Guide pt III - Nuker

[Aspenor]

Aspenor's Guide to Rolling and Building a Sorceror pt III

First of all, you have to know what you want from your sorceror. Do you want to be a crowd control master? Do you want to be an instant-death killing machine? Or maybe you prefer direct damage/nuking....All of these are viable options. Each type will have different feats, spells, and different enhancement focus.

Firstly, lets start with stats. DDO has peculiar rules regarding caster classes, which differ greatly from PnP. Firstly, and most notably, IMHO at end-game the only stats that matter are your primary casting stat (Charisma, in the case of sorcerors), and your constitution score (governs your hit points). Keep in mind that sorcerors only get 2 skill points + INT modifier per level. Concentration is of utmost importance, because you want your spells to go off when you cast them, you don't want some monster hitting you to stop it. UMD is a common favorite, and a high level sorceror can use raise dead scrolls if he/she is properly equipped. Maxxing both these skills will take ALL your base skill points.

It is thus my recommendation to start all sorcerors with enough intelligence to gain 3 skill points per level. My three skills I chose were concentration, UMD, and jump. Jump is for evasive maneuvering, and is incredibly useful for avoiding damage. YOU WILL NOT want to stand still when mobs attack you.
PS RE: SKILLS--You may choose to take diplomacy instead of jump. Diplomacy ROCKS for a sorceror, and I will get around to explaining that later.

My recommended Starting stats, drow sorceror
STR-8
DEX-10
CON-14
INT-12
WIS-8
CHA-20

Skill points spent AT EVERY LEVEL in UMD, concentration and DIPLOMACY.

NUKERS WANT TO HAVE DIPLOMACY SKILLS.

Feats (in Order): (Drow)
Maximize
Mental Toughness
Heighten
Empower
Improved Mental Toughness

Feats (in Order): (Human)
Maximize
Mental Toughness
Heighten
Improved Mental Toughness
Empower
Spell Penetration


These spell choices are for the nuker. You are not a team-oriented spell caster, per se. You often refuse to buff, and will prefer to save your SP for killing things. You like to slice through quests quickly like a hot knife through butter. This character is highly specialized in running top speed through a quest, charming, using diplomacy, and then killing whom he needs to.

After all my rants on Mental Toughness, some may wonder why it's in this build. This build is focused on DPS, maximized spells, and spammed instant kills and charms. He wants SP. His specialty comes in his spell selection, as he should have the necessary damage spells for ANY situation. His enhancements are also where his niche comes into play.

Spell choices: 1st level
Charm Person, Niacs
At first level you will want to be able to short-man quests, and you will want to be able to take control of the baddies to fight for you. Charm Person works on kobolds and hobgoblins, the common enemies in the early game. Niacs is for damage output. It is the highest damage spell for first level available, and it works well on early mobs, especially casters. A sorceror should remember melee mobs have low will, and caster mobs have low dex, so charm the fighting types
and kill the caster types.

Spell Choice: 2nd level
Hypnotism
Will save spell, useful for making groups of mobs stand still. A sorceror can spam cast 2-3 hypnotisms and render entire crowds immobile. I recommend taking this at 2nd level to help control crowds.
Alternative: Burning hands
Burning hands is a good low level damage spell for groups of monsters, and taking burning hands at second level also allows the sorceror to be more effective against undead, since ice does not work on skeletons.

Spell Choice: 3rd Level
Burning Hands
See above, alternative spell is hypnotism.

Spell Choice: 4th level
Scorching Ray
Scorching Ray is a no-save ray damage spell. You gain more rays as you increase in level. Major damage potential.

Spell Choice: 5th Level
Resist Energy:
You love your buffs. You like DR. You will attract alot of attention with big booming blasts. You want energy resistance.

Spell Chice: 6th Level
Haste
Everybody loves haste. You know you can't live without it. At low levels there is nothing like hasting a fighter. As a nuker, you prefer to move faster to avoid mobs.

