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    Default New DnD player--sorcerer

    Hello, I've been persuaded into DnD by my teenage nephew, who is a veteran, and who sent me to this site to get advice on my character, sorcerer. I can't relate the sorcerer's qualifications, except I'm advised to be careful around enemies who would grapple. Any advice for this beginner is welcome--I'd like to survive at least a few rounds

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Which edition of D&D, first? My advice applies to 3.5.
    What level are you starting at? Do tell so we can specify the advice better.

    Anyways, the key to Sorcerer is picking versatile spells; you have very limited spells you can know so better make sure the ones you do know are ones you'll be able to use in many ways and all the time (because you have a lot of castings per day of the spells you know). Similarly, redundant spells of the same type are a bad pick. Focus on spells that do different things.

    Like, if you know Fireball, you probably shouldn't bother learning Lightning Bolt too (and you don't really need either unless you want to specifically be hurting things), and it's really questionable if Scorching Ray and Enervation are both worth having.


    The other point is obviously staying out of melee. Every time you cast a spell, if opponent isn't Large or doesn't use a reach weapon, you can take a 5' step away to cast safely (so that he cannot threaten you while casting; all creatures threaten squares around them which means you need to "cast defensively" or give them an attack of opportunity against you).

    Otherwise, you need to cast defensively, which is really pretty easy on higher levels. Skill-wise, you should definitely take full ranks in Concentration. Beyond that, Spellcraft and Knowledge (Arcane) are useful to a caster, along with crossclass Tumble (it's a static DC 15 to move away safely without provoking attacks of opportunity, allowing you to get out of the reach of even bigger creatures to cast safely).


    And yeah, if possible, interpose your own warrior-types between you and the opponents. Stay behind, but close enough that the other characters can protect you if the party gets ambushed.

    Solo's Stupendously Superior Sorcerer Stratagems is an amusingly written guide to Sorcerer-hood.

    Much of the spell advice from Playing a GOD also applies, since the guide glorifies versatile spells, just what Sorcerer wants.


    EDIT: Switched to newer SSSSS Guide-link.
    Last edited by Eldariel; 2009-10-11 at 12:05 PM.
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    What edition of D&D? 4e or 3.5?

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Are you playing 3rd Edition, 3.5, or 4th Edition?

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by Niagaron View Post
    Hello, I've been persuaded into DnD by my teenage nephew, who is a veteran, and who sent me to this site to get advice on my character, sorcerer. I can't relate the sorcerer's qualifications, except I'm advised to be careful around enemies who would grapple. Any advice for this beginner is welcome--I'd like to survive at least a few rounds
    After level 5, you should enter a prestige class. Mage of the Arcane Order from the Complete Arcane is a nice one.
    Last edited by Pharaoh's Fist; 2009-10-11 at 10:10 PM.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    I thought Enervation was super worth having?
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by Mongoose87 View Post
    I thought Enervation was super worth having?
    If Scorching Ray and Enervation are both worth having.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by Mongoose87 View Post
    I thought Enervation was super worth having?
    It's superb. The question is if it's worthwhile to also get Scorching Ray, which depends on the focus of the character. Also, level 4 is really crammed with awesome spells so you sometimes have to give up Enervation (there's also Dimension Door, Greater Mirror Image, Solid Fog, etc, etc.)
    Last edited by Eldariel; 2009-10-11 at 10:05 PM.
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    wink Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    My advice can be applicable to any version.

    There are two types of characters

    Tanks

    And Squishies

    Your character is a Squishy.

    Thus, my advice is that you stand back and hurl out whatever spells you can, while the rest of the team takes all the damage.

    See how many sessions you can get through without getting hurt (but don't go out of your way to avoid damage)

    My record: 2 Sessions, and I was regularly attacked, just VERY lucky.
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Utility is the way to go. Avoiding damage in all manners is the next best way. Knowing a prestige class you might want to follow would be a good thing.

    I personally Like Blood Mage. But there are all kinds. Look into Complete Arcane.

    Remember you don't have to prestige. But it does help. IF YOU DO make sure its into a class that adds 1 to your casting level EACH level (blood magus is an exception. I just like the class.)

    Big things:
    1)Highest score should be in Charisma. Higher the charisma the stronger the spell.
    2) Good score in dex and con are good choices as well. Dex for armor class since your not allowed to wear armor. You need some good dodging. Con for HP. d4 hit dices is not a big one. The most you can get is 4 hp + your con score. So Though you dont want to be hit often... its best to have some HP when you do.

    Suggested first level spells: Magic missile for auto hitting damage. Shield + Mage armor. AC is a good thing to have and you can buff your tanks or other support. This is survival Sorcerer. You're welcome to pick whatever spells you wish. continue with damage and then other spells.

