A Sorcerer Question [4E]

[OMG PONIES]

So we're rolling 5th level arcane characters, and I'm torn between a chaos sorecerer or a storm sorcerer. Either way, I'll be a striker with DEX to damage...DEX and CHA are my pumped stats, looking at human or halfling.

Are there any distinct advantages to one over the other? Opinions? Previous experiences? I played a 1st-level chaos sorc, and Chaos Bolt is just great.

[1of3]

As a Halfling you have higher Dex. That means higher damage, armor class and initiative. Also you have a nice racial ability.

As a human you have an additional at-will. Whether or not that is useful is dependent mostly on your class. It's quite useless, if you are a ranger for example. For a sorcerer, though, there are some interesting at-wills. Therefore I'd go with human.

[Kylarra]

I prefer storm a bit more personally, since it has guaranteed pierces/resists (and two of them) and its at-will automatically forks onto two targets, instead of 50% of the time like chaos bolt. Most of the riders allow you to exclude the center of your burst, so that's good if your defender is doing his job, et al.

I think the choice overall depends more on what you want to play and what will mesh best with your group than any intrinsic superiority.

Human vs Halfling is a question if you want to have enough at-wills to target all the NADs and an extra feat or a +1 damage and +2 ac vs OAs. (Second chance is nice too)

[Starsinger]

Really, if you go human, your at-wills should be Chaosbolt/Lightning Strike, Blazing Starfall, and Burning Spray. The first for dealing with one (or two, or more if you get lucky with chaos bolt) targets, the second for dealing with minions or assisting with AoE damage, and the latter for when you're pinned on a wall or something.

As for which spell source to pick, Storm has one of my favorite paragon path encounter powers in it. Really, it comes down to chaos bolt vs. anything you want in Storm Magic, since Chaos Bolt is by far the best thing wild magic has to offer IMO.

[Arcane Copycat]

So we're rolling 5th level arcane characters, and I'm torn between a chaos sorecerer or a storm sorcerer. Either way, I'll be a striker with DEX to damage...DEX and CHA are my pumped stats, looking at human or halfling.

Are there any distinct advantages to one over the other? Opinions? Previous experiences? I played a 1st-level chaos sorc, and Chaos Bolt is just great.

Since you're all Arcane classes, be a Halfing and take Sneak of Shadows. Your high Dex and racial thievery boost means you'll be really good at picking locks. And if there's no Rogue, that will be required. Then there's the fact you can cast spells through a dagger means you can actually use that 1/encounter sneak attack (yay more damage) and get distant advantage for easer CA. Weapon focus/expertise always good, although get 13 con and dex for Tempest Magic as a storm sorc gives +1 to attack and damage rolls with lightning and thunder, freeing up a feat. And perhaps Leather Armor?


As for Storm vs Chaos... storm means you always know your resists, and can build powers around that. Chaos is harder to have a build set up to piece everyone's resistances, but I find it more fun and less constricting. I guess it's more of a personal choice, although my personal bias is for Chaos.

[Aron Times]

I prefer the dragon sorcerer because of its decent defensive rider effects on its dailies. For example, the level 1 dragon magic daily gives the dragon sorcerer a lightning damage shield that pushes melee attacks 1 square if they hit him, which basically ends multi-attack powers unless the attack has reach.

Also, with a defender in the party, you can intentionally provoke an opportunity attack to damage the enemy with your damage shield. If he takes the opportunity attack and hits, he gets zapped, pushed, and hit by whatever mark effect the defender has on him, and if he doesn't, then he has just allowed you to move to a better position.

[Ninetail]

I prefer storm sorcerers for the flavor, though chaos has its points.

As for race? Go with the one you like the image of better. No, really. It doesn't matter much. Humans and halflings both make very respectable storm or wild sorcerers, and the minor differences between them are strengths regardless. Personally, I like humans.

[Alteran]

Drow is also a very good choice for a Dex-based Sorcerer.

As far as which one to choose, I prefer Storm Sorcerers. Two (consistent!) resistances, a neat shield feature for when you don't need them, and reliable resistance penetration. Let's face it, if you're rolling a d10 for a resist type, you won't find reduction of enemy resistance coming up very often. With a Storm Sorcerer you know exactly what powers will ignore X points of resistance. If you really want, you can even go Lighting Fury (probably the best Storm Sorc PP anyway) and ignore lightning resistance entirely.

[Tiki Snakes]

So we're rolling 5th level arcane characters, and I'm torn between a chaos sorecerer or a storm sorcerer. Either way, I'll be a striker with DEX to damage...DEX and CHA are my pumped stats, looking at human or halfling.

Are there any distinct advantages to one over the other? Opinions? Previous experiences? I played a 1st-level chaos sorc, and Chaos Bolt is just great.

They are both good. Simple as that. Chaos and Storm both have very good potential, especially with the right feat choice and/or play style.

Chaos focusing on random effects, with feats to re-apply some control over that.
Storm with lots of blasty things that occaisionally give you a breif bit of flying, iirc. Feats that key off of both Thunder and/or Lightning, to set up various weird chains of attack and/or damage bonus depending on how you alternate your attacks.

Have a look at how you'd build either or both, and how they'd actually play out in your games.

Then go for the one who feels coolest, and whose flavour you find the most entertaining. You're playing a Sorcerer - Rule of Cool is definately a factor to consider during character creation. ;)

[OMG PONIES]

Thanks for all the input. I'm glad to see that I wasn't missing anything, and actually had reason to be torn. I think I'll be going Storm, if the DM allows me to take a little talking rain cloud as a familiar to always hang over my head.

[eepop]

Changeling/Doppleganger can also get a +Dex/+Cha. So its an option. It doesn't add anything else in particular mechanically, but being able to shapeshift is awesome.

[Burley]

One of the Dragon Magazines has a shocker lizard Familiar. Totally cool and in flavor with Storm Mage.