A level 1 sorcerer usually only have a very limited number of spells per day and is also very weak to fight melee. How can a sorcerer contribute on a long encounter at level 1? Crossbow? Acid splash? Do wizards have a better time at level 1?
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Well, many 1st level Bloodline Powers are attacks, so those help if you've got one.
Acid Splash or Ray of Frost can be very handy (I once had a Wizard kill an Adult Black Dragon with the latter...it was at low HP and he was out of spells, and the rest of the party were unconscious), and target Touch AC, making them good choices if your Dex isn't so good.
The Light Crossbow is excellent if you've got a decent Dex.
If you have decent Str (don't laugh, melee Sorcerers are a thing) a Longspear is also an excellent contribution to combat. Heck, even with mediocre Str and a willingness to get near enemies, you can do Aid Another and provide Flanking. Giving a hard-hitting ally +2 to +4 to hit is nothing to sneeze at.
That's most of it when you aren't using your precious spells, really. Though your spells are potential fight-winners at this level (Sleep and Color Spray, I'm looking at you).
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Deadmanwalking's beaten me to it; all very solid advice. I had a fellow player in RotRL playing a dhampir sorcerer, and he made very effective use of his longspear. I was playing my aasimar metal oracle (the party beatstick), going into melee with the baddies, and he'd be right there with me, jabbing away. We couldn't get the cowardly rogue to go anywhere near melee, so it was just us two handling the wetwork. Plus a tweaked-out archer. He was more for picking off stragglers, though.
My PFS sorcerer was a human Taldan with the Imperious bloodline, and was also tricked out to maximize Intimidate. I demoralized enough enemies that it became a running joke when I said "I cast demoralize."
Thanks a lot for your answers!
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Mage Hand plus smokestick for battlefield control
tanglefoot bags
Charge grants a +2 to attack
Climb to get higher ground
Use a net even though you're not proficient
Slings and bullets are cheap and with a decent Dex and Str you can hang well back and lob little bits of damage all day
Throw oil - not just to light on fire but because it makes slippery spots
Daze. At this level robbing action economy for a round can be fight-winning and with a Cha focus you're walking in with a DC 14 Will save on monsters that typically have at best a +3 to their save. I'd also say Dazzle but that's not really all that great a debuff.
Speaking of debuffs, Touch of Fatigue is a decent one
There's always lots you can do, even at 1st level and even as a sorcerer. Remember though that some of your bloodline powers are touch attacks that just auto-affect your enemies for a round.
Make sure you know Color Spray. At lvl 1 you will basically end encounters with it and you can cast a bunch as a Sorcerer.
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Cast your magic missile then run and hide for the rest of the day.
I've managed to scare my more martial party mates in melee combat.
Cast your magic missile then run and hide for the rest of the day.
That's a 1e and 2e comment, been there, did that, lol
No, no, that was AD&D. And even that was assuming you hadn't used your 1st-level spell slot on, say, light. (You new folks think I'm kidding, don't you? Not a joke. Straight up. Dancing lights and ghost sound ('audible glamer' back then) too. Really.)
it was:
I command you to sleep! Ok, i did my part, go kill the sleeping _______________. I'm gonna sit back here and toss a dagger every now and then. Lemme know when it's tomorrow.
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No, no, that was AD&D. And even that was assuming you hadn't used your 1st-level spell slot on, say, light. (You new folks think I'm kidding, don't you? Not a joke. Straight up. Dancing lights and ghost sound ('audible glamer' back then) too. Really.)it was:
I command you to sleep! Ok, i did my part, go kill the sleeping _______________. I'm gonna sit back here and toss a dagger every now and then. Lemme know when it's tomorrow.
Ahh, yes. I remember those days. This is why Mindup the Mystical carried 8 daggers. I think I got him to level 11, at which point I was the one winning all the battles by blasting everything in site, and the rest of the group didn't do much. So it was time to quit that campaign.
