DISCLAIMER
I have read the Sorcerer/Sorceress guides for Pathfinder, including for spell selection. The most helpful guide was A Quick Guide to Pathfinder Sorcerers by Dazaras.
PERSONAL HISTORY & BUILD SUMMARY
A Sorceress is defined by her spells, perhaps more so than any other aspect. The theme of a generalist is expressed here: HIgh save DCs and more spell slots due to high CHA, a variety of spells with a variety of functions, and all saves targeted (eventually).
I want to try a CHA-based spontaneous caster. I understand the Sage bloodline would permit me to use INT instead of CHA for casting (and thus grant more
Having played much (but not yet all) of Baldur's Gate II, I have a strong idea of what it means to be self-sufficient in that game. I have many years of D&D 3.5 experience with Wizards and brief mid-level Pathfinder Wizard experience. To make this unmistakably clear: This character is meant to be self-sufficient with the help of her items, but also able to work well in a party. She can blast, she can buff, she can summon, etc.
Wise consumable use as a Sor doesn't make you a poser Wizard. It makes you a more effective Sor. Just bring the 'magical golf bag' (the caster's equivalent to a golf bag full of weapons to beat DR, except with wands, scrolls, potions, rods, and staves) and you'll be better.
CHARACTER CREATION RULES AND SOURCES
This character is for BladeAndBow, a group of organized play for Pathfinder participants. It's not Pathfinder Society, but a similar organization. Full rules are at the Required Reading Forum.
The most important ones are thus:
-20 point buy.
-Start at level 1. The end level is undetermined.
-Start with maximum wealth by class at level 1.
-Paizo (first party) material only.
-Core races only.
-Most official classes are allowed. No Summoner.
-2 traits are allowed per character, or 3 with a drawback. No campaign-specific nor Pathfinder Society traits.
-Max HP at first HD, and half this amount rounded down for all subsequent levels.
-Player versus Player (PvP) is possible starting at level 4 via mutual opt-in. PvP is open to all starting at level 6. I'd prefer to avoid PvP.
-Magic items may be made via contracting with other players, or by crafting them yourself. I suspect the best items will be found or player-made.
-This is a 'low magic' setting. Many magic items can be bought. No buying NPC spellcasting services. No scrolls of spell level 7+, nor items that cast spells of spell level 7+.
-No rare cantrips.
-Nobility and kingdom-building rules are in place for those who want to spend the resources to be treated as royalty in-character. (I may do this and am taking suggestions.)
-1 free character rebuild at character level 5 and below. Unused rebuilds are wasted.
SAMPLE BUILD:
TN Half-Elf Sorceress20 (Arcane Bloodline, False Priest of Nethys Archetype)
1 (Race): [Arcane Training], [Skill Focus: Use Magic Device]
1 (Traits): {Dangerously Curious (Magic)}, {Eyes and Ears of the City (Religion)}, {Pride (Drawback)}, {Reactionary (Combat)}
1: False Focus (swap out Eschew Material Components), Noble Scion (Scion of War)
3: Craft Wondrous Item
5: Persistent Spell
7: Emergency Attunement, [Impoved Initiative]
9: Dazing Spell, [FALSE CHANNELING!]
11: Quicken Spell
13: Greater Spell Focus: Illusion, [Spell Focus: Illusion]
15: Spell Perfection: ???
17: [Spell Focus: Transmutation], Spell Perfection: ???
19: Spell Perfection: TIME STOP!
Reasoning: False Priest is the archetype for generalist Sorcerers! Being able to UMD a scroll of <insert divine spell here> and spend a spell slot of +1 spell level to cast the spell instead of expending the scroll rocketh!
-Craft Wondrous Item is to create most helpful items for this character.
-(Greater) Spell Focus: Illusion helps with the shadow evocation and shades spells.
-Emergency Attunement is to switch the Paragon Surge feat once per day.
-Other feats are generally useful (Improved Initiative, Noble Scion) or set up for (or are) Spell Perfection.
Initial Ability Scores (20 Point Buy)
7 STR
14 DEX
14 CON
11 INT
7 WIS
20 CHA (+1 more from levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20)
Reasoning: Put the stats where they matter most: Immediate survival, going first, and spellcasting! Half-Elf's +2 Will saves vs. Enchantments covers most Will saves.
