)
+1 krau sigil (up to maximum of 1)
+1 domain (domain spells only)
+1 trait (Evocation only)
+1 Fiery Burst ([fire] only)
+2 Bloodline of Fire ([fire] only)
= 6 total caster level for [fire] domain evocations. With this order of application, Kelgore's fire bolt would also get CL 6, but that's very generous. More commonly, it'd be CL 5.

I think you may be counting on krau sigil to provide +1 CL? Krau sigil can only increase CL up to character level, like Practiced Spellcaster. I don't see a way to use that, except to compensate the loss from Spellgifted for non-Evocation spells (which is a neat trick).

Incidentally, Improved Krau sigil can get you +1d6 Fiery Burst damage, but it would require some serious sacrifice (-2 CL on [fire] spells). Still, since you're not hitting that second scorching ray, it may well be worth it.

This is actually an ancient build, part of the Wizard v Fighter wars when they were still fought. Best guess: Krau's RAW was read as a limitation to the bonus itself, not the total. Practiced Spellcaster's RAW is far more detailed and less ambiguous.

[ExLibrisMortis]

This is actually an ancient build, part of the Wizard v Fighter wars when they were still fought. Best guess: Krau's RAW was read as a limitation to the bonus itself, not the total. Practiced Spellcaster's RAW is far more detailed and less ambiguous.
Hmm, bit of a fallacious reading, in my view, but okay. Guess this is a good time to make an updated version, right?

[Psyren]

Depends to be honest. A PF sorcerer will be MUCH more able to survive.
I recommend spells with a wide variety of uses rather than spells like true strike.
Combat is a no, instead focus on something to keep you out of combat. Charm person is an excellent choice for a solo sorcerer. If combat is inevitable, a summoned monster will keep you alive long enough to escape. A vanish spell will also be incredibly useful for escape, as would expiditious retreat. At first level, survival counts on escaping rather than overwhelming opponents.

Vanish is definitely an excellent choice.

Concerning Charm Person, personally I would go with something like Sleep, Color Spray or Cause Fear instead. Not that Charm Person is bad at low levels, but it's not going to help you much against a wolf, centaur or grimlock either.

Your natural Charisma should be more than sufficient to make friends and influence people, and doing it without magic carries the bonus of not leaving a trail of enemies behind you too.

[rferries]

Surviving at level one on your own? So easy, even a baby can do it!

BABETTE THE BABY, 1ST-LEVEL INFANT (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?524732-Rule-changes-in-Aelsif) SORCERER
Size/Type: Tiny Humanoid (human)
Hit Dice: 1d4+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (+2 size, +1 Dex), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-9
Attack: Spear +1 melee (1d4-1/x3)
Full Attack: Spear +1 melee (1d4-1/x3)
Space/Reach: 0 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Spells
Special Qualities: Human traits, summon familiar
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +1, Will -2
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 2, Cha 21
Skills: Bluff +9, Concentration +5, Hide +9*, Knowledge (arcana) +4, Spot -1*
Feats: Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (enchantment)
Environment: Wherever she pleases!
Organization: Unique (plus Feathers and Fido)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Gear (see below)
Alignment: Chaotic good
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0

"Goo goo ga ga"

Babette the baby is an adorable and generally good-natured baby who left her cradle to seek her fortune. She is accompanied by her trusty companions, Feathers and Fido.

In social situations, Babette relies on her tremendous charm and facility for nonverbal Bluffing i.e. playing peekaboo. She keeps Feathers and Fido close to her out in the wilderness, to rely on their acute Listen and Spot skills and to benefit from Alertness (via Feathers).

Babette speaks only a few words of Common, generally not enough for protracted conversation (though she can still cast spells with verbal components).

Combat
Babette generally resorts to sleep spells to pacify her opponents, before performing coup de grace attempts on them one by one with her spear. When faced with individual opponents she instead attempts to daze them so that Feathers and Fido can attack with impunity. Against undead, she fires disrupt undead spells and has her minions deliver the killing blows.

Summon Familiar
Babette is served by Feathers the hawk (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/hawk.htm)familiar (2 hp). She gains Alertness as a bonus feat while he is within 5 feet.