No, no, that was AD&D. And even that was assuming you hadn't used your 1st-level spell slot on, say, light. (You new folks think I'm kidding, don't you? Not a joke. Straight up. Dancing lights and ghost sound ('audible glamer' back then) too. Really.)it was:
I command you to sleep! Ok, i did my part, go kill the sleeping _______________. I'm gonna sit back here and toss a dagger every now and then. Lemme know when it's tomorrow.
For everyone who understood what all these comments and the magic missile thing meant, I urge you to go here. No skool like the old skool.
With a sorcerer, always remember to choose a race with a high land movement speed. You'll need it.
"Funny man in dress hurt Grug with funny words! GRUG SMASH!"
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With a sorcerer, always remember to choose a race with a high land movement speed. You'll need it.
"Funny man in dress hurt Grug with funny words! GRUG SMASH!"
Expeditious Retreat is your friend. My gnome sorcerer was once the only survivor of a PFS scenario because he cast a scroll of it to get his speed up to 40, which was enough to outrun the undead monsters.
That's actually another answer to the original question: scrolls. Ok, so you won't have any when you first start out, but by mid-way through level 1, you should have the money to buy at least half a dozen level 1 scrolls for 25 gp each. They'll give you extra stuff to do in battle, as well as utility stuff that you don't want to have to take as known spells.
What bloodline?
See, some bloodlines get rather cool attack powers.
Use Acid splash, skip the crossbow. You're a spell caster, act like one.
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At 1st level, there's not really that much to choose between characters. A fighter (MAD and Str-focussed) might have 12 Dexterity and +1 BAB; the sorcerer (being SAD) might have 14 Dexterity and +0 BAB. The fighter carries a normal longbow because at 1st level he can't afford Mighty one to go with his 17 Str; the sorcerer has a normal light crossbow. Both attack at +2 to hit once per round for 1d8 damage.
Don't dump the crossbow until at least 5th level. Whilst you have quite a few uses of spells and SLAs uses, you'll feel a bit of an idiot standing around doing nothing while the enemy are out of range.
The longspear is very much a thing. Few monsters at 1st level have reach, so you're hitting them and they're not hitting you (or they're eating AoOs until you run out of room to 5' step into). This is a good thing. And it's very cheap so you've not wasted much if you don't use it.
With a sorcerer, always remember to choose a race with a high land movement speed. You'll need it.
"Funny man in dress hurt Grug with funny words! GRUG SMASH!"
Expeditious Retreat is your friend. My gnome sorcerer was once the only survivor of a PFS scenario because he cast a scroll of it to get his speed up to 40, which was enough to outrun the undead monsters.
Actually, a scroll of Invisibility for a Sorcerer would work far better than simply running away. You can't be chased if invisible, unlike running.
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A bit off topic, but my melee martials go with chakram. 1d8 + str is pretty darn good before you can afford those fancy composite bows.
Or a sling. 1d4+Str is decent too...and so damn cheap (free,plus 100 bulets for the cost of a single chakram). Plus it has better range.
Both are valid choices, and much better for a high Str character than a bow without a Str mod or a crossbow for 5th level and lower characters.
Rime-Blooded Sorcerer + Ray of Frost + Alchemical Ice = 1d3+1 + DC14 Fort or Slow for a round. That's how I usually participate in the early couple of levels.
Actually, a scroll of Invisibility for a Sorcerer would work far better than simply running away. You can't be chased if invisible, unlike running.With a sorcerer, always remember to choose a race with a high land movement speed. You'll need it.
"Funny man in dress hurt Grug with funny words! GRUG SMASH!"
Expeditious Retreat is your friend. My gnome sorcerer was once the only survivor of a PFS scenario because he cast a scroll of it to get his speed up to 40, which was enough to outrun the undead monsters.
For a first-level sorcerer, invisibility really isn't much of an option for a duration that'll get them out of danger.
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I still recommend a 16 strength, a longspear, claws, and a judicious use of running in to battle.