Skills to Max
-Knowledge: Planes (via INT item)
-Perception (via INT item)
-Spellcraft
-Use Magic Device
Reasoning: Spellcraft is a prerequisite for Spell Perfection, amongst other things. UMD helps with False Channel. Perception is useful in general, but can presently be put safely on an item. Knowlege: Planes is helpful for planar traversal as well as identifying planar creatures, like devils.
GEAR TO GET
Note: This is gear to acquire - eventually. In general, I will refer to A Quick Guide to Pathfinder Sorcerers by Dazaras. I'm looking for better suggestions, if any.
Also, adding effects onto a slot costs the combined total +50%. Sometimes this is worth it.
Arms: Bracers of Armor [+8] (64K). Any other item properties?
Belt: Belt of Physical Might [+6 DEX, +6 CON] (90K). If I need the STR for the spell blood money, add +6 STR to up the price to 144K.
Body: Robe of Arcane Heritage (16K)
Chest: Quick Runner's Shirt (1K)
Cloak: Cloak of Resistance [+5] (25K) OR/AND Minor Cloak of Displacement (24K)
Eyes: Eyes of the Eagle (2.5K) OR/AND Fogcutting Lenses (8K)
Feet: Boots of Escape (8K) OR/AND Boots of Springing and Striding (5.5K)
Gloves: Taking suggestions!
Head: Circlet of Persuasion (4.5K)
Headband: Headband of Mental Prowess [+6 INT, +6 CHA] (90K).
Neck: Amulet of Natural Armor [+5] (50K) OR/AND Necklace of Adaptation (9K)
Neck, Alternate: Prayer Beads - including Karma (tell me how much this really costs) - UMD the Karma bead via emulating a 'class feature' - a character capable of casting divine spells
Neck, While Crafting: Armillary Amulet (2.5K)
Ring 1: Ring of Protection [+5] (50K)
Ring 2: Ring of Freedom of Movement (40K)
Shield: Mithral Buckler [+1 Heavy Fortification] (36K). Any other item properties?
Rod, Dazing: Metamagic Rod of Dazing (54K)
Rod, Extend: Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend (3K) for most buffs. Greater Metamagic Rod of Extend (24.5K) for Time Stop.
Rod, Persistent: Metamagic Rod of Persistent (32.5K)
Rod, Quicken: Lesser Metamagic Rod of Quicken (35K)
Rod, Selective: Greater Metamagic Rod of Selective (24.5K)
Rod, Silent: Greater Metamagic Rod of Silent (24.5K)
Unslotted: Orange Ioun Stone (30K)
Unslotted: Heward's Handy Haverack (2K)
Unslotted: Stat Tomes [+5 CHA, +4 DEX, and +4 CON most notably] (137.5K for a +5, 110K for a +4).
SPELL SELECTION BY LEVEL
Bloodline: Arcane (Bonded Object). Pretty much everything a theoretical casting-focused Sor would want exists here. The bloodline spells range from merely OK (identify) to downright wonderful (dimension door, greater teleport). Power word stun may be a weak spell for its level (and this character will likely have many, many other spells she can cast by then), but it's a no-save stun!
Archetype: False Priest. Losing invisibility @5 hurts, perhaps moreso than dispel magic @7, but @9 (or earlier with the Robe of Arcane Heritage), the ability to spend Sor spell slots to cast divine spells via successful UMD. Scrolls are the true gem here, such as turning a raise dead scroll into a level 6 spell slot with a high UMD check, but seemingly no material component cost.
Assumptions: Pages of Spell Knowledge (the Pathfinder version of D&D 3.x's Knowstones) are allowed in this campaign, but the below list does not depend on them. (The spells listed below also do not account for the Arcane Bloodline's Extra Arcana abilities at level 13 and 17. Remember, the False Priest archetype swaps the first Extra Arcana spell @9.) This character will get these pages for additional spells known as prudent, but we need a baseline build for evaluation.
Note: Spells below are categorized by spell level, then what character level this character (a single class Sorceress) expects to gain these spells. [Bloodline Spells] appear in [Brackets].