Spells
Babette casts spells as a 1st-level sorcerer.

Spells Known (7/4; save DC 15 + spell level; 16 + spell level for enchantment)
0th-daze, disrupt undead, orb of acid, prestidigitation; 1st- colour spray, sleep

Skills
*Babette has a +8 size modifier on Hide checks due to being Tiny. She also has a +3 bonus on Spot checks in bright light due to having a hawk familiar.

Gear
Fido the guard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/handleAnimal.htm)dog (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dog.htm) (25 gp), Tiny spear (2gp), spell component pouch (5 gp); total value 32 gp.

[Calthropstu]

Vanish is definitely an excellent choice.

Concerning Charm Person, personally I would go with something like Sleep, Color Spray or Cause Fear instead. Not that Charm Person is bad at low levels, but it's not going to help you much against a wolf, centaur or grimlock either.

Your natural Charisma should be more than sufficient to make friends and influence people, and doing it without magic carries the bonus of not leaving a trail of enemies behind you too.

With sleep, color spray et all, you are one successful save away from being slaughtered. The key here is survival... and running away is the key. Yes, color spray and sleep are amazing spells, but only when you have other party members to fall back on. At level one, using charm person, you can be a person behind the scenes. A nigh untraceable facilitator of deeds both heroic and dastardly getting things done via charmed pawns. Those you charm will likely never see you again, and if you do it right they might even want to thank you afterwards (for example using charm person to convince a respected man to rally others to stage a coup that is long overdue... something he was otherwise too scared to accomplish.)
Either way, as a solo survivor a sorcerer should be focused on escape, not combat and be focused towards what he can do outside of combat.

[Eldariel]

With sleep, color spray et all, you are one successful save away from being slaughtered. The key here is survival... and running away is the key. Yes, color spray and sleep are amazing spells, but only when you have other party members to fall back on. At level one, using charm person, you can be a person behind the scenes. A nigh untraceable facilitator of deeds both heroic and dastardly getting things done via charmed pawns. Those you charm will likely never see you again, and if you do it right they might even want to thank you afterwards (for example using charm person to convince a respected man to rally others to stage a coup that is long overdue... something he was otherwise too scared to accomplish.)
Either way, as a solo survivor a sorcerer should be focused on escape, not combat and be focused towards what he can do outside of combat.

Whatever makes the save tends to have a much lower chance of slaughtering you. The chance of some L1 creature making save is like ~30% or under and their chance of hitting you tends to be around 40% or something - the chance of both happening before you can cast again is pretty minimal. No, they're great combat spells even solo. Starting with Sleep 100' away, perhaps even with stealth/surprise (Halfling, not terrible) and following up with Color Spray if they're still standing works more than fine. Parties are overrated - though yeah, a completely expendable companion is nice to have hence Wild Cohort to tank.

[Psyren]

With sleep, color spray et all, you are one successful save away from being slaughtered. The key here is survival... and running away is the key. Yes, color spray and sleep are amazing spells, but only when you have other party members to fall back on. At level one, using charm person, you can be a person behind the scenes. A nigh untraceable facilitator of deeds both heroic and dastardly getting things done via charmed pawns. Those you charm will likely never see you again, and if you do it right they might even want to thank you afterwards (for example using charm person to convince a respected man to rally others to stage a coup that is long overdue... something he was otherwise too scared to accomplish.)
Either way, as a solo survivor a sorcerer should be focused on escape, not combat and be focused towards what he can do outside of combat.

Combat is exactly what you should focus on, because you already have the raw magnetism (Charisma) to succeed in most low level non-combat situations without casting a thing. You need your magic to take care of the things you can't reason with, like bandits (who get a nice fat +5 to their save free of charge just for ambushing you - you know, that thing they were going to do anyway!) and wolves, who are flat-out immune to your charms.

And even if you do manage to get the drop on someone, CP has a saving throw too, and is completely invalidated by a fairly long-duration 1st-level spell to boot. It's not a bad spell, don't get me wrong, but it would be nowhere near my first pick on an already Charismatic class.

