Spell choices questions

[redoubt]

I'm looking at a fire spec or a lightning/acid spec which brings me to a couple spell selection questions:

1. Any reason to keep Fireball or lightning bolt once you get DB fireball or Chain lightning?

2. Is Burning blood any good? I hate it when it lands on me, but does it work well for offense for us?

3. Are flaming sphere and ball lightning any good?

[Draclaud]

1. Any reason to keep Fireball or lightning bolt once you get DB fireball or Chain lightning?

Yes, I keep fireball because my one level 7 spell is Finger of Death

2. Is Burning blood any good? I hate it when it lands on me, but does it work well for offense for us?

This is not a good Sorc spell because it generates MASSIVE aggro, and doesn't kill quick enough. It's only good for 2 situations. It's good on scorpians who get bugged out, and continue to take damage. The other is on high spell resistant foes like high level rashashas and flensers. Be prepared to run though as they WILL come after you.

3. Are flaming sphere and ball lightning any good?

The save on flaming sphere is too low and it doesn't do enough damage. I hear ball lightning is very good.

note-I play a fire/ice based sorc only, and don't have alot of expiriance with the lightning spells, so I didn't address them.

[Pyromaniac]

Fire/Ice based sorc here as well - did I have any choice with my name? :)

1. Any reason to keep Fireball or lightning bolt once you get DB fireball or Chain lightning?
-Have FOD as my level 7 spell as well, though I could see keeping the lower level spell so you can spam multiple spells back to back.

2. Is Burning blood any good? I hate it when it lands on me, but does it work well for offense for us?
-Tried taking burning blood twice, its problem is that its low DPS as you/tanks will likely kill the mob before the damage has finished. The mobs have way more hp than us, so burning blood is a better spell for them than us. There also isn't spell concentration failure on the mobs.

3. Are flaming sphere and ball lightning any good?
-Flaming sphere was useful here and there at low levels, I don't think its useful enough at high levels. That level spell slot is crowded with other almost must have spells.
-Ball lightning - if you're lightning specced then probably worth taking, otherwise no

[Desteria]

My sorc is Also Fire/ice speced.

I would and do keep FB, for a few reasons.

1-Level 7 spell DBFB NOT a good coice atm it does onyl marginaly more dmage at this level, and with WoF/ScorchingRay/CoC there are only like 3 badies int he game you cant nuke, (Wiz king litch, the other litch, and SC end boss), all of these die well to Distigrate, or in the case of SC MM works well, heal scorlls work realyl wel ont he licthes via UMD as well :). Level 7 there are at LEAST 3 spells i would want before DBFB, disco ball(mine atm), FoD(takign it at 15), and symbol of stunning(spider CC).

2-Level 3 spells Frankly SUCK for other options, after haste and displacment really not much matters, I'd love to take a 5th level 2 spell as a level 3 choice :), I rarlly every use Fire ball WOF/SR/CoC are just supperior 99% of the time, i still have it mostly for lack for any thing better.

3-AS a much level level spell IF you want to cast it it would cast a LOT faster the DBFB, so if your set on DBFB, having FB to cast durign cool down would be usfull.


Flaming shpear added well after i was to high to realyl use it the save dc on it seams to scall incorrectly ie not based on your normal spell save dc and it;s a save for nothing,+ it does minimal damage, ALSO it;s elvle 2 and as mentioned above level 2 is a very tight spell level mainy great spells onyl get 4 of em in no order my list of really nice 2nd level spells (Web, Knock, Resists energy, Scorchig ray, glitterdust, Hypnopattern, blur) with 7 spells i want and onyl 4 slots Flamign sphear is never going make it in.


Burnign Blood - I never played with ti my self but form talkign to people that have they all agree with the above posters.


Ball lightning - well unless your lightning speced it's no good, then it;s maby good but 5th levle spells have a bunch of other nice options and you will want CHAIN lightning so i woudl nto recomend it.
NOTE: with a lightnign/acid spec you have less options for quite a few of the raid bosses, your WoF's if you have it will be much weaker, and SR/DQ are both lightning immune, as are all litches, the dragon will take a lot less form lightning spells then CoC, Titan your a wash same either way though a big jucie WoF is easy to use on him safely the lightning spells may be harder.
The sad thign is with the spelsl currently in game and the way enhancments are set up if you want to do damage you realyl need to focus on paired elements and the spells options are way better for Fire/ice.


Hope thats some help to you.

Note I play a Blaster, (most enhancmetns towards nukes) speced sorc when I want to NUEK I nuke hard, but end game I mostly CC/instakill more efficent even when speced otu for nuking, (a true insta kill spec would sac some nuke enhacments for more Spell pen, and have spell pen inted of potency/lore in hand at all time). That said I ONLY have 4 nuke spells atm becasue that all i really need to cover 99.9% of the bases, (atm i cant nuke SC end boss who cares I had MM back when i was fighting him at 14 i dont need to), I cant hurt the 2 litches, BUT they fail distigrate scrolls 75% of the time so a carry a few of them. my nukes are SR/WoF/CoC & FB(only becasue there is nothign better and i use it ocational when doign lobie stuff for fun mass death of bigg numebrs, every tiem WoF woudl be better - I have wands(staff of arcane power tecnicaly but wands work) that dont cost SP for breakign doors down).
I will be adding Distigrate at level 15, but atm i perfer FtS adn G-hero(i know i coudl scroll G-hero but i cast it a LOT even fro the 4 skills when vendoring so scrolsl woudl get expensive for now scollign Distigrate fro the 2 litches is cheaper IF the group hasent killed them in 2 seconds already)


Hope this information is usfull to you.