Now's when it gets hairy. Around 6th level, you no longer need some early spells, and you are in need of different spells for the quests you are in.
For example, Stormcleave is a common 6-8 experience quest, and the giant at the end canot be harmed by Niac's. However, crowd control is necessary for this quest, and it would be awful tough to give up one of your CC spells. At 6th level I recommend dropping burning hands for magic missle, simply for use in killing the giant. If you feel you can count
on your fighters to do this, this change may not be necessary.
Spell Swap- Burning Hands for Magic Missile

Spell Choice: 7th Level
2nd Level - Blur
3rd Level - Fireball
Blur will be your first defensive buff. KEEP YOURSELF BLURRED. You have no AC. Damage avoidance is your only way to survive. Fireball replaces burning hands as your AoE killer.

Recommended spell swap at 7th level:
Niac's for Jump
Niacs is no longer your primary killing spell. Fireball is a reflex save, and performs just as well as Niacs. Jump is necessary for evasive maneuvering.
Jump is a must-have for a 14th level caster.

Spell Choice: 8th level
Phantasmal Killer - instant kills = DPS, use these spells mixed with direct damage for high damage output.

Spell Choices: 9th level
W))T!! We get 3 spells this level!
2nd Level - Control Undead
3rd Level - Displacement
4th Level - Wall of Fire
Displacement is a MUST HAVE for a sorceror. 50% miss chance will save your tail ALOT. Use this spell, and use it often when you get aggro.
Control Undead is simply used for diverting attention off of YOU while in undead quests. It is a situational spell, but will be very useful in many quests.
Wall of Fire - Staple damage spell. Learn to love it. You'll be jumping around in it like a jackrabbit on crack.

Spell Choices: 10th level
5th level - Cone of Cold
Cone of Cold is the best damage spell right now. AoE like burning hands, crits up to 2000 on cold monsters or 1000 on normal monsters.

Recommended spell swap:
Hypnotism for Nightshield
More mobs cast magic missles and force missiles at high levels, including the Stormreaver. Magic missles are unavoidable damage, and this simple spell lasts for 1min/level, and absorbs all missile effects. It also gives resistance bonus to saves.

Spell Choices: 11th Level
3rd Level - Protection from energy
4th Level - Stoneskin
5th Level - Break Enchantment OR Ball Lightning OR Charm Monster
I R SQUISSHEEEE
Displacement and stoneskin is the BEST armor class in the game. Use it, love it. Live it.
Protection from energy may seem like it is unnecessary, but you won't think so when you get hit with 100 damage lightning and 180 damage polar rays. Damage mitigation is your friend.
Ball lightning is useful for mobs with fire and cold buffs/immunity, and can actually hit mobs with damage through walls and doors.
Break Enchantment is useful for dispelling mob spells such as blade barrier, walls of fire, etc. Be careful, it dispells YOUR walls of fire, too. Charm monster works for charming non-people non-undead. It will last a pretty long time unless the mob makes their save.

Spell choices: 12th level
6th Level - Disintegrate
Fortitude save ray spell. Nasty damage. Undead and golem killer. Also highly useful for damaging boss monsters with the mantle of invulnerability.

Spell Choices: 13th Level
4th Level-Enervation
5th level-Dominate Person
6th Level-Greater Heroism *OR* Flesh to Stone
Enervation is your debuff spell. Hit tough mobs with an enervation (it has no save) and then PK to your heart's content.
Dominate Person is your new charm person. Many HIGH level mobs are PEOPLE, including Gnolls, Dwarfs, Elves, Humans, and Goblins. GH- if you don't want to be casting GH from scrolls. Plus, you can extend the buff from your mana.
Flesh to Stone - Great all purpose insta-crit spell for all fleshy mobs, undead included.

Possible Spell Swap, depending on preference
You may wish to keep web, but I find myself with no shortage of spells to throw with this build. I swap web for false life, free temp. hit points from mana. I currently have resist energy, scorching ray, command undead, and blur as second level spells, since I decided to hand out a few blurs now and then...

Spell Choice: 14th Level
7th - Finger of Death
Instakill DPS, FTW. Single fortitude save or death.

