Level 15 Shadow Sorcerer Spell Selection

[M@XIM]

Hello,

I'm revisiting an old character and want to update his spell list now that a couple books grant him more options.

He's a level 15 winged tiefling. He's rocking 20 charisma, alert, and resilient (dex) presently.

He'll be playing in a party of 6 people so he doesn't necessarily have to be a specific role. I like being able to fly and jump around a lot so I can do lots of damage without taking damage. He also enjoys being persuasive in both social and combat encounters.

Thanks in advance for your recommended spell list!

[Vorpalchicken]

I'd do something like: (green = new(ish))
1st: shield, mage armour (unless you have something better), feather fall (for when you get unexpectedly grappled), absorb elements
2nd: dragon's breath, darkness (given/ doesn't count)
3rd: fireball, haste, hypnotic pattern
4th: polymorph, dimension door
5th: animate objects, synaptic static
6th: mass suggestion or eyebite or disintegrate (not a fan personally but big damage if you hit)
7th: crown of stars or plane shift
8th: dominate monster (actually I don't really like any 8th level sorcerer spells, maybe swap for a 6th or 7th) I guess Abi Dalzim's works well with animate objects. You could take that since you like damaging stuff.

Cantrips: chill touch, booming blade (assuming you have a high dex to land it- teleporting away after you hit could be fun), lightning lure (this is a total gimmick, flying at 15 feet and pulling targets 10 feet straight up and forcing them to fall (extra d6 and prone) okay maybe don't pick this one), minor illusion, mould earth and maybe fire bolt to burn down thatched roofed cottages.

In a big fight you could animate a bag of daggers and order them to attack and pursue Duke Bigbad until he is dead, then follow up simultaneously with stars from your crown and disintegration rays or cantrips.

[Nhorianscum]

Not knowing your metamagic I'll just assume subtle/twin/quicken and just toss out my prefered setup for this sort of dude.

1st: Shield, Absorb Elements
2nd: Darkness (free), Enhance Ability, Suggestion
3rd: Cspell, Tidal wave/Fireball, Haste, Fly.
4th: DDoor, Polymorph, Greater Invis
5th: Synaptic Static
6th: Mass Suggestion
7th: Crown of Stars/Revgrav
8th: These are awful.

If another caster can use fly that slot is free. I'd go for another control/utility spell personally.

Assuming concentration will be on darkness/Buffs a good mostofthetime in combat I've gone light on in combat concentration.

Edit: The newspells are mostly good for adding non-concentration options to our list. The main use here is Absorb Elements, synaptic, Tidal, and Crown.

[M@XIM]

I'd do something like: (green = new(ish))
1st: shield, mage armour (unless you have something better), feather fall (for when you get unexpectedly grappled), absorb elements
2nd: dragon's breath, darkness (given/ doesn't count)
3rd: fireball, haste, hypnotic pattern
4th: polymorph, dimension door
5th: animate objects, synaptic static
6th: mass suggestion or eyebite or disintegrate (not a fan personally but big damage if you hit)
7th: crown of stars or plane shift
8th: dominate monster (actually I don't really like any 8th level sorcerer spells, maybe swap for a 6th or 7th) I guess Abi Dalzim's works well with animate objects. You could take that since you like damaging stuff.

Cantrips: chill touch, booming blade (assuming you have a high dex to land it- teleporting away after you hit could be fun), lightning lure (this is a total gimmick, flying at 15 feet and pulling targets 10 feet straight up and forcing them to fall (extra d6 and prone) okay maybe don't pick this one), minor illusion, mould earth and maybe fire bolt to burn down thatched roofed cottages.

In a big fight you could animate a bag of daggers and order them to attack and pursue Duke Bigbad until he is dead, then follow up simultaneously with stars from your crown and disintegration rays or cantrips.


Thanks for your input. I was curious how Abi Dalzim and Animate Objects works together? I've noticed a lot of the new decent spells do radiant damage which seems to go against the flavor of the Shadow Sorcerer.. tough decisions.. flavor vs effectiveness heh

[Vorpalchicken]

Thanks for your input. I was curious how Abi Dalzim and Animate Objects works together?
The objects are constructs so Abi Dalzim's is friendly AOE for them.


If another caster can use fly that slot is free. I'd go for another control/utility spell personally.
Don't forget the character is a winged tiefling.

[Nhorianscum]

Don't forget the character is a winged tiefling.

It's defenitely a party buff rather than a self buff here.

[TheUser]

The level 6 feature is being highly under utilized with this spell layout

Forcing repeat saves at disadvantage with things like Sickening Radiance, Hold Person/Monster are very high priority.

Sickening Radiance is especially nice because if they fail the first save the hound can grapple and they roll their contested ability checks at disadvantage.

[Nhorianscum]

The level 6 feature is being highly under utilized with this spell layout

Forcing repeat saves at disadvantage with things like Sickening Radiance, Hold Person/Monster are very high priority.

Sickening Radiance is especially nice because if they fail the first save the hound can grapple and they roll their contested ability checks at disadvantage.

Sickening radiance is a very good spell.

Questions:

It's stated that the hound will attack each round. By RAW can our doggo grapple?

How is this more efficent than just making more doggo's?

[TheUser]

Sickening radiance is a very good spell.

Questions:

It's stated that the hound will attack each round. By RAW can our doggo grapple?

How is this more efficent than just making more doggo's?

Grappling is part of the attack action so yes it can grapple. Making more dogs is all well and good but the best part of sickening radiance is the continued layers of exhaustion; even after they leave the area of effect the exhaustion remains and the hound can move them out and back in on its turn to force another save (first time it enters on a turn or when it starts its turn there so it can be forced to save twice).