What spells do groups *expect* you to have?

[Pugsley]

Sorcerers may have precious few spell choices, but I know there are some people will be upset with you for not having. I once saw a group disband because the sorcerer did not have firewall.

So what do you pretty much have to have?

[Jay203]

most commonly expected spells by endgame are....
Haste
Resist Energy
Firewall

the rest are usually different, but the ones mentioned above are the ones expected almost all the time

[Visty]

most commonly expected spells by endgame are....
Haste
Resist Energy
Firewall
Merfolks Blessing
Grease

the rest are usually different, but the ones mentioned above are the ones expected almost all the time
expended your list abit :)

[Jay203]

expended your list abit :)

lol Visty, stop corrupting newbies xD

[Pwesiela]

To the haste, firewall, resist group I'd add

GH, if only through scrolls. Sorcs are a little less expected to have it, but should probably carry scrolls for when they do.
Blur or Displace is another expected selection.

[Dalmeros]

I don't think Sorcerers need Resist as a memorized spell. A caster lvl 11 wand is enough, you don't need to waste a spell slot for that.

And I'd say Blur AND Displacement :)

[Zenako]

If you have Haste and Firewall most groups could care less about your other spells.

Good spells to take will depend on your playstyle and grouping habits of course. Many very valuable buff spells can be cast by others with no loss of effect (a Resist spell is a resist spell regardless of who casts it if they are the same level for example).

Resists, Prot:Energy, Heroism, Greater Heroism, Blur, Displacement, Stoneskin etc all have things to like about them, at appropriate times in the Sorcs Carreer path from a Buff standpoint. (Even the stat buffs can be useful at low levels.)

Higher up, you want damage spells other than Firewall to call on. You want IK spells to be on tap as well.

[Gunga]

In addition to those previously mentioned:

Waves of Exhasution
Reconstruct

[Pwesiela]

Reconstruct

Only if you're WF.

If you're a fleshy though, may want to carry a few scrolls.

[Carpone]

No one mentioned Rage yet. Talk about fail!

Haste + Rage (aka Hage)
Wall of Fire
Resist Energy
Waves of Exhaustion (amazing since U5)
Otto's Dancing Sphere
Otto's Irresistible Dance
Mass Hold Monster
Displacement
Wail of the Banshee
Greater Heroism - scrolls are fine

Plenty of other spells you should have, but those are expected for sorcerers.

At 20th level I don't carry Blur. It's just not needed when you have Displacement and there's plenty of contention for level 2 spells.

@ OP: If I accepted a sorcerer into the group and he didn't have Wall of Fire, I would have booted him too.

[Diib]

Firewall is the only one that is disband worthy.

Some quests (Graverobbers for example, but there are many many more) are so much easier with firewall its like a different quest. Almost every other spell listed is a nice buff... and expected that you carry. But only missing firewall will disband a group in my experience.

[timewalker]

if you run much epic.....irrisistable dance

[KKDragonLord]

Haste
Displacement (Best defense in the game against enemies without True Seeing)

Would say reconstruct but... would never force it on anyone, its a choice thing.

[markusthelion]

Web is also useful if you have highten.

[sirgog]

Only if you're WF.

If you're a fleshy though, may want to carry a few scrolls.

It's a pretty bad player that doesn't carry Reconstruct on a fleshy sorc at current endgame. In most raids, it's the third most useful thing you can do (behind Waves of Exhaustion and Haste). Scrolls don't heal for enough, and have too long a cooldown, just like wands of cure serious didn't heal for enough when the cap was 16.

No other level 6 spell comes anywhere close to the power of this spell, and a sorc without it is deadweight in ToD and epic DQ2.


One more to add though - Polar Ray. Best mana-to-damage ratio of all of your spells on many bosses.


On Rage - it's a useful minor buff, like Prayer on a Favored Soul. Worth carrying if you can spare the slot, but not a must-have. IMO it's in the top four spells for its level, but I could understand someone not taking it.

[Sinni]

i think the group won't be angry if you don't have them and you'll have them anyway
but i personally also expect an arcane caster to have finger of death and wail of the banshee

[richieelias27]

I dropped finger as soon as I got Wail. I've never missed it.

[Desteria]

replace dancing sphear with WEB!!!!! and i totaly agree with this list.


No one mentioned Rage yet. Talk about fail!

Haste + Rage (aka Hage)
Wall of Fire
Resist Energy
Waves of Exhaustion (amazing since U5)
Otto's Dancing Sphere
Otto's Irresistible Dance
Mass Hold Monster
Displacement
Wail of the Banshee
Greater Heroism - scrolls are fine

Plenty of other spells you should have, but those are expected for sorcerers.

At 20th level I don't carry Blur. It's just not needed when you have Displacement and there's plenty of contention for level 2 spells.

