PDA

View Full Version : Equipping a Sorceror



BRC
2008-03-06, 09:08 PM
Next Campaign, (Epic level) my character gets a cohort and I've decided on a Half-dragon sorceror. My character starts at ECL 21 and has a massive leadership score, so my Cohort starts at ECL 19. Anyway, I was considering giving him a Staff of Power, However he already possesses some of the spells it grants (Fireball, Lightning bolt, Cone of Cold and Magic Missle specifically) and the staff is very expensive. Is it just a better idea to buy him a metamagic rod or a different staff? If so, which would you reccomend. I'm trying to avoid Save-or-die spells because it's an epic level campaign, which means most things we fight will be able to handle the saving throws my cohort would thorw at them.

ShneekeyTheLost
2008-03-06, 09:40 PM
My suggestion: Turn him into a buff-bot.

Seriously, no one likes the roll of buff-bot, and it's a great way to get everyone maxed out.

Make sure he takes a level of Archmage for Arcane Reach, and give him a Greater Rod of Metamagic. Make sure he grabs the feat to get access to a domain.

Chain Mind Blank. Chain Greater Magic Weapon. Chain Reach Magic Vestments.

Congratulations, now your party has all +5 gear of whatever other stuff, and immune to mind affecting and cannot be tracked. Then drop a few other group buffs like Mass Bear's Fortitude (+4 con to everyone) or Mass Cat's Grace (+4 Dex to everyone), and make sure he drops a Haste at the beginning of each battle.

Now your party is running at a higher level of efficency, and the guy can chunk around stuff like Cloudkill and Forcecage in combat.

Chronos
2008-03-06, 10:28 PM
Congratulations, now your party has all +5 gear of whatever other stuff, and immune to mind affecting and cannot be tracked.Normally, all that is great, but I'm not sure how big a deal it is in epic. All of those can be replicated by items, and epic characters have plenty of gold.

BRC
2008-03-06, 11:16 PM
My suggestion: Turn him into a buff-bot.

Seriously, no one likes the roll of buff-bot, and it's a great way to get everyone maxed out.

Make sure he takes a level of Archmage for Arcane Reach, and give him a Greater Rod of Metamagic. Make sure he grabs the feat to get access to a domain.

Chain Mind Blank. Chain Greater Magic Weapon. Chain Reach Magic Vestments.

Congratulations, now your party has all +5 gear of whatever other stuff, and immune to mind affecting and cannot be tracked. Then drop a few other group buffs like Mass Bear's Fortitude (+4 con to everyone) or Mass Cat's Grace (+4 Dex to everyone), and make sure he drops a Haste at the beginning of each battle.

Now your party is running at a higher level of efficency, and the guy can chunk around stuff like Cloudkill and Forcecage in combat.

That would be a good idea, except all I have to work with is the SRD. Besides, if we made him into a buff-bot 90% of the time we would forget he existed, my group is like that.

TempusCCK
2008-03-06, 11:25 PM
So make him a loud and colorful buff-bot. Give him a funny voice and have him say crazy things during combat while he throws around buffs. That should keep people remembering where he is.

"YEAH! Get it! Come on! -MASS BEARS ENDURANCE- Come on, Eye of the Tiger, Constitution of the Bear!"

CASTLEMIKE
2008-03-07, 02:06 AM
A Half Dragon is +3 LA. Are you using the LA buydown variant?

With LA buydown the PC could be a paid down Half Dragon Sorcerer 20 or 21 or (+1 LA Dragon Blooded), (+2 LA Half Fey or Half Phrenic) basically +1 LA Sorcerer - 20 (or +0 LA Sorcerer -21 by theoretically paying off LA leveling up in a ECL 21 game.

Consider taking an Arcane Disciple feat Spell domain for the general utility with a sorcerer. The Luck Domain is great for High Arcana no experience point Miracles as spell like abilities.

I like the Nexus Method feat from Dragon magazine for spontaneous Monster Summoning.

Taking a Bloodline Heritage feat from Dragon magazine probably a good ideal.

http://realmshelps.dandello.net/datafind/feats.shtml

BRC
2008-03-07, 07:57 AM
A Half Dragon is +3 LA. Are you using the LA buydown variant?