Enhancements
-------------------
Energy of the Dragonblooded IV
Sorceror's Charisma III
Elemental Manipulation IV
Lineage of Elements III
Lineage of Deadly Elements III
Force Manipulation I
Lineage of Force I
Sorceror's Concentration III
Improved Heighten I
Spell Penetration I

================================================== ================================
Mod 6 Changes
----------------------------
Took Force of Personality as a feat at level 15.
Swapped Mental Toughness for Spell Penetration
Swapped Spell Focus: Necromancy for Greater Spell Penetration
Dropped the highest level of spell points enhancement, fully specced into spell penetration at 16.4
Level up point spent in Charisma
Spells taken: 15
Level 5: Mind Fog
Level 6: Greater Heroism
Level 7: Banishment
Spells Taken: 16
Otto's Irresistable Dance (or Trap the Soul? if this is your only arcane)

Spells swapped:
PK -> Enervation
Charm Monster -> Dimension Door
Flesh to Stone -> Mass Suggestion

[Aspenor]

If you play this build, you are gonna love the charm/firewall/diplomacy combo. Charm one or two mobs, drop a firewall on the rest, and while they chase you through it use your diplomacy to track them onto your charms. Drop a fireball. BOOM. Encounter over.

[Varis]

well done with feats and spell selection.

it may be worth it to throw in the possebility to combine an armored sorc build with a nuker.

A pure nuker get a LOT of attention from mobs and even a 40ish AC will go a long way combined with displacement. Obviously I will have 14 less hp's then the 14 con build but the higher dex will help vs the many traps, nukes and stuff like trip. With a 40ish AC it also makes more sense to block inside a firewall.

(with an armored sorc I mean 8 str, 16 dex, 12 con, 10 int, 8 wis, 20 cha in a mithral chain shirt)


Also, I would like to see your suggestions on enhancements.

[jkm]

this is basically my build with some differences in the spell selection. one note is that its better to assume a +1 tome for con

so 13 con, 13 int, 9 wis to get one extra skill point

[Aspenor]

Since blocking DR stacks, you can also skip the AC and pick up the Madstone Shield, drop a maximized firewall and shield block.

I still find AC to be too much expenditure on item slots for the benefit for a sorceror. Investing in mithral chain shirt, nice protection items, chaosguard, BS pots (or NA ring), dexterity, etc. just takes too much out of the HP potential, and added effect potential (like fearsome, or heavy fortification, or GFL).

It's personal preference in that respect, though. Some people don't mind making the investment.

[jkm]

well done with feats and spell selection.

it may be worth it to throw in the possebility to combine an armored sorc build with a nuker.

A pure nuker get a LOT of attention from mobs and even a 40ish AC will go a long way combined with displacement. Obviously I will have 14 less hp's then the 14 con build but the higher dex will help vs the many traps, nukes and stuff like trip. With a 40ish AC it also makes more sense to block inside a firewall.

(with an armored sorc I mean 8 str, 16 dex, 12 con, 10 int, 8 wis, 20 cha in a mithral chain shirt)


Also, I would like to see your suggestions on enhancements.

this would mean shield instead of nightshield and using fluidity enhancements, correct?

[Aspenor]

this is basically my build with some differences in the spell selection. one note is that its better to assume a +1 tome for con

so 13 con, 13 int, 9 wis to get one extra skill point

That assumes you've got a +6 item lying around to tack Con to 20 (on an elf, of course), or that you can get a +2 con tome at some time and wear a +5.

If you assume 14 base con, +1 tome and a +5 item (which are fairly readily available, comparatively) then you've got 20 con, with a +2 tome and +6 item 22.

[Aspenor]

Also, I would like to see your suggestions on enhancements.

Enhancements will be posted. I need to get around to finding that enhancement builder and bookmark it on this computer.

[jkm]

That assumes you've got a +6 item lying around to tack Con to 20 (on an elf, of course), or that you can get a +2 con tome at some time and wear a +5.

