Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jay_Ibero_911 03-27-08, 11:50 AM	My character just leveled and is now a: Race: Human Alignment: CN Stats with bumps and items STR-10 DEX-18 CON-16 INT-10 WIS-8 CHA-17 Lv1(Sorcerer)Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot (retrain to Empower Spell at 8th) Lv2(Sorcerer) Lv3(Sorcerer)Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Heavy Repeating Crossbow) (retrain to Cold Substitution at 9th) Lv4(Sorcerer)2nd level Spells, +1 CHA Lv5(Sorcerer) Lv6(Sorcerer)3rd Level Spells, Practiced Spellcaster (retrain?) Lv7(Rogue) Lv8(Spellwarp Sniper)+1 CHA Spells Known: 0: Detect Magic, Read Magic, Message, Mending, Acid Splash, Prestidigitation, Mage Hand 1:Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Lesser Sonic Orb, Ray of Enfeeblement, Grease 2:Scorching Ray, Glitterdust, ??? 3:Fly, Haste Items of note: +1 Mithral Buckler Amulet of Health +2 Gloves of Dexterity +2 10 Healing Belts Heward's Handy Haversack +1 Heavy Repeating Crossbow And I just can't decide on a 2nd level spell to take. Asside from open spells, I also have access to Scimitar of Sand and Shadow Radiance, though niether is particularly useful to this character...I was thinking perhaps See Invisibility, False Life, or Resist Energy as top options...but I've also toyed with the idea of Command Undead, or Mindless Rage...just seems nothing is especially useful to me at that level beyond what I already have...
UMiskatonic 03-27-08, 03:07 PM	I feel like see invisibility is a scroll purchase. It's not a spell you will need every adventure, and it's not any worse off a scroll. Command undead is the same way, unless your region really does have undead in every mod. I would go with Resist Energy or False Life, and I'd probably end up with both in the long run. Resist energy is better when you cast it. False Life can be empowered. You won't need resist energy every mod either, but as a sorceror, you'll be able to get the entire party when you do. That's a big deal, and can make difficult adventures much simpler. I'd keep point-blank and precise shot as feats. You get one spell a round, and you do NOT want to miss with it. Retrain Exotic Weapon soon, and grab cold substitution as your 9th level feat. Are you planning on more non-caster levels? If so, I'd reconsider practiced spellcaster. You only get a few feats in your entire life, I think you would be better off with something else, like lord of the uttercold. If you're working toward a cold theme, take resist energy. Nothing sadder than a cold sorceror with hypothermia.
TWG_Prometheus 03-27-08, 04:00 PM	I feel like see invisibility is a scroll purchase. It's not a spell you will need every adventure, and it's not any worse off a scroll. Command undead is the same way, unless your region really does have undead in every mod. I would go with Resist Energy or False Life, and I'd probably end up with both in the long run. Resist energy is better when you cast it. False Life can be empowered. You won't need resist energy every mod either, but as a sorceror, you'll be able to get the entire party when you do. That's a big deal, and can make difficult adventures much simpler. I'd keep point-blank and precise shot as feats. You get one spell a round, and you do NOT want to miss with it. Retrain Exotic Weapon soon, and grab cold substitution as your 9th level feat. Are you planning on more non-caster levels? If so, I'd reconsider practiced spellcaster. You only get a few feats in your entire life, I think you would be better off with something else, like lord of the uttercold. If you're working toward a cold theme, take resist energy. Nothing sadder than a cold sorceror with hypothermia. I like the Resist Energy recommendation. I took it with my Sorcerer and it's been a phenomenal addition to the character. Like UMiskatonic said, Resist Energy won't always come up, but when it does prove needed you're going to want more than just a scroll or a single casting that the Wizard happened to memorize. I also like the look of See Invisibility for this character, however. Having See Invisibility on a scroll could work, but there's a huge difference between having a scroll of that spell and having it going all the time as one of a Sorcerer's normal pre-combat buffs. This is another case where a Sorcerer can have an advantage over a Wizard...they don't have to guess how many times per day they'll want to cast the spell. False Life is good, but as a Spellwarp Sniper with 16 Constitution I doubt that it's a priority. (My Spellsword has all three of those spells on their 2nd level spells known list.) Last though, I might suggest Melf's Acid Arrow. Looking over your spells known, you don't appear to have a Long range spell, and that can be important now and then. The acid damage type also has some interesting properties here and there that Scorching Ray won't provide. The ongoing damage has interesting effects on built-to-die spellcasters that think Combat Casting is better than Skill Focus(Concentration) too.
