Newbie Questions About Force Sorc

[plantran]

Been browsing for a while and was just wondering about how "good" a sorc would be if he/she specialized in the Force line?

Solo Viability? SP management? DPS? Heavy on enhancement points/Feats (Flexibility)? Utility?

Thanks!

(im WF w/ 32pt builds if you want to cater advice for me)

[Darkrok]

Been browsing for a while and was just wondering about how "good" a sorc would be if he/she specialized in the Force line?

Solo Viability? SP management? DPS? Heavy on enhancement points/Feats (Flexibility)? Utility?

Thanks!

(im WF w/ 32pt builds if you want to cater advice for me)

While the new update made force sorcs more viable from a spell selection standpoint they hurt in that Repair and Force damage are now separate lines.

The only force build I think makes a lot of sense is an Archmage Evoker Wizard since it ties in with their SLA's then. Sorc's would basically end up running without a PrE since the costs to run a Savant wouldn't be worth it if you're going to focus on Force/Untyped. And between the splitting of repair/force damage lines and the double-nerf to the evoker SLA's (more sp's/longer cd's) I'm not sure if I'd want to be playing one of those anymore either. I'd already TR'd out of mine before U9 hit.

[Angelus_dead]

Force specializing for a Sorcerer does not make sense, because there aren't enough Force/untyped spells and also no Argent Savant specialty.

The Force amp line applies to MM, FM, CM, and Disint... that's all you'd get. You'll simple be better off picking one of the Fire/Water/Air/Earth Savant specialties and going for that instead. Alternatively, a non-Savant generalist Sorc focusing on instakill, CC, and one element of damage could work.

[MindCake]

The Force amp line applies to MM, FM, CM, and Disint... that's all you'd get.

Also ice storm, cyclonic blast, horrid wilting, meteor swarm, and maybe something I'm forgetting.

Also, many of force line spells have no save. In particular no reflex save for half *evasionCough*.

[Kamo]

Also ice storm, cyclonic blast, horrid wilting, meteor swarm, and maybe something I'm forgetting.

Also, many of force line spells have no save. In particular no reflex save for half *evasionCough*.

I dont believe horrid is affected by force. Could be wrong though

[TheKaige]

I dont believe horrid is affected by force. Could be wrong though

Horrid Wilting is affected by force enhancements as of this update.

Which means Force spec casters get a universal damage, no save, AoE as their signature damage spell.

It may be rough to level up a force caster to Horrid Wilting, and Horrid Wilting isn't a very good boss killer, but I believe force spec is a very valid path now.

[Kamo]

Horrid Wilting is affected by force enhancements as of this update.

Which means Force spec casters get a universal damage, no save, AoE as their signature damage spell.

It may be rough to level up a force caster to Horrid Wilting, and Horrid Wilting isn't a very good boss killer, but I believe force spec is a very valid path now.

I think A force speced AM would be pretty nice

[Xenostrata]

Sf and GSF Transmutation, Lordsmarch +2 Transmutation DCs, and some serious gear buffs to charisma could get disintegrate to the point it could work on raid bosses on normal or hard, depending on the raid. No resist Disintegrate, critting for 3k+ makes me want to drool, and you could use horrid wilting for trash.

[voodoogroves]

Prsimatics, IIRC, have been affected by force for a while ... never tested, just recall someone saying they were using it in that capacity.

Cyclonic is also an Air spell and Horrid Wilting water, FWIW. Those are the only two with a specific savant benefit.

[Ganolyn]

Prsimatics, IIRC, have been affected by force for a while ... never tested, just recall someone saying they were using it in that capacity.

Cyclonic is also an Air spell and Horrid Wilting water, FWIW. Those are the only two with a specific savant benefit.

I heard that about Prismatics as well, but haven't tried it yet.

According to the Release Notes Meteor Swarm has another savant benefit too, but makes no mention of it in the Cyclonic Blast or Horrid Wilting notes.

From U9 Release Notes:

Ice Storm: The spell now deals 1d6 cold damage + 1 per level, up to 10 levels, with an additional 2d6 of blunt damage. Force enhancement lines now work on this spell. The spell uses the highest enhancement line to determine additional damage, and does not allow multiple enhancement lines to affect the spell.

