Skills for a Human Sorc?

[ThePage311]

Already have a high level Drow Sorc that I very much enjoyed. I'd also like to have a high level Human Sorc, especially knowing a new level cap is coming, but not knowing how it will effect my current build. It seems the main advantage of a Human would be more health and more skills. With that in mind I was thinking 16 CON and 14 INT. Opinions on if this is over kill for skill points? Seemes like there are plenty of goods ones. Shoot, maybe I'll even farm my ass off to get a +2 INT tome... except that would take me a very long time as I only have 50k plat right now.

Skill thoughts:
UMD - Must have
Concentrate - Must have
Haggle - I have no other high haggle toon, would very much like to have
Jump - I was thinking 10 net (8 skill - 1 for low STR + 3 for STR item) + jump spell would max me out?
Diplomacy - Err, its CHA based which is nice. But do people really use it, is it very good end game?

... and I wish I had room for Spot so I could see stuff at range. Maybe ok with my BW + Spot goggles and the extra points when I'm done with Jump? Spot would be my main reason for farming a +2 int tome I think...

Suggestions appreciated!

[Runehammer]

Spot would be my main reason for farming a +2 int tome I think

Spot is Wis based...............

[Asherons_Chosen]

Spot would be my main reason for farming a +2 int tome I think

Spot is Wis based...............

The extra skill points he'd be able to put into is what he means.... b/c of int tome.

[KingOfCheese]

I think that that is a good build. I have a similar one (I suppose that makes me biased). If you get a +2 INT tome, you can boost your CON further. I have really enjoyed all the skills--UMD is great (heal scroll use for you and the party), haggle is great (if you don't already have a character with high haggle). I do not think it is overkill. The CON speaks for itself--you will end up with about 350 hp at lvl 16 with the right gear, with no sacrifice to SP, feats, or casting power. You could probably get away with one less rank of INT and still be happy--but you'll give up on jump or balance (I took balance over jump--since jump is easy to cast/pot).

[Merkinsal]

Highly recommend getting jump to 10. With 30 from the spell that gives you the max useable 40. With feather fall jump will enable you to get away from mobs and travel a surprising distance and even give you enough time to do a 180 turn in the air and get off a spell before you land. The mob that got to hit you once doesn't get a second chance while you are airborne and is fingered before you land and before he can possibly get a second shot at you.

Diplomacy works well. I am guessing it will also reset accumulated agro but that is a wish more than anything. What it definitely does is shed mobs onto someone else but not always someone who you might want. The forums are rife with stories of characters grabbing agro, running back by the casters or clerics, and popping diplo thereby dumping them all in their lap. Or alterntively, a cleric who has been abused once too often rounding up the dungeon, bringing them back to the party, and dumping them in their lap as he watches with amusement no doubt. Anyway, yes diplo works, not always but often enough. Amost everyone in pugs has not seen it and will not recognize the symbol above the mobs heads.

[Inspire]

Intimidate.

[ThePage311]

Hmm, I hadn't thought about balance. Now I'm stuck wondering which is more helpful; balance, diplo or spot! If you could only have one, which would you take and why? If you managed to get a +2 int tome would you bother eating it to get a second skill from those three? I guess right now I'm leaning towards diplo since none of them are class skills and at least diplo is CHA based... Grr, picking a build is more work then leveling one!

Edit: And does it even matter what alignment you pick? Didn't seem like it used to, but I think my drow is CN and consider being perhaps TN or some such just for variety. Any popular splashes I may want to keep available by picking an appropriate alignment now?

[Merkinsal]

lol, if you have an int tome laying around and don't plan on building a wizard, why not? I'd take balance for the second. It can be especially nice when you are soloing.

[KingOfCheese]

Lots of good choices--none of which will do you wrong. Diplo seems to work well for me. It also comes in handy here and there during certain quests (Crucible). I do not have ranks of spot on my sorc and have not really missed it (compared to my characters that do have it). In situations where I have wanted spot, I have thrown on some gear--not great spot--but OK. I took balance and like it--although I could live without it. Intimidate is another one to consider. People do not think about Sorcs intimidating, but it can be situationally useful--it is all about moving the bad guys around at your will (intimidate--come stand in my firewall, come gather for a face full of cone of cold, come chase me around for a while, get off that cleric; diplo--now go away). I did not take intimidate--but with high Charisma (+6 CH skill Shroud item) and an intim item can get into the 40s--and be useful against trash mobs. With ranks of Intim, a Sorc could be quite effective.

[smyter]

it depends on the type of sorc you are building. If you are soloing (a la finger/pk) a quest, spot is essential to get the hidden mobs.

[Strakeln]

Skill thoughts:
UMD - Must have
Concentrate - Must have
Haggle - I have no other high haggle toon, would very much like to have
Jump - I was thinking 10 net (8 skill - 1 for low STR + 3 for STR item) + jump spell would max me out?
Diplomacy - Err, its CHA based which is nice. But do people really use it, is it very good end game?

My thoughts:

UMD -> firt and foremost
Concentrate -> Sorcs cast so fast that I don't see many concentration checks on mine. VERY rarely. My opinion only.
Haggle -> That's what bards are for.
Jump -> get it to 10 or above

Anything else is just icing on the cake.

[Fennario]

I really wouldn't worry about putting ranks into jump as it caps at 40. My sorc, who started with an 8 strength and put nothing into jump, jumps as high as any other character in the game.

30 spell
4 gh
4 str (8 + 6 item + 2 rage + 2 tome (from short manning raids where everyone else in the group all had already eaten +2 tomes )
2 luck
-------
40

[Shima-ra]

UMD and concentration are an absolute must.

If you have the chance to take diplomacy or intimidate, do it; controlling the mobs either way can very powerfull.


I can see the temptation to get haggle,
but you dont need spot, you dont need jump.

[KingOfCheese]

One advantage of concentration for a UMD-based sorc is the benefit when using scrolls (which won't cast quickly).

I really enjoy my haggle. I don't have a bard. With the ability to teleport around at will to various shops and a high haggle, my sorc is the shopper for all of my characters.

[Desteria]

Hmm, I hadn't thought about balance. Now I'm stuck wondering which is more helpful; balance, diplo or spot! If you could only have one, which would you take and why? If you managed to get a +2 int tome would you bother eating it to get a second skill from those three? I guess right now I'm leaning towards diplo since none of them are class skills and at least diplo is CHA based... Grr, picking a build is more work then leveling one!

Edit: And does it even matter what alignment you pick? Didn't seem like it used to, but I think my drow is CN and consider being perhaps TN or some such just for variety. Any popular splashes I may want to keep available by picking an appropriate alignment now?

of the 3 skills Balace by far the higest.... a sorc on there but is in tubble fast....
UMD = king of skills
CONcentration = must have unless you run quicken 100% of the time.
Jump getts you out of trubbel a LOT and avoids getting triped by not beign there...
Balance lets you stand up before you get killed when you do get tripped.