Spell Discussions: Level 1

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Which is what I've been saying from the start - I always like to take it when I'm a sorcerer because I like to ID all my items as soon as i get them, or at least before I next rest. Glasses of ID are awesome (I always grab 'em), but I typically get more than 3 (or 6 if I get 2 pairs) items/rest that need identifying.

 

Stu, I know what you're getting at. If you're collecting a lot of stuff for a 6 person party, then having a sorc with identify is darn handy. But remember, not everyone relies on Identify as much as you do, and they place different values on convenience and gold. People have different playing styles.

Which is why I don't think we'll reach a consensus about Charm Foe/Chromatic Orb/Spook/Friends/Identify. Perhaps they should be listed as recommended picks, whereas the ones we have all agreed upon can be 'required' (or consensus) picks?

 

I think all of you are underestimating the following two spells:
Charm Person
Spook

Charm person makes an enemy into your ally. Charm one of the enemey tanks and sic him on their spellcasters. Let them waste their good spells killing their own man. When he dies, who cares? He was going to kill you anyways. That's not the main reason I take it. At least not with a party sorc. If one of my party members gets dominated, charmed or otherwise turned against me, I use this level 1 spell to reverse the effect without dispelling my buffs. Oh, I should note that when I use this one offensively, I almost never do it without first using maleson or doom.

Spook, with the -6 to save means that it almost always works. True, causing Blindness would be better, but there is no save penalty with that spell. Spook is 30% more likely to work rather than waste a spell. It prevents enemies from casting spells, drinking those potions you want to appropriate for yourself, and using any of their special abilities. They run around scared while you pelt them with projectiles.

Identify is a waste for a sorcerer. Even for a wizard, you don't generally keep it memorized. Glasses of ID saves you a precious spell slot that you can spend on Friends, which will save you some GP when buying them. True, I tend to wind up with a bunch of items in need of IDing, but that's only because I tend to avoid resting twice in a row unless my party is REALLY beat up and my cleric needs to memorize extra healing spells. If it bothers you, you can just keep resting until you've IDed all your items.

I already covered that I use friends, and I don't need to extoll the virtues of Magic Missile.

SO, my picks are
Charm Person
Spook
Magic Missile
Friends

The last slot I'm split between Chromatic Orb, Shield, and Blindness. If I were doing a solo sorc, I would have different pics including swapping charm person for protection from evil, and probably dropping friends for Chromatic Orb. I'd probably take shield rather than blind since I have spook. I'm undecided, as I haven't tried a solo yet in SOA. I'll have to see what works for me. Maybe Blind would be more valueable.

 

Heh, good post, Slicky. I agree that 'Charm Person' is usually underestimated.

 

Well if the enemy kills your Charmed Person, you don't get exp that you normally would. You meantioned using Greater Malison with that spell, you might as well use Chromatic Orb. Like most spells, they become viable with a casting of Malison. If you're up against an enemy with the insanely low saving throws, you're not going to be relying on a level 1 spell to do any harm anyway.

If you do plan on retrieving your party member that's been confused or something, they need to make a save, not too reliable. You Greater Malison it, they'll have their saving throws lowered even now that you have them back. Not a good thing.

I suppose Spook could be decent. I'd have to go through the game and find a practical use for it. Only one so far seems to be for weak mages that aren't yet protected.

 

My picks for the solo-sorc are:
Magic Missile
Prot from Petrification
Blindness
Shield
Spook

 

Yes, Protection from Petrification can be handy, for example against Genies/Daos, or some mages, and it can absorb some beholder rays, even if it will eventually be dispelled. In BG1, it was a L2 spell.

 

Another little detail which militates in favor of Spook: its range. You can cast it more than a screen away from your foes provided you have means to see them (Farsight, Wizard Eye, another character).

 

Mandatory:

• Magic Missile: 17,5 points of damage on average make this spell a rock-solid choice.

Useful:

• Chromatic Orb: Combines minor (acid) damage with a very small chance to do something nasty. Personally, I don't care much about the slight possibility of instant slaying, but CO is the cheapest way for a magic-user to dispose of trolls.
• Protection from Evil: Very nice effect (better than Blur on level 2 in my opinion), reasonable duration. Can be cast on summons and party members. You won't need to memorize this spell in case you have a cleric in your party, otherwise don't skip it.
• Shield: Better protection, but shorter duration than Armor. More important: Provides immunity to Magic Missile. Especially in case you play with AI-enhancing mods like SCS, your fragile mage should have one of these memorized.
• Spook: Best save-or-else spell on this level due to its saving throw penalty up to -6. Extreme range, but minor duration - regardless nice to have against strong single enemies like dragons.

Semi-useful:

• Blindness: Nice save-or-else spell with very long duration (10 turns) and a decent disabling effect, but Spook is the better choice in the long run.
• Burning Hands: Solid damage, but getting close to the enemy is usually no good idea for a (pure) mage. Use MM for damage and CO for troll slaying instead.
• Charm Person: Strong effect, but the +3-saving throw bonus assures that only cannon fodder will be affected. If you like CP, don't memorize it, but cast it via Ring of Human Influence instead.
• Friends: If you rely heavily on re-charging/buying wands, this spell is important for you. Otherwise you won't really need the extra money, especially when you play without a party.
• Identify: Convenience spell - nice to have, but not needed at all. If you want to save money, take Friends instead.
• Protection from Petrification: A lifesaver in BG1, but very rarely needed in BG2. Beholders get rid of it.

Avoid like the plague:

• Armor: Becomes redundant with the first pair of bracers you find.
• Chill Touch: You have to hit the target which even gets a saving throw to avoid the minor effect. Absolutely horrible!
• Color Spray: Only effects low-level foes, therefore worthless.
• Find Familiar: Cast it from a scroll once, enjoy your additional hit points and don't bother learning or memorizing.
• Grease: Would have certain uses, but this spell turns summons hostile.
• Infravision: Perhaps the most useless spell ever. Rather leave your spell slots blank instead of memorizing this rubbish.
• Larloch's Minor Drain: Not enough damage and life gain to be worthwhile. Stick to Magic Missile instead. LMD as Bhaalspawn power is better since it is fired with a casting time of 0, therefore it will hit its target a bit faster than Magic Missile. Can be handy in case you have to disrupt a spellcaster.
• Reflected Image: Mirror Image light, but one meager image isn't worth it.
• Shocking Grasp: Better than Chill Touch, but what spell isn't? Still a suboptimal touch spell.
• Sleep: Enemies with 4+3 HD or more are immune to Sleep. That's almost everyone you meet in BG2... Not even that useful in BG1.

Solo Sorcerer picks: Magic Missile - Shield - Protection from Evil - Chromatic Orb - Spook

Party Sorcerer picks: Magic Missile - Shield - Friends - Chromatic Orb - Spook

[ October 26, 2007, 15:49: Message edited by: Ascendency-Down ]