No, but the point of the thread was to talk about equipment, and WBL is based of ECL, not Class Level

Keld Denar
2008-03-07, 09:18 AM
Rod of Absorption. If your cohort is targeted by any spell, it sucks it in and gives charges that he can use to cast his own spells. If you have the feat Metamagic Spell Trigger, you can spend extra charges of your Rod to metamagic the spells he casts through it. If your cohort doesn't get targeted with enough offensive spells, one of the other casters in your party can spend some downtime filling him up. Worth a thought.

BRC
2008-03-07, 11:08 AM
Rod of Absorption. If your cohort is targeted by any spell, it sucks it in and gives charges that he can use to cast his own spells. If you have the feat Metamagic Spell Trigger, you can spend extra charges of your Rod to metamagic the spells he casts through it. If your cohort doesn't get targeted with enough offensive spells, one of the other casters in your party can spend some downtime filling him up. Worth a thought.

Ooh, where is the Rod of Absorbtion from?

That said, I'm considering having my character get Improved Cohort from Heroes of Battle (This would require trading in a rogue special ability), giving my cohort another level. Give him a level in Rogue for the prerequisite sneak attack dice and make him a Spellwarp Sniper (Com Scoundrel).As a Half-dragon he has good dex for the ranged touch attacks, and it will allow him to keep his distance against enemies that would take him down if he gets too close.

Chronos
2008-03-07, 12:40 PM
Ooh, where is the Rod of Absorbtion from?I'm always amused when people ask this question about things from core (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/rods.htm#absorption).

CASTLEMIKE
2008-03-07, 01:44 PM
No, but the point of the thread was to talk about equipment, and WBL is based of ECL, not Class Level

Never said it wasn't although I have seen good arguements for both positions.

L19 NPCs receive 170,000 gp according to the DMG page 126 which isn't subtracted from the PC and his suggested wealth by level.

Optimal equipement is based off the PC or NPC so we need to know what feats, PRCs and spells the cohort has along with the PC to offer better suggestions.

With fullcasters and sorcerers in particular with their limited known spells I generally try to minimize loss of spellcasting to None or a single level unless the PC is really getting some great stuff in trade for it and pick up more known spellcasting options since a sorcerer - 19 should rule over a sorcerer -16 normally. I would rather have a sorcerer - 19 cohort with an Arcane Disciple Spell Domain and Luck Domain which would grant the cohort 3 No experience Miracles a day (2 from High Arcana as an Archmage and 1 from having the feat and bonus domain along with a lot of spell utility via Any Spell and Anyspell Greater with a minor investment in a level 5 and below spell book for useful but irregularly used spells). So IMO loss of Level 9 spellcasting isn't worth having a half dragon cohort without LA buydown rules. For a dragon themed flavor concept I'd probably go with a +1 LA Dragon Blooded Sorcerer who would be able to cast a single Level 9 spell and possibly more with the right feats and or PRCs.

IMO a fully charged 100% Staff of Power is a bad ideal at 211,000 gp mostly because it excedes the L17 NPC Gear Value of 170,000 gp which generally means he shouldn't have any magic item over 42,500 gp along with the high cost for the capped spell duplication but can be a nice ideal with a single charge remanining for the base staff benefits.

IMO the sorcerer would get a lot more utility by spending one third to one half of that amount on several or more Magic Item Compendium Runestaffs which would allow the Sorcerer to cast a lot more spells which would make him more useful in more situations.

If the cohort is a non PRC sorcerer without PRCs what about a variant Stalwart Battle Sorcerer?

The sorcerer could get a lot more utility from good feat and PRC selection
Sorcerer - 7 (5 with MotAO-2), Loremaster -3*, Thaumaturgist -5*, ACM-2*

*Can be mixed around to personal taste since Thaumaturgist - 5 would give your cohort a planar cohort via the Arcane Disciple feat with the Prestige Summoning domain. I like MotAO for the SpellPool and the limited utility it provides a sorcerer.