LG Dwarf Sorceror RP Recommendations

[PsyBlade]

First, he's not optimized because he was created entirely for RP reasons.
Second, I'm wanting recommendations on how to build him according to how I envision him. He combines Divination, Abjuration, and Evocation. Divination and Abjuration to avoid needing to heal, Evocation is just a backup plan. Right now he's level 5. I'm actually thinking of taking this feat I heard of that allows him to cast Healing Spells spontaneously. What is this feat (if it exists), and any other recommendations? Remember, I'm actually more interested in RP based recommendations than optimization recommendations.

[Koji]

Uh, how is a sorcerer casting healing spells?

[Jayabalard]

I've never been a huge fan of dwarven spell casters, so I don't have a lot to offer. At least with a sorcerer you stay away from the book holding guy who wearing a robe and wizard hat.

if you're going with divination type stuff, you might want to flavor it by "casting" and reading runes... rune magic has always seemed to me to fit with the dwarven culture better than other types of magic.

More specific info on what you envision for your character would help


Uh, how is a sorcerer casting healing spells?wasn't that part of the OP's question?

[Jasdoif]

Something a little more specific might help with how you envision him.

Offhand, the only way I can think of for a sorcerer to cast healing spells is to take the Arcane Disciple feat (Complete Divine) for the Healing domain.

[SurlySeraph]

I don't know what feat you need for healing as a wizard, but he did mention taking Divination and Abjuration so he can protect himself and not need to heal. There's a thread somewhere around here about "Why can't wizards heal?" in which a few people mentioned feats that let wizards cast healing spells; I recommend that the OP look it up.

[ArmorArmadillo]

First, he's not optimized because he was created entirely for RP reasons.
Second, I'm wanting recommendations on how to build him according to how I envision him. He combines Divination, Abjuration, and Evocation. Divination and Abjuration to avoid needing to heal, Evocation is just a backup plan. Right now he's level 5. I'm actually thinking of taking this feat I heard of that allows him to cast Healing Spells spontaneously. What is this feat (if it exists), and any other recommendations? Remember, I'm actually more interested in RP based recommendations than optimization recommendations.

Recommendations for a Race and a Class? I apologize if this isn't helpful but there's really a million ways you could go with a Dwarven sorcerer.

[PsyBlade]

Basically, for him blastomancy is a last resort. He's got decent Con & Int for a Sorcerer. He's gonna have 19~20 Cha (currently 16, and assuming the campaign & him last that long). Since he's a Sorcerer, he doesn't get a whole lot of spells. And to be honest, I envision him as someone who dislikes suffering, including making others suffer. That's why he has Divination and Abjuration. He's not above hurting others, to be honest he doesn't even see it as evil. But if he learns how to ease the suffering of others, he'd be all for it. I also hope to make good use of his maxed Bluff skill to avoid fights when I can (without upsetting the DM). Oh, two more notes: he's spent time in a Monastery and studied under a Human Wizard. He's not a monk, but he does have some monk views.

[Tellah]

The combination of racial bonuses and racial ability modifiers means that, assuming that most people will play to their strengths in life, a dwarf sorceror will be exceedingly rare. What is it about your character that grants him a touch of arcane power? Maybe:

The character's mother was subject to a strong magical effect while pregnant.
The character has some sort of exotic ancestry (fiendish, draconic, fey).
Your character had some sort of mishap (fell into a magical stream, a wizard's experiment gone wrong, bit by an arcane spider).

Part of the charm of a Sorceror, for me, is explaining the source of his power. Other characters have reasons for having their class abilities, too, but Sorcerors get to be exotic.

When did these powers manifest themselves? At puberty, like a Marvel mutant? Was he prestidigitating in Kindergarten? Children harshly shun other children who differentiate themselves strongly. How did your character overcome this obstacle?

The most important question to add after all the above: how does this impact his decision-making and goals today?

If you want to have a lot of fun and impress the folks at your table with your roleplaying muscle, type out descriptions of all your spells and describe them similarly each time. Pick a foreign or dead language, and translate the names of your spells to come up with the verbal components (I once played a Wizard who used Latin). Play up the process of casting a spell.

The boring kid says, "I cast Invisibility."

You say, "I remove a tiny vial from my satchel and dump its contents into my hand. I toss a ball of gum arabic above my head and shout, 'boichi-an-nun!' The ball expands into a translucent film that envelops my entire body, and I vanish from sight."

(From a crunch perspective, there's a template in Forgotten Realms that gives you -2 WIS and +2 CHA without a level adjustment. Take it if you can.)

[Lemur]

Arcane Disciple, from Complete Divine, opens the door to allow you to cast healing spells, but there are a lot of complicating factors with it.

First, you have worship a patron deity who is lawful good (you're alignment) who has the healing domain (or another domain with cure/heal spells in it. I can't think of any off the top of my head).

Second, you have to learn the spell as normal for a sorceror, meaning you spend a slot of your spells known list to learn a given cure spell.

Third, you can only cast the given spell once per day, no matter what.