[Calthropstu]

Combat is exactly what you should focus on, because you already have the raw magnetism (Charisma) to succeed in most low level non-combat situations without casting a thing. You need your magic to take care of the things you can't reason with, like bandits (who get a nice fat +5 to their save free of charge just for ambushing you - you know, that thing they were going to do anyway!) and wolves, who are flat-out immune to your charms.

And even if you do manage to get the drop on someone, CP has a saving throw too, and is completely invalidated by a fairly long-duration 1st-level spell to boot. It's not a bad spell, don't get me wrong, but it would be nowhere near my first pick on an already Charismatic class.

You fail to understand what I am saying here. You get 2 spell choices of 1st level spells at 1st level. You take an escape spell and RUN. Expeditious retreat, vanish etc. That wolf will stop chasing you when you disappear, that bandit will give up after a couple rounds of trying to keep up when you run faster than a horse. Sure, you can go through all the books, find a myriad of ways to game the system and get your lvl 1 spell dcs to about 18-20, but most people will have it at around 15 or 16. Which means when you run into a pack of wolves (wolves will never attack you without a pack unless they are rabid) or a group of bandits (most bandits operate in groups of 4-10) 2-4 of them are either not getting caught in the blast, passing their save or otherwise not getting incapacitated.
This means a round of "Screw the spellcaster." So when you're sitting on 1 hit equals death just about, even a 1 in 10 chance of someone both surviving your blast and hitting you to your death... not something I would risk personally. But a near surefire escape?
Sounds to me like you fail to grasp something simple here. Play the odds nonstop and you will eventually lose... and when losing means death, NO ONE will play those odds for long. That's why adventuring parties form. They turn that 1 in 10 to a 1 in 1000. They stop that coup de grace that will flat out kill you when you're unconcious. Solo, YOU WILL DIE. Test it out if you don't believe me. Throw your 1st level sorc build against a long series of equal level encounters... cr 1 against lvl 1 cr 2 against lvl 2 etc. You mentioned wolves and bandits. Be realistic with your scenarios.
And see how many times your build survives to lvl 4 where you get 2nd lvl spells. I'm wagering not too many.

[Eldariel]

You fail to understand what I am saying here. You get 2 spell choices of 1st level spells at 1st level. You take an escape spell and RUN. Expeditious retreat, vanish etc. That wolf will stop chasing you when you disappear, that bandit will give up after a couple rounds of trying to keep up when you run faster than a horse. Sure, you can go through all the books, find a myriad of ways to game the system and get your lvl 1 spell dcs to about 18-20, but most people will have it at around 15 or 16. Which means when you run into a pack of wolves (wolves will never attack you without a pack unless they are rabid) or a group of bandits (most bandits operate in groups of 4-10) 2-4 of them are either not getting caught in the blast, passing their save or otherwise not getting incapacitated.
This means a round of "Screw the spellcaster." So when you're sitting on 1 hit equals death just about, even a 1 in 10 chance of someone both surviving your blast and hitting you to your death... not something I would risk personally. But a near surefire escape?
Sounds to me like you fail to grasp something simple here. Play the odds nonstop and you will eventually lose... and when losing means death, NO ONE will play those odds for long. That's why adventuring parties form. They turn that 1 in 10 to a 1 in 1000. They stop that coup de grace that will flat out kill you when you're unconcious. Solo, YOU WILL DIE. Test it out if you don't believe me. Throw your 1st level sorc build against a long series of equal level encounters... cr 1 against lvl 1 cr 2 against lvl 2 etc. You mentioned wolves and bandits. Be realistic with your scenarios.
And see how many times your build survives to lvl 4 where you get 2nd lvl spells. I'm wagering not too many.

You fail to consider the third option: get scrolls for the escape spells and focus your daily spells on combat prowess to win the encounters you think you should be winning thus both, accelerating your leveling to the point that you might actually get there and making you a more dangerous target to attack. You go do things you are cut out for. Being waylaid by bandits or wolves shouldn't be your plan; that should be what happens when things go wrong and that's when you pop a Scroll of Expeditious Retreat and GTFO (though mounted bandits with bows are still going to kill you really hard - you need to make yourself not worth chasing to survive there and running fast probably doesn't cut it since horses are horses). Your plan should be undertaking quests where you are likely to face individual or pairs of opponents. Color Spray is likely enough.