@ OP: If I accepted a sorcerer into the group and he didn't have Wall of Fire, I would have booted him too.

[Crazyfruit]

My personal decline list:

- Cloudkill (certain quests only, if no scrolls/clicky)
- Irresistable Dance
- Reconstruct (only if WF tanking something)
- Sleet Storm (certain quests only, if no scrolls)
- Waves of Exhaustion (certain quests only, if no scrolls/clicky)

Two not mentioned above I've seen a few declined for not having: Flesh to Stone, Ray of Enfeeblement.

[Bobthesponge]

the dancing ball is a nice to have but not essential - my 20th sorc doesn't carry it. Finger o' Death and Acid Cloud are more useful i have found.

but really the only critical spells are Firewall and Haste.

[Darkrok]

I'd add ooze puppet to the list although that one is usually asked about. It can really change certain quests though.

[sirgog]

For an endgame caster, these are the spells you need to not be a waste of a party slot in each raid:

All content:
Haste
Waves of Exhaustion
Displacement (Blur is a borderline acceptible substitute)
Resist Energy


Shroud:
Polar Ray
One or more spells to kill ~4k hp Orthons with (Wail, Trap the Soul, and Finger are the best in that order)
One or more spells to shatter the crystal (Firewall, Scorching Ray, Disintegrate)
(not needed but highly advised) Knock and Rage

ToD:
Fire Shield (scrolls borderline acceptable)
Reconstruct

VoD:
Reconstruct

Hound:
(nothing specific required) Finger/Trap the Soul are great here, Wail should not be used often due to the dogs.

Epic ADQ2:
Firewall (requires significant speccing into it)
One or more of Meteor Swarm, Polar Ray, Cone of Cold, Delayed Blast Fireball, Oitluke's Sphere
Reconstruct

Epic VON6:
Polar Ray

General questing/favor runs:
Wail of the Banshee
Firewall

General Epic questing:
Mass Hold Monster
Firewall
Waves of Exhaustion

[rest]

I'd add ooze puppet to the list although that one is usually asked about. It can really change certain quests though.

bwahahahahaha


I hope you're not serious.


You're not serious.



Are you?! :eek:






I dropped dancing ball for waves. I have reconstruct on my drow sorc. Haste, wail, energy drain, FoD. Hell I even kept PK. FtS is useful (to me at any rate). I was doing some low level stuff so I dropped blur for knock (go ahead and laugh, some of those locks wouldn't pop on a 20 + 10th level knock wand) but I'll probably swap it back next time I log her on.

I carry GH scrolls, but usually there is a bard who can handle that and blur.

[Spiffyspiffy]

My experience is groups expect you to have flesh to stone, reconstruct, disintegrate, and greater heroism all at the same time.

[Teharahma]

Web - very good CC
Resist Energy - Speaks for itself
Blur - See Resist Energy
GH Scrolls - As a spell its a waste of slot, always scroll
WoF - yeaaa..
Cloudkill - Extremely useful, you can even use it in Let Sleeping Dust Lie instead of WoF :)
Waves of Exhaustion - Speaks for itself
Reconstruct - Scrolls will do if you're non-WF
Wail of the Banshee - Mass instadeath, yes please
FoD - Great spell early game
Otto's Irresistible - Awesome spell for CCing - NO save
Haste - Speaks for itself
Rage - 20 more HP :) (at 20 ofc)
Jump - Reduces damage you take
Nightshield - Reduces damage you take

[nicro]

Support your Clerics/FvSs and cast Cloudkill and Waves of Exhaustion on the Pit Fiend bosses. Making their jobs more difficult because you're lazy is just being a ******.

[petegunn]

For my sorc its not what the party expects me to have, but what I know through experience to be beneficial to the party.

Haste extended
Web heightened
Cloud kill for the concealment
Finger and pk
Wail of the banshee
Energy drain or enervate
Waves of fatigue or some other debuff spell for the bosses
Dancing ball
Horrid wilting for the bats in vod
No spell list would be complete without COK and polar ray.
For personal protection and the party of course jump, energy resistance/ protection, blur and displacement.

These are the spells I find do the business for me.

[Tyrande]

It's a pretty bad player that doesn't carry Reconstruct on a fleshy sorc at current endgame. In most raids, it's the third most useful thing you can do (behind Waves of Exhaustion and Haste). Scrolls don't heal for enough, and have too long a cooldown, just like wands of cure serious didn't heal for enough when the cap was 16.

No other level 6 spell comes anywhere close to the power of this spell, and a sorc without it is deadweight in ToD and epic DQ2.


One more to add though - Polar Ray. Best mana-to-damage ratio of all of your spells on many bosses.


On Rage - it's a useful minor buff, like Prayer on a Favored Soul. Worth carrying if you can spare the slot, but not a must-have. IMO it's in the top four spells for its level, but I could understand someone not taking it.

