Semi-Optimizing a Sorcerer

[Neopopulas]

SO! I haven't played a lot of PF and i'm making a sorcerer. i wanted to make a cool, powerful sorcerer, without utterly min/maxing. I've looked around, and it seems like there is something of a consensuses that there are a few bloodlines that are top tier, good stuff. Things like Fey, Arcane and Draconic.

Unfortunately, Arcane feels a bit too much like a Wizard, though i wouldn't mind a staff, i don't really want the Familiar. It does have good feats and bonus spells, but i don't really care TOO Much about metamagic either, so it doesn't seem to fit.

Since D&D i'm kinda over the whole sorcerers = dragons business.

And Fey is really my style either. So i was looking around, and i seem to have a few options. the Sage Archtype and take the Arcane bloodline, i don't have a familiar, i get a ray attack, which is nice. And it changes Cha to Int (which is more useful to me) and allows me to have good skills. Its nice, probably powerful and has good bonus feats and spells.

I also like the look of the Frost Bloodline (Super Genius Games), and i was developing the skeleton of an idea, and i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about it.

Basically, i was looking at taking the Crossblooded Archtype, and then take the Frost and Rime-blooded Bloodlines. This allows me to make all damage-dealing spells [Cold] from the Frost bloodline, and in turn, all spells with the [Cold] descriptor also applies Slow to targets that they hit.

In turn, this allows me to focus into a theme (cold-based spells and character theme) and it allows me to combine the advantage of the Slow on attacks with making most spells Cold based (i took a look, not a lot of spells have the Cold descriptor)

However, Crossblooded makes me lose 1 spell known per level, and for a sorcerer thats a lot, starting at level one i would only have a SINGLE spell known, until level three, when it goes up to 2 (and 1 level 2 spell) and i'm wondering if its worth it. Honestly, people spoke highly of the bloodlines but i'm not really excited about most of them and i was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a good DPS style Sorcerer, in regards to things like bloodlines and archtypes.

As much as i want to be powerful, i'm also looking for an interesting things, more than pure optimization.

Thanks for any help!

[VRMH]

The Human favored class bonus (1 extra spell known) is pure gold. It'll offset the Crossblooded penalty.

[The Leaping Gnome]

Arcane bloodline is not bad and both Improved Initiative and Spell Focus are excellent feat choices on their list, but the sage bloodline arcana doesn't extend to other class features, the arcane bolt ability is still 3 + Cha times per day (I think that's the only thing that would be affected though).

I played a fey bloodline sorc once whose enchantments were nigh unstoppable, if I couldn't affect something I'd always have a haste for the party. The sylvan bloodline looks pretty good too though, you lose the +2 to your compulsion DCs but if you take Boon Companion you'd have an animal companion on par with a druid, which could be very handy if you decided to play a buffer.

Mages aren't really the best DPS classes and wizards tend to have an easier time dealing with resistances and immunities than sorcerers (admixture school; APG 143). I like your idea but keep in mind that the rime-blooded arcana only affects one target, not every target of the spell. To really make the most of your blaster, you'd need to focus on a particular spell, which means you'll need metamagic, not sorcerers' strong suit. If you don't focus on one spell, then you'll find yourself filling your spells known with a bunch of blasty evocation spells, reducing your versatility.

On top of the usual problems with playing a blaster, losing your spells known is awful. VRMH's suggestion is a good one, but you still wouldn't get any bonus first level spells until 4th level (when you get your first 2nd level spell known).

Personally, I'd go for an arcane bloodline battlefield controller, abyssal summoner, or if you like the flavor, sanguine bloodline necro-sorcerer (focused on bestow curse and other SOS necromancy spells).

[Corlindale]

It's usually not a good idea to go crossblooded, unless you're just taking 1 level of sorceror for the bloodline arcanas. It's rarely worth it for a pure sorceror - not only do you get 1 less spell known/level, but you'll delay access to your higher level spells by one level. So you won't get 2nd level spells until level 5, whereas a wizard gets them at level 3 and a normal sorceror at level 4. Not worth it, imo.

If you like the slowing aspects, just stick with Rime-blooded. There are still quite a few cold spells on the list. I don't think it's the most optimal trick, though, as it only affects 1 enemy per casting, and they get an additional save vs the effect even if they fail their save against the spell. If you like using cold you could instead go Primal bloodline for extra damage dice on cold spells.

I agree with you that many of the bloodlines seem a little bland, especially when compared with some of the very cool and flavourful powers of the oracle mysteries, which are similar in theme.

Fey and Arcane are among the best ones. Arcane may be boring, but it allows you to build pretty much any kind of sorceror, and be good at it.

[Neopopulas]

Thanks for everyone suggestions, just a little while ago i asked very very nicely and i was allowed instead to use the Psion (i will always take a Psion over a Sorcerer, for a lot of reasons).

Psions are pretty good (but lets not get into a debate about Sorcs vs. Psions) however, sadly there are no Psion handbooks that i've found.

Still psions are pretty easy overall, they are pretty good at nuking, which is my role.

I'm currently looking to see how to buff up the psion, but i'm not TOO worried at the moment.

[ForgottenRider]

Neopopulas wrote:

Thanks for everyone suggestions, just a little while ago i asked very very nicely and i was allowed instead to use the Psion (i will always take a Psion over a Sorcerer, for a lot of reasons).

Psions are pretty good (but lets not get into a debate about Sorcs vs. Psions) however, sadly there are no Psion handbooks that i've found.

Still psions are pretty easy overall, they are pretty good at nuking, which is my role.

I'm currently looking to see how to buff up the psion, but i'm not TOO worried at the moment.

Then you might want to look go to here.