magebeast 03-27-08, 04:35 PM	False Life. My 9th level sorcerer starts every single mod with a 2nd level spell checked off because I alway, always, always have that spell running. Resist energy is nice, but the False Life buffer will help suck up anything. Even in combats where I take a hit, I generally end it with no more than a few hitpoints down - and there have been a couple of combats where that false life at the beginning meant the difference between getting dropped unconcious and going straight to dead.
UMiskatonic 03-27-08, 04:40 PM	I can vouch for the utility of false life as well. Also, it can be empowered later on. Better value than 10 healing belts, since you can always cast it again if your temps go away. ;)
Jay_Ibero_911 03-27-08, 05:30 PM	I feel like see invisibility is a scroll purchase. It's not a spell you will need every adventure, and it's not any worse off a scroll. Command undead is the same way, unless your region really does have undead in every mod. I would go with Resist Energy or False Life, and I'd probably end up with both in the long run. Resist energy is better when you cast it. False Life can be empowered. You won't need resist energy every mod either, but as a sorceror, you'll be able to get the entire party when you do. That's a big deal, and can make difficult adventures much simpler. I'd keep point-blank and precise shot as feats. You get one spell a round, and you do NOT want to miss with it. Retrain Exotic Weapon soon, and grab cold substitution as your 9th level feat. Are you planning on more non-caster levels? If so, I'd reconsider practiced spellcaster. You only get a few feats in your entire life, I think you would be better off with something else, like lord of the uttercold. If you're working toward a cold theme, take resist energy. Nothing sadder than a cold sorceror with hypothermia. I'm keeping Point Blank Shot and will regain Precise Shot at 3rd level of Spellwarp Sniper as a Bonus Feat...just gotta go 2 levels without it due to retraining order issues. Cold Substitution is because cold will be the only energy type I won't have a spell of. Acid Arrow might be nice to have to trade out later, because I do need some longer range spells...
solbergb 03-27-08, 05:43 PM	False life is a solid suggestion, but one area your build lacks right now is battlefield control. You're solid on debuffs and zaps, and haste+fly+mage armor translate into a decent "air barrier" that may serve well enough if you haven't missed false life yet. Might I suggest web? Given that you have a way of generating fire to get rid of it if it is too obnoxious to the party it would seem to complement your existing mix pretty well. Of course if your play environment is such where you won't find anchors very often it's not the best suggestion, but where it does work it is exceptionally powerful, and remains so even at higher levels (it still sucks to be webbed even if you make the save)
kjenks 03-27-08, 10:50 PM	Your particular character should select Invisibility. Before combat begins, cast Invisibility (a touch spell), designating your familiar as the toucher, and have it hold the charge indefinitely. In the first round of combat, before you take your actions, your familiar touches you, making you Invisible. You now get +2 on your attack rolls, and your opponent is denied his Dex bonus to AC, enabling your sneak attack dice. I suggest using your even-numbered Sorcerer ability for swapping out Ray of Enfeeblement for Familiar Pocket to keep your familiar alive longer. Once you start using your familiar in combat, the DM may have monsters target your familiar more often. If you don't already have a familiar, spend the 100 gp and get yourself a raven. It can use your ranks in Use Magic Device and its ability to speak to activate magic items. It can fly to deliver touch spells. If you don't want to use a familiar, swap out Ray of Enfeeblement for Guided Shot. That will help you make ranged sneak attacks more easily and will give you the ability to ignore cover and concealment with your ranged attacks. You can still do the "Cast Invis, hold the charge, tag myself in round 1" trick without a familiar. (Ray of Enfeeblement isn't the best spell for you, in my opinion. You need a spell that plays to your strengths, like your sneak attack. RoE doesn't help you do your thing better. Guided Shot does.) Guided Shot and Familiar Pocket are both Open: http://members.aol.com/kenjenks/lg/