I have a fleshy sorcerer that does not have reconstruct as a spell and that sorcerer has around 22 epic completions of EDQ2 and at least 10 ToDs, even more. That sorcerer would rather cast polar ray and empowered max'd acid fog (with +spell damage clickies). Acid Fog is more useful; especially against monsters immune to fire. Also, flesh to stone is more useful and not as situational as reconstruct.

To the OP: you don't need "reconstruct" unless you are a warforged and you don't need it if you don't group (or have) with WF in your static group or guild.

EDQ2 doesn't need a Warforged, it just needs a good strategy.

[Tyrande]

My list:

Firewall
Haste
Otto's Irresistible Dance
Polar Ray / Cone of Cold / Frost Lance
Waves of Exhaustion + scrolls
Fire/Cold Shield
Acid Fog
Cloud Kill
Flesh to Stone
Enervation + scrolls
Resist Energy + (level 11 resist energy wands)
Energy Drain
Greater Heroism scrolls
Heal scrolls
Reconstruct scrolls (only if the sorcerer PUGs)

Mass Hold Monster (seen some very good use out of this)

Wail of the Banshee (does not apply to epic or warded giants @Giant Hold Tor or Reavers Refuge)
Finger of Death (does not apply to epic or warded giants @Giant Hold Tor or Reavers Refuge)
Disintegrate (only on fire immune undeads; or fire healing constructs)
Mass Suggestion (getting nicer after U5)
Ball Lightning (devils if FoD/Wail not applicable (i.e. warded)) (also: someone suggested chain lightning)

Stoneskin clickies or wands
Blur + Displacement (mostly buff'd by bards or wizards)

[die]

Lol Haste Man:)

[timewalker]

trap the soul works well in most places, even against those pesky deathwarded/blanket immune enemies....although quite expesive to use as a main kill spell i love it

[chester99]

rage.

[vorpel]

I agree with some others - unless you yourself are a WF Sorc, ditch reconstruct. With the healing powers that Clerics/FvS have these days (common in ToD to see heals of over 500hp) reconstruct is very situational at best.

My two fleshy Sorcs are for nuking and buffing. If you want to heal (other than yourself), roll a Cleric or FvS.

My new favorite spell I'm playing with is Symbol of Stunning. Does a really nice job!

[soulaeon]

This thread quickly became personal needed spells rather than what others expect, lol.
Reading this forum is seriously the first time I ever heard of Rage being expected. Seriously?

Wall of Fire eventually became needed. All arcane casters are expected to have it, however I find it to be boring.
We get asked for basic resistance buffs, so at least one of them are actually needed. I keep Resist Energy and Protection from Elements memorized.
Some kind of charm or CC spell, or both. Personally, I use a few like Hold Monster and Suggestion.

I can see why Haste might be needed, but I would not call it required, since someone usually has it. The only times I personally get asked for it, are by those that cant learn it themselves, and they usually complain because they cant run a little faster. Sorry, but that's what has been true so far.

[SINIBYTE]

Every group I join, I hit everyone with:

Blur, GH, Haste, Displace, Pret Ele & usually SS. Halflings and Dorfs get jump, just so I can make fun of their fat stumpy monkey legs.

When I play my melee toons, and the caster doesn't toss at least half those on me, I get pretty ****ed.

[MrWizard]

Sorcerers may have precious few spell choices, but I know there are some people will be upset with you for not having. I once saw a group disband because the sorcerer did not have firewall.

So what do you pretty much have to have?

What I expect is different then most I think, but here goes....

1st level - hypno, one of the most powerful control spells out there.
2nd level - command undead or 3rd level halt undead, super helpful

web is nice too.

Resist energy, heroism, and blur and super helpful from as soon as you can cast them to end game (heroism becomes greater heroism)

I cannot think of too many places where firewall is really needed unless you are soloing or something.

Charm or dominate can help too....hold person/monster is superb.


I like a firewall caster who is a solo artist, lots of times they 'can' zerg pretty well.
A good crowd control artist is just as awesome.


Dropped for not having firewall? Trust me, those people probably wiped anyway.
Amazing.

What would happen if they had to enter a dungeon without a caster? Would they call it day and log out... :)


Edit: usually grouping nowadays I find the caster is very new with no useful buffs at all and some okay damage spells.
The other side is usually a haste bot fire specc.

However, once in a while a caster comes along that is built for party play...heighten, spell pen, control spells, etc...and knows how to use them.
Blowing through a dungeon at superspeed with that kind of caster is the way I like to roll.

Haste is 'meh' to me as a fighter but I do find firewall fun since I can intim everything and sit it in there...personally like to see that hold monster/person for insta-crits.

[Thrudh]

My experience is groups expect you to have flesh to stone, reconstruct, disintegrate, and greater heroism all at the same time.

That's why people like running with wizards... ;)