Hello all,
I will be playing making a sorcerer 4th level to replace my deceased Paladin 5 in Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil.
I need help on his spell selection, the important information to consider beforehand:
Mayhem, Human Male Sorcerer
Str 12 Dex 16 Con 15 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 18 (20 w/ Cloak)
HP: 20
Probable Feats:
1) Draconic Heritage (Red Dragon)
B) Draconic Skin
B) Extend Spell (gained from a Flaw)
3) Draconic Breath
Flaw: Forlorn (No ability to gain a familiar)
Important Gear: Cloak of Charisma +2 (majority of my starting gold)
Spells Known: 6 / 3/ 1
Now, I've decided my 2nd level spell should be Rope Trick (unless we have a really good arguement otherwise).
Eventually my character will take Draconic Legacy and gain the spells: Detect Secret Doors, Suggestion and True Seeing.
So far I have:
0th: Read Magic, Detect Magic, Dancing Lights, Acid Splash, Mending, Arcane Mark
1st: Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Feather Fall
2nd: Rope Trick
I am positive he'll be joining the one surviving player, a Monk. One other PC is going to be a cleric, and the other, supposedly some kind of Rogue. So I'm filling the arcane caster niche.
Any advice and such would be appreciated (on any facette of the character)
Well I'm no expert on sorcerers but I'll tell you what I did for my lvl 6 sorcerer. Because of the group I'm in I went for some damage output, which a lot of people say sorcerers are good for. So I always start a new spell level with a attack type spell. Then the next known spell will be the utility/buff type spell. I also tried to max out my versitility of my damage spells with my feats. I took energy substitution(acid) and then took the feat Draconic Power. For my damage spell at each level I took a different damage type (Orb of cold, lesser at first scrourching ray at second and scintilatting sphere at 3rd). This allows me to have a varity of damage types at my command in case we come up to a creature with damage reduction. If a creature has no damage reduction vs acid then I always convert my spells to acid for the level bonus from Draconic Power. In your case since you took Dragon Breath you may not need the damage spells. The utility spell I took for second level is Resist Energy because it's always nice to have on hand. I hope that helps some.
seems like a reasonable selection of spells. especially if you are aiming for some damage output whilst retaining utility.
Just as an aside I am going to say that I think flaws (in general) are for powergamers. Would you really, honestly have taken a familiar into such a hostile environment, most PCs I know don't bother to get a familiar if there is a high likelyhood that they will die. Or are you using it as an excuse to get a feat?
This is just my, extreme, bias against flaws. I have seen them badly abused in the past.
igi
No fighter huh! Well my advice is drop rope trick and grab protection v. normal arrows. Because they are strange and new to me I would drop the dragon skin and the dragon breathe and pick up point blank and precise shot with your dex you make a descent shot with a cross bow. That way you can keep a distance and aid the cleric and monk in a fight, after you cast mage armor and both magic missiles. I would also take summon monster I. I think the usefulness of this spell is underestimated.
The sorcerer in my group has had some success while low-level with daze and sleep for offensive capability, mage armor or shield (I don´t remember which) for defense. Enlarge is a good combat booster for front-line characters.
IMO, sleep is more effective than magic missile.
Consider the improved initiative feat - it can be deciding to get that spell off before the enemy.
Rope Trick is useful, but my group would have none of it anymore - one time they used it, the next morning they woke up in Castle Amber. Of course not the sorcerers fault, but how are the characters to know that ? :-)
Stefan
Just as an aside I am going to say that I think flaws (in general) are for powergamers.
In general, I'd agree with you, but there are a lot of people (people I know at least) who don't even bother with a familiar. In this case, the character gets something that -almost- compensates. While it is true that a familiar can cost a character XP if it dies, it also provides the effects of 2 feats, essentially, as well as the "deliver touch spells" option later on, which is so handy.
I actually like the concept of flaws, but wouldn't take any of the ones in the Unearthed Arcana. I prefer my flaws to add some flavor (and I'm saying this from a player's and DM's point of view).
Anyway, sorry to derail the thread... back on topic (mostly), have you (OP) considered the excellent staff option (as a replacement for a familiar) in a recent Dragon (can't remember the issue). I'm pretty sure that both wizards and sorcerers could take that. Otherwise, what were you planning on using Extend Spell for?
