Hello, folks. I just wanted some input regarding purchasing equipment for my 7th-level sphere sorcerer (standard WBL, 23,500 gp). Here's the baseline of the build:
"I am the storm."
Str: 9 -1
Dex: 14 +2
Con: 16 +3
Int: 10 --
Wis: 12 +1
Cha: 21 +5
HP: 55
SP: 21
Feats: Spellcrafting, Extra Magic Talent, Extend Spell, Orb Expert, Energy Specialization (Electricity)
Spheres/Talents:
- Destruction (Focus Sphere) -- Electric Blast, Air Blast, Energy Sphere, Explosive Orb, Guided Strike, Extended Range
- Protection -- Energy Resistance
- Telekinesis -- Flight
Traits: Reactionary, Destructive Talent
Drawbacks:
- Somatic Casting (x2)
- Verbal Casting
- Magical Signs
- Focus Magic
Boons:
- Easy Focus
- Empowered Abilities
- +2 SP (+1, +1/6 levels)
Build Summary:
This character is intended to be a blaster, pure and simple, at this point in the game. Orb Expert was taken in order to minimize the need for a high Dexterity score, so Theldran can produce an at-will 5'-radius burst of damage. Spellcrafting was taken in order to build defenestrating sphere -- my favorite 3.5 spell (for this character, anyway).
For further consideration: At 8th level, Theldran will take the Weather sphere, with the long-term goal of using control weather and the Energy Cloud advanced talent with Atmospheric Imbuement to eliminate the need for Spell Penetration and such like. Penetrating Blast will be taken at some point to more effectively combat resistance/immunity to electricity/nonlethal damage.
I welcome any and all input regarding any part of this, but I particularly desire input about how to divvy up my gp value.
Thanks, all!!
Nope, don't have that one yet. Hmmmm . . . .
I'm guessing that the Targeting Monocle focuses on attack-roll-required destructive blasts?
Of course, I'll need to consider +Cha/+Dex/+Con items, the cloak of resistance, perhaps bracers of armor, . . . .
Oh, yeah -- my casting focus is, oddly enough, going to be . . . . A charred staff made from a lightning-struck tree!! Totally new and refreshing, right??
That would be where the defenestrating sphere would come in: since it's got perfect maneuverability and ignores environmental conditions when it's in motion, I'll be able to leverage control *and* damage in constricted spaces. I think the Monocle is one I can save the cash on . . . .
Blaster's Bracers (Chain Blast) might be worth looking into, but I'm still not sold on +5 ranged touch attack rolls . . . .
Spheres is great at letting you build the sort of character you want to play . . . .
I know!!!
I thought about taking Shattering Blast just so I can be the party lock-pick . . . .
Question: Where are the Orb Expert and Energy Specialization feats? I cannot seem to find them anywhere.
Suggestions:
If you want to avoid the need for a high BAB you could take point blank shot and precise shot those should help with your at will destructive blasts (IMO you should be able to take weapon focus
destructive blast but I don't think that is RAW)
Look into staves. For 8000 you could get a staff that gives you a constant +2 Caster Level on all Destruction sphere abilities, plus you can beat people with it!
Besides that you need all the boring cloak of resistance, bracers of armor, headband of charisma, maybe a belt of dexterity as well to help with hitting things and avoiding being hit by other things.
So I know it is a bit boring but you might consider the following:
+2 Staff of Destruction 8000 gp
+2 Headband of Alluring Charisma 4000 gp
+2 Belt of Incredible Dexterity 4000 gp
+1 Ring of Protection 2000 gp
+1 Cloak of resistance + 1000 gp
+1 Bracers of armor 1000 gp
TOTAL: 20,000 gp
If you want to be more defensive you could downgrade to a +1 staff and up your cloak or get an amulet of natural armor
That leaves you 3500 to get some fun stuff
Random suffestions:
Eyes of the Eagle, 2500 gp
+5 Perception! Since it is probably the most valuable skill and your not a wis character Id consider this money well spent plus it kind of fits the flying storm lord theme
Bag of Tricks, Gray, 3400 gp
Throwing small animals in combat can be somewhat useful, besides it is a really fun item at the table cannot recommend highly enough.
Ring of Feather Fall, 2200 g
You probably wont get knocked unconscious while flying... probably.
I'm seconding the +2 Staff of Destruction for 8k - SoP made staffs a vital tool for casters since they're one of the ways to boost the almighty CL. This will pump your damage further, increase range, increase the DC of your blasts by 1, and boost the fly speed of your energy spheres. Your non-electric Explosive Orbs will also get a nice +5' boost to radius for those at-will Bull Rush attempts from Air Blast (which, incidentally, would get a +2 CMB boost from the staff). Later you could increase the bonus or increase the number of spheres which receive the bonus.
