Guide pt III - Nuker

[Aspenor]

This seems more like a necro build using fire wall, and what sorc build doesn't use that?

If we are talking true pure nuker, your 7th level spell should be delayed blast fireball, and your feats should be maximize, empower, heighten, sf: evocation, gsf:evocation; the last three to reduce reflex saves on fb and and the last two for dbfb.

Nothing at all wrong with the build, it certainly has more versatility and situational effectiveness, but it's more in the camp of a generalist than a pure nuker.

A single 7th level spell does not a build break.

I have *actually* been considering dropping the SF: Necromancy for another mental toughness feat I know I know, I can hear Shade screaming at his monitor already. Having 2003 spell points and still just 32 charisma is just looking OH SOO juicy....

I don't feel that an evocation focus is quite worth spending a feat on, especially 2 levels of it for a sorc. Maybe if I had another feat or two to play with, maybe end game I will have it, but not this current point in time. The evo focus will only increase failed monster saves by 5% per feat, only marginally increasing DPS.

Bear in mind that this character is somewhat generalist yes. He is rounded out for being able to solo pretty much every quest in the game. Necromancy focus is for dropping casters and clerics before they can hit me with a command or other nasty enchantment, and cone of cold + fireball is for mopping up the melee type mobs.

I really RARELY use my firewalls, except for in certain quests with phasing monsters or ones requiring sustained DPS over time. I have found that Cone of Cold is my staple nuking spell.

And yes when the level cap raises to 16 I will be taking Delayed Blast Fireball and probably Polar Ray as my level 8 spell. Hopefully I can get my hands on a greater potency VIII one-hander early next mod. However, if they do me a favor and put MIND BLANK in the level 8 spell list, I will have a pretty tough decision.

[Dark-Star]

If this is your build you are showing us, then my apologies. The title says nuker guide, so my assumption was that we as a community were showing people how to build a nuker. If that is not the case, sorry for posting on your personal build thread (no sarcasm intended here).

The build posted is more of a generalist. It's a very good build, it's very similar what my main sorc is built like, but it is not a true nuker build completely commited to firey death.

Yes one spell and two feats does make it a nuker vs. a necro or generalist. I have a sorc friend built as a true nuker with the above feats and spells, and in the right quests, his kill counts are insane. Spamming greater focused/heightened FB/DBFB is a sight to behold. In places like the Reaver, I leave him in the dust in kills with my generalist.

[sigtrent]

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.

Even if you are a nuker, it makes sense to take some CC spells, and if you are a CC caster it makes sense to take some damage spells. Even with feats you end up having enough room to splash a feat to support your off side casting. And there really arn't enough enhancements on either side of the fense to spend them all (unless you go for multi elemental focus I suppose)

[sigtrent]

Yes one spell and two feats does make it a nuker vs. a necro or generalist. I have a sorc friend built as a true nuker with the above feats and spells, and in the right quests, his kill counts are insane. Spamming greater focused/heightened FB/DBFB is a sight to behold. In places like the Reaver, I leave him in the dust in kills with my generalist.

I think most of the socrs don't bother with DBFB yet because cone of cold does the same damage up to level 15

[Dark-Star]

Sure, take heightened web or hypnotize for CC.

Cone of Cold and Delayed blast Fire Ball are two totally different spells. One is a cone, one is ae. The nuker knows when both are to be used.

[Aspenor]

If this is your build you are showing us, then my apologies. The title says nuker guide, so my assumption was that we as a community were showing people how to build a nuker. If that is not the case, sorry for posting on your personal build thread (no sarcasm intended here).

The build posted is more of a generalist. It's a very good build, it's very similar what my main sorc is built like, but it is not a true nuker build completely commited to firey death.

Yes one spell and two feats does make it a nuker vs. a necro or generalist. I have a sorc friend built as a true nuker with the above feats and spells, and in the right quests, his kill counts are insane. Spamming greater focused/heightened FB/DBFB is a sight to behold. In places like the Reaver, I leave him in the dust in kills with my generalist.

It originally wasn't a MY build, but now it is. LOL, and no offense taken at all I was just discussing the ins and outs.

I'm sure your friend has a lot of fun with his build, but yeah, I imagine both my build and yours would roll him up in a pipe and smoke him in the reaver raid.

No worries bro I'm not getting all in your face I'm just discussing. I find that well-placed charms and diplo work better than nuking in many situations

Dont forget this was posted several months ago before changed meta's, and back when the "nuking" concept was starting to be generally accepted and widely used.

[Aspenor]

Here are the current enhancements I'm using, and use this enhancement planner to outline the exact order you can take to get them

Human Adaptability I: Charisma
Human Improved Recovery I
Human Versatility I
Improved Empower I
Improved Maximize I
Skill: Concentration I
Lineage of Elements III
Lineage of Deadly Elements III
Elemental Manipulation IV
Improved Spell Penetration I
Energy of the Dragonblooded IV
Sorcerer Charisma III

[Aspenor]

With the release of mod 6, my "nuking" sorcerer will be slightly remolded into a more generalized / spell penetration build.

AFAIK all of my action points will be spent in spell penetration until I am maxxed.

Mental Toughness swapped for Spell Penetration

Spell Focus: Necromancy swapped for Greater Spell Penetration

[Oreg]

Doing much the same altho I may try to sneak a few acton pts in electric modifiers to boost chain lightening.

[Pfamily]

I think I'm running into a rookie mistake, a little help please.

I built a nuking sorc using this guide as a template, love it. I did, however, take MT and IMT as feats and I'm now thinking I should switch out IMT for GSP, as I took SP as my lvl 15 feat. I'm not having trouble landing FoD or other spells requiring I beat the mobs SR, but I'm thinking ahead and don't want to get into a trap where I won't have enough spell pen to defeat what's coming...or what we have now at hard/elite.

I hate to lose the spell points (any idea how many I'll lose?); but if ya can't hit it, more points 'ain't gonna kill it.

On a related topic...how much spell pen is enough? I have a 34 Cha, wear the reaver napkin, and use a spell pen 7 scepter, but no spell pen enhancements (dumb, in retrospect I think). I can't really tell what my DC is because it changes seemingly every time I look at the spell dialog. I think it's 29 or 30...but again, it depends on when I look.

Thanks in advance.

[Oreg]

oh boy. I could be wrong but since you took sp at 15 I do not think Fred will let you respec an earlier feat to GSP being that GSP has a requirement of having SP (which techincally you didnt have at that level). You probably should have respecced to SP and then taken GSP as your 15.

[Pfamily]

oh boy. I could be wrong but since you took sp at 15 I do not think Fred will let you respec an earlier feat to GSP being that GSP has a requirement of having SP (which techincally you didnt have at that level). You probably should have respecced to SP and then taken GSP as your 15.

Oops...
I'll let ya know when I try tonight.

Dang...I hope you're wrong!

[Aspenor]

oh boy. I could be wrong but since you took sp at 15 I do not think Fred will let you respec an earlier feat to GSP being that GSP has a requirement of having SP (which techincally you didnt have at that level). You probably should have respecced to SP and then taken GSP as your 15.

First point, it appears that even if you took Spell Penetration at a later level you can respec into Greater Spell Penetration at an earlier level. I swapped a level 1 feat for greater spell pen yesterday after swapping a later one for regular Spell Penetration.

Secondly, I am making a new thread for my sorc build post. My character can no longer be classified as a true nuker.

[Mindspat]

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.

http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?i...ot00002lf1.jpg

That's a screen shot of my Sorcerer with a 50 ac. The items worn are: The Torqe de rayium II, Fanion, Seal of The Earth, Bramble Casters, Chattering Ring, Head of Good Fortune, Spectacular Optics, with the helmet and braces being used for clickies.

[Aspenor]

http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?i...ot00002lf1.jpg

That's a screen shot of my Sorcerer with a 50 ac. The items worn are: The Torqe de rayium II, Fanion, Seal of The Earth, Bramble Casters, Chattering Ring, Head of Good Fortune, Spectacular Optics, with the helmet and braces being used for clickies.

/yawns

theres no reason to really rehash the AC issue, this thread is soooooo oldddd.....

[Yvonne_Blacksword]

I have to say it...Asp has been my main sorc...ahem...source... for informative, decicive, sorc build decisions.

I had never played this level of caster power in any game...ever!

I had many concerns wether or not I could actually play this type of character.

I had no clue where to start..

Little Blastrine has lived up to her "Menace" surname.
She is a nuker build as first posted. I varied little from spec.
She is now level 13. She had a lot of support in my guild to level 8 and pretty much soloed there after to level 12.

Effective? Yea. Powerful? Duh! Fun? Lol...So much in fact that I try to play her as oft as possible.
Does she hold her own? Definately. She may be little but she generally runs with a much older crowd.

I have learned that I need to hold back....occasionally...in order to prevent party agro.
I allow others to have respectable kill counts. It makes it easier to get PUG rep.

I wish to again thank Aspenor for helping me lose my trepidation in building, experiencing and enjoying the realm of the nuker..
Thanx!!!!!!one!!!ONEoneONE!!!
<<<<<<<BOOM>>>>>>>

[Mindspat]

/yawns

theres no reason to really rehash the AC issue, this thread is soooooo oldddd.....

It's about as old as the level of thought that prevents diversty and dynamics. Must be frustrating to know others are doing it better while doing it differently.

[Aspenor]

It's about as old as the level of thought that prevents diversty and dynamics. Must be frustrating to know others are doing it better while doing it differently.

What does that mean???

This is a template.

If somebody wants to waste their time and inventory slots making an AC sorcerer, go ahead.

Better? Hardly.

good twitch skills > 55 AC on a sorcerer.

Varis and myself had this conversation months and months ago, I am not going to rehash the whole thing again.

[Deragoth]

...
If somebody wants to waste their time and inventory slots making an AC sorcerer, go ahead.

Better? Hardly.

good twitch skills > 55 AC on a sorcerer.
...

100% Agreed.

I would say worrying about AC on a sorcerer is the opposite of a better option. I'll take my Displacement+Jump+Stoneskin over anything else.

[Oreg]

100% Agreed.

I would say worrying about AC on a sorcerer is the opposite of a better option. I'll take my Displacement+Jump+Stoneskin over anything else.

You are missing the point. It's Ac + Displacement+Jump+Stoneskin. Personally my AC is 39-40 with 238 hps and he just doesn't die real easily.