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

[Aspenor]

Great guide Aspenor but was wondering whether you will be updating it to include level 20.

Yes, i'll do it, just need the time. I had the time to think about the gear during a massage I had this weekend.

[Mandoman]

...thinking about gear during a massage??? I think that would be the last thing on my mind.... :P


tell everyone in the louie what up from me

[Osco]

Using this to work my way through Human 28pt build, and wondering which enhancements I should be taking in a primarily nuking role. I figured Sorcerer Concentration I was a pretty safe bet for my fist pick.

Also, I'm wondering how much I will be soloing this sorc, seeing as how I couldn't get a group to do the starter quests on Elite with my cleric last night!

[Aspenor]

Using this to work my way through Human 28pt build, and wondering which enhancements I should be taking in a primarily nuking role. I figured Sorcerer Concentration I was a pretty safe bet for my fist pick.

Also, I'm wondering how much I will be soloing this sorc, seeing as how I couldn't get a group to do the starter quests on Elite with my cleric last night!

You don't have to do everything through to elite right away. In fact you'll level quicker if you complete things on normal and move on to quests with better experience rewards, like Waterworks, Durks Got a Secret, and the Smuggler's Warehouse.

[foxx]

And hmm ive seen really great human sorcerers Id like to find a elven build though I like elf build tends to go with the theme ive got. I tried a drow but their faces look pinched and I find they make better clerics for my purposes. I dunno I think im going to work with any info you put on here Asp id like to try to make a sorceress I can stand to play.

aye, but seriously who looks that close at the faces of these charactors?

with drow /sorc, you can start out at 20 char.

[winsom]

The guide's spell choices by level is very wise. That is exactly how I would do it. I might be tempted to take a Fog spell earlier, based on how much my wizard enjoys them, but as a sorceror I could try to go without it for 13 levels or more, as this guide suggests. Some of the best wisdom is how a certain spell can be useful at certain levels but not as useful later on so you should swap the spell when this happens.


I recommend Force of Personality at 1st level. Will saves are lot more problematic and low and mid levels. Plan to respec out of this feat sometime after level 12.

Empower feat can wait until 3rd when you have more caster level = damage dice to get multiplied by 1.5.

My Human Sorceror took a crossbow feat at 1st level because she won''t have enough damage dice to do significant damage until 3rd level (and Empower Feat) and even then there are times she will want to conserve some SPs. Repeater Crossbow or Rapid Reload feat are also fun feats to use while conserving spell points in the low levels where conservation makes the most difference. This crossbow feat can be respeced to Spell Penetration when I need that advantage at much higher levels.

DEX 12 + magic crossbow + the attack bonus items from Korthos gives me sorc an excellent chance of hitting low level monsters. I also have Human Versatility Attack Boost for +2 'to hit' or 'to damage' if I want that.

I Hypnotize a group of monsters then pick them off one at a time with my crossbow, while my team-mate helps out. I use Expeditious Retreat to gain ground on, or to out-maneuver any surviving foes, as needed.

[shagath]

Any ideas on what spell to change?

Level 8 Nuker Sorceress(very soon 9)
LVL1: Chill Touch, Jump, Niac's Cold Ray, Nightshield
LVL2: Blur, Scorching Ray, Web (At next level, getting knock)
LVL3: Fireball, Frost Lance (At next level, getting haste)
LVL4: Wall of Fire

Feats: Mental Toughness, Empower, Heighten (At next level, getting Extend for haste)

I'm about switch some spell, haven't been using Chill Touch much(only against ooze and some immune to other spells undead) so thinking about Magic Missile(heightened).

My enchantments are: 2x wand enchantments(I do use wands for some additional damage when having spell points depleted, also using for stoneskin and protection from elements), all dragonblooded ones(+spellpoints), charisma II and all elemental ones possible.

Any tips on spell swap?

ADDED: I also have all available for(my used ap) heighten/empower enchantments and use those two always on.

[Junts]

Any ideas on what spell to change?

Level 8 Nuker Sorceress(very soon 9)
LVL1: Chill Touch, Jump, Niac's Cold Ray, Nightshield
LVL2: Blur, Scorching Ray, Web (At next level, getting knock)
LVL3: Fireball, Frost Lance (At next level, getting haste)
LVL4: Wall of Fire

Feats: Mental Toughness, Empower, Heighten (At next level, getting Extend for haste)

I'm about switch some spell, haven't been using Chill Touch much(only against ooze and some immune to other spells undead) so thinking about Magic Missile(heightened).

