[PFS] Sorceress Spell Selection


Advice

Silver Crusade

Hello! I just hit 8th level in PFS, so I need to pick my first 4th-level spell. And since I'm a human taking the alternate FCB, I also need to pick a 3rd-level spell. Bloodline is Elemental (Primal [electricity]) and my CHA is currently 26.

Going from memory on existing spells known:

3rd level
Protection from Energy (bloodline)
Lightning Bolt
Hold Person

2nd level
Scorching Ray (bloodline, electricity only)
Burst of Radiance
Blindness/Deafness
Glitterdust
Pilfering Hand
See Invisibility

1st level
Burning Hands (bloodline, electricity only)
Mage Armor
Shield
Magic Missile
Silent Image
Liberating Command
Vanish
????? (can't remember)

So I need a 3rd- and 4th-level spell. I see several juicy options, so I'm a bit indecisive. Also, since I'm hitting an even level, should I make a swap somewhere?

Silver Crusade

You are a Sorceress in PFS without Haste? Brave soul you are.

Regardless my votes are for Haste (electric fast, like the flash), and Enervation.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

Is there a problem with Dimension Door in PFS?

... and I am also surprised you don't have Haste. It is just too useful.

Silver Crusade

Re: Haste

It's definitely on my short-list. Thing is, there's this sort of circular phenomenon: you don't know who you'll be at a table with, so your haste's biggest benefit (the extra attack) could be helping as few as 1 PC. As a result, usually a wizard might prep 1 slot for when it looks like an especially good fight for it, and spontaneous casters don't learn it (except bards, who seem rare locally). And then the martials, since they have no guarantee they'll be sitting with a wizard, and even if they do they might get just 1 haste that day, they just go ahead and buy boots of speed. Which in turn means even less incentive for me to learn haste, which means more incentive for them to get the boots, etc. So where does that leave me?

Re: DDoor

Also on my short-list. :)


I always have Haste. My sorc is level 11.2 right now and nearing retirement from PFS and I never regretted having haste. Dimension Door and Enervation are 4th level (so is black tentacles...all of these are excellent 4th level spells).

Also, you should consider (in no particular order): fly, stinking cloud, summon monster III, dispel magic, fireball, prot from evil (communial) and slow.

Silver Crusade

I will leave you with "Haste is the best spell in the game". you can draw from that what you want.

Silver Crusade

Skyler Malik wrote:
Haste is the best spell in the game

Why?

I certainly agree it's good, but the +1 AC/Ref/Att is negligible, and the extra move speed is only situationally useful (basically only when the enemy is more than 1 move away AND there's no charge lane). That leaves the extra attack, which only happens on a full-attack. That means it only benefits martials, and only once or twice per combat. That means the value of it depends on the result of one attack per martial per round being stronger than anything else I could have done with my first action.

How many new attacks does that spell have to produce to be more powerful than other things I could have spent my turn on? Say there's one martial in the party. That means that for every full-attack he makes, my action has been worth one attack from him. That means that my haste is really just a blasting spell that deals damage equal to the martial's damage-per-attack times the number of extra attacks I give him, minus his chance of missing. How many attacks do I need to generate before the damage becomes worth the slot and the action?

Liberty's Edge

Haste, Dispel Magic, Fireball, Fly...


You need some crowd control, right now you only have Glitterdust. I'd take Confusion and Haste and then retrain Hold Person to Summon Monster III.

Silver Crusade

I thought about confusion, but that just eats so much table time, you know?

Silver Crusade

Bump?


Elemental Body 1 is a versatile spell with a lot of uses for mobility; you can get a swim speed, fly speed, or earth glide whenever you need it, along with a boost to natural armor and a stat boost.

It's a great "oh crap, I need to get outta here!" spell. 'Cause of it's long duration and his party's great scout, I had a sorcerer player who almost always prebuffed every fight as an air elemental. It was very effective.


What are your feats? If you have extend spell for example long duration buffs can be cast (darkvision, mage armour, false life, etc) and will still be in effect next game day.

You look like a blaster from spell selection so persistent spell, heighten spell and lingering spell (possibly removes the need for an area control spell?)

The spells and metamagics do have a relationship.

Silver Crusade

strayshift wrote:
What are your feats?

Let's see...

Toughness
Spell Focus (evocation)
Varisian Tattoo (evocation)
Improved Initiative
Skill Focus (Knowledge[planes]) <--Bloodline feat
Eldritch Heritage (arcane)


Arlyn Swallowtail wrote:
strayshift wrote:
What are your feats?

Let's see...

Toughness
Spell Focus (evocation)
Varisian Tattoo (evocation)
Improved Initiative
Skill Focus (Knowledge[planes]) <--Bloodline feat
Eldritch Heritage (arcane)

Spontaneous casters really get the best deal from meta-magics (yes, full round action, blah, blah, blah - I regretted it with but one character in the near 30 years it's been part of the game).

A blaster would benefit from persistent spell, empower spell, heighten spell and some feats are de-buff effects too e.g. rime spell. That's where I would focus your remaining feats (except possibly for pursuing eldritch heritage).

The impact on your spells? You only need a few blasts (fireball is probably the best) and the rest can be buff, defence, utility.

A good guide for blasters is: Brewers Guide to the Blockbuster Wizard (easily found here) which is easily translatable for Sorcerers.

Goodluck.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

My opinions, shaker of salt, YMMV, etc...

You already have Blindness/Deafness, Glitterdust, Burst of Radiance and Hold for control/debuff. That's pretty solid.

For 'Oh crap, get me out of here' I see Vanish.

For movement I don't see anything (assuming you have consumables to cover that).

My choices at this level would be: damage, damage+control, or utility.

First pick:
I still believe the best status effect on a foe is DEAD. So...I'd probably consider Ball Lightning, Flaming Sphere's bigger cousin. 2 spheres of roaming damage, that last 1r/level, fly perfect and ignore wind effects and are only a move action to move around (allowing you to keep casting other spells each round).

Second choice:
I like wall spells. Walls block LOS, give your party some breathing room, separate the battlefield/foes into smaller groups so you can defeat in detail, etc. Note that passing through a wall does not allow a save, but they are SR yes (natch).

Wall of Fire (double damage against undead too!)
Wall of Ice. Good shapable solid barrier.

I have avoided Wall spells in PFS because of the hit or miss nature of PUGs. Like for example if your party is made up of Zen archers. Or if you have a PUGs that doesn't coordinate well with controllers. Still I usually pick up at least one. BUT in this case, as you are only learning 1 spell, the wall spells are a second pick.

Third choice:
Dimension Door is also an excellent choice...but again it is a second choice. It ends your turn and you may have not done anything to help the party, unless you are playing triage. BUT it can save your life when it all hits the fan. Though in my experience and (YMMV) this occurs either to poor planning or a scripted ambush encounter in a poorly design adventure that doesn't allow creative thinking...or thinking at all. And even then I'd rather spend my turn blasting than running away.

Other:
Regarding haste...the point about PUGs is valid. Still it's up to you...would rather spend your turn buffing (a group that may or may not need this spell)...or blasting (probably almost every combat encounter)?

Again given that you are sorcerer with that single spell choice haste gets a backseat. If the party really wants it...my casters usually keep a couple scrolls on hand.

Silver Crusade

Summon monster 4 is a solid choice

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Advice / [PFS] Sorceress Spell Selection All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.