And all you need is to survive until level 2 until you're nearly immortal; 14 Con leads you to having 10+ HP meaning you can't even die to any but exceptional individuals in a single hit which is more than enough to tip the scales so heavily in your favour that you're probably fine (and the gold you gain is enough to get a frontline animal for yourself; and you have high Cha for Handle Animal). If you get into intrigue or become relevant in any way socially, you risk a dagger to the back - and you'd do well to have the magic to defend yourself when you inevitably get waylaid with no clear way to escape. Plus, reputations form and people are less likely to attack people they know to fear. It's basically the race to level 2. The world doesn't know your level so you can't just plan on facing level appropriate encounters.

[Psyren]

You fail to understand what I am saying here. You get 2 spell choices of 1st level spells at 1st level. You take an escape spell and RUN. Expeditious retreat, vanish etc. That wolf will stop chasing you when you disappear, that bandit will give up after a couple rounds of trying to keep up when you run faster than a horse. Sure, you can go through all the books, find a myriad of ways to game the system and get your lvl 1 spell dcs to about 18-20, but most people will have it at around 15 or 16. Which means when you run into a pack of wolves (wolves will never attack you without a pack unless they are rabid) or a group of bandits (most bandits operate in groups of 4-10) 2-4 of them are either not getting caught in the blast, passing their save or otherwise not getting incapacitated.
This means a round of "Screw the spellcaster." So when you're sitting on 1 hit equals death just about, even a 1 in 10 chance of someone both surviving your blast and hitting you to your death... not something I would risk personally. But a near surefire escape?
Sounds to me like you fail to grasp something simple here. Play the odds nonstop and you will eventually lose... and when losing means death, NO ONE will play those odds for long. That's why adventuring parties form. They turn that 1 in 10 to a 1 in 1000. They stop that coup de grace that will flat out kill you when you're unconcious. Solo, YOU WILL DIE. Test it out if you don't believe me. Throw your 1st level sorc build against a long series of equal level encounters... cr 1 against lvl 1 cr 2 against lvl 2 etc. You mentioned wolves and bandits. Be realistic with your scenarios.
And see how many times your build survives to lvl 4 where you get 2nd lvl spells. I'm wagering not too many.

I do understand you, I just disagree. Having one spell to escape trouble with is definitely good, but using them both on that is not, because running is not always an option. Your mission for instance might be "escort this caravan," - it's not unfeasible that a merchant would hire even a low-level sorcerer just to be able to let word spread that he travels with magical muscle and discourage banditry. In return, you get a decent paycheck and bunch of XP, both of which are things you desperately need. Now, you can certainly survive by winking out and legging it at the first whiff of trouble, but that's not exactly a recipe for success at the mission. Having something offensive is a good thing, especially something with range on it like Sleep, Mudball, or Cause Fear. (Color Spray I agree is tough to use without a solid front line.)

Further, that wasn't even my main point. The main thing I was objecting to was Charm Person; I see it as a bit of a waste on a Sorcerer. Not because it's a bad spell (charms are in fact quite useful), but because you're spending your limited magic on something you already have decent odds of pulling off without magic. Wizards are the ones who need that spell starting out, because they need people to like them too, but unlike you, they suck at it.

If you must have both your spells be of the "avoid combat" variety, I would likely pick Mount or Silent Image over Expeditious Retreat or Charm Person - but honestly, the likes of Sleep and Grease can get you away from a fight too.

[Telonius]

Actually, since Combat Casting only applies +4 to a small sub-set of Concentration rolls, even Skill Focus (Concentration) for +3 to all Concentration rolls would be better.

In my experience, Combat Casting applies a +4 bonus to the only kind of Concentration check the DM will ever remember to call for. (Three separate DMs, never had a single Concentration check called for anything other than casting in melee). Tailor it to your DM; if this describes them, take Combat Casting over Skill Focus. (Not that either of them are particularly good choices).

[Afgncaap5]

Yes, his name is Lord Nefarious, get past that.

It's hard for me to get past that, because four weeks ago I started playing another character named Lord Nefarious (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1321831) the Skelemancer. Not a Sorcerer, though, he's an SoP Incanter (who, despite the name, only has the scarcest of training in the Death sphere. Basically just enough to learn to make a skeleton.)

