Sorcerer spell choices

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This is my first draft at spells for a sorcerer. If you have a list of your own, post it! Comments?

This is based on not taking advantage of the cheesy option of reselecting spells as you level up.

(level when chosen)
1st level
Summon Creature (1)
Magic Missile (1)
Protection from Alignments (3)
Identify (5)
Mage Armor (7)

2nd level
Melf's Acid Arrow (4)
See Invisible (5)
Bull's Strength (7)
Eagle's Splendor (9)
Owl's Wisdom (11)

3rd level
Fireball (6)
Haste (7)
Protection from Elements (9)
Flame Arrow (11)

4th level
Stoneskin (8)
Improved Invisibility (9)
Ice Storm (11)
Minor Globe of Invulnerability (13)

5th level
Lesser Mind Blank (10)
Dismissal (11)
Elemental Shield (13)
Cone of Cold (15)

6th level
True Seeing (12)
Greater Spell Breach (13)
Chain Lightning (15)

7th level
Mordenkainen's Sword (14)
Spell Mantle (15)
Delayed Blast Fireball (17)

8th level
Premonition (16)
Horrid Wilting (17)
Greater Planar Binding (19)

9th level
Time Stop (18)
Mordenkainen's Disjunction (19)
Wail of the Banshee (20)


It's very important to add here that I have not yet reached the end of chapter 1 in the solo campaign and am quite new to 3ed D&D.


edited a misplaced number

[This message has been edited by Earl Grey (edited July 11, 2002).]

 

That's a pretty good combination, if I was to swap out anything, I'd say don't bother with identify if there's a spell you'd rather have. There is more than enough money in this game to be able to pay to have items identified. Also, I found that at the end of Chapter Two, I had only encountered 2 enemies that used invisibility, and it wore off the second they attacked me. But I would have to say that you have done your research well.

 

Finger of Death is a useful spell. Due to the way DC/saves work in third edition, this spell is often fatal for the enemy or at least hurts him (subject to SR).

Forget identify. Use the skill, potions/equipment that enhance the skill, and money with merchants for the identify.

Don't forget that there is an abundance of potions and scrolls (as well as magic items) that will increase the number and types of spells you can cast.

 

Thanks for the insights on Identify.

So Identify gets the boot and Mage Armor moves up to be taken at level 5. Not many good 1st level spells left though, are there? Perhaps Identify is still worthy of being taken at level 7?

So See Invisible is not useful then? Anyone else who feel the same way? True Seeing, taken at level 12, makes it obsolete, so if it's possible to do without invisibility busters until that time I'd scrap See Invisible.

Finger of Death.
Which spell would you kick out to make room for that one then? Delayed Blast FB, I guess. I have an aversion to spells that say save or die, so I didn't look very close at this spell when I compiled my list.

 

There's no way you can find good use for every different type of spell you can get. For example lvl 1, definitely keep the identify spell. Normally there are around 2 spells per level that actually *HAVE* to be taken, others are quite expendable. Sorcerers do have lore for class-skill, but you don't have to put too many points on that since identify boosts it well enough. If I remember correct, it adds 10 +lvl of caster to lore. So at lvl 20, identify spell would give 30 to lore, and 30 is about the max there is.

Other than that, just improvise. If you intend to keep to your principles and not change the already learned spells as you lvlup, make sure you take the obviously more useful spells. Forget all fancy "what if some day I might want to try this" stuff, take only those you know will add considerably to your power. Stoneskin and bull's strength and the kind are good since you're going to need them for making your familiar and summoned into killingmachines. Other than that, focus on direct damage and magic removal. Those "kill instantly" types are useless since the enemies that do die instantly are so crap anyways that you can just blast them away with another spell. About the 3:rd edition rules considering the finger of death (as was mentioned above in another post), I cannot comment upon. Just go with the flow, you'll do fine.

[This message has been edited by Forashi (edited July 12, 2002).]

 

Allow me to elaborate...

Fireballs are great for clearing riff-raff, but so are Daelan and summoned help.

Against a couple of dragons, Daelan could use your help. It has been reported that three finger of deaths later there were 2 dead dragons...

I didn't look closely at your list to specify what spell to trade out. I'm just saying that finger of death can be useful. If you have a charisma over 25 (not hard to do), it will be hard for the victim to make the saving throw, and you should usually overcome their SR at high levels.

Following the same principle, I can assure you that save-or-else spells are much more effective in NWN than in BG2 Throne of Bhaal.

 

Fireball is good aginst a lot of oponents, but finger of death can cake out a dragon if used apropietly (take a potion to enhance stats before you cast or throw a malison spell before). Sometimes the spell works on its own, against normal foes, finger of death always kills and even if they make the save (seldom) it still does damage.