Dwarven Sorc or Dwarven Wiz? Build Advice

[Twerpp]

I've already decided on Dwarf. Combining the awesome powers of arcane magic with the rank odor of a fat ugly dwarf. Hey, I just want something different.
Two things are set in stone here,
1. Stats will be MAX main stat and CON will be 17, 32pt build
2. 1 Toughness feat to access dwarven toughness enhancements

Ok so a Sorc is going to be hurting with the -2 cha (4 if you are comparing to the burnt faeries) but even still will have way more SP and the sweetass faster cooldown allowing mass dammage spammage.

The Wiz has more feats especially since I already dedicated 1 to toughness, and can have a starting main stat of 18.

Right now as it sits the Sorcs seem to be on top, but who knows what new mods will bring and what class will rule next?

Anyway this is my first caster as Im a melee addict but I'd appreciate any info from experienced squishies and building addicts. THANKS!!

[Vinos]

If you're just raining fire and death on mobs then sorc is the way to go. If you want to be a bit more versatile then Wiz is the way to go. Each class has it's advantages which I assume you are aware of so I won't go into them here. Don't want the thread to turn into a Sorc vs Wiz debate.

[Rentz]

if you want a non-squishy caster, I can't help but recommend a warforged wizard.

max Int, then Con, dumpstat wis and dex.

reconstruct for the win.
stoneskin, blur, and displacement round out the magical defenses.

32 point Warforged could go something like this:

10 str
10 dex
17 con
18 int
10 wis
6 cha

[redoubt]

Consider that your casting stat does 2 things for you.
1. spell points
2. spell DC

I have a Crowd Control/enchanter with a minor in instakill. In quest where I primarily do CC, I don't run out of sp (I have 1650). In quest where i'm insta-killing or doing lots of Direct Damage (i.e. pop zergs) I do run out of spell points. So depending on how you want to play your caster... CC uses less spell point and DD/instakill uses more (my experience anyway.)

Spell DC. Because I have a maxed casting stat, only against a few percent of the mobs do I ever cast CC/enchantment spells twice. This makes my caster pretty spell point efficient at the cost of creation points into the casting stat and spell focus. For direct damage, your DC will affect some of your spell, causing 1/2 damage or no damage if the mob saves against you. Again, high DC can make you more spell point efficient.

All of that to say... if you want to be good at CC and not just DD, don't use a race that starts at 6 in your casting stat. (Basically rules out WF and Dwarf sorcerers.) If you don't care about spells affected by DCs then both those races are also okay, just a few less spell points.

Reading your description, I'd say you would be happier with a dwarf wizard. Sorcs and wizzies are different (in my opinion, niether is better, just a play style preference.) Some advantages of going wizzie with the dwarf include: starting your casting stat at 18. Put all your metamagic feats on the free ones wizzies get and put your toughness, etc on the 5 standard feats. Tons of skill points! Also, since this is your first caster, you can try out all the spells without additional cost. Then you can make a sorcerer later if you can pair down the infinate combos of a wizzie to the 4 max at each level of the sorcerer.

Now, go make some magic! :D

[Twerpp]

Tons of skill points! :D

What the hell will you do with them all??? Ok obviously concentration, UMD is a possibility even as ugly as I am, tumbling is just so ninja so it gets some just off of cool factor, a couple into jump but not much since I get self buffage, but what else is useful?

[Rentz]

Reading your description, I'd say you would be happier with a dwarf wizard. Sorcs and wizzies are different (in my opinion, niether is better, just a play style preference.) Some advantages of going wizzie with the dwarf include: starting your casting stat at 18. Put all your metamagic feats on the free ones wizzies get and put your toughness, etc on the 5 standard feats. Tons of skill points! Also, since this is your first caster, you can try out all the spells without additional cost. Then you can make a sorcerer later if you can pair down the infinate combos of a wizzie to the 4 max at each level of the sorcerer.

Now, go make some magic! :D

but why go dwarven wizard?
a warforged wizard can start with 18 intelligence as well, and will be able to reconstruct/heal himself, whereas a dwarf won't be able to.

not to mention the handy warforged immunities..

[redoubt]

While my preference would be a WF wiz for self healing and all the stuff you mention Rentz, he said he really wants a dwarf.

Skills that I'd like on my sorc if I had more int:
UMD (have)
concentration (have)
haggle
jump
spot (look out mod 5... no more tab targeting of invis mobs.)
listen (see above)
swim
tumble (reaver raid, among others)
heal (if you go lots of hp then this could help)
what about being stealthy yourself? Get:
hide and
move silent
Or maybe:
diplomacy to get mobs off you or just to get the keys in POP, chains of flame, and crucible to mention a few.
Maybe bluff... remember getting into the necromancer back in Delera's.

Now, I'm not saying that skills are the end all be all of DDO, but I've never been at a loss for where to put skill points. On the contrary... I've always wanted more. :D

[Girevik]

but why go dwarven wizard?

There are 50 basic reasons. Those are the 50 extra hit points the Dwarf can have (granted, at the expense of 10 Action Points).

[sigtrent]

If you want to do damage, go sorcerer. You will like the fast casting and damage on demand feel.

If you want to cast kill spells like finger of death and do damage.. go wizard. You will have the feats needed to take spell focus feats and maximize/empower type stuff.

Dwarf is a bit more suited to wizard but not a whole bunch, it really comes down to how versatile you want to get. Sorcerer are the ultimate specialist casters, and wizards are the generalists in the sense they can specilize in more things at the same time but never have that deep spell pool or fast casting. Sorcerers have a hard time doing two or three lines of spells at the same time becaue their spell list is a fair bit smaller.

I like wizards to build with but sorcerers are sexy to play in thier simple awesomeness.