Are damage focused sorcs useless?

[Arctigis]

May I ask why? A +2 charisma tome is pretty easy to come by for a caster, and a +9 charisma dagger is also pretty easy to craft in the Shroud. 36 charisma should be fairly simple.

I already have a +2 CHA tome. Max CHA on L20 WF without a crafted weapon is 32 (16 + 2 tome + 5 levels + 3
enhancement + 6 item). For 36 I'd need a shroud crafted weapon and a +3 tome or LotD. I've as much chance of
winning DDO as I have of getting LotD!.

Potency is easily carried on the necklace if needed, although I mostly just use the clicky belts from Shavarath and my superior combustion VII on my DT.

Indeed, I'd also prefer to do this. However, this is where my original question comes from. In order to get those
items I need to be to be able to run (ideally solo) the content. I have a few shroud completions in Europe (so it's
not like I am new to the quest). I guess I need to get an understanding guild and start there.

[Ybbald]

Why has no one mentioned fire wall? I've seen it used constantly at the mid levels which is as high as I've gotten. Does it lose its usefulness later?

Are the enhancements to reduce the cost of extend and maximize worth it?

Are the past life feats from TR needed to be a good Nuker?

Is there any change in the mid level range? You guys all seem to be discussing high level.

How much UMD is needed to self heal for solo? Do the scrolls to self heal cost a huge amount? Would a new player without mounds of gold be able to afford it?

Why do people talk about soloing so much? Why do all soloists seem to be wiz or sorc? Why not find a friend who's a cleric or FvS to come with you? Or get a hireling? Or are people bringing a hireling when they solo?

[valorik]

I'm confused, why not just use whichever is more effective at the time?

It's true that nuking is probably much more effective in shavarath, but for epic there's virtually no mob that you cna't just wall of fire that nuking would be at all effective on, you'd be better off just dancing them or ignoring them.

I use instakills in shavarath on mobs who will cast aoe's such as blade barrier before they can cause any damage to my party, that's one thing not mentioned about instakills is that they're much quicker at taking down a single dangerous mob than shooting 3 chain lightnings at it.

[Carpone]

I'm confused, why not just use whichever is more effective at the time?

Limited feats, limited enhancement points and 3-day cooldown on swapping spells.

If you go the insta-kill route, you'll want great spell pen (at least the enhancements) and perhaps the appropriate focus feats (if you don't take the spell pen feats). If you go the DPS route, you'll want evocation focus feats and both elemental and energy enhancements.

If you want an arcane caster that can do both insta-kill and good DPS at the appropriate time, then play a wizard. They have the feats and spell-memorization mechanics to support that playstyle.

[SquelchHU]

Why has no one mentioned fire wall? I've seen it used constantly at the mid levels which is as high as I've gotten. Does it lose its usefulness later?

Most endgame mobs are devils and are consequently immune to fire. In situations where you are not fighting fire immune mobs it's the best option but that really only happens in Inspired Quarter (incredibly easy) or when playing in Epic mode.

Is there any change in the mid level range? You guys all seem to be discussing high level.

Mid level = Gather + Firewall. Done.

How much UMD is needed to self heal for solo? Do the scrolls to self heal cost a huge amount? Would a new player without mounds of gold be able to afford it?

Wand of Cure Serious Wounds: UMD DC 32.

Scroll of Heal: UMD DC 40.

To no fail you need +31 or +39 which is possible with moderate difficulty for a Sorcerer and much harder for a Wizard. If you're willing to take a failure chance you can settle for less.

7 scrolls cost about as much as one CSW wand, so they aren't too bad if you aren't using them often.

Why do people talk about soloing so much? Why do all soloists seem to be wiz or sorc? Why not find a friend who's a cleric or FvS to come with you? Or get a hireling? Or are people bringing a hireling when they solo?

Convenience. If you can solo it, there's really not any reason not to do so unless you want to help a buddy out. Also, the cleric/favored soul can probably solo as well. Better than an arcane at endgame since Blade Barrier isn't so easily resisted.

[valorik]

Limited feats, limited enhancement points and 3-day cooldown on swapping spells.

If you go the insta-kill route, you'll want great spell pen (at least the enhancements) and perhaps the appropriate focus feats (if you don't take the spell pen feats). If you go the DPS route, you'll want evocation focus feats and both elemental and energy enhancements.

If you want an arcane caster that can do both insta-kill and good DPS at the appropriate time, then play a wizard. They have the feats and spell-memorization mechanics to support that playstyle.

