Sorcerer spells, feats, and items

[Uncle Festy]

Hi.
I'm making a Spellscale Sorcerer 9/Iot9V 1, who focuses on battlefield shaping effects (wall of fire, cloudkill, grease) and the odd evocation that he can herd his foes into. I have anything from core, SRD, Draconomicon, CAr, Races of Dragon, Dragon Magic, Magic Item Compendium, and PHBII available. I'm looking for spells, magic items, and feats. I'm not trying to break the game, but I want to be useful in combat. The spellscale is a chessmaster, so anything in-theme for that would be appreciated. Please help!

[CASTLEMIKE]

Instead of Sorcerer - 9 how about something like (Tough to work in point buy with a primary caster Sorcerer because of the MAD needing a Int - 15 for the Precocious Apprentice feat (A Beguiler would be SAD Intelligence and know quite a few more spells)and be a nice support base for a Wizard PC:

Specialist Wizard - 1 with the Precocious Apprentice feat (to personal taste)

Sorcerer -4, Ultimate Magus -4

Casting as a Sorcerer - 8 and a Specialist Wizard - 3 at level 9 which would give the PC a little more "limited" spell versatility via the wizard spells.

Additionally the Augmented Casting special of Ultimate Magus allows fueling a few meta spells things like: +2 or less single meta Sorcerer spells by burning wizard spells and allowing Quickening of Wizard spells by burning Sorcerer spells.

P.S. I like Sorcerers but going Beguiler at first level and taking 2 feats for practiced caster would be really strong with a Wizard PC just a suggestion.

Another method would be to go Specialist Mage -1, Beguiler -1, Master Specialist -4, UM -3 if your game enforces experience penalty rules since this build wouldn't be affected by that rule.

[Fizban]

The sculpt spell metamagic feat is good: for +1 level you get to change the spell area to your choice of ball, cone, line, or multiple cubes.

Battlefield control I think would be best with lots of spells to choose from, so for items I recommend runestaves and knowstones. Runestaves are in the Magic Item Compendium and let you cast the spells stored in them a few times per day, essentially as spells known. Knowstones are from some issue of dragon magazine, non-slotted items that essentially grant you another spell known for the cost of spell level^2*1,000. It sounds cheap until you compare the cost of the spells you can cast at a level with the wealth by level at that level.

[Triaxx]

One of the things you'll want is the Metamagic allowing you to sculpt spells. Extend spell as well. An extended, sculpted spell Firewall? Or two lines with Quickened, sculpted, Greased ends? Archers call those kill zones.

[Ryuuk]

Unless you're planning on using your familiar, consider the Sorcerer alternate class feature in PHBII, metamagic no longer becomes a problem, at least for a few times per day.

Spell wise:

Dimension Door is always useful and your character can consider it as getting Queen or Knight-like movement across the field.

Defenestrating Sphere (Complete Arcane) is fun. You call forth a ball of air that deals damage on contact and sends your foes flying. Best of all, it remains on the field and you can redirect it to another target as a move action. Congrats, you just got a piece to move as you which.

The standard good spells never fail: Haste, Fly, Invisibility, Hold Person, take your pick.

Item wise:

If you're going for a chess master fluff wise, the wonderous figure line of items might be fun. You're a Sorcerer, so scrolls for utility and wands for spells that are useful but not worth learning are good.

Of course, for all your arcane caster needs, just go here.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Heighten spell, it's required for all Sorcerers.

[Fizban]

Excellent, you just reminded me of the quote I ripped off the WoTC boards:

How to play a sorceror well:

One good will save spell.
One good fort save spell.
One good reflex save spell.
Heighten Metamagic feat.
Make sure that for the rest of your sorceror career, you cast the spell which targets the enemy's weak save.

One good spell with no save.
One good spell with persistant effects, like Evard's Black Tentacles.
Vampiric Touch, because its functionally a healing spell.
Polymorph.
Consider all bases covered.

As you level up, replace your attack spells with higher level spells, and move the lower level slot into something based around utility.
Remember to take generically useful buffs, like polymorph, then cast them on the entire party. Lots of problems can be solved by casting polymorph four times in rapid repetition.
Bloodline feats (here)are not a bad idea, they give you many more spells known, and add flavor to your character.
Keep an eye out for spells which scale on their own better than normal. Evard's Black Tentacles grapple check scales by caster level, for example.

Remember that you get more out of metamagic than a wizard, because you always have it when you need it.
Still Spell means you need never fear grappling again, just remember which spells have no material component.

Linking by me.

Now take the Metamagic Specialist variant from the PHB2 to speed up your metamagic when you need to stay mobile. Take sculpt spell to shape spells around allies and to enemies as needed. Grab a Runestaff of whatever spells you're lacking in (there are pricing rules in the book if you need a custom one), and the usual scrolls of one shot utilities. Figurines are generally really weak for the level that you can afford them, but do fit the theme very well. I'd take an item for providing summoning spells myself over them: cheaper, more powerful, and more variety.

[Chronicled]

Extend spell as well.

No, no no no. Sorcerers don't want Extend Spell. If you need the spell to last twice as long, cast it again.

A favorite feat of mine for sorcerers is Arcane Versatility from Races of the Dragon.

[Yami]

Raintment of the four; Magic Item Compentium

It's a nifty set for sorcerers that I've always wanted to make a build with.

[FinalJustice]

Arcane Spellsurge (Dragon Magic) + PHBII Metamagic Specialist. Nasty stinky cheese, but real fun. Free quicken is fun. Quickening 9th level spells is fun.

Plus, holy is the 4th level of spells, love it, adore it, respect it, put almost every single extra spell you can get on it. Seriously. Bribe your DM, if he lets you trade one 5th level spell for one 4th, do it without thinking twice.

Allow me to show you some 4th level-lord fun:
Ruin Delver's Fortune (SC) - Immediate Action, cha bonus on one save or 4d8 + cha bonus temp hp for 1d4+1 rounds. Plus, save based advantage (Evasion if you use it for reflexes). LIFESAVER
Celerity (PHBII) - Seriously, you know how broken this is. Also a lifesaver.
Polymorph - Talkin' about broken stuff
Solid Fog
Orbs - No SR, No Save 10/15 d6 damage. Play it safe.
Ray Deflection - Immunity to ray spells, situational, put it on a scroll, good nonetheless
Thunderlance (SC)- Creates a 20ft reach weapon that causes 3d6 of damage, crit 20 x3. But, instead of str, you use cha for attack and damage (thus, 1,5 cha if you use it with both hands). Invaluable if you want to deal with some mooks but you don't want to waste slots. If you wanna play a gish, the better.