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

[Aviendha]

Have just re-incarnated my Drow 20 Sorc to a Human Sorc and have reached level 15 so far.

The Human is awesome compared to the Drow. The extra feat, which I used for Empower, in addition to Maximize is awsome at the lower levels and the extra Con (HPs) is a major bonus over the Drow. I don't need to do any jumping around my firewalls I just stand in them with stoneskin and displacement and use UMD to cast the odd serious heal from my wands and am practically invulnerable. Obviously this toon is geared to all hell as he is reincarnated so that sure makes a big differece too.

Always ON: Mazimize, Empower, Extend, Heighten, this is not possible with a wizard due to lack of SPs.

When I play my level 19 Wizard my spell buttons stop working 2/3 of the way to the shrine and I wonder why.... then I realise I have 2/3 of my sorcs spell points and give up lol

[Varis]

Have just re-incarnated my Drow 20 Sorc to a Human Sorc and have reached level 15 so far.

The Human is awesome compared to the Drow. The extra feat, which I used for Empower, in addition to Maximize is awsome at the lower levels and the extra Con (HPs) is a major bonus over the Drow. I don't need to do any jumping around my firewalls I just stand in them with stoneskin and displacement and use UMD to cast the odd serious heal from my wands and am practically invulnerable. Obviously this toon is geared to all hell as he is reincarnated so that sure makes a big differece too.

Always ON: Mazimize, Empower, Extend, Heighten, this is not possible with a wizard due to lack of SPs.

When I play my level 19 Wizard my spell buttons stop working 2/3 of the way to the shrine and I wonder why.... then I realise I have 2/3 of my sorcs spell points and give up lol

I'm also playing a human as Roa 2.0 and it IS immense fun leveling up a sorc with top gear waiting for you. Though I gotta say, being able to tank in a firewall has a lot more to do with your awesome gear then it does with race =)

I like the extra feat and about 50 more HP but I am noticing the lack of action points available to spend. Takes quite a bit to cover the +1 charisma and +1 con. Also, the juicy human healing to get more bang per heal scroll adds up.

most likely I will go back to Drow for my 3rd reincarnation but with gear... any race will do =)

[Aspenor]

I'm also playing a human as Roa 2.0 and it IS immense fun leveling up a sorc with top gear waiting for you. Though I gotta say, being able to tank in a firewall has a lot more to do with your awesome gear then it does with race =)

I like the extra feat and about 50 more HP but I am noticing the lack of action points available to spend. Takes quite a bit to cover the +1 charisma and +1 con. Also, the juicy human healing to get more bang per heal scroll adds up.

most likely I will go back to Drow for my 3rd reincarnation but with gear... any race will do =)

Theoretically speaking, taking the CON enhancement and the resulting 3rd tier Toughness enhancement is entirely optional, especially if you have a Litany of the Dead. Whether you use the enhancement or the Litany, you end up with 30 CON (31 is pointless). If you go the Litany route, you only lose 10 hit points. Of course with the Litany you gain in every OTHER stat, so...this is kindof a no-brainer to me.

Looking out over the long haul, when I've completed my barbarian past lives and have completionist open I will not take toughness at all. The 3 barbarian past lives grant 30 hit points (which equals the enhancements) and the completionist feat gives 2 CON for another 20. In the end you lose 2 hit points and gain a feat slot and action points (which, by that time, I will spend on Spell Penetration which I recently dumped entirely. Using the wizard and FVS past lives + enhancements will give +13 to spell penetration before items).

[prototype327]

This thread is pretty helpful but can you update the suggested list of equips?
e.g Encrusted ring gives -> Strength +6, Exceptional Strength +1, Frenzied Berserker
w/ no healing amp as stated

[Aspenor]

This thread is pretty helpful but can you update the suggested list of equips?
e.g Encrusted ring gives -> Strength +6, Exceptional Strength +1, Frenzied Berserker
w/ no healing amp as stated

Healing amp can be crafted on the rings, and I'm not sure why you'd take a frenzied bezerker ring on a sorc over giving it away to a melee. The pally rings are better for sorcs.

[Ushurak]

Well, I'm 10th level and looking ahead to my level 6+ spells and I've geared my sorcerer for mass AoE dmg spells. I am noticing that from level 12 and up the mass damage effect spells are very lean. The mass spells at this point seem to turn from mass damage to mass buffs and mass crowd control. The high damage spells seem to be geared more for single targets. Where should I go from here. I have dumped all my enhancement points into energy/element manipulation/lineage/deadly lineage, charisma I,II,III...and a few single point splashes just for prerequisites here and there. What should I do at this point for maximum damage output (or does that tend to fade away at this point)? My feats are maximize, fop, mental toughness (about to dump it for extend), toughness. I have placed nothing into force spells.

[Aspenor]

Well, I'm 10th level and looking ahead to my level 6+ spells and I've geared my sorcerer for mass AoE dmg spells. I am noticing that from level 12 and up the mass damage effect spells are very lean. The mass spells at this point seem to turn from mass damage to mass buffs and mass crowd control. The high damage spells seem to be geared more for single targets. Where should I go from here. I have dumped all my enhancement points into energy/element manipulation/lineage/deadly lineage, charisma I,II,III...and a few single point splashes just for prerequisites here and there. What should I do at this point for maximum damage output (or does that tend to fade away at this point)? My feats are maximize, fop, mental toughness (about to dump it for extend), toughness. I have placed nothing into force spells.