    Remember: your normally the source of Arcane Power so Detect magic is a very good spell to pick. Furthermore, with the high charisma you are also the face of the party. You're a diplomat, your the bluff and the con-man. So its good to put skills into bluff and diplomacy. Furthermore, put points into spellcraft and Concentrate. THOSE TWO ARE VERY IMPORTANT! Concentrate is required to cast spells after you are damaged. So keep them up and do what you can. Spellcraft will help you understand what spell is being used and other things of the nature.

    Good luck sorcerer!
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    Edit: This info is for v3.5
    Last edited by EndlessWrath; 2009-10-11 at 10:54 PM.
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by TelemontTanthul View Post
    My advice can be applicable to any version.

    There are two types of characters

    Tanks

    And Squishies

    Your character is a Squishy.

    Thus, my advice is that you stand back and hurl out whatever spells you can, while the rest of the team takes all the damage.

    See how many sessions you can get through without getting hurt (but don't go out of your way to avoid damage)

    My record: 2 Sessions, and I was regularly attacked, just VERY lucky.
    The bolded part is wrong.

    Very, very wrong.

    You should do EVERYTHING in your power to avoid taking even a single hp worth of damage lethal or otherwise.
    Last edited by Dixieboy; 2009-10-12 at 12:02 AM.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Once, there was a party of fighters. They had a sorceress, too. She would cast Mount and take cover behind her summoned horse every combat. This sorceress has never taken damage in combat. There are obviously mitigating factors, but yeah.
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Sorcerer is a very good class to start playing if one wants to play a magic user, but is new to the game. He has a clearly defined spell list, from which he can spontaneously cast, which makes combat options fairly simple, particularly in lower levels.

    Many people have said these things, but I feel the need to clarify and collate.

    1) Not Being Hit = Win. Being hit = Loose. That means you want to:
    a) keep them from getting into melee with you, or
    b) make it almost impossible for them to hit you, even if they do get there, and
    c) have escape plans.

    Under the heading of a) the solutions are lumped under one title: Battlefield Control. Examples of this: Grease, Web, Stinking Cloud, Solid Fog, and Slow. It keeps them from getting to you, and keeps them where the tanks can beat them down.

    This should comprise a significant portion of your spells known, but you want to make sure you target various weaknesses. Thus, Grease targets Reflex, Slow targets Will, and Blindness targets Fort. A combination of these three spells will make it exceedingly difficult for opponents to be able to close effectively with you, because you can pick which save you want them to make.

    So if you have a charging Barbarian, you want to hit him with Slow and target his weak Will save, but Blindness will almost certainly bounce off, as it targets his high Fort save. Likewise, against a Rogue, you don't want to bother with Grease, since he'll make the save easily, but hit him with Blindness, and he is nerfed to heck and back. Likewise, don't bother trying to Slow something that casts, because odds are it's gonna have a high Will save, but a Grease might do the trick. It's Paper, Scissors, Rock... make sure you have at least one of all three, or you may not have Rock when your opponent pulls out Scissors and you get your paper cut.

    Under the heading of b) the solutions are colloquially called 'buffs'. Examples would be: Shield, Mage Armor, Mirror Image, <animal>'s <stat>, Protection from Evil, and Displacement. It makes it harder to hurt you, even if they do manage to get to you.

    An ideal example is Mirror Image. You get multiple images, which have a chance of being hit instead of you. So, if you have 8 images (max allowed), you have a 12.5% chance of actually being the one hit. That is before he even gets to MAKE an attack roll. Odds that he'll hit you? 1 in 8. Odds that you're about to make sure he can't try again? Much higher.

    Under the heading of c), are your movement spells. At lower levels, you don't have many of these, the notable one being Expedious Retreat. However, once you get 4th level spells, Dimension Door becomes your escape route out of anything. It has NO somatic components, which means you *CAN*, if your Concentration check is high enough, cast while grappled, pinned, swallowed, clapped in irons, or otherwise unable to wiggle your fingers.

    2) Not being hit is good, but actually doing something useful in combat other than not die is better. So, we have the following headings:

    a) Save or Screwed.
    b) No save and screwed, or even if you DO save, you're screwed
    c) Party Buff
    d) Blastomancy

    Under the heading of a) we have our 'bread and butter' spells to use in combat when you aren't getting jumped all over. Ironically, we've covered some of these already, because they hamper the opponents ability to do much. Examples include: Sleep, Glitterdust, Slow, Finger of Death, and Stinking Cloud.

    Slow is an iconic example. If they are affected, they get to only make a single standard action, OR a single move action. That means they have to close, but can't hit, meaning your buddy gets free shots. That's good. Sleep. Save or you fall asleep. In the words of Belkar, that means you get to do something starting with 'S' and ending in "litting their throats". Sure, it's also battlefield control, because it sticks them in place. But all too often, Battlefield Control is just another way to send out an SoS.

    Under the heading of b) are spells which act similar to the aforementioned ones, but either don't have saving throws attached, or do things even if saving throws ARE made. Examples are: Grease, Web, Enervation, Ray of Enfeeblement, and Solid Fog. Again, note the similarities between some of these and the Battlefield Control? Yea.