Fourth, any spells learned that were granted from Arcane Disciple are wisdom based, not charisma based (as would be normal for a sorcerer). This means you need a wisdom score of 10+spell level to cast the cure spell in question.

There is a feat after that, Spontaneous Healer (also from CD) that lets you spontaneously cast cure spells of any level you could normally cast. You can only take this feat as a sorcerer if you've already taken Arcane Disciple and already learned a cure spell (any single one is sufficient). However, you can only do this a number of times per day equal to your wisdom modifier.

Even without Spontaneous Healer added into the mix, this really isn't a good path to follow. I know you're not looking at optimization, but Arcane Disciple is a really bad choice to stack on top of everything else, since it requires Wisdom, introducing MAD, and a given spell can only be cast once per day, which sort of defeats sorcerer spells/day while simultaneously eating up one of your limited spells known.

As for other things, it's really up to you. It's kinda hard to come up with roleplaying ideas for another person when they already seem to have their concept in mind. Although if he dislikes suffering, I'd make his backup spells based on disabling the enemy instead of burning them. Web, or Hold Person, for example, seem like spells that cause less suffering than lightning bolt and scorching ray.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Seeing as how Dwarf magic users are rare, and sorcerers are rarer than wizards, a Dwarf sorcerer is unlikely to be lawful as he would be something of an outcast.

He may have been brought up away from Dwarf society where he would have gone chaotic or kept lawful and surpressed sorcery.

Depends on the game world though. Cliches aren't always relevent.

[Jasdoif]

Even without Spontaneous Healer added into the mix, this really isn't a good path to follow. I know you're not looking at optimization, but Arcane Disciple is a really bad choice to stack on top of everything else, since it requires Wisdom, introducing MAD, and a given spell can only be cast once per day, which sort of defeats sorcerer spells/day while simultaneously eating up one of your limited spells known.If you're willing to be a little more resource-intensive...Arcane Disciple adds the spells to your class spell list, so you can use wands of cure of light wounds as often as you like. Even if you don't actually have the spell as one of your spells known.

[PsyBlade]

Tellah, I have been contemplating taking the PRC Dragon Disciple. I think that's a good start for why he has magic. I have him discovering his talent when he saved his adopted human brother from dying. Also, he has a raven familiar, which I am stuck on coming up with a name for.

Lemur, thanks for the warning. I may not take those Feats after all.

Closest Skeleton, he was raised to adulthood like any standard Dwarf. He practiced his craft in a Monastery under the tutelage of a Human Wizard. Why wouldn't he be LG? Ok, the Wizard doesn't help his alignment, or hurt it, but the other two pretty much explain why he's Lawful.

[Tellah]

Also, he has a raven familiar, which I am stuck on coming up with a name for.

Here's a random name generator. (http://www.behindthename.com/random/) Pick a few cultural groups and go nuts.

[PsyBlade]

Thanks Tellah. And because I had included that Oskar (my Dwarf) had a Gnome friend (deceased), I had it come up with a four part name: Shichiro Balder Ethelred Katsu. Balder is Norse for prince, Katsu is Japanese for Victory. If I knew what Shichiro and Ethel red meant, it be great.

[DSCrankshaw]

Seeing as how Dwarf magic users are rare, and sorcerers are rarer than wizards, a Dwarf sorcerer is unlikely to be lawful as he would be something of an outcast.


From Races of Stone:

Dwarf sorcerers are considered blessed by Moradin (the head dwarven deity), their powers viewed as divinely granted, giving them a special status in dwarf society...

Dwarf wizards are somewhat more rare than sorcerers, but no less welcome.
I like Races of Stone, but it seems to me that some of the fluff exists solely to turn the popular conception of dwarves upside down. Considering the charisma penalty (unless you use the Dream Dwarf subrace, which is even weirder), it seems to me that wizards, especially crafters (c'mon, someone's gotta make dwarven magic weapons and armor--they won't be considered the world's master crafters for long if they can't make some magic items), are a much better fit for dwarves than sorcerers. Still, crunch-wise, the Dwarf sorcerer racial substitution levels from the book are worth looking into. At 9th level, you can add your Con bonus to your Charisma score in order to calculate bonus spells. At 5th, increase DC and range of spells when both you and your target are touching the ground. The downside is that you have to give up some spell slots for these effects.

[SpiderBrigade]

Did you name your dwarf Oskar yourself, or did that come from the random generator as well?

If you're still looking for a raven name, might I suggest Bebra.

[ClericofPhwarrr]

Hmmm. A dwarf sorcerer using evocation. Most of the advice I'd give has been said already, but I'll offer this gem:

http://wizards.com/dnd/images/pc_portraits/200102_274_1.jpg

[Lemur]

As far as healing goes, you might be able to find some normal sorc/wiz spells that approximate healing. This is probably an easier and cleaner option if you're interested in providing some damage control support. False Life, for example, grants temporary hitpoints to the target. You may be able to find some others depending on what sourcebooks you have available.

^Also, I like the idea of having the guy smoke.