(Level 0/Cantrips)
1: Daze: Can keep a weak foe locked down.
1: Detect Magic: Because it's useful.
1: Ghost Sound: "I am Oz, the great and powerful!"
1: Light: Discount Darkvision.
2: Acid Splash: It's like magically peeing in someone's eye.
4: Guidance: +1 Spellcraft when crafting (possibly). +1 UMD when time is no obstacle.
6: Prestidigitation: Discount Diet Wish.
8: Resistance: Let's make some Cloaks of Resistance!
10: Mage Hand: Five pounds of unattended matter can be a lot, especially at will.
!Level 1!
1: Color Spray: Combine with a x4 crit weapon for a Color Spray Lobotomy (CSL)™!
1: Magic Missile: It always hits. Even against the darkness. Especially against ghosts. Tastes better with Dazing Spell.
3: Grease: A small patch of instant slipperiness denies foes their DEX bonus to AC while balancing and sometimes makes them fall. PF Grease seems flammable too since it's actual grease and not magical grease substitute.
3: [Identify]: Bloodline.
4: Protection from Evil: Preventing mind control is the star here. The bonuses to saves and AC are icing on the cake. Also good to have on a wand.
4: Shield: It negates Magic Missiles and gives +4 AC until mithral bucklers come around.
5: Ray of Enfeeblement: Recharges a Staff of the Master (Necromancy) and blunts damage done by STR-focused attackers. It's also a no-save ray.
7: Silent Image OR ?: Taking suggestions here!
RUNNER-UP: Blood Money: "Money for blood? I like that exchange!" -Jon Bovi
WAND: Comprehend Languages: Your gibberish makes sense to me for 10 minutes per charge.
WAND: Enlarge Person: Faster activation than learning it and still lasts a minute per charge!
WAND: Expeditious Retreat: 1 minute of running really fast (+30' land speed) for 750G is kinda useful.
WAND: Feather Step: Hard terrain becomes moderate terrain for 10 minutes per charge @25'.
WAND: Infernal Healing: Cure For Evil replaces 3.5's Lesser Vigor wands.
WAND: Mage Armor: +4 armor AC (touch range) for cheap!
WAND: Mount: Summon a Large horse for 2 hours per charge.
WAND: Protection from Evil: Preventing mind control is the star here. The +2 saves and AC are just gravy. Still good to have in a pinch, even if a character has this spell at the ready.
WAND: Touch of the Sea: Now we're prepared for aquatic adventure!
WAND: Silent Image: This spell is GM-dependent and we need to experience it in-game before dedicating any spell slots to this.
@Level 2@
4: Web: The best crowd control for the level.
5: [Aid]: It's a touch-range False Life with a Bless component attached. Probably better than False Life. Probably worse than Invisibility. Still worth the trade for False Priest.
5: Mirror Image: An arcane caster's best defensive buff through much of the game.
6: Glitterdust: A Will save each round (boo!) to negate blindness, but also reveals everything in its initial burst (yay!). About as difficult to remove as club glitter.
7: Levitate: Let's move in 3D!
7: Stone Call: No-save blunt damage and a 40' radius of rubble afterward make it good on its own and wonderful with Dazing Spell!
9: Communal Mount: Summon 6 horses for 20 minutes each per caster level. Spiffy transportation and area control in the form of 'Wall of Horse.'
11: Flaming Sphere: Or as I like to call it, Dazing Sphere!
RUNNER-UP: Burning Arc: It's Chain Fire at spell level 2. It hurts trolls and it's party-friendly. I'm also low on useful level 2 spells at this character level.
CONSUMABLE: Resist Energy: Useful on occasion for 10-20 energy resistance. The level 3 communal version is probably -much- better in a party setting!
WAND: Invisibility: Whatever Invisibility the party needs can probably be solved through a 50-charge wand, up to 3 minutes at a time.
WAND: Knock: Not worth a spell known, but 50 items unlocked will likely be more than needed in this campaign.
#Level 3#
6: PARAGON SURGE!: The entire reason to play a Half-Elf instead of a Human or an Elf! Combine this with the feat Emergency Attunement for extra joy! Use Paragon Surge to borrow metamagic feats, Expanded Arcana, and Spell Perfection.