Cyclonic Blast: Cost is now 15 sp. The spell now has a maximum level cap of 20, and can be affected by wizard and sorcerer force line enhancements.

Disintegrate: Cost reduced to 25 sp. The range of the spell has been doubled. The spell is also now affected by wizard and sorcerer force line enhancements.

Horrid Wilting: Cost reduced to 20 sp. The spell is now affected by wizard and sorcerer force line enhancements.

Meteor Swarm: The spell is now affected by force enhancement lines. The spell uses the highest enhancement line, rather than stack with other lines.

[HastyPudding]

I had seriously considered making a force-based sorc, but decided to go air savant, instead. I think the Archmage is more suited to force-spells, as their SLA's are force-based. Still, with the rumor that you can max out 2 elemental enhancement lines, I'd say going for a sorcerer savant PrE in addition to focusing on force spells is a decent choice. That would give you an element to use to exploit weaknesses, and a line of force spells to use when that mob has heightened resistance or immunity to your chosen element.

Of course, the same can be said of any 2 enhancement lines, like fire and air or water and earth, but with force, there is a far less chance of the mob being immune to your alternate damage type.

[skunk]

isn't disintegrate force also?

[HastyPudding]

isn't disintegrate force also?

Yes, so are parts of ice storm and meteor swarm.

[plantran]

i just thought that since there are real mixed feelings about savants, grabbin the force line which dips in a little of everythin was a good idea. This also seems to have mixed feelings

[Osma77]

Currently playing a force am. At level 10 (2 rogue/8 wiz) and the rogue levels mean of course that i am not doing as much damage with my magic missiles and such as i should.

Don't have the current numbers offhand, but Magic missile at 8 levels (maxed force enhancements) does 5x 14-17, chain missile (changes to spell i think, listed in another post) gives 60-75 for first hit (noncrit) and 4-5x 14-17. Force missile does around 40 x 4 to one target. Took down the inevitible fairly well even though the shield wall died and we had to run and gun.

Note: one nice thing, besides the lack of reflex saves that was mentioned earlier, is that unlike many spells, it is fairly easy to run and gun with the three missile spells since they track very very well.

My sorc which is acid/force is level 15, so it still dont have horrid wilting. But at 15, dis does almost exactly 600 damage on vale mobs when they dont save (6 casts and 1 miss which did around 80 iirc. might have been lower). (And with the longer range and slight tracking of ray spells, is easier to hit with). Ice storm does around 45 cold and 45 phy. either that or 90 cold and 45 phy. i cant remember since i only cast it twice to test. and that was with force spec and no ice enhancements.

[voodoogroves]

I heard that about Prismatics as well, but haven't tried it yet.

According to the Release Notes Meteor Swarm has another savant benefit too, but makes no mention of it in the Cyclonic Blast or Horrid Wilting notes.

Yeah the release notes don't call out what is and isn't an "air" or "water" spell, but Eladrin's early post did.

[Rdonaccount]

Horrid Wilting is affected by force enhancements as of this update.

Which means Force spec casters get a universal damage, no save, AoE as their signature damage spell.

It may be rough to level up a force caster to Horrid Wilting, and Horrid Wilting isn't a very good boss killer, but I believe force spec is a very valid path now.

Horrid Wilting has a save. Fort save for half damage, necro based. Its not listed in the description, but if you target the spell, you can see the save.

That aside, force spec is a great secondary spec for any savant type, because of the versatility of the line. Ice storm is your persistant AOE, meteor swarm is your high end fire damage, horrid wilting is decent against anything with blood, disintegrate for most things without blood, and disintegrate is wonderful if you can get your DC high enough generally. Very useful when your primary dmg line is blocked.

[Nephilia]

Sorry for this stupid question but I'm a real noob about wiz/sorc.

Can't u go water savant and get both water enhancement and force enhancement?

[richieelias27]

You can be any type of Savant and still get Force enhancements

[Jaid314]

You can be any type of Savant and still get Force enhancements

depending, of course, on what other things you spend your action points on.