For the Sorcerer Who Can Never Have Everything...

[Crow]

Inspired by the Sorcerers vs. Wizards thread;

What spells does a Sorcerer fill his brain with that will remain useful to him for the entirety of his career? What spells does the Sorcerer pack at level 20? When you can cast world-altering 9th level spells, what do you fill your 1st level spots with?

How do you optimize your low level magic so that it always remains useful to you? (As you can see, I am particularly interested in the lower level spell selection for high level sorcerers. At higher levels the wizard probably has every 1st level spell ever penned. Meanwhile the poor sorcerer still has 5.)

The list (sorry, I was too lazy to look up the levels on spells where it wasn't pointed out):

1:True Strike (SRD)
Grease (SRD)
Silent Image (SRD)
Nerveskitter (SC)
Shield (SRD)
Ray of Enfeeblement (SRD)

2:False Life (SRD)
Minor image (SRD)
Alter Self (SRD)
Heroics (SC)

3.Battlemagic Perception (HoB)
Shrink Item (SRD)
Major Image (SRD)

4.Polymorph (SRD)
Celerity (PHBII)
Ruin Delver's Fortune (SC)
Orb of Force (SC)
Assay Resistance (SC)
(Otiluke's) Resilient Sphere (SRD)
Shadow Conjuration (SRD)

5.Blink, Greater (CA)
Shadow Evocation (SRD)
Teleport (SRD)

6.Heroism, Greater (SRD)
Dispel Magic, Greater (SRD)

7.Shadow Conjuration, Greater (SRD)
Teleport, Greater (SRD)
Arcane Spellsurge (DragMag)

8.Shadow Evocation, Greater (SRD)
Celerity, Greater (SRD)
Polymorph Any Object (SRD)

9.Shapechange (SRD)
Time Stop (SRD)

[FinalJustice]

4th level, I love it:

Celerity (PHBII)- You know, it's cheese, but it may save your life.

Ruin Delvers Fortune (SC)- CHA as a luck bonus to one save, as an immediate action, plus benefitial effects like evasion. Can this EVER get old, seriously?

Orb of Force - Safe damage is the name of the game here. Ranged touch hits and damage all for a no-save, no SR no resistance 10d6 damage (barred some rare monsters with force resistance/immunity). Metamagic it so it remains useful at higher levels.

Assay Resistance (SC) - +10 on spell penetration against a single creature. Fear SR no more. You'd better put this on a wand though, since it only affects its duration and seven rounds is fair enough.

Otiluke's Resilient Sphere - Protect yourself, an ally, an NPC or even trap people with poor reflexes.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

The entire polymorph line. It may be cheese, but when a 2nd level spell can give you flight or +4 str or natural armor? As a sorcerer, multi-use spells are always nice.

[13_CBS]

Defenestrating Sphere!

Enough said, I think.

[North]

Magic Missle is always a gooder, or any spell that will level with you.

[Green Bean]

Magic Missle is always a gooder, or any spell that will level with you.

Magic Missile doesn't really level with you, though. It caps at a rather sad amount of damage that simply doesn't matter at higher levels (or even lower ones in some cases). Personally, I'd replace it with Grease; sure, most foes will be able to make their saves, but the slowdown effect will still work on low DEX foes. Plus, if you Grease an ally's armour, it helps them get out of grapples.

[Chronos]

Illusions are always good. A good Silent or Minor Image (you probably don't want both) can serve you well at any level. As you get more powerful, the number of things you could plausibly do skyrockets, and thus so does the number of plausible illusions you can create.

Shadow Conjuration and/or Evocation (or their Greater versions) each gives you close to a full school's versatility for the cost of a single spell. The double save is rough, but there are still a good number of spells you can simulate for which that's irrelevant, and they're still good for armies of low-level mooks.

At high levels, Resist Elements stops the first 30 points of damage every round, which is almost as good as immunity (a max-level Fireball averages only 35 points, even without a save or a Shadow Flame Shield).

Shrink Item has a myriad uses, ranging from Colossal-scale darts, to removing obstructions, to carrying all sorts of useful but bulky items with you. Best of all, it has a duration of days, so you can use a week's worth of spell slots in the down time between adventures, and have magic available to use which doesn't need today's slots.

And of course, I have to give a shout-out to my zero-level friends, Prestidigitation, Mage Hand, and Detect Magic.