My enchantments are: two wand enchantments and as much elemental ones possible.

Any tips on spell swap?

you need some toughness, and i would probably take displacement instead of either fireball or ice lance .. it will really help when you are firewalling and get aggro

[shagath]

you need some toughness, and i would probably take displacement instead of either fireball or ice lance .. it will really help when you are firewalling and get aggro

I usually just run faster than them and fireball/ice lance their face. My highest fireball critical has been more than 200dmg to each four elves following me. Of course there's also that weakness thing(doing even more with ice against fire and vice versa) which is a pretty nice party saver. Not sure if it's the most intelligent way but it's pretty working. Or sometimes I firewall my running round if it gets ugly.

[Junts]

I usually just run faster than them and fireball/ice lance their face. My highest fireball critical has been more than 200dmg to each four elves following me. Of course there's also that weakness thing(doing even more with ice against fire and vice versa). Not sure if it's the most intelligent way but it's pretty working. Or sometimes I firewall my running round if it gets ugly.

displacing, hasting, jumping and circling 15 mobs through 2 firewalls is more effective sp wise than nuking with fireball, and will be a tactic that grows with you .. the fireball angle won't work so hot when you get to gianthold.

Getting more bang for your sp is important: like so

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBMi3NzsvuQ

How many other spells do you think it'd have taken to kill those without using the 4 firewalls so hard?

[tinyelvis]

Nice video. Pictures are worth a 100 words and videos whole paragraphs. This one certainly was illuminating. Nice job avoiding all of the lightning bolts cast your way. I dont think the casual viewer would have noticed this. Casting firewalls and hoping around them with mobs is a basic skill that all casters need to learn. Placing webs judiciously is also an important skill. But, it is time consuming and does open you up for attack from enemy ranged while things die.

Though you dodged a lot of lightning attacks, even you with all of your skill and experience were hit with non-aoe DC spells. Good thing it was poison (going against your best save) and not command (going against maybe your not so best). I do not feel this is necessarily the only tactic or even the superior one. Fireball and in the later stages here in monastery Delayed blast fireball attacks would kill quicker. At most 2 or 3 casts would kill all properly grouped foes and usually do it quicker with less risk to self. Your four FWs and two webs are more costly and slower. The new ai makes mobs shun firewalls meaning you have to drop more.At the low levels, firewall suffers other issues. It is not as easy to superior enhance as its third level cousin fireball.

Displacement is good, but I would not swap fireball for it. I would take it next before haste or dump the ice spell.

I know you were trying to demonstrate FW here but of course one cast from your wail of the banshee would have killed 90-100%. Hey, I thought you were supposed to have 510 hit points?????

[Junts]

Nice video. Pictures are worth a 100 words and videos whole paragraphs. This one certainly was illuminating. Nice job avoiding all of the lightning bolts cast your way. I dont think the casual viewer would have noticed this. Casting firewalls and hoping around them with mobs is a basic skill that all casters need to learn. Placing webs judiciously is also an important skill. But, it is time consuming and does open you up for attack from enemy ranged while things die.

Though you dodged a lot of lightning attacks, even you with all of your skill and experience were hit with non-aoe DC spells. Good thing it was poison (going against your best save) and not command (going against maybe your not so best). I do not feel this is necessarily the only tactic or even the superior one. Fireball and in the later stages here in monastery Delayed blast fireball attacks would kill quicker. At most 2 or 3 casts would kill all properly grouped foes and usually do it quicker with less risk to self. Your four FWs and two webs are more costly and slower. The new ai makes mobs shun firewalls meaning you have to drop more.At the low levels, firewall suffers other issues. It is not as easy to superior enhance as its third level cousin fireball.

Displacement is good, but I would not swap fireball for it. I would take it next before haste or dump the ice spell.

I know you were trying to demonstrate FW here but of course one cast from your wail of the banshee would have killed 90-100%. Hey, I thought you were supposed to have 510 hit points?????

The webs aren't mine; using 4 firewalls to dispose of 17 or so mobs is a soloing tactic (as you can see, I'm alone), as I have no intention of accessing the first shrine .. if I were grouped I would probably use dbf, but since I'm not, its important to ensure that I have an ample store of sp remaining on the 2nd floor and beyond (the sccorpion switch room).

