Budding Sorcerer Questions

[TessRavenscroft]

I only recently started playing DDO, and my first character is a level 4 human sorcerer. I've got a few questions I was hoping someone could answer.

1. Does Scorching Ray require a ranged touch attack to hit like it does in the PnP version?

I need something to replace Niac's with since mobs are increasingly saving against it, but my experience with SR in the PnP game was less than good since the ranged touch attack was hard to make. From my searching the forums, a lot of people seem to be recommending it though.

2. Is Snowball Swarm any good?

I've taken this spell currently because I thought an area of effect spell would be helpful, but it seems to be more trouble than it's worth. Targeting in particular seems problematic -- the spell effect frequently appears in between my caster and the mobs instead of over the mobs as intended. Is there a trick to targeting this spell?

3. What equipment is ideal for a sorcerer around this level? Any particular item a must-have?

4. What's up with pawnbrokers not really selling stuff around this level?

By this I mean you have your basic vendor which sells stuff worth up to 3,000gp, and then your quality vendor in the 3,000 to 8,000gp range, but in actuality your basic vendor only goes up to apx. 1500gp and your quality vendor picks up around 4500gp (and everything the quality vendor sells has a minimum level of 5). Where's the stuff in between? I know stuff in that price range exists because I've looted it before and frequently see it in the auction house.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[Lorien_the_First_One]

1. Does Scorching Ray require a ranged touch attack to hit like it does in the PnP version?

Nope. Ray spells in DDO are done by physics. You aim and fire and you get collision or not. (On the other side that means you can duck rays coming at you). That makes hitting jittery creatures like kobolds with rays tough, but makes it easy to hit those big giants who charge directly at you.

3. What equipment is ideal for a sorcerer around this level? Any particular item a must-have?

Get the best spell point (magi, power, or wizardy), +con, +chr, fortification, and potency items you can find. Nothing is "must have" at those levels, whatever you can find will help.

4. What's up with pawnbrokers not really selling stuff around this level?

brokers only have what people sell them. Given the low value of the items, many people just sell at the nearest tavern.