Help me optimise my sorcerer

[MrSandman]

I am going to play a sorcerer for the first time and I'd like some help optimising it a bit. I am struggling especially to make the spell selection. There are so many choices, so many bases to cover and so little room. I would greatly appreciate if you took a look at my spells and feats and helped me improve my choices.


Race: Sylph, the stormborn variant that gives +2 Cha
Level: 6

Bloodline: Arial. I'm willing to change it if you say that it's horrible, but I like the weather vibe that it adds to the build.

Feats: Extend Spell, Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (conjuration)

Known Spells (4/2/1)
- Level 1: Grease, Mage Armour, Mount, Vanish + Shocking Grasp (bloodline spell)
- Level 2: Glitterdust, Invisibility + Gust of Wind (bloodline spell)
- Level 3: Summon Monster III


EDIT
On allowed stuff:
Everything in d20pfsrd is free game, though I would prefer not to rely too heavily on 3rd party stuff. There are no houserules.

I have 16,000gp to spend on stuff, no one item can be more expensive than 10,000gp. Crafting is allowed. Personalised items are allowed.

[Trandir]

First: what manuals are legal at your table?
Second: does your DM uses any houserule?

Also how much gold can you spend on magic items and is there any limit to what you can get?

[MrSandman]

First: what manuals are legal at your table?
Second: does your DM uses any houserule?

Also how much gold can you spend on magic items and is there any limit to what you can get?

Good point, I had meant to mention that but forgot.

Everything in d20pfsrd is free game, though I would prefer not to rely too heavily on 3rd party stuff. There are no houserules.

I have 16,000gp to spend on stuff, no one item can be more expensive than 10,000gp. Crafting is allowed. Personalised items are allowed. Every item in d20pfsrd is free game.

[Kurald Galain]

Grab a few Pages Of Spell Knowledge to add more spells known.
Carry scrolls for rarely-used utility spells.
Don't go for duplicate spells (e.g. take Vanish or Invis but not both).
Don't neglect your defenses, e.g. spells like Protection from Arrows, Defending Bone, Resist Energy.
Battle Cry, Flagbearer, and Noble Scion (war), and Steadfast Personality are good feats for a sorcerer.
And yeah, your bloodline is not very good; its powers and spells and arcana probably won't see a lot of use, until you get Overland Flight. There's probably better options out there.

(edit) The best bloodlines are probably Draconic (if you're into blasting); Arcane (excellent spell selection, DC boost, and an extra spell per day); and Fey (nasty DC boost, and a no-save debuff).

HTH.

[TheFamilarRaven]

I'd drop Extend Spell. It's a good feat but with your spell selection I'm not sure if it would do you much good, (combat shouldn't go beyond 6 rounds). So you can swap it out now and pick up Augment Summoning (because I assume that's the reason you snagged Spell Focus(Conjuration)). Extend also happens to be one of the cheaper metamagic rods so you can purchase one if you want extend really badly.

As Kurald mentioned, take either Vanish, or Invisibility. Not both.

Check with your DM to see if Obscuring Mist counts as precipitation... :smallamused:


There are so many choices, so many bases to cover and so little room.

If you're worried that you aren't covering all your bases, you should either play a wizard and have a scroll for everything, or else spend a significant portion of your WBL on pages of spell knowledge as Kurald suggested.

[Raven777]

Oldies but goodies that explain things better than I ever could.

A Quick Guide to Pathfinder Sorcerers (https://docs.google.com/document/d/13MRfgZWlAakfd06JnboqbK6xNdb2Ht63dYqVg2kpGiI/edit)
A Quick Guide to Sorcerer Spell Selection (https://docs.google.com/document/d/17S3pYy0wk8uUTJ3RFaIDk5vz29WYmOXuhWiOKHO2E_M/edit#heading=h.l4dhw7c1mzqd)

Consider grabbing Scion of War (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/noble-scion/) (+CHA to Initiative and a free Knowledge Nobility bonus) instead of Improved Initiative, it'll scale higher long term. You get to say you descend from a long line of militant Sylph nobility.

Thinking longer term, you can have some fun with Shadow Magic (Shadow Conjuration, Shadow Evocation and the Pathfinder exclusive Shadow Enchantment (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-enchantment/) are a great way to drastically expand the Sorcerer's fixed repertoire). Also, Illusions in general can be really fun to play.

Shadow Conjuration Guide (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5kvBvq2DEHjR1dOeEVkRUU4WlU/edit?pli=1)
Shadow Evocation Guide (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5kvBvq2DEHjTVF4NEY4SXpSTUU/edit?pli=1)

If you wanna be a crazy prepared adventurer through items, especially mundane items, as well as some out of the box thinking, these two guides are pretty cool to keep in mind. They're great for roleplaying because they put back emphasis on knick knack that so many tables often never think about.

Shax's Indispensable Haversack (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?148101-3-x-Shax-s-Indispensible-Haversack-(Equipment-Handbook))
Ashiel's Guide to Adventure (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1xywEW58IoLVXFSenJPQWVkU2M/edit)

As a general advice, Arcane (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/arcane-bloodline/) is considered the most reliably powerful Bloodline out of the box. The spells, feats and powers are all always useful. There's no dead weight in there. Obviously if you pick something else for roleplay, that's your prerogative.

Once again thinking longer term, eventually grab Craft Wondrous Items. Always. You'll wanna make all kinds of stuff to complement your versatility like Mnemonic Vestments (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/r-z/vestment-mnemonic/) (use once-in-a-blue-moon scrolls without burning them) or Spectral Shrouds (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/r-z/shroud-spectral/) (great escape or sequence-breaking tool), and even if somebody else in the party also has it, it just means you can make more stuff in parallel.

As you'll progress, usually, you won't need more than 2-3 direct damage spells over your entire career. Fireball and Shadow Evocation can carry you for the entire game. Then, real nasty stuff like Boneshatter, Enervation, Suffocation or Disintegration can seal the deal for variety. Invest in versatile, utility type spells. If you only learn one buff, get Haste. And some strong defensive spells to save your own skin. Mirror Images, Invisibility, Emergency Force Sphere and Dimension Door are literal life savers.

[MrSandman]

Thanks for all the tips!

One more question, is the shadow bloodline as good as it seems to me or am I misguided?

[Raven777]

Thanks for all the tips!

One more question, is the shadow bloodline as good as it seems to me or am I misguided?

Depends. What makes you think it's good?

[Trandir]

Thanks for all the tips!

One more question, is the shadow bloodline as good as it seems to me or am I misguided?

This depends on how good you think it is. That said that bloodline is indeed very good

[Kurald Galain]

One more question, is the shadow bloodline as good as it seems to me or am I misguided?

Why? Because of its situational bonus on stealth? It gaining darkvision and the darkvision spell? The ability to dazzle creatures at a touch?

Ok, the level 9 ability is fairly good and the higher-level spell selection is good but nothing you couldn't take normally. Overall this archetype is nothing to write home about.

[fallensavior]

How do you feel about going Human for the +spell known favored class bonus each level?

[Raven777]

How do you feel about going Human for the +spell known favored class bonus each level?

Going Human leads to going Half-Elf, which leads to going Paragon Surge (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/p/paragon-surge/), which leads to the Dark Side (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/sacred-geometry/)!

:smalltongue: