Interested in trying a pure sorc

[Xirxx]

I have been reading the forums and I am interested in build a crowd control sorc. I have built a 10 Fighter, 10 Cleric, and 14 Fighter and wanted to try my hand a pure spellcaster. I tried the 2R/2P/10S but I really didn't like the playstyle.

I will be making a Drow sorc and here are the starting stats I came up with:

STR 8
DEX 12
CON 12
INT 12
WIS 10
CHA 20

I was not able to find a crowd control build on the forums here. Can someone point me to one if I have missed it?

Can you switch out spells at some point? I keep seeing people say to swith out a spell at a later time.

Thanks!

[Renegade66]

Why limit yourself to just crowd control. A Sorcerer is the most powerful class in the game. You can be a FoD/Pk'ng machine AND have maximized/empowered fire attacks with all the enhancements AND be an extremely capable crowd control specialist (Heightened hypno pattern, webs, charms, solid fog, etc.).

The key is to max your CHA (shoot for 34, 32 min). Make sure you have Spell Mastery (i.e. Reaver Cloak or individual focus items).

Drow is indeed the way to go, but you absolutely need to up your CON and can't afford to waste build points on stats that will have little to no impact on your uberness (i.e. STR, DEX, INT and WIS).

You will certainly want to go 20 CHA. The rest should be pumped into CON, although you may want to consider a 10 STR to help with encumberance (you'll need a str item probably too. I use a +4 str/mod fort ring).

Items of Importance:
Superior Potency VI one hander or item
+6 CHA Item (I have cloak)
+6 CON Item (I have ring)
Concentration item (I have +15 helm)
DQ Torc necklace
Black or Blue Dragon Scale Robe
Mod/Hvy Fort item (Hvy Fort ring would be cool. I use +4 str/mod fort ring)
Greater False Life (I use disease immunity of greater false life belt)
Kardin's eye
Spell focus items (I use spectacles of spirit sight necro/enchant, plus illusion/conjuration bracers, and swap out to Transmutation scepter for Flesh to Stone)
Reaver Dreamspitter gives you +2 enchant focus
Greenblade (greater arcane lore if not on robe)

Skills go to Concentration and UMD

Feats: Extend, Mental Toughness, Maximize, Empower, Heighten

Enhancements: Fire spec (all), other as you see fit.

[Xirxx]

Here is my proposed spell list.. feel free to pick it apart!

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 2.70
DDO Character Planner Home Page
Level 14 Lawful Good Drow Male
(14 Sorcerer) 
Hit Points: 104
Spell Points: 1170 
BAB: 7\7\12
Fortitude: 6
Reflex: 4
Will: 8
Level 1 (Sorcerer)
Spell (1): Charm Person
Spell (1): Magic Missle
Level 2 (Sorcerer)
Spell (1): Hypnotism
Level 3 (Sorcerer)
Spell (1): Ray of Enfeeblement
Level 4 (Sorcerer)
Spell (2): Blur
Level 5 (Sorcerer)
Spell (2): Otto's Resistable Dance
Level 6 (Sorcerer)
Spell (3): Haste
Level 7 (Sorcerer)
Spell (2): Hypnotic Pattern
Spell (3): Suggestion
Level 8 (Sorcerer)
Spell (4): Acid Rain
Level 9 (Sorcerer)
Spell (2): Web
Spell (3): Displacement
Spell (4): Wall of Fire
Level 10 (Sorcerer)
Spell (5): Feeblemind
Level 11 (Sorcerer)
Spell (3): Fireball
Spell (4): Phantasmal Killer
Spell (5): Dominate Person
Level 12 (Sorcerer)
Spell (6): Mass Suggestion
Level 13 (Sorcerer)
Spell (4): Symbol of Flame
Spell (5): Cloudkill
Spell (6): Greater Heroism
Level 14 (Sorcerer)
Spell (7): Otto's Sphere of Dancing

[redoubt]

Wow.

That is one heck of an item list and not really focused on CC (imo).

