The Sorcerer's Handbook: A Guide to Building and Playing Sorcerers

[Swanic]

As a returning new player and 1st time Sorc i wanted to weigh on the elvis/asp schools of sorcery. (never played past 1st free month on launch, coming back for EU)

First i did the setup per Aspenor, Human..empower/force of personality..niacs/hypno

It was quite a struggle actually. I picked up charm/summon also to help me out, but the feats felt wasted. I couldnt use empower and maintain spellpoints. FoP didnt seem to do anything for me since not many caster mobs in harbor. Once i got through WW (elite w/ group) i decided it wasnt going to get any easier

Rerolled Human again, using the elvis model. Human, conj/greater conj. niacs/charm.

I was able to solo all of the korthos quests up to misery peak which was duo'd. I am now level 5 again, with web/scorch ray niac/BH/charm/summon. I felt like i was getting more bang for my SP due to less resists and my SP lasted a lot longer. I picked up empower as next feat and it is useable but still drains SP fast, where a few niacs kill everything anyways.

No one mentions that people expect you to have MM/energy resist for STK traps and end boss.

overall, the elvis model makes the first 5 levels easier. I wont be able to chime in through 10 on both since i wont be continuing the 1st sorc

[Junts]

As a returning new player and 1st time Sorc i wanted to weigh on the elvis/asp schools of sorcery. (never played past 1st free month on launch, coming back for EU)

First i did the setup per Aspenor, Human..empower/force of personality..niacs/hypno

It was quite a struggle actually. I picked up charm/summon also to help me out, but the feats felt wasted. I couldnt use empower and maintain spellpoints. FoP didnt seem to do anything for me since not many caster mobs in harbor. Once i got through WW (elite w/ group) i decided it wasnt going to get any easier

Rerolled Human again, using the elvis model. Human, conj/greater conj. niacs/charm.

I was able to solo all of the korthos quests up to misery peak which was duo'd. I am now level 5 again, with web/scorch ray niac/BH/charm/summon. I felt like i was getting more bang for my SP due to less resists and my SP lasted a lot longer. I picked up empower as next feat and it is useable but still drains SP fast, where a few niacs kill everything anyways.

No one mentions that people expect you to have MM/energy resist for STK traps and end boss.

overall, the elvis model makes the first 5 levels easier. I wont be able to chime in through 10 on both since i wont be continuing the 1st sorc

Asp's advice is a lot more geared towards easy endgame play when you're still learning your caster; elvis gave much better spell selection advice regarding pre8 levels (lv 8, all sorcs level the same, ie, firewall)

[Aspenor]

Asp's advice is a lot more geared towards easy endgame play when you're still learning your caster; elvis gave much better spell selection advice regarding pre8 levels (lv 8, all sorcs level the same, ie, firewall)

I think a large part of it is play style. I solo'd/duo'd all the way to 8th level using the advice in the OP. However, I follow a fundamental rule which will be drastically changed in Mod 9: Don't kill unless I have to.

I have, for a long time, played my sorcerer in this fashion. Charm, diplo, and run. Never, ever stop running. Charm something, diplo them onto your new buddy, and leave them all in the dust. Utilizing said tactics it was absurdly easy to solo through all of the Harbor through elite, all of STK through elite, then all of Tangleroot through elite.

Unfortunately, Turbine nuked that tactic from orbit.

FWIW, elvis's plan will end up requiring numerous feat changes which a new player will not have many at hand.

[Varis]

I think a large part of it is play style. I solo'd/duo'd all the way to 8th level using the advice in the OP. However, I follow a fundamental rule which will be drastically changed in Mod 9: Don't kill unless I have to.

I have, for a long time, played my sorcerer in this fashion. Charm, diplo, and run. Never, ever stop running. Charm something, diplo them onto your new buddy, and leave them all in the dust. Utilizing said tactics it was absurdly easy to solo through all of the Harbor through elite, all of STK through elite, then all of Tangleroot through elite.

Unfortunately, Turbine nuked that tactic from orbit.

FWIW, elvis's plan will end up requiring numerous feat changes which a new player will not have many at hand.

he he he... Aspenor, perhaps it will be the nukers time to shine after all this time =)

[tinyelvis]

I think a large part of it is play style. I solo'd/duo'd all the way to 8th level using the advice in the OP. However, I follow a fundamental rule which will be drastically changed in Mod 9: Don't kill unless I have to.