If you assume 14 base con, +1 tome and a +5 item (which are fairly readily available, comparatively) then you've got 20 con, with a +2 tome and +6 item 22.

well the max tome allowed is +5 so being odd to start isn't the end of the world.

also, sorcs tend to pull lots of tomes and sometimes in crazy bunches. they also tend to pull cha and con items though getting them in the right spot is often troublesome.

[Aspenor]

well the max tome allowed is +5 so being odd to start isn't the end of the world.

NOOOO!!! DOOM I SAY!!! DDOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!

[Harbinder]

Good guide Asp. Interesting feat selections on this one. I like the human version, simply for the extra feat...also I agree Spell Pen is a good choice for the human.

[Aspenor]

Good guide Asp. Interesting feat selections on this one. I like the human version, simply for the extra feat...also I agree Spell Pen is a good choice for the human.

For a nuker I favor the human as well.

[Fennario]

If you play this build, you are gonna love the charm/firewall/diplomacy combo. Charm one or two mobs, drop a firewall on the rest, and while they chase you through it use your diplomacy to track them onto your charms. Drop a fireball. BOOM. Encounter over.

LOL. One of my favorite Diplomacy tricks is to tell the rest of the party to stay in your firewalls to fight (they really should be doing this anyway). Then you stand away from the firewall and diplo all the mobs right back into the furnace after they come out to say hi.

I know that jumping through your firewall like a mad man, or blocking inside it works just as well if not better, but sometimes I like to chill a little and see the action from a different angle. Besides, knowing that the power of my influence can get things to turn around and greet their own fiery death makes me happy.

[Varis]

this would mean shield instead of nightshield and using fluidity enhancements, correct?

yes, nightshield caps out at +3 so when you start to get +4 or +5 resistance items, it's pointless to keep nightshield.

Some only take fluidity 1 and deal with the 5% ASF, others get it to level 3, and in my case I picked up the titan gloves =).


also for enhancements, this is what I have at 14.4
I can recommend all but the elven dex for a nuke build


elven dex 1
improved heighen 1
improved empower 1
improved maxmise 1
elven resistance 2
concentration 1
fire/ice crit chance 3
fire/ice crit damage 3
fire/ice damage 4
sorc mana 4
sorc charisma 3

[Jakylpops]

Spell penetration on a Nuker...I think I'm gonna be sick. I give up on you people.

[Varis]

Spell penetration on a Nuker...I think I'm gonna be sick. I give up on you people.

Aspenor is obsessed with it lol. Cuz you know, it's important not to have your nukes resisted =)
I think he chose that because he could not resist giving even a pure nuker better crowd control.
For a human nuker though, I would have taken extend (for firewall, haste, displacement, etc) or toughness.

He got the drow feats right though which is the most important.

[Aspenor]

Spell penetration on a Nuker...I think I'm gonna be sick. I give up on you people.

Helps those FoD and PKs land on everything. Charms too.

Besides, what on earth feat would you take with a nuker with the extra human feat? Enlarge? Eschew?? Try and come up with something better!! Extend maybe...for haste and displacement only. The way I'd play this character, he won't be in a quest long enough to need extend spell, just blow through it at top speed.

[Aspenor]

Aspenor is obsessed with it lol. Cuz you know, it's important not to have your nukes resisted =)
I think he chose that because he could not resist giving even a pure nuker better crowd control.
For a human nuker though, I would have taken extend (for firewall, haste, displacement, etc) or toughness.

He got the drow feats right though which is the most important.

What am I obsessed with??

Spell penetration is merely for charms, PKs, and FoD. It eliminates any need for a spell penetration item at almost any time, and thus you can carry your superior potency & superior lore items.

[wiglin]

As a human I would take SF:UMD, with human skill boost you can get quite high. I know some may not like it, but being able to reliably pop a heal scroll is a boon to any dps build.

[Varis]

As a human I would take SF:UMD, with human skill boost you can get quite high. I know some may not like it, but being able to reliably pop a heal scroll is a boon to any dps build.

very true. I currently use heal scrolls and my 15th level feat is reserved for that. Not sure if that belongs in a nuker build.
If you mix a dex tank build with a nuker though, the healing becomes a huge bonus.