[RandomFellow]

Magic Missile doesn't really level with you, though. It caps at a rather sad amount of damage that simply doesn't matter at higher levels (or even lower ones in some cases). Personally, I'd replace it with Grease; sure, most foes will be able to make their saves, but the slowdown effect will still work on low DEX foes. Plus, if you Grease an ally's armour, it helps them get out of grapples.

Unless you apply Fell Drain or Fell Weaken or Fell Frighten to Magic Missile. Then you've got a volley of fun times. (-1 Negative Level for up to Missile # Foes, -4 Strength for up to Missile # Foes, Shaken up to Missile # Foes)

TBH, Fell Drain Magic Missile is better than Enervation as long as you've got 3 or more opponents. Auto Hit + Guarenteed Better than Average Results for a SL 3 instead of SL 4 spell.

---------------------------
The real power of a Sorcerer requires Metamagic Feats and highly versatile spells.

So:
Polymorph Line
Shadow Conjuration & Evocation Lines
Anything else that can be used to duplicate multiple spells and is easily combined with metamagic.

[Jack_Simth]

Varies, depending on the flavor of the Sorcerer. There's a lot of low-level spells that remain useful, even in Core.

Oh, and with Teleport vs. Greater Teleport?

You're a Sorcerer. If you're off-target, just cast it again. You can do that.

[Crow]

Varies, depending on the flavor of the Sorcerer. There's a lot of low-level spells that remain useful, even in Core.

Oh, and with Teleport vs. Greater Teleport?

You're a Sorcerer. If you're off-target, just cast it again. You can do that.

I understand that it varies. But what are your choices? Spells that every sorcerer should have...

As to the teleport issue;

I like to use teleports for tactical movement as well as plain ol' travel, so i use it a lot anyways. It sucks to be repositioning yourself in a dungeon room and have the 2 percent or whatever it is come up. It only happened to me once but it scarred me for life. :smallwink:

[Crow]

I just thought of a 5th level spell;

Improved Blink (CA)

[FinalJustice]

1st Nerveskitter (SC):
Immediate +5 to Init, because going first is that important.

2nd:
Heroics (SC): A fighter feat for 10 minute/level is a great buff for anyone.

5th:
Wall of Force: A good utility spell, combined with celerity, you can stop lots of stuff coming at your party and buy your party some time.

7th:
Arcane Spellsurge (Dragon Magic): Invaluable for sorcerers, but cheese in its purest form, seriously. For 1 round/level, it decreases the casting time of all your spells by one factor, namely, a standard action becomes a swift action, a full round becomes a standard action. This means you, sorcerer, can apply metamagic and still cast as a standard action and its a freackin' free quicken spell for non-metamagicked castings. Go nuts with quickened high level spells.

Edit: Mispelling ^^'

[CASTLEMIKE]

Ultimate Magus is nice for covering a lot of that low level spell versatility and fueling meta because so many games are so different. It's unfortunate that going Beguiler is generally a better ideal. Some games are hack, slash and blast, others are intrigue or urban campaign based, some are information based, some are planar, others are mercenary, some are merchant based, some change week to week and favor a sorcerer generalist. The Beguiler class has access to many (not all) of the more commonly favored sorcerer build spells.

Super Super Cheese: Arcane Disciple domain Summoning for LPA and PA with a single level dip or more in Thaumaturgist for summoning Noble Djinni and Efretti for Wishes at very low cost due to the Thaumaturgist PRC Improved Ally class special. IMO best alignment is LG for Genie Wish dipping that doesn't require a magic item that the PC needs to acquire from some NPC or find in game.

or

Arcane Disciple domain Spells for Any Spell (0-2nd spells any spell list if you can acquire (Use your imagination regarding the possibilities) and Any Spell, Greater since 0-5th) if you want to be a professional spellcaster in your downtime (Basically a luxurious life style with a very nice Grand House or Tower in an urban setting and some servants and one less thing to track in game) and that emergency Limited Wish 1/Day if needed.

or

High level Super Cheese: Arcane Disciple domain Luck or any other domain with Miracle and ACM PRC High Arcana for No experience point Miracles 2/Day at L18+, just remember if the PCs abuse this so do the NPCs. Mix that in with the Summoing Domain and a single level dip in Thaumaturgist which is nice for Emergency Escape Summoning Contracts to prevent TPKs not wealth creation (Cause and Effect) those summoned genies talk to others of their kind and pretty soon the PC has a reputation more DM side adventures and campaign intrigues if the PC doesn't keep a low profile.