More important than dodging chains and ball lightnings is dodging cometfalls and searing lights (though I did also dodge the lightning, it doesnt matter nearly as much with resist and protect), as in an elite run those unblockable damage spells are much more dangerous.

I didn't intend to necessarily display the video as an example of how firewall can do anything; rather, its an example in sp effectiveness (for 320 sp. most of the first floor of Monestary is cleared). I think Monestary makes for an excellent example in how to use web and dodge attacks since one cometfall hit is usually instant death with the trip effect and their dc being well into the 30s; even a sorceror with a great reflex save is highly unlikely to make the save.


As for the hp, I will; I'm a tod ring away (I'll gain 2 constitution brackets from it, moving me to 507 fully buffed), which I don't have yet.

[Xanni]

Um, no.

What's oversimplified?

and i'm not sure what you mean by flame bait. it's a handbook for people that don't have the knowledge.

Sheesh I've played a fighter since I began this game.... this is my first squishy and I'm eating up every word. I rolled the "Mistress of Mayhem" shared by Sigtrent, beyond that I have zero info re: the Sorcerer class. Not a waste of forum space at all... exactly what I needed to study with. Thx Aspenor!

[shagath]

What kind of items I should look for if I want to see mostly elemental damage? Any other suggestions?

I really don't know should I have items with false life, constitution, fortification or armor class(just bought +5 armor bracers, hope it wasnt a wrong pick) for example. Please guide me out.

Nuker
STR:8
DEX:12
CON:12
INT:14
WIS:8
CHA:27(with +3 cha cloak and cha II enchantments)

[Junts]

What kind of items I should look for if I want to see mostly elemental damage? Any other suggestions?

I really don't know should I have items with false life, constitution or armor class(just bought +5 armor bracers, hope it wasnt a wrong pick) for example. Please guide me out.

you want to waer these things:

constitution
charisma
best false life available
best fortification available
spell points

in one hand, you want the best potency or glaciation/combustion item available for your level. The other hand wil be spell points if it has to, but better the same appropriate elemental lore (eg, you want to dual wield superior combustion 4 and major fire lore for firewalling, or superior glacation 5 and major ice lore for cone of colding, or superior potency 6 switching between the two lores for quests where they're both used, etc)

Working in +umd as long as you've been taking the skill is also wise .. a sorceror can be reliable with cure serious wounds wands by level 10 (7 ranks, 10 charisma, 4 greater hero/gird, 1 voice, 3 cartouche = 25 umd vs a dc 28 on the wand, 90% success rate).

at level 12, with 8 ranks and another cha bracket, you should be nofail on csw wands.

[shagath]

Thank you! Going to look for an auctioneer now then.

Btw, been taking concentration, umd, balance and diplomacy as skills.

[Junts]

Thank you! Going to look for an auctioneer now then.

Btw, been taking concentration, umd, balance and diplomacy as skills.

As long as you have the first two the others dont matter, and balance is by far the best 3rd choice

Make sure to take a little tumble so you are capable of tumbling (get 1 full rank, 2 sp worth)


the lack of armor and +skills buffs will keep you positive even with a **** dex. tumbling is handy

[shagath]

As long as you have the first two the others dont matter, and balance is by far the best 3rd choice

Make sure to take a little tumble so you are capable of tumbling (get 1 full rank, 2 sp worth)


the lack of armor and +skills buffs will keep you positive even with a **** dex. tumbling is handy

Seems like I've been doing this right, took tumble just enough to roll during first two levels.

So Magi:100sp+ and regular sp boost item wont stack?

[Junts]

Seems like I've been doing this right, took tumble just enough to roll during first two levels.

So Magi:100sp+ and regular sp boost item wont stack?

Magi, Power and Wizardry items are all identical boosts and won't stack .. they scale up to Archmagi (wizardry 8, +200 sp basically). The exceptional spell points available via the shroud do stack (up to 150 more, so combined you'll get 700 sp from items in the endgame .. at your level, a sceptre of the magi or pearl of power X are the goal).

[shagath]

Got myself a sceptre of the magi +2 and lesser lightning guard robe of heavy fortification. Thanks for all the tips!