Stick with high dice damage spells. Delayed Blast Fireball and Ball Lightning are still great. I love, LOVE Prismatic Spray. Also in Update 3 Chain Lightning will be fixed and I'll be picking that up for 20d6 lightning.

[z0mbyjr]

On my sorc, I decided to take jump a bit early instead of charm person (I hate charm)... Jump is very, very, very useful. While all the rest of my group is running through a trap, or trying to tumble (and failing), I just hop right over the trap... Less trap damage = more fun!

Also, if you were to take Greater Teleport, what spell would it take the place of?

[Osharan_Tregarth]

Also, if you were to take Greater Teleport, what spell would it take the place of?

Umm.. Never. Not ever on a sorcerer.

[BDS]

On my sorc, I decided to take jump a bit early instead of charm person (I hate charm)... Jump is very, very, very useful. While all the rest of my group is running through a trap, or trying to tumble (and failing), I just hop right over the trap... Less trap damage = more fun!

You realize you can cast jump on the rest of your party as well right?

[Carpone]

Stick with high dice damage spells. Delayed Blast Fireball and Ball Lightning are still great. I love, LOVE Prismatic Spray. Also in Update 3 Chain Lightning will be fixed and I'll be picking that up for 20d6 lightning.

Do you have both Elemental Manipulation IV and Energy Manipulation IV enhancements?

[Aspenor]

Do you have both Elemental Manipulation IV and Energy Manipulation IV enhancements?

Yes, and all the spell crit enhancements that go with them as well.

[z0mbyjr]

You realize you can cast jump on the rest of your party as well right?

Of course... it's just not as fun doing that in horrible PUGs...

I only cast jump on myself, and guildies in a bad PUG, or if someone asks really, really, really nicely... =D

Also, I have one more question... Would you recommend taking Frost Lance at lower levels, then swapping for Lightning Bolt once I get to Vale? 12d10 Ice Damage w/ a Fort Save for half sounds very nice against casters.

[Ushurak]

I just reached level 12 and I had planned for this moment forever. This was going to be my only single enemy damage spell...mostly because I'm coming up against a lot more constructs. When I go to the trainer to level up...guess what?...Yup...NO DISINTIGRATE!!!! I went and checked the sorcerer spell list by level on DDO forums and it lists it there...you listed it at the very beginning of this thread as an option to chain lightning...not there...I am hurt, cut, wounded and dismayed....and that's when I'm not playing and looking at my spell list....I opted for chain lightning..which when you have no other choice is not an option at all...is it?!. Did DDO get rid of disintegrate?
To swap a level 6 spell is going to be expensive to say the least.

[Aspenor]

I just reached level 12 and I had planned for this moment forever. This was going to be my only single enemy damage spell...mostly because I'm coming up against a lot more constructs. When I go to the trainer to level up...guess what?...Yup...NO DISINTIGRATE!!!! I went and checked the sorcerer spell list by level on DDO forums and it lists it there...you listed it at the very beginning of this thread as an option to chain lightning...not there...I am hurt, cut, wounded and dismayed....and that's when I'm not playing and looking at my spell list....I opted for chain lightning..which when you have no other choice is not an option at all...is it?!. Did DDO get rid of disintegrate?
To swap a level 6 spell is going to be expensive to say the least.

I have no idea why it wouldn't be there. Are you sure? If you're 100% sure, bug report it.

[Ushurak]

I have no idea why it wouldn't be there. Are you sure? If you're 100% sure, bug report it.

I was able to get it 3 days later (the sorcerers wait time for spell exchange). I'm 90% positive it wasn't there. Maybe they were fixing a bug or something. I looked for 20 minutes trying to figure it out. I went and checked the DDO forum spell list per level to make sure. I finally settled in my mind that someone misquoted which level spell it was and figured it may be a 7th. It's possible that I overlooked it but it's hard to believe considering that I really, really, really...you get the picture....wanted it. To my great pleasure though, it is everything I had hoped it would be. I don't use it much, but when I do it's maximized and heightened and WOW...it really packs a punch. Now if I could just find that all illusive something of greater potency VI or higher I would be completely satisfied.

[Aspenor]

I was able to get it 3 days later (the sorcerers wait time for spell exchange). I'm 90% positive it wasn't there. Maybe they were fixing a bug or something. I looked for 20 minutes trying to figure it out. I went and checked the DDO forum spell list per level to make sure. I finally settled in my mind that someone misquoted which level spell it was and figured it may be a 7th. It's possible that I overlooked it but it's hard to believe considering that I really, really, really...you get the picture....wanted it. To my great pleasure though, it is everything I had hoped it would be. I don't use it much, but when I do it's maximized and heightened and WOW...it really packs a punch. Now if I could just find that all illusive something of greater potency VI or higher I would be completely satisfied.

what server are you on?

[Ushurak]

what server are you on?

Orien

[Aspenor]

Orien

Oh, ok. Nevermind then, was going to mail you a superior potency VI and greater potency VII if you were on Argo. Good luck finding what you need, they aren't all that uncommon. Ask around among your friends.

[Crann]

Now if I could just find that all illusive something of greater potency VI or higher I would be completely satisfied.

Those items show up in the AH, and at the House D weapons broker very frequently....and dont demand ridiculous prices.....yet. Also....thank you Aspenor for the guide. I have a level 13 Sorc that I have leveled relatively painlessly using this guide. It has been a great reference tool for a beginning Sorc.