With a Dwarf sorcerer arcanist with Rune Smith - 5 the PC can have a permanent No experience point cost Limited Wish 2/Day.

I like MotAO or Guild Wizard of Waterdeep for access to a spell pool for things like useful spells that may be cast one or fewer times a day adventuring: Endure Elements, Mage Armor, Identify, and Charm Person in an urban type campaign so less forced choosing between limited known spell slots.

Party makeup, a Sorcerer or Wizard can cast Mage Armor on another PC what about a psion can they do that with Inertial Armor for other PCs?

I like general utliity spells which give the PC a lot of options tailored to the game playing style like Color Spray and Grease (preferably with High Arcana for the sculpting instead of the meta feat or Ultimate Magus PRC for fueling meta), Shield, Prot from ...., Cheat is interesting, Magic Missile is classic, Ray of Enfeeblement, Rope Trick.

Alter Self, Mirror Image, Invis if you don't have Greater Invis, Read Thoughts.

Glibness, Gaseous Form over Fly because of Phantasmal Steeds with Shadow Conjuration and a Feather Fall token addresses most dispelling issues although Primal Form is interesting but you lose the casting), Major Image.

Celerity if the BBEGs use it, Charm Monster, Shadow Conjuration for general utility, usually skip the Polymorph and content myself with Alter Self.

SM7 for Summoning a Movanic Deva for Commune, freebie Raise Dead ......,
Aspect of the Platinum Dragon (Mostly because it is kind of cool and a sorcerer only spell according to Dragon Magic), Summon Aspect of Bahamut (or another depending on PC alignment).

Permanency preferably though the spell pool or the party wizard or a scroll for things like Detect Magic*, Comprehend languages*, Arcane sight**, Darkvision*, Read Magic*, See Invisibility*, Resistance*, Tongues, Magic Fang, depending on the campaign.

* Useful spells if permanent which have a lot of utility and also free up other spell slots (Don't duplicate Detect Magic if Arcane Sight taken).

Bag's of Holding, Heward's Haversacks and Portable Holes are great but how does a permanently enchanted Captain's Chest (Shrink Item) work in your campaign? IMO Awful lot of utility if a PC can make it into a hankerchief with the permanent Shrink Item enchanted chest affecting it's contents.

Permanent Alarm token.

[Reinboom]

My list:

Level 1:
Benign Transposition

Level 3:
Haste

Level 4:
Ruin Delvar's Fortune
Assay Spell Resistance

Level 5:
Dimension Shuffle (but only upon getting level 6 spells...)
Teleport
Arcane Fusion (was just recently shown this, have yet to actually play test it, though)

Level 6:
Anticipate Teleportation, Greater (for general awesomeness, and dimension shuffle)
Disintergrate
Dispel Magic, Greater

Level 7:
Synostodweomer

Level 8:
Arcane Fusion, Greater (see above)

[Thrawn183]

I'd have to disagree with haste and switch it with slow.

Haste becomes steadily less useful as you get more iterative attacks and PC's become able to afford things like a speed weapon.

If anything, slow actually becomes more powerful at higher levels as things become more reliant on swift actions and full round attacks.

Make sure you take highten spell.

[Aquillion]

Limited Wish can sometimes be useful,too. Its XP cost is low enough that you can actually cast it sometimes (unlike Wish), and it will massively increase your versatility in a pinch.

[Reinboom]

Limited Wish can sometimes be useful,too. Its XP cost is low enough that you can actually cast it sometimes (unlike Wish), and it will massively increase your versatility in a pinch.

Oh, I must agree here. Revivify availability is wonderful. Limited Wish pays for the 1k material cost.
Among other things.

[Chronos]

Limited Wish can sometimes be useful,too. Its XP cost is low enough that you can actually cast it sometimes (unlike Wish), and it will massively increase your versatility in a pinch.Sure, but it's definitely something to take at level 15, not 14. It'd suck to go for an entire level with your only highest-level spell requiring XP.

[ZekeArgo]

I'd have to disagree with haste and switch it with slow.

Haste becomes steadily less useful as you get more iterative attacks and PC's become able to afford things like a speed weapon.

If anything, slow actually becomes more powerful at higher levels as things become more reliant on swift actions and full round attacks.

Make sure you take highten spell.

Though to qualify that, if your going gish or even can stand to lose a few caster levels, the swiftblade makes Haste one hell of a spell, espically since it returns it to it's 3.0 glory at 9th level ;)