A caster should want great spell pen in any case for waves of exaustion on epic dq...

As for spell slots are sorcs raely so tied up in 7th and 9th pell slots? those aren't exactly terribly strong levels as I see it especially for a nuker sorc.

[jbreaka]

I have a crowd control based Sorc, and I run with my buddy's damage based Sorc all the time. We've had little to no over lap in spells and play style, up until we hit the raids. Both our builds work fine against the different problems. I did however notice, towards level 16, we started having a very similar build. We ended up having the same feats, and bunch of overlap spells. I needed more damage spells, or my character becomes useless against bosses and red names. My buddy needed some instant kills, to better clean the trash faster (FoD,WoB). Sorcs due tend to become similar towards end game, but I can say:
- feats tend to be the same (toughness, extend, heighten, maximize, empower)
- enhancements tend to be the same
- spells not so much.

DPS - needed for Red names & bosses
CC - needed to get to the bosses

both sorc builds are really effective and needed. Overall, one isn't more useful than another.

[Angar]

I think it is entirely situational, and output is based on gear.

I use enervate/FoD whenever I can, as I can cast it very efficiently.

Gianthold/desert - FoD, disintigrate, Fire wall, polar ray (on fire giants - 1800 damage ftw).

Desert - FoD, Firewall, polar ray, banish on mephits and reavers.

Orchard - FoD, Disintigrate on golems, firewall on undead, polar ray for dd when necessary.

In reavers refuge, I use enervate and stone, then let the melee's do their thing. Otherwise enervate/stone then firewall. Polar Ray and Disintigrate for dd.

In the Vale, Fod/Banish/wail/fire wall - same for shroud minus firewall/banish where I use wail and crowd control (dancing ball, solid fog), along with polar ray and disintigrate on harry.

Shavarath - so far, evervate/FoD, firewall, polar ray, web, disintigrate (too many saves though on this one). I could see soloing some content, but still very costly SP wise.

Here are a few more tidbits on my personal choices:
From about 11-16 I used dominate a lot when soloing - free helpers.
Firewall is not as overwhlemingly powerful at 20 as it was from 8-18, but still very usefull. The reason is a LOT of stuff is immune, resistant, or can be fingered. Despite this, it is a staple, and any sorc without it is pretty much "gimped" in this game. Sorry if you don't like firewall, it's sort of a fact of life..
Energy drain replaces enervate, and I never even bothered with enervate, just went straight to energy drain..
Web is useful even at level 20.
Dancing ball is a staple.. if it ain't a red mob, it can be danced.
Finger of Death - The faster you can take out a caster, the better chance of surviving. There is no real argument against this.
Wail of the Banshee - super effective against groups of mobs. With a greater necro focus item and/or feat, you can nail 75% of trash mobs in the shroud without a problem (all parts, not just part 1). This assumes you have a 36-40 cha.. Every point in DC counts for instakill.
Polar Ray - expensive but once capped it does around 850 damage when it crits, and double that on fire based mobs.
Disintigrate - another staple.. never met a mob it couldn't damage. However, if they save, it doesn't do but maybe 80 points damage, expensive for the sp cost.
Another I didn't mention is cone of cold. I don't use it as much at 20 as I did from 15-19, but still very good aoe damage.. expect 1500 pt crits on fire based mobs, and around 300 point damage on resistant mobs.
Prismatic spray was fun from the time I got it to about level 18.. too random for groups though, and the fear is annoying.
Solid fog or acid fog is a great crowd control, but I don't have it in my book.. too many better spells to give up.

equipment is just as important as spell choice though, particularly at high levels.. If you are going to dd, put a sup potency item on. Having focuses to get one more DC, and lore items for the extra crit rate and modifier is important too. Carrying 5 different scepters and a few different bracer combinations is not unusual. This allows you to be circumstantial yet still effective in both instakill and dd.

I have not turned off empower and maximize since I think level 15.. at 20 I have level 2 of both enhancements trained to reduce this cost, and with the staff of Petitioner that reduces spell cost by 10%, my 3k SP goes a LONG way, even if I have to enervate 2 times and then finger..

Of course, this is all my opinion, some people might think I am full of ****.

[Samadhi]

If you want an arcane caster that can do both insta-kill and good DPS at the appropriate time, then play a wizard. .

This is garbage. A sorcerer is 100% capable of being able to do both. It is all about knowing what to use where. Without any evocation focus, do I spend much time nuking high evasion mobs with spells that have saves? No. Do I have issues nuking most devils though? Not at all. Proper tool for the proper spot.