So I always start a new spell level with a attack type spell. Then the next known spell will be the utility/buff type spell. I also tried to max out my versitility of my damage spells with my feats.
Makes sense, But I chose to let my damage be handled by the Breath Weapon, and try for versatility first (and let magic missile work on the fire resistant guys if need be).
I took energy substitution(acid) and then took the feat Draconic Power. For my damage spell at each level I took a different damage type (Orb of cold, lesser at first scrourching ray at second and scintilatting sphere at 3rd). This allows me to have a varity of damage types at my command in case we come up to a creature with damage reduction. If a creature has no damage reduction vs acid then I always convert my spells to acid for the level bonus from Draconic Power. In your case since you took Dragon Breath you may not need the damage spells.
Yep, you guessed that one correctly. I kinda wanted a line breath weapon for ease of use, but I like the idea of a Good sorcerer with the red dragon heritage too much.
The utility spell I took for second level is Resist Energy because it's always nice to have on hand. I hope that helps some.
While it is a great spell, the cleric can cast it, and I trust my buddy playing the cleric to step up with such help if necessary. Of course, having it at my whim is better, but I still think Invisibility and Mirror Image both would benefit my mage for utility (or defense in the latter case).
Thanks for the input!
I was focusing more on utility because of the way I expect my gaming group to play.
seems like a reasonable selection of spells. especially if you are aiming for some damage output whilst retaining utility.
Thanks, and that is what I am aiming for (unless better ideas come up in this thread!)
Just as an aside I am going to say that I think flaws (in general) are for powergamers. Would you really, honestly have taken a familiar into such a hostile environment, most PCs I know don't bother to get a familiar if there is a high likelyhood that they will die. Or are you using it as an excuse to get a feat?
In this case, I'm actually against the sorcerer having a familiar, because of his backstory. The extra feat just gives me something I'll actually use, as opposed to wasting a class ability to gain alertness and random other feat.
This is just my, extreme, bias against flaws. I have seen them badly abused in the past.
igi
It is true, that they can lead to abuse, but the two main GM's in my gaming group enforce them pretty well, so it is hard to abuse them (and we approve the flaws for each character).
Only the ones of us who have a little bit of power gamer in us really use them. The others just don't have enough interest to have to remember more rules about their character.
I also try to add them for flavor, and they heavily lend to my Rogue/Cleric's personality in another game.
But most of that belongs in a thread about flaws.
Thanks for the input!
No fighter huh! Well my advice is drop rope trick and grab protection v. normal arrows.
An interesting spell choice, but I really feel my character needs rope trick (extended especially) to be able to rest and get his spells back without a chance for dangerous night ambushes. This is actually part of what lead to my Paladin's death, hostile territory with no safe haven to rest.
Because they are strange and new to me I would drop the dragon skin and the dragon breathe and pick up point blank and precise shot with your dex you make a descent shot with a cross bow.
Draconic Skin => +1 Natural Armor
Draconic Breath => Supernatural ability (std act), convert arcane spell into 30 ft cone of fire, 2d6 damage per spell level
That way you can keep a distance and aid the cleric and monk in a fight, after you cast mage armor and both magic missiles.
Well, I actually get 8 first level spells a day (with bonus spells). I also get 4 2nd level spells a day. In our campaigns, you get your bonus slots to use, so I've three spell slots above 2nd to use with 1st, 2nd, or metamagic'd spells. So, I can reign down the firepower ok.
I would also take summon monster I. I think the usefulness of this spell is underestimated.
Actually, taking any Summon Monster is on my list to get, but it may wait a few levels. I know my sorcerer is low on AC and HP, so some extra fodder greatly interests him. My 1st level spell gained at 5th level may very well be Summon MOnster I or Identify (depending on the cleric's domains).
Thanks for the input, I'll read up on Protection from Arrows again!
Jesse Decker wrote a class-acts on necessary arcane spells in a (fairly) recent DRAGON. Can't remember which one, off-hand, but its worth a look. Its good stuff, and only slightly metagamey.