Usefulness of Sorcerers

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I have played as a Sorcerer on several occasions, but I'm not sure if they are actually better than garden-variety Wizards. I like the fact that they get a lot of spells per day, and don't have to memorize, but the slow spell progression is a bit of a bummer. I suppose the Sorcerer is better for purely blitzing foes with offensive spells, but Wizards are better in terms of versatility.
What are your opinions?

 

They're good all-around. I find the spell-management of vanilla wizards a bit tedious whereas sorcerers need no such thing. Their spell progression is not even slow, like you let understand, since they get new spells at almost every level-up.

 

What I mean by that is the fact that they gain new spell levels slower. But, then again, a Wizard can learn as many spells as they like through scrolls, whilst Sorcerers suffer from tight restrictions in that department.

 

Sorcerer(ess) is easier to play once you know what spells are important in your method(s) of defeating any enemies. I use the same spells again and again to kill things, wishing my mage could memorize more Flame Arrows or one last Web.

I don't find them better than mages, nor do I find them worse; merely different.

 

Sorcerers do not gain highest spell levels slower than wizards in BG2, they both gain uber level 9 spells at lvl 18. The gap which sorcerers do not gain new spell level is level 3 to 4, so they are slow until level 12. Mages have such a gap at level 11 to 12 IIRC for 6th level spells, so they even out in the end.

If you know what spells you would pick, sorc is SO much better, at level 18 they have 3 9th level spells castable per day, better than a specialist mage; pick Time Stop an Imp. Alacrity HLA and you are set to kill everything. Though you may need a support mage now and then, but that's what NPCs are for.

 

Hmm, someone should have pimped Edwin by this point...

 

Sorry, I'm starting to get confused with NWN's Sorcerer now, who does get slower spell level progression.

 

A Wild Mage is the best arcane spellcaster if you don't mind wild surges... Thanks to NRD a Wild Mage can turn all 1st level spell slots into any spell he/she wants to cast.

Once you get Wish you don't care that much about extra spell slots.

A Sorcerer is fine if you don't like/want to plan which spells you want to use in advance or if you always use the same 6 spells per level.

 

Nah wizards have sOooOoo much more versatility. What happens if you're a sorcerer and you don't have the right spell you need ... i guess you could just go into your spellbook and memorize a different one for the occasion huh ... OH WAIT! SORCERERS CAN'T DO THAT! clearly they're just used for people who know EXACTLY what spells they want for the duration of the game.

 

Uhhh...whip out the scroll case and start digging?

 

My basic feeling is that a sorcerer is more of a character for an experienced player. I do not think on a first run-through of the game you'd do very well with a sorcerer, as you would be "picking blind" more or less on what spells you would and wouldn't need.

My personal opinion is that typically the advantages of the sorcerer outweigh his lack of versatility. That having been said, someone like Edwin has a lot of versatility, AND a ton of spell casting per level.

Basically, if you're the type of person who doesn't go through and memorize different spells for each area you go into, then you're probably better off with the sorcerer, because you're using the same set of spells over and over again. However, if you like to be prepared for each and every situation, a mage is provides far more flexibility.

 

The only thing I like about sorcerors is that they don't have to find scrolls. That alone makes them awesome since you can get imprisonment at the beginning of ToB. But that's the only thing. I'll always prefer wild mages.

 

That depends. After all, there are scrolls and potions that can make up for the instance. Besides, there are only a few spells that are useless and these can be avoided simply by reading the description.

 

BG2:ToB Sorcerers are different in that because of the magnificent level cap the game has the Sorcerer has all but eliminated the Wizard's advantage of versatility over it.
The only Wizard which can match the Sorcerer's prowess is the Wild Mage.

[ July 27, 2006, 20:38: Message edited by: Scythesong Immortal ]

 

Really, it's not that hard to play sorcerer as some here seem to think. My first character to play trough the game was sorcerer, and I didn't know anything about spells, only how they work. Was not hard.