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That's actually another answer to the original question: scrolls. Ok, so you won't have any when you first start out, but by mid-way through level 1, you should have the money to buy at least half a dozen level 1 scrolls for 25 gp each. They'll give you extra stuff to do in battle, as well as utility stuff that you don't want to have to take as known spells.
I stand by this recommendation. While the rest of the group is spending 300 gp to get masterwork weapons, you can get 12 1st level scrolls with that much money. Embrace spellcasting! Weapons are for everyone else.
Daze is an amazing spell at early levels and being able to spam them is good (however you can only affect a character once per 24 hours).
Ranged weapons are ok if you have dex for it
But I fully recommend buying a wand of Magic Missile/Shocking Grasp/Burning Hands early as a crutch to lean on.
Just remember, the verbal component for Color Spray is "Taste the Rainbow!"
One quote from my campaign. We're fighting this group from the local thieves' guild, and my bard ends up harrowing the ringleader. The ringleader casts Color Spray in my PC's face, and I make the save.
My bard looks at him and responds, "Rainbows? Really?"
Just remember, the verbal component for Color Spray is "Taste the Rainbow!"
I can't stop laughing!
What bloodline?
See, some bloodlines get rather cool attack powers.
Use Acid splash, skip the crossbow. You're a spell caster, act like one.
I once did a build for a level 1 sorc that could deal 1d3+7 with ray of frost. Was specialized and probably not viable at higher levels but still.
something I really played was a half-orc dressed as peasant, wielding a flail (got proficiency through race) accompanied by his pig familiar. But he was no sorc but an earth wizard. He dominated our 1st level game with his acid cloud school power and his melee abilities. Earth school gives +1 to attacks and with a decent strength he was a a capable combatant. All that without using a single spell (which he had in addition to the above).
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Just remember, the verbal component for Color Spray is "Taste the Rainbow!"I can't stop laughing!
We had another one last night. A succubus charmed one of our group, so another group member casts Protection from Evil to give him another saving throw at a bonus. He described the action of casting it as slapping the guy in the face and yelling "BROS BEFORE HOES!!!!!"
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Make sure you know Color Spray. At lvl 1 you will basically end encounters with it and you can cast a bunch as a Sorcerer.Or realize the dungeon is full of undead and you've wasted your spell selection.
Always have a backup plan.
When I was level 1, I had Color Spray and Mage Armor as my level 1 spells, Daze as my cantrip, and my bloodline Tremor power that could trip things without minds 7 times per day (Deep Earth bloodline). I thought that gave me something to do in any battle, until we fought a giant spider. Eight legged suckers are hard to trip (+2 CMD vs trip for every leg after the first two). That's when I pulled out a scroll of Magic Weapon and told the fighter "Go get him!"
Make sure you know Color Spray. At lvl 1 you will basically end encounters with it and you can cast a bunch as a Sorcerer.Or realize the dungeon is full of undead and you've wasted your spell selection.
Ray of Disruption/Frost or Acid Splash?
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Level 1 adventure, game session 1 of a new game. I was not playing a sorcerer but rather a gestalt NG male halfling ranger 1/cavalier 1. I astound my GM with the following:
GM (as drill sergant giving us first assignment): so that's where you'll be headed. Any questions?
Me: Yeah. What normally lives around there, in the caves and such? *to the GM OOC* I'm going to make a knowledge: local to see if I know what monsters to prep for. Also since there's no directive to leave immediately I'll take a couple hours and ask around with the sergant, other recruits, folks in town etc. using Diplomacy to gather info on the area. Finally I'll use profession: trapper, knowledge: geography and consult the Erastilin temple as a worshipper and see if they have Knowledge: Nature or Religion on the area, see if there's any common animals, hazards, undead, etc. to watch out for.
Now, the above is a corner case and I know that some spells are always iffy for the casters to choose, but I feel like good prep can really help inform those choices a lot better than the boards telling me "Color Spray = Winning!"