I have, for a long time, played my sorcerer in this fashion. Charm, diplo, and run. Never, ever stop running. Charm something, diplo them onto your new buddy, and leave them all in the dust. Utilizing said tactics it was absurdly easy to solo through all of the Harbor through elite, all of STK through elite, then all of Tangleroot through elite.

Even if this statement were true (which i seriously doubt) there are major problems here. First off, you never bother to inform new players that this is your intent for your guide. I think many are mislead into believing your suggestions will lead to a good caster build, not some method of solo zerging (not to mention if you really just zerg by everything why even bother to hypnotize, charm, or diplo just run past everything). Second, if this really is your play style, why do you suggest even taking empower at 1st level. Seems to me, enchantment focus would serve you better. Further your spell selection should include expeditious retreat. Finally, you can not defeat the end bosses like this, not to mention, do your caster job in important quests like storm cleave or deleras. Personally, I think you are just making this **** up.

Finally, any character can zerg past mobs in certain quests. There is no need for charming or hypno. A well built caster (based on a good build plan, as opposed to the nonsense in this thread ) can zerg just as easily, but also can perform well solo or in party without the need.

Unfortunately, Turbine nuked that tactic from orbit.

FWIW, elvis's plan will end up requiring numerous feat changes which a new player will not have many at hand.

Wrong again as usual. The first feat swap is free. Low level feat swaps after the first are very inexpensive. So at most, you pay for one (not numerous) feat swaps. Please, at least play the game before attempting to advise folks.

Your poor advice is undefendable so you resort to claiming you intend it for those who plan to zerg past all mobs. This is a laughable explanation. Even in the quests that you quoted above, you would need to kill certain mobs to advance. Even with the poor low level spell selection you advise, at the very least, you would be better off with spell focus as a feat. This way, your attacks against mobs that must die to advance would fair better.

[Junts]

Your poor advice is undefendable so you resort to claiming you intend it for those who plan to zerg past all mobs. This is a laughable explanation. Even in the quests that you quoted above, you would need to kill certain mobs to advance. Even with the poor low level spell selection you advise, at the very least, you would be better off with spell focus as a feat. This way, your attacks against mobs that must die to advance would fair better.

Asp's point about feat swaps deserves mentioning too, Elvis; your spell selection is better, but Asp's feat selection is superior for a new player because they will only have 2 feat swaps available to them and they are likely to make other mistakes; the difference in difficulty between having and not having a spell focus or something is extremely minor. It's pretty easy for a character to work around something like that, with the main goal of reaching level 8 and being excellent.

[Visty]

Where do you get 5% from? What does this number represent in your mind? Claiming that a feat in spell focus is equivalent to a 5 % bonus is not just a simplification. Its a totally fabricated number that means nothing.

maybe its you who doesnt understand the concept:

a 1 higher dc means the mobs has to roll a number 1 higher then befor. and a 1 on a d20 has a chance of 5% to be rolled.

[Cole]

Pardon the foolish drow sorc; what do you humans and WF do with all your shiny HPs once you are out of spell points? Without 'serious' gear I sit at 2200 sp.

IMHO Sorcs are the glass cannon class.. let me nuke and then rez me at a shrine when you need more killing power.

[Borror0]

Pardon the foolish drow sorc; what do you humans and WF do with all your shiny HPs once you are out of spell points?

Ask ourselves what mistakes we made to have run out of SP when we should have not.

Alternatively, we tell ourselves that the mere 25 more SP that being a drow would have given us would not have made a big difference any way.

[MrCow]

Pardon the foolish drow sorc; what do you humans and WF do with all your shiny HPs once you are out of spell points?

Personally, I either start supporting with wands and scrolls or use Divine Power and take out a weapon (usually a Wounding Dagger to help with the CON-based killing).

[Aspenor]

Pardon the foolish drow sorc; what do you humans and WF do with all your shiny HPs once you are out of spell points? Without 'serious' gear I sit at 2200 sp.

IMHO Sorcs are the glass cannon class.. let me nuke and then rez me at a shrine when you need more killing power.

Who runs out of spell points? If you run out of spell points, you're doing something wrong.

Additionally, why bother to rez a dead sorc that runs out of spell points? Why not just let the guy that stays alive and doesn't run out of spell points do the work? Seems like so much wasted time and energy.

To you, I ask: what do you do when you run out of hit points? Oh, that's right...nothing.