Jay_Ibero_911 03-27-08, 11:15 PM	Your particular character should select Invisibility. Before combat begins, cast Invisibility (a touch spell), designating your familiar as the toucher, and have it hold the charge indefinitely. In the first round of combat, before you take your actions, your familiar touches you, making you Invisible. You now get +2 on your attack rolls, and your opponent is denied his Dex bonus to AC, enabling your sneak attack dice. I suggest using your even-numbered Sorcerer ability for swapping out Ray of Enfeeblement for Familiar Pocket to keep your familiar alive longer. Once you start using your familiar in combat, the DM may have monsters target your familiar more often. If you don't already have a familiar, spend the 100 gp and get yourself a raven. It can use your ranks in Use Magic Device and its ability to speak to activate magic items. It can fly to deliver touch spells. If you don't want to use a familiar, swap out Ray of Enfeeblement for Guided Shot. That will help you make ranged sneak attacks more easily and will give you the ability to ignore cover and concealment with your ranged attacks. You can still do the "Cast Invis, hold the charge, tag myself in round 1" trick without a familiar. (Ray of Enfeeblement isn't the best spell for you, in my opinion. You need a spell that plays to your strengths, like your sneak attack. RoE doesn't help you do your thing better. Guided Shot does.) Guided Shot and Familiar Pocket are both Open: http://members.aol.com/kenjenks/lg/ I've got a monkey familiar. He rides around in the central pocket of my handy haversack most of the time, which is like a permanent familiar pocket. I like the basically free action invis trick though. I'll probably do that with greater invis when I take it next level. I may end up swapping Mage Armor for Guided Shot when I pick up greater mage armor...I'm too fond of Ray of Enfeeblement to drop it...it's served me well...I think I am going with web for now for more diversity...though will definately pick up guided shot so as to ignore the cover webbed baddies get from it. So perhaps instead of learning grease now, learn guided shot, web, and fly, next level learn greater invis, and swap mage armor for grease...
twells 03-28-08, 01:18 AM	I've got a monkey familiar. He rides around in the central pocket of my handy haversack most of the time, which is like a permanent familiar pocket. I like the basically free action invis trick though. I'll probably do that with greater invis when I take it next level. I may end up swapping Mage Armor for Guided Shot when I pick up greater mage armor...I'm too fond of Ray of Enfeeblement to drop it...it's served me well...I think I am going with web for now for more diversity...though will definately pick up guided shot so as to ignore the cover webbed baddies get from it. So perhaps instead of learning grease now, learn guided shot, web, and fly, next level learn greater invis, and swap mage armor for grease... ROE and Web compliment each other nicely, cuz' even if your target makes the save, moving through it is based on Strength, which ROE (and later, empowered or quickened ROEs) helps relieve your foes of.
_metz_ 03-28-08, 11:15 AM	Baleful Transposition is good if you have access...
Hariman 03-29-08, 10:05 PM	I'm keeping Point Blank Shot and will regain Precise Shot at 3rd level of Spellwarp Sniper as a Bonus Feat...just gotta go 2 levels without it due to retraining order issues. Cold Substitution is because cold will be the only energy type I won't have a spell of. Acid Arrow might be nice to have to trade out later, because I do need some longer range spells... But you need a spell of that element to take elemental substitution. That's why my sorcerer will always have acid splash.
Jay_Ibero_911 03-31-08, 12:35 AM	But you need a spell of that element to take elemental substitution. That's why my sorcerer will always have acid splash. I just double checked the energy substitution feat in Complete Arcane...you don't need to know a spell of the element to take the feat for that element...You are thinking of the Elemental Savant prestige class I think...
Hariman 03-31-08, 01:21 AM	I just double checked the energy substitution feat in Complete Arcane...you don't need to know a spell of the element to take the feat for that element...You are thinking of the Elemental Savant prestige class I think... That's a good thing to know. Energy Affinity (Which is Energy Sub on steroids from the Minis Handbook) and Energy Admixture (Which requires energy sub "x" to take.) are what I was getting Energy Substitution mixed up with. I won't waste a precious spell swap getting rid of acid splash. Higher level spells are more useful to swap out.