7: Haste: "Haste makes waste of mine enemies."
7: [Remove Disease]: Why do mummies spread the Clap? I miss [Dispel Magic], but we're holding on for False Channel, the Sor9 False Priest bloodline ability and this came in the package!
8: Stinking Cloud: Atomic Farts of Justice! Goes well with Undead summons and pets.
9: Aqueous Orb: Move foes back into crowd controlled areas, like Web and Stinking Cloud areas!
9: Major Image: Make the enemies feel the heat, hear the voices chattering madly, and defecate in terror!
11: Communal Resist Energy: Works best @CL11 due to 30 energy resistance. Spread the love. Spread the protection!
RUNNER-UP: Greater Magic Weapon: Its use is self-evident for martials.
RUNNER-UP: Fireball: "Only you can make enemies die in a fire."
RUNNER-UP: Fly: Let's not chance failing to miss the ground.
RUNNER-UP: Phantom Steed: "Make us go faster! Make us go faster!"
CONSUMABLE: Magic Circle vs. Evil: Long-term Paladin-friendly party huddle & cuddle space! Also works well if cast with the Planar Binding series!
CONSUMABLE: Wind Wall: Prevent archers from arching and throwers from throwing.
WAND: PARAGON SURGE!: About as useful as a spell slot as on a 5-minute-at-a-time CL5 wand.
WAND: Shrink Item: "Dear meanies. We owe you one dungeon. Signed, the Good Guys."
$Level 4$
8: SumMon IV: For combat summons that don't require feats to make worthwhile, SumMon IV hits the spot with SumMon III's (in d3 quantity) lantern archons, dire bats, apes, crocodiles, and cheetahs, and upgraded versions (in d1 quantity) of the cheetah (lion) and ape (dire ape).
9: [Dimenion Door]: Well worth having to wait an extra level to get this from bloodline!
9: Evard's Black Tentacles: Someone's food stamps grew tentacles and are trying to capture, crush, and eat you! False Focus (replacing a 50G tanglefoot bag material component) forces foes to reroll their grapple and take the worse result. We may swap this spell out later, but it's useful now!
10: Enervation: Inflicts negative levels, which buff Undead and debuff anything else not immune. (-5 HP, -1 on all d20 rolls per negative level) Since negative levels deal 5 HP damage each, Dazing Spell is a candidate.
11: Boneshatter: No-save damage against anything with a skeletal structure and inflict either Fatigue or Exhaustion on the victim.
13: Stone Shape: Let's make sand castles! Do those count for this spell? Ahem. Let's make Wall of Stone castles and reshape our battlefield like it's putty!
RUNNER-UP: Improved Invisibility: Goes together with direct damage and flight like peanut butter jelly time!
RUNNER-UP: Fire Shield: A personal Icy Hot is a useful self-buff.
RUNNER-UP: Scrying: Because Teleport exists and enemies need to die unawares!
CONSUMABLE: Arcane Eye: See around "ALL THE CORNERS." In this campaign, I expect Arcane Eye to be an Arcane Nay.
CONSUMABLE: Dimensional Anchor: Useful for Planar Binding and the occasional caster.
CONSUMABLE: RIde the Waves: Make someone aqueous for 1hr/CL. No snark, my shark.
CONSUMABLE: Stoneskin: Sometimes expensive, but expected worth it for boss fights. Also: Dear party. Please pay me preemptively to keep you alive from beatsticks. Love Sharrel.
%Level 5%
10: Shadow Evocation: With a high enough Illusion DC, the 20% quasireality won't be a hindrance. This lets us cast Fire Shield, Fireball, Wall of Ice, Wall of Fire, Cone of Cold, and many more spells with a single spell known!
11: Teleport!: The thought of warping hundreds of miles at a time as a standard action inspires tears of joy!
11: [Overland Flight]: "I simply know I can fly."
12: Telekinesis: Trip. Trip. Trip. Trip. Trip. Trip. Trip. Trip. Trip. Trip. Trip. At higher caster levels, trip. Or just throw everyone up in the air in the in-universe version of flipping the table.
13: Magic Jar; "I am you. You aren't me. We're a happy family..."
13: Wall of Force: Creatures quickly learn the difference between line of sight and line of effect. Summoning, Telekinesis, and certain other abilities are LoE-based.