[Varis]

pssh, better to learn to nuke early on to get your movement right. doing korthos on normal, a few runs of ringleader along with a full water works gets you level 3 super fast.

depending on charms is in my opinion a bad idea. it makes undead quests a no go and bosses like STK will give you a hard time.
(not that charm isn't awesome)

[CaptNapalm]

Asp, as a Founder returning to the game after 2 years off, I found your post to be incredibly useful. Who cares if some people think it's not the perfect build - that's what makes it fun. I'll let you know how my WF Sorc turns out

[Romoth]

Your poor advice is undefendable so you resort to claiming you intend it for those who plan to zerg past all mobs. This is a laughable explanation. Even in the quests that you quoted above, you would need to kill certain mobs to advance. Even with the poor low level spell selection you advise, at the very least, you would be better off with spell focus as a feat. This way, your attacks against mobs that must die to advance would fair better.

Tiny, not to fan the flames, but I have to ask what your intent is here? If your intent is to inform an un-informed audience (which is the intent of the OP and something I was specifically looking for), the blatant vitriol and plain lack of manners turns those (like me) looking for knowledge on a sorcerer off from whatever good information you bring to the discussion.

You turned a reasonably coherent thread with good discussion into your own personal battleground. One day I hope I can grow up to be as cool an e-thug as you, but damned if I just have to much respect for myself to reach that lofty goal.

Regards all, and thanks Asp for attempting to provide a coherent place for this information.

[Varis]

Tiny, not to fan the flames, but I have to ask what your intent is here? If your intent is to inform an un-informed audience (which is the intent of the OP and something I was specifically looking for), the blatant vitriol and plain lack of manners turns those (like me) looking for knowledge on a sorcerer off from whatever good information you bring to the discussion.

You turned a reasonably coherent thread with good discussion into your own personal battleground. One day I hope I can grow up to be as cool an e-thug as you, but damned if I just have to much respect for myself to reach that lofty goal.

Regards all, and thanks Asp for attempting to provide a coherent place for this information.

Asp is not perfect and over the years his ego has grown being often the sole experienced voice on the sorc forums. He does provide good advice that works quite well for someone with his playstyle.

That is why there is such a heated discussion. With the proper focus to a playstyle there will be several much different ways to crush a dungeon solo. Each seemingly superior to the other.

That's the beauty of our class... figure out what works best for you, then learn to do it well.

[Aspenor]

Asp is not perfect and over the years his ego has grown being often the sole experienced voice on the sorc forums. He does provide good advice that works quite well for someone with his playstyle.

That is why there is such a heated discussion. With the proper focus to a playstyle there will be several much different ways to crush a dungeon solo. Each seemingly superior to the other.

That's the beauty of our class... figure out what works best for you, then learn to do it well.

Nah, my ego has grown from watching you die in GoP when playing with Abi

[abull74]

I have been playing since a week after launch and my first capped toon was a human sorc. She has a 33 Cha with NO GS items.....she only started with a 14 Con and she is sitting at 234hp....

IMO, the original post is a great guide to building a sorc, IF YOU ARE A NEW PLAYER.
Wasn't that the point? Drow are not available to NEW players.....32 point builds are not avilable to NEW players. So, the OP has supplied NEW players with a very easy to read/understand guide to building a sorc.

I prefer humans and WF....I had a drow, made it to lvl 4 and deleted. I just didnt have the hp I wanted. Even at low lvls, the 2/4pnts in CON makes a difference. Especially if you take Toughness(Human bonus feat) and then swap it out later(say around lvl 6).

To sum it up.....Great job OP....any new player would do well to read this post.

I AM THE FPOON!!!

[Varis]

Nah, my ego has grown from watching you die in GoP when playing with Abi

hah, it's been so long since I died with Roa that DDO probably won't know what to do when it actually happens

Now.. the comment with Abi interests me more... do you play WITH Abilizer or AS Abilizer.

depending on your answer I might actually get worried

[Romoth]

Asp is not perfect and over the years his ego has grown being often the sole experienced voice on the sorc forums. He does provide good advice that works quite well for someone with his playstyle.

That is why there is such a heated discussion. With the proper focus to a playstyle there will be several much different ways to crush a dungeon solo. Each seemingly superior to the other.

That's the beauty of our class... figure out what works best for you, then learn to do it well.

I wasn't implying he is. We are after all, all human. I merely meant that this thread was and seems to continue to be a decent place for information for a new player that shouldn't be spoiled by incoherent rants.

-Romoth

[Aspenor]

hah, it's been so long since I died with Roa that DDO probably won't know what to do when it actually happens

Now.. the comment with Abi interests me more... do you play WITH Abilizer or AS Abilizer.

depending on your answer I might actually get worried

You're silly.