But we even have the same first initial of Z. So from Half-Elf Lord Zirul Nefarious, please give my long lost associate Halfling Lord Zugor Nefarious my best regards!

[RoboEmperor]

YES YES YES

1. Spend your entire wealth hiring an army of mercenaries (level 1 warrior). They cost 2sp a day. With 75gp starting gold, You can hire 375 mercenaries for a day.
2. Destroy every encounter, sell all your loot, and hire more mercenaries until you are level 3-4. Or upgrade to an army of Mercenary Leaders for 6sp a day (level 2 warrior). Higher level Mercenary Leaders cost +3sp a day for each additional level.

[Mordaedil]

In my experience, Combat Casting applies a +4 bonus to the only kind of Concentration check the DM will ever remember to call for. (Three separate DMs, never had a single Concentration check called for anything other than casting in melee). Tailor it to your DM; if this describes them, take Combat Casting over Skill Focus. (Not that either of them are particularly good choices).

Combat Casting is also a good choice because it is a prerequisite for a lot of decent options, while Skill Focus: Concentration is not. And house-ruling Skill Focus to replace combat casting is a rather laugh-out-loud solution to instead house-ruling Combat Casting to just be a straight +4 to concentration checks. I mean, we (our table) already house-rule Dodge to be just a straight up +1 dodge bonus instead of having to dictate a target.

[rferries]

YES YES YES

1. Spend your entire wealth hiring an army of mercenaries (level 1 warrior). They cost 2sp a day. With 75gp starting gold, You can hire 375 mercenaries for a day.
2. Destroy every encounter, sell all your loot, and hire more mercenaries until you are level 3-4. Or upgrade to an army of Mercenary Leaders for 6sp a day (level 2 warrior). Higher level Mercenary Leaders cost +3sp a day for each additional level.

Ingenious!

[Psyren]

While that example is... hyperbolic, a few mercenaries is not a bad idea for a solo PC.

[Grod_The_Giant]

YES YES YES

1. Spend your entire wealth hiring an army of mercenaries (level 1 warrior). They cost 2sp a day. With 75gp starting gold, You can hire 375 mercenaries for a day.
2. Destroy every encounter, sell all your loot, and hire more mercenaries until you are level 3-4. Or upgrade to an army of Mercenary Leaders for 6sp a day (level 2 warrior). Higher level Mercenary Leaders cost +3sp a day for each additional level.
And how exactly are you getting experience for the stuff your hundreds of mercenaries kill for you?

[RoboEmperor]

And how exactly are you getting experience for the stuff your hundreds of mercenaries kill for you?


Unlike cohorts, hirelings do not make decisions. They do as they’re told (at least in theory). Thus, even if they go on an adventure with the PCs, they gain no experience and do not
affect any calculations involving the party level. Like cohorts, hirelings must be treated fairly well, or they will leave and might even turn against their former employers. Some hirelings might require hazard pay (perhaps as high as double normal pay) if placed in particularly dangerous situations. In addition to demanding hazard pay, hirelings placed in great danger might be unfriendly (see Influencing NPC Attitudes, page 72 of the Player’s Handbook), but characters potentially can influence them to a better attitude and perhaps even talk them out of hazard pay.

Hirelings are helpful to have around, particularly for specific tasks. If the PCs wipe out a nest of wererats but have to leave treasure behind, they can hire porters to come back down with them into the lair to help carry out the goods. An animal tender or two to watch the PCs’ horses while they’re down in a dungeon can be useful. Mercenary warriors can provide vital additional strength to the party’s ability to combat foes.

Middle and high-level PCs should be aware that taking a 1stlevel commoner with them on an adventure so that she can carry equipment or fight as a mercenary probably places her at great risk. Hirelings who are expected to fight are best used to deal with foes of their level—goblin warriors, for instance, or an evil cleric’s skeleton army.

So by RAW, they don't take up XP, they don't increase a party's level for XP purposes, and they are part of your power. You paid your wealth to get temporary "vital additional strength to the party's ability to combat foes".

[Captn_Flounder]

And how exactly are you getting experience for the stuff your hundreds of mercenaries kill for you?