As an CC/enchanter my sorc has:
heighten
sf: enchant
gsf: enchant
sf: illusion
spell pen

For enhancements:
spell points
spell pen (all)
then I added some others for a bit of extra damage when not doing CC
full line of fire/cold and most of the crit for fire/cold.

Find a few items:
enchantment 1hander
illusion 1hander
any other sf items you like to cast from
a superior ice or fire lore item
Best potency item you can get.

I do agree CON is more important to caster today than it once was. Mine is a little low, but not enough to reroll. I keep myself blurred always and displaced when needed. I drink barkskin pots and wand/scroll stoneskin as needed. I even have a wood tower shield and I'll cast a couple firewalls and turtle up in the middle. Works pretty good.

About not having max/emp/extend:
Do I miss them? Yes.
Can I do decent damage without them? Yes.
The upside of being as focused as I am is that very rarely does anything break out of my enchantments. As such I don't need to have uber DPS, because I can kill many things at my leisure.
Not saying its better. Just a different play style and responding to the question about CC sorcerers.

[MrWizard]

I have been reading the forums and I am interested in build a crowd control sorc. I have built a 10 Fighter, 10 Cleric, and 14 Fighter and wanted to try my hand a pure spellcaster. I tried the 2R/2P/10S but I really didn't like the playstyle.

I will be making a Drow sorc and here are the starting stats I came up with:

STR 8
DEX 12
CON 12
INT 12
WIS 10
CHA 20

I was not able to find a crowd control build on the forums here. Can someone point me to one if I have missed it?

Can you switch out spells at some point? I keep seeing people say to swith out a spell at a later time.

Thanks!

My tips and hints for crowd control...

1- max your charisma as high as it can go...crowd control depends on dc saves

2- get the spell pen and greater spell pen feats, crowd control is much better when you can get past their spell resistance.

3- get heighten as a meta feat since it will help with the DC of your spells

Spells--
Use charm person when you can..
When command undead pops up, get it too.
Web is nice....suggestion rocks..
Charm monster and then you can switch out suggestion.
Dominate person, then switch out charm person.
Hold person is nice, switch it out when you get hold monster.

Since you have great spell pen and good dc, pick up enervate and pk as the two together can get you to level 14 is good fashion...
Then you can get FoD or mass hold person or something like the dancing sphere...

I usually, for my cc build, take charm monster and dominate person, pk, fod, enervate, flesh to stone as my main casts....these get me through most dungeons rather fine with the spell pen and enhancement/items...

There are more than enough spells to fill out your build such as scorching ray, firewall, etc....so you can still dole out damage...but for the most part you will seldom need them.

[Xirxx]

Thanks for the tips. Nobody has answered but what I am gathering from what I am reading - you can change out old spells at level raise? Is that correct?

[Khurse]

You can change out spells but it costs (just blew a sizable bit of my treasury- 25K I think to switch out a single lvl 2 spell) And you can only do it once every three days.
My higest is level 8 though- so i don't know if there's an easier way for someone to trsde out spells at higher levels.

[Borror0]

Thanks for the tips. Nobody has answered but what I am gathering from what I am reading - you can change out old spells at level raise? Is that correct?

You can change one spell every 3 days, for a fee. Ask any Sorcerer trainer for that.

[Blind_Skwerl]

Drow or 32 point human are your best choices.
Max your charisma stat.
Put remaining stats into con.
Feats I'd recommend for hardcore CC:
Heighten
enchantment focus
illusion focus
Spell penetration
Greater spell penetration
Extend spell or MT (if human)

More balanced feat selection:
Heighten
Spell Penetration
Empower
Extend
Greater spell penetration
Maximize or MT (if human)

The first feat set will be able to create an army of dancers, pink hats, etc. You can stop a Mac truck, you just can't hit it for $hit. The second set will not hit quite as hard in the CC arena, but you can have a BBQ whenever you want.

[Xirxx]

Made it to level four (2k away from 5).

I have 24 charisma and usually use a wand to get me to 26.

Level 1 Spells:
Burning Hand
Charm Person
Hypnotism
Magic Missle

Level 2 Spells:
Glitterdust
Command Undead

Feat: Empower, Spell Pen

Should I change aything up? Advice appreciated!