[PF]Need Help with a Sorcerer

[MachineWraith]

So my friend is going to start up a Pathfinder campaign fairly soon, and wants me to play. This will be a nice change of pace, since I've been DMing for our group for the past 3-4 years.

The problem is I've never even seen a PF game played, let alone played one. I know that it's basically 3.5 with some relatively minor changes, but still, the GitP community seems to be "in the know" and I'd like any advice I can get.

The DM has banned Tier 1 classes, and since arcane casting is my thing, I'm just gonna go Sorcerer. The only material allowed is the Pathfinder SRD, which can be found here.

I'm going for a LN, N, or CN character who focuses on summoning and Planar Binding, neither of which I have ever done before. However, I figure I can get some good mileage out of summoning/binding creatures with SLAs that I don't have as spells.

The problem is I don't really know much about summoning, or which bloodline to pick.

Help?

[LibraryOgre]

Start with Abyssal or Celestial Bloodline... whenever you summon something, it gains an automatic DR equal to 1/2 your level.

[Ernir]

Saph's guide to Pathfinder for the 3.5er.

Mostly, it's the same for the Sorcerer. Just read the descriptions of spells before you select them, some of the old go-tos have been nerfed, others have been buffed up.

[MachineWraith]

Start with Abyssal or Celestial Bloodline... whenever you summon something, it gains an automatic DR equal to 1/2 your level.

Which is quite nice, but the Bonus Feat lists for both of those are rather unimpressive. Also, don't many summoned creatures come with DR already?

Abyssal as a whole is only good because of the level 15 ability, which is very nice, admittedly.

Celestial is alright, I suppose. The Wings of Heaven ability isn't all that good. By 9th level, I could've been flying for 3 levels already... Hmmm...

Maybe I could go with the Abyssal bloodline and play an Aasimar, have that whole Heaven and Hell warring within me thing going on. Could help explain my neutrality, and give me an excuse for the occasional altruistic or evil deed...

I really like that Infernal gives Diplomacy as a class skill, and it gives Protection from Good and Planar Binding as bloodline spells, but that's really all it seems to have going for it.

Edit:

Saph's guide to Pathfinder for the 3.5er.

Mostly, it's the same for the Sorcerer. Just read the descriptions of spells before you select them, some of the old go-tos have been nerfed, others have been buffed up.

That's a nice look at the Arcane school. I do really want a familiar, and I like the abilities granted by Arcane a lot, but the other schools just add so much flavor

[Rixx]

Pathfinder sorcerers are great fun!

An Aasimar with the Infernal or Abyssal bloodline sounds like an interesting idea - especially since they get a Charisma bonus (always good for Sorcerers) and a Wisdom bonus, which is good to help out a typical Sorcerer dump stat.

[Tinydwarfman]

Draconic is a must for a blaster, and fey gives some nice spells and feats and an amazing passive power if you don't mind enchantment.

[MachineWraith]

Draconic is a must for a blaster, and fey gives some nice spells and feats and an amazing passive power if you don't mind enchantment.

I don't plan on blasting or enchanting, really. I'm going to focus on summoning and binding all sorts of nasty beasties. I'm sure I'll have some spells of the blasty and enchantment varieties, but most of my spells are going to be summons and things that can augment my summons. The exception will be things like Bestow Curse and Enervation, which I'll be using to weaken the crap out of the (probably evil) creatures I'll be binding, making it easier to cut a deal.

I'm hoping to go for the whole "fight fire with fire" thing on the bindings. Our party will be mostly good with a smattering of neutral, so I'll bind evil to fight evil. Dangerous waters

[Togo]

The big problem with summoner sorcerors is that once you get high enough level to cast 3rd level spells, monster summoning I doesn't really cut it. Either you get a monster summoning spell at every level, which will cut into your spell chocies quite deeply, or you have to make some careful choices. I'd recommend roughly one monster summoning spell every other level...

Secondly, remember that many GMs simply won't attack summoned monsters. This makes them less useful as something to soak up damage, and you need to focus on monsters that are useful for other things.

It's also worth looking at special abilities on monsters, rather than just simple combat power. Finally, try and learn the various fiendish languages so you can actually talk to the creatures you summon and give them more complicated instructions.

[MachineWraith]

The big problem with summoner sorcerors is that once you get high enough level to cast 3rd level spells, monster summoning I doesn't really cut it. Either you get a monster summoning spell at every level, which will cut into your spell chocies quite deeply, or you have to make some careful choices. I'd recommend roughly one monster summoning spell every other level...

I plan on getting Summon Monster III, VI, VII, and IX, and at least two of the Planar Bindings.

Secondly, remember that many GMs simply won't attack summoned monsters. This makes them less useful as something to soak up damage, and you need to focus on monsters that are useful for other things.

My DM tends to try to put himself in the shoes of the baddie. For example, "OMG, this freaking dire tiger is ripping off my face, get it off, get it off, GET IT OFF!" as opposed to "So, this dire tiger has just damaged me severely and will continue to do so, but the sorcerer did it, so screw the tiger, I'm gonna murder the spellcaster."

If the opponent is particularly in control of his emotions and/or quite intelligent, they may maintain composure enough to kill me (the summoner), and ignore the summoned creature.

It's also worth looking at special abilities on monsters, rather than just simple combat power.

Spell-like abilities and other assorted special features are going to be my first priority in deciding which creatures to summon. I anticipate having a character that can act as the party's wall of hitpoints, so I can focus on having my summons do something other than stand there and get beat on. Naturally, I'll use a summon as a tank if necessary, I just think that surprising the DM with all sorts of nasty special abilities will be more fun .

Finally, try and learn the various fiendish languages so you can actually talk to the creatures you summon and give them more complicated instructions.

Good advice. I'll have to throw some skill points into Linguistics to make sure I get them all...

[PinkysBrain]

SM was pretty poor in 3.5, I think it's actually worse in PF ... add on the sorcerer spell progression and the lack of the one prestige class which could actually make it halfway decent and it's not going to work out all that well IMO.

Here's a guide for the SM spells someone did for the summoner (a completely broken and overpowered class, but that's a different discussion).