According to the leadership feat rules text, cohorts don't take away party xp. Don't know if hirelings use a different ruleset, but there's that.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Yeah... although it works RAWlike, I wouldn't let you hire a merc for just a day. Those guys need like, a week up-front minimum, or a signing bonus, or something else that leads them to believe you won't just use them as cannon fodder for the next dragon you meet. Which, incidentally, means you'll also need to hire mercenaries for a specific task, or at least give some idea of what their job entails, because they're not signing up for a magical mystery tour of the countryside. And then there's the matter of conveniently finding adventure after you have hired your troops, but before it's payday, because after payday, those guys are going to be gone.

Not that mercenaries are a bad idea, but you should go for long-term employees. Get a couple of skilled mercs, a fighting dog or two for each, and take on CR 2 encounters.

[RoboEmperor]

Yeah... although it works RAWlike, I wouldn't let you hire a merc for just a day. Those guys need like, a week up-front minimum, or a signing bonus, or something else that leads them to believe you won't just use them as cannon fodder for the next dragon you meet. Which, incidentally, means you'll also need to hire mercenaries for a specific task, or at least give some idea of what their job entails, because they're not signing up for a magical mystery tour of the countryside. And then there's the matter of conveniently finding adventure after you have hired your troops, but before it's payday, because after payday, those guys are going to be gone.

Not that mercenaries are a bad idea, but you should go for long-term employees. Get a couple of skilled mercs, a fighting dog or two for each, and take on CR 2 encounters.

100+ is overkill. You really only need like... 20 and you can hire 20 for like a week. And only hire them once you have a job. Otherwise you're throwing away money for nothing. Get a quest, recruit mercenaries, clear the dungeon, hit level 5 from that CR1 dungeon, and you're good to solo the rest of the campaign with your OP spells. Don't forget that you also get the wealth of an entire party on your single PC.

I actually tried this in a real premade adventure game. Mercenaries are stuck at level 1 and they are absolute crap against everything because of their crap attack, AC, and hp. So this army of mercenaries are really only viable at level 1. Mercenary Leaders fall off faster than normal fighters so they scale terribly too. Also remember they are not suicidal so they are terrible cannon fodder.

[ExLibrisMortis]

100+ is overkill. You really only need like... 20 and you can hire 20 for like a week. And only hire them once you have a job. Otherwise you're throwing away money for nothing. Get a quest, recruit mercenaries, clear the dungeon, hit level 5 from that CR1 dungeon, and you're good to solo the rest of the campaign with your OP spells. Don't forget that you also get the wealth of an entire party on your single PC.

I actually tried this in a real premade adventure game. Mercenaries are stuck at level 1 and they are absolute crap against everything because of their crap attack, AC, and hp. So this army of mercenaries are really only viable at level 1. Mercenary Leaders fall off faster than normal fighters so they scale terribly too. Also remember they are not suicidal so they are terrible cannon fodder.
Yep, exactly what I meant, this should work great.

As a minor note, I don't think you get quadruple WBL when playing solo. The DMG pretty much tells you to stick to WBL, no matter what treasure monsters might have by the default treasure rules.

[RoboEmperor]

As a minor note, I don't think you get quadruple WBL when playing solo. The DMG pretty much tells you to stick to WBL, no matter what treasure monsters might have by the default treasure rules.

A lazy DM who plays exactly as written in the premade adventure path is not going to bother calculating total loot worth and subtracting the appropriate worth of loot. The result is quadruple WBL.

On the other hand, an even lazier DM (me) would skip loot altogether, say looting and selling is background activity, and just give the players GP to their WBL when they level up. XD

[Nifft]

20 level 1 fighting-men and one magic-user who can cast sleep or color spray.

You know, that's shockingly similar to how we played 1e back in the day.


"Should we hire a thief?"

"Nah, 4 sp is enough for another hireling and another 10 ft. pole."

Regarding the quadruple WBL, though... I would split the profits with the surviving hirelings, at least 50/50, or I'd worry that they all suddenly turn on you as soon as you get within sight of a town.


Actually, going full-evil might be a fun game: you start with your Sorcerer plus 20 fighting men, and none of the fighting men can survive the adventure or you're going to get shanked.