Sorcerer who controls people?

[plutonic95]

Hi I'm relatively new. I'm looking to make a sorcerer of the type that makes enemies fight each other. Is that a common build? I couldn't find a guide after looking for awhile around this forum and the wiki. I'm not looking for a fancy build, just something a step up from the in-game pre-set plan.

Thanks in advance,

[Brennie]

The easiest way to do this is simply select "Charm person" as one of your level 1 spells. Hypnotism is another form of control, but won't turn enemies against each other.

On a sorceror, always max charisma and usually dump the rest into con. Human is a great race for them.

If you want to be good at controlling enemies, spell focus: enchantment and eventually great spell focus: enchatnment will eb teh way to go. I wanr you, though, that you will quickly find out that with sorceror limited spell choices, you will have to sacrifice a lot of good spells in order to focus on the slightly less-good enchatment spells.

And then you'll find out that a lot of enemies are immune, or have saves so good they might as well be.

If you really want to be an enchanter, i strongly suggest you try Wizard first, as you will have a lot more spells to play with, more feats to play with, and any spell you decide you don't like you can easily swap out on the fly.

[plutonic95]

But from what i've heard wizards are very inferior to sorcerers. The only advantage, so I've heard, is having more spells and being able to change them more often, which doesn't seem all that useful in the middle of the dungeon. I mean, what's the point in having more spell variety if you have less spell points to use them with (so I've read).

[Brennie]

The advantages of wizard:

More spells

More feats (Sorcerors are notoriously tight on feats) which also makes plenty of room for mental toughness and greater mental toughness

Higher DCs via capstone

Much greater spell variety, and ability to change spells to fit the quest as needed (this is huge. For example, being able to take halt undead or charm undead for an undead quest, and then swapping it out for something else when you run 5 non-undead quests in a row).

Wizards have less spellpoints, and therefor tend to be less "blasty", but they more than make up for in in their ability to individually prepare spells before a quest. A sorceror must pick fairly universally-applicable spells, or risk being completely useless in some content.

Wizards also make better starting characters, as they let you see how virtually every arcane spells works without forcing you to abandon others, whereas a new sorceror may find they hate all the spells they pick, but musty go through a lengthy and costly process to change them.

[MysteryNotes]

But from what i've heard wizards are very inferior to sorcerers. The only advantage, so I've heard, is having more spells and being able to change them more often, which doesn't seem all that useful in the middle of the dungeon. I mean, what's the point in having more spell variety if you have less spell points to use them with (so I've read).

You have heard wrong.

"Very inferior" ?

Sure, you can get maybe 3k sp on a sorc, but i can still get 2300SP on my wizard.
Feats?
Wizards have plenty.
Sorcerers have less free feats.

Casting time?
Sorcerers cast faster, so they're definitely better at taking down a target faster.

Spells?
Wizards can have 5 spells of each lvl(1-9) and can swap out spells at will whenever at a shrine, or tavern
Sorcs have 4 of each level max(1 spell swap per 3 days.)

Wizards also are made with high int, so plenty of skillpoints to put wherever you want.
Sorcerers have high CHA so they can get a high UMD.(And diplo, haggle and intim though i have seen very few situations where sorcs Intim stuff.)

A couple months ago i was trying to decide between a wizard and a sorc.

I've played both, and sure i love the sorcs faster casting time, higher spell points and stuff,
but if you're going for a arcane caster i'd recommend wizard.

Your lower SP pool makes you learn how to conserve sp better, when to cast for most effect and when to let the melees just do their thing.

I'm finishing up my gear for my wizard, and planning a TR into a sorc. Just so i can tr back to a wizard later for the mental toughness feat from the Sorcs past life(For the 10 elemental shots). :)

[GhoulsTouch]

Sorcerers tend to take a focus and stick with it.
Which can be very powerful when its effective, when its not you feel useless.

For example I chose an evocation based sorcerer and my Firewalls are thermonuclear, all elmental spells are strong really. Yet I have come across a few things that were immune and I was forced to play buffbot. It made me realize the importance of wands and scrolls for spells not accessible to me. The wizard who had disintigrate though he had weaker firewalls (as he was probably a necromatic focus as most wizards are) was able to do damage where I could not. I have to wait a bit longer to choose that as a spell if I decide on that one at the time.

Nonetheless, I burn through tons of SP with some mega metamagic firewalls. I couldn't imagine playing a wizard with considerably less spell points then I have now. Though I admit I extend buffs on everyone too which can be very costly.

[Kralgnax]

Wizards are much more forgiving for new players - to play a sorceror effectively, you really have to either play a packaged build (which is ok) or understand the spell system really well - though sorceror is much more forgiving than in 2e ;)

Mind you, what the hell do I know ? I'm pretty much divine side this time around, my highest Wizard is all of level 4 :eek:

[Lorien_the_First_One]

Because of the Capstone (L20 bonuses) and the bonus wizard feats I'd say that a Wizard would make the better choice for enchanter.

I'd however warn you that there are severe limits on what you can charm, what follows you and what stays behind after you charm it, and in some cases you need to kill what you charm to end objectives. It's very useful situationally and on solo, but can not be your entire focus. (That's the other reason for Wiz, the extra feats will let you have some damage focus as well as charm focus).

Wizards are also kindest to new players because you can change your spells quickly over time as you try new things and learn.

[Noctus]

A Wizard will be a better enchanter.

Higher DCs. Can easily afford to take both Spell Focus feats without having to cut back on his "burnination" power to do this. Can effortless adopt to the quest if there is nothing to charm in there (Undead for example).



Sorcerers are not new-player friendly.
Do you have a pre-knowledge of the quests in all level ranges? If not, you will choose wrong/un-usefull spells. And then you are stuck with them. You will have no tool to really contribute often.
Spell selection for sorcerers is an art that requires experience.





In general:
Playing an arcane in this game is not about spamming fireball as often as possible. These are the "bad" arcanes you often meet in the low-mid levels. Its about using the right tool at the right occasion to make fights a cakewalk.