Thanks for all the input, people!! :)
1) Considering that I have Spellcrafting and can put +2 deflection and resist 17 to one energy type on a crafted aegis for 7 hours, I can dispense altogether with the ring of protection, so that saves a minimum of 2000 gp.
2) I can eliminate the +2 Dex item simply because I'll have access to a 180'+ AoE or energy sphere for offense, a "DR 11" ward I can throw up, and flight capability will mitigate some of my vulnerability. I understand that it's a "riskier-than-usual" proposition, but saving the 4000 gp seems like a good thing, especially if I'm going after a staff at all.
3) Given that Orb Expert pumps all Explosive Orb uses by +2 CL, Energy Specialization pumps electricity use by +2 CL, and having Destruction as my Focus Sphere puts me at base CL 8 with those effects, I'm thinking that a 2000 gp staff +1 may be sufficient. I'll be rolling dice at 6d6 for most every damage roll, for an average of 21 points of damage . . . . Hmmm . . . . 10 on a save, or nothing, in the case of the spheres . . . .
Okay, okay -- Let's look at this another way:
+2 headband of alluring charisma -- 4000 gp
+2 bracers of armor -- 4000 gp
+2 cloak of resistance -- 4000 gp
I really do want those three items. While I may not want to boost Dex, I do want to not get hit much, and 2 points of AC as opposed to 1 seems a bit better to me . . . .
Items I'm putting in the consideration pool --
Staff of destruction +1 or +2 -- 2000/8000 gp, respectively
Eyes of the eagle (excellent recommendation, Bardarok!) -- 2500 gp
Handy haversack -- 2000 gp
Dimlight veil -- 1800 gp (this is a bit of a metagame choice -- I'm expecting a lot of brightshiny light effects at some point in this mini-arc, and immunity to dazzled may be a thing)
Ring of feather fall -- 2200 gp (curse those 200 gp!! and, yeah, I'd rather not die as a kinetic spaghetti sauce missile)
___________________
So, here's a question: Given the CL bonuses I have at my disposal, would my Electric Orb get thrown out there at a base CL of 12, due to Energy Spec and Orb Expert? Or would it just be CL 10, since stacking both those bonuses seems a bit much?
For further deliberation: With the Empowered Abilities boon, once I hit 10 spell points remaining, I get a +1 CL bonus. With that in mind, where do the numbers come up best on the staff? Sure, higher is better, but how much more bang for my buck could I expect for the investment of another 6000 gp??
Remember that Orb Expert only increases range, radius, and DC. Your damage doesn't increase from it, so with no staff you're getting 5d6 blast damage without using SP. A +2 staff nets you another +1d6 damage and +1 DC.
Didn't notice you had a Focus Sphere though, that lessens the impact of a staff at this level. It's still a great purchase.
ISSUE ONE
Here's what I'm going with:
+2 staff of destruction
+2 Cha headband
+2 bracers of armor
+2 cloak of resistance
ring of feather falling
miscellaneous items, including 2 waterskins, 5 days' rations, 50' silk rope, grappling hook, wand of CLW, dagger
(swapped Int and Wis scores to get 4 skill ranks/level so I could max out Bluff, Fly, Perception, and UMD)
ISSUE TWO
My GM has threatened to run a pure counterspell "blue mage" against us. I think it's a direct result of the roflstomping I handed him Monday night in a couple of games of EDH (Rubinia Soulsinger is a BEAST!!). Knowing what I know about him, I wouldn't be surprised if this "blue mage" is at least level 10 -- that's gonna muck with my contributions in a big way.
Any recommendations for this?
ISSUE TWOMy GM has threatened to run a pure counterspell "blue mage" against us. I think it's a direct result of the roflstomping I handed him Monday night in a couple of games of EDH (Rubinia Soulsinger is a BEAST!!). Knowing what I know about him, I wouldn't be surprised if this "blue mage" is at least level 10 -- that's gonna muck with my contributions in a big way.
Any recommendations for this?
My recommendation: Don't try to get into an arms race with the GM. You can't win. Just play it out with the character you have.
@ Distant Scholar --
Make no mistake -- I'm not trying to "arms race" him. He always one-ups everything, anyway. He can't not.
Playing it out is what I'm interested in -- suggestions in that regard?
@ Rednal --
Yeah, I made sure I got that dagger just so I have a solid means of Dresden-izing his set-piece scenario.
Gonna have to argue for momentum carrying me into a glide once my flight gets dispelled . . . . lol. Stabby crash-landing, and all.