15: Wall of Stone: Block those passages! Build those structures!
RUNNER-UP: Phantasmal Web: Selective silky sickening & snaring.
CONSUMABLE: Lesser Planar Binding: Permanent minions, yo!
^Level 6^
12: SumMon VI: Because I <3 versatility. And minions!
13: Contingency: "When I want to" is a legal trigger action.
13: [True Seeing]: See the invisible. Do the impossible.
14: Greater Dispel Magic: Punish your foes and un-suck your friends!
15: Chain Lightning: "Go Chain Lightnin' you're burnin' up the minions of he-eeelllll! Chain Lightnin'! Go Chain Lightnin'!"
15: Sirocco: "Ashes! Ashes! You all fall down!"
RUNNER-UP: Cold Ice Strike: Freeze! As a swift action! I mean, Dark Souls Dragon's Breath Spell style! Just with DPS!
CONSUMABLE: Getaway: Return to same-plane base as a swift action.
CONSUMABLE: Planar Binding: See Planar Binding, Lesser.
&Level 7&
14: Project Image: Casting hologram of doooooom!
15: SumMon VII: Suddenly, dinosaurs.
15: [Greater Teleport]: Warp infinity distance on the same plane as a standard action.
16: Caustic Blast: Corrode! Corrode! Corrode!
17: Spell Turning: "Shall we play a game? How about a nice game of MAGICAL TENNIS?"
RUNNER-UP: Greater Polymorph: "Aw, but you're so cute when you're a Plant!"
RUNNER-UP: Plane Shift: Change planes for adventure time! Snakes optional.
RUNNER-UP: Reverse Gravity: Fly or die.
RUNNER-UP: Walk Through Space: Blinking like Sans of Undertale is debatably useful.
CONSUMABLE: Limited Wish: Super expensive for the super rare occasion when what this spell does is super!
CONSUMABLE: Simulacum: My Sim Solar army shall conquer the world with free Wishes! Mwahahahaha!
*Level 8*
16: Polymorph Any Object: "I wanna be all I can be. Semi-permanently."
17: Greater Shadow Evocation: Standard action Contingency, or any other Sor/Wiz Evocation spell I want of level 7 or below!
17: [Power Word Stun]: No-save, yes-SR, HP-limited d4 or longer round stun. OK...
18: Moment of Prescience: Pre-succeed on 1 roll per casting.
19: Maze: No-save-just-warp-that-threat-out! The Lady of Pain would be proud!
19: Prismatic Wall: As likely to allow safe passage through as Alpha Complex.
20: Call Me If You Find Something Good To Put Here
CONSUMABLE: Clone: "I shall call her... Minnie Me!"
CONSUMABLE: Greater Planar Binding: Assuming Sim Solars haven't scratched that itch already!
-=Level 9=-
18: TIME STOP!: Get extra turns. PS: It works with Spell Perfection!
19: Shades: Cast -any- Conjuration spell of level 8 or below - even off-list! (Compare the text of Shades to Greater Shadow Conjuration.) Alleluiah!
19: [Wish]: It's there.
20: Mass Icy Prison: Hecatomb.
RUNNER-UP: Foresight: Avoid surprisal just like those surprise birthday parties you never received.
RUNNER-UP: Mordenkainen's Disjunction: Neuter enemies! Suppress their treasure!
CONSUMABLE: Create Greater Demiplane: 23K with Permanency for a safe place to recharge all my spells as a standard action or less!
QUESTIONS
-Arcane Bloodline or Shadow (Umbral) Bloodine? Arcane has slightly better feats, 2 extra spells known (after False Priest) and decreased casting time on some metamagicked spells. Umbral has all the shadow conjuration and shadow evocation spells, and +1 caster level on spells cast in dim light and comboes well with Tenebrous Spell. Were the penumbra cantrip allowed, the Umbral Bloodline would be far more appealing.
-I have read the guides to Shadow Evocation and Shadow Conjuration. What Evocation and Conjuration spells (especially ones not rated in the guides or otherwise poorly rated) are especially worth mimicking via Shadow Evocation/Conjuration?
-What do you recommend change on this build (and to what) and why?
