Newbie questions about spell respec

[kilpanic]

Hi vets,

I have a question about some spells I'm thinking about respeccing into. I've got a L11 Sorcerer who is currently very focused in Air Savant enhancements and electrical spells, but I'm discovering the downside to such narrow specialization as I'm starting to run into creatures with electrical resistance (or immunity, heaven forfend!)

I'm thinking I need some more crowd control, and Web looks like it might fit the bill. Trouble is, I don't really understand the mechanics behind spellslinging yet. Web allows a Reflex save. Is the save modified in any way? Is it affected by my caster level?

In short, is it worth taking at all or will monsters just break through my spell without a pause?

[Scrabbler]

The saving throw for a spell is 10 + spell level + Charisma mod. If your charisma is 24 then Web will have 10+2+7 = 19 DC. Using items / feats / enhancements which boost Conjuration spells will increase Web DC.

Using the Heighten feat will swap the spell level with your highest spell level (up to 9 at sorc18). Web is a pretty good thing to use, but you should also learn some Fire, Cold, Force, or Sonic spells in order to do damage to electric-immune things. As an Air Savant, you can look into wind/sonic things. Wall of Fire can be highly useful.

Remember that some effects can lower enemy saves, including Curse, Fear, and especially Enervate.

[kilpanic]

Remember that some effects can lower enemy saves, including Curse, Fear, and especially Enervate.

Thanks! I'm slowly moving over to a broader base of offensive spells, but might use my Dragon's Blood thingy to do them all at once, as I am fast approaching L12. I did grab Hypnotism specifically for the Will debuff, but even so I'm finding Phantasmal Killer to be underwhelming.

I'd like to stick to stormy-weather-type spells if possible, so I'm branching out into mostly Cold spells.

[Scrabbler]

I did grab Hypnotism specifically for the Will debuff, but even so I'm finding Phantasmal Killer to be underwhelming.
Well, PK is a Fortitude and Will spell; Fighter-style monsters will often pass Fort, and caster-style monsters will pass Will. Only Rogue-like creatures are weak in both (and they are the ones most likely to have Evasion against your lightning spells).


I'd like to stick to stormy-weather-type spells if possible, so I'm branching out into mostly Cold spells.
A problem with taking cold as your secondary energy is that the cheap Cold SLA has a Reflex save for 0 damage, and your Lightning spells are also probably Reflex based.

[kilpanic]

A problem with taking cold as your secondary energy is that the cheap Cold SLA has a Reflex save for 0 damage, and your Lightning spells are also probably Reflex based.

I thought about your advice and reluctantly decided to 'minor' in Force spells instead, ceding build flavor for some additional utility (hopefully).

Thanks for your time!

[bsquishwizzy]

Hi vets,

I have a question about some spells I'm thinking about respeccing into. I've got a L11 Sorcerer who is currently very focused in Air Savant enhancements and electrical spells, but I'm discovering the downside to such narrow specialization as I'm starting to run into creatures with electrical resistance (or immunity, heaven forfend!)

I'm thinking I need some more crowd control, and Web looks like it might fit the bill. Trouble is, I don't really understand the mechanics behind spellslinging yet. Web allows a Reflex save. Is the save modified in any way? Is it affected by my caster level?

In short, is it worth taking at all or will monsters just break through my spell without a pause?

Are you using sonic spells as well? That is the flip-side to the Air Savant, as stuff like Sonic Blast will generally affect those mobs that make their reflex saves.

At lvl 11 I wasn't experiencing the reflex saves that are causing you so many problems. Do you have the right equipment? That sometimes makes a huge difference.

Lastly, it is always wise - wizard or sorc - to hedge your bets with a second elemental line. I typically go Cold as there isn't many mobs whose immunities include both. Force specialization is better left for wizards (though having a nice, searingly powerful Disintegrate doesn't suck).

[kilpanic]

Are you using sonic spells as well? That is the flip-side to the Air Savant, as stuff like Sonic Blast will generally affect those mobs that make their reflex saves.

Yeah Sonic Blast is my go-to utility spell, great for finishing off low-hp baddies and as an emergency stun when Electric Loop doesn't proc a stun. That's all I've got room for


At lvl 11 I wasn't experiencing the reflex saves that are causing you so many problems. Do you have the right equipment? That sometimes makes a huge difference.

I have whatever equipment I've been able to find so far. Right now I'm using a couple of scepters with various buffs to electrical spells and USP. I also got the Lighting Rod from Haywire Foundry yesterday but haven't swapped it in yet as I'm not sure it's better than the dual scepters. I'm probably having trouble because the character was created before the new Enhancement System, and so I don't have my Spellcraft skill maxed.


Lastly, it is always wise - wizard or sorc - to hedge your bets with a second elemental line. I typically go Cold as there isn't many mobs whose immunities include both. Force specialization is better left for wizards (though having a nice, searingly powerful Disintegrate doesn't suck).

Chain Missiles has been doing yeoman duty so far, though Disintegrate has been underwhelming. I took the Air Savant enhancement Elemental Diversification in Force. though I may spec out of it before too long, as it's a lot of AP for one spell (I'm still using Phantasmal Killer at Level 4).