    So, Grease. Sure, it's got a Reflex save. But that's only if it's cast right under your feet. If you run into it, you got NO save, and NO spell resistance, and have to make a Balance check or land on your posterior. Which is not a good place to be when your friendly neighborhood tank is bearing down with lethal intent.

    Enervation makes a special mention: It does Negative Levels. That's like Lose and Die all rolled into one. If they get more Negative Levels than they have HD, they die. Period. End of story. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. And even if you don't rack up enough, they get a HUGE penalty on everything, casters loose spells, all their saves drop HUGELY (meaning you can follow up with a SoS and have much better odds of it landing), and in general, is quite possibly one of the nastiest spells to get slung at you in the PhB. Oh yea, and no saving throw.

    Now then, you may notice that most of these spells will require a Touch Attack or Ranged Touch Attack instead of a save. That's nice. Touch Attacks and the Ranged versions thereof ignore armor, natural armor, and most everything else except Dex mods, Dodge mods, and Deflection mods.

    To make this point painfully clear, let us use, as an example, a Great Wyrm Black Dragon, CR 22, and not to be taken lightly. Let's look at his AC listing, shall we?

    Quote Originally Posted by SRD Entry for Black Dragon
    AC: 42 (-4 size,+36 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 42
    .

    Wait... what? If I want to hit him with a sword, I need a 42. But if I only need to hit him with a ranged touch attack spell, he's only got an AC of 6? Now, this is a rather extreme example, and there are rare cases in which the difference will be nonexistent, but in general, it's a lot of fun.

    Under the heading of c) we note that many of the spells (notable exceptions of Shield and Mirror Image) listed in the previous section under Buffs can be cast on others. There are others that are also fun, like Greater Magic Weapon, and spells which affect the entire party at once, like Haste, or the Mass version of the <animal>'s <stat> spell line.

    In general, when in doubt, a Buff will *ALWAYS* work, but an SoS might get resisted. Greater Magic Weapon, for example, lasts for Hours/Level, so by mid-levels, you can reasonably expect your buff to last all day long. Cast this on the party tank, and his weapon just got even nicer, for free. End-Game, this can end up saving the party *MILLIONS* of gold, from enhancement bonuses you *DON'T* have to get him.

    Special mention to Haste here. Your tanks get a free shot in a full attack. So the GMW before combat? Just got even better. An opening round of Haste/Slow is *CRIPPLING* to opponents, because no only are they screwed on actions, your guys are moving still faster! Thus the road to Pwnage is carved.

    d) Blastomancy is doing damage yourself. Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Orb spells, Scorching ray, and Disintegrate.

    Now, generally it's not very economical for you to be doing damage. A reasonable meat shield can dish out consistent damage, and you can generally nerf opponents to the point where he can do this. This makes him feel important and not left out or worthless. Also, damage output generally isn't all that good. At level 10, with Fireball, you can dish out 10d6 damage, for an average of around 35 damage, Reflex save for half, or NONE if one has Evasion. Your friendly neighborhood tank, on the other hand, sneezes that much damage by level 10, and can very easily hit as many targets as a fireball can, with the right setup.

    However, while Blastomancy is generally considered sub-par, there are a couple of exceptions to this:

    Disintegrate. I put it in Blastomancy, but it really is a Save or Dead spell. Basically, if they blow their fort save, you deal twice your caster level in d6's. And if their hit points goes under 0? They're a pile of ash, need a True Res to get them back in the game. In other words, they fail, they're a pile of ash. But technically, it's 'just' damage.

    3) But wait! There's MORE! You can ALSO be effective OUT of Combat as well!

    Yes, my friends, order now, and gain supurb Utility spells like Rope Trick, various Divinations, Summon Monster, Dispel Magic, Knock, and more!

    Not every problem in a dungeon is a smelly orc trying to kill you. An impassible pit can be just as daunting. Well have no fear, my friends, because Fly can get you across, AND have use in a fight, where staying above the fray means being effectively immune to damage. When your party Skillmonkey just can't open that lock, Knock is here for you. Dispel Magic can not only be used in combat, but can also used to get rid of pesky magical traps. Summon monsters do more than provide flanking opportunities for your rogue, they can also be used to walk down suspicious hallways or open doors which are too dangerous to risk a friend opening.

    Rope Trick, and the higher level version, Magnificent Mansion, deserves special note. These two spells are "I can blow as many spells as I want, because my last spell is going to be rope trick/MM so we can rest 8 hours and I regain all my spells". In other words, horridly brokentastically good. It means never having to set watches, because it is impossible for anything to jump you while 'in camp'.

    Once you hit 9th level, Teleport brings a whole new dimension to Utility, bringing the entire party to wherever they want to be. When combined with Divination spells, it's called Scry 'n Die, wherin you scry your target, then teleport in, combat ready. In shorter ranges, where the party can see the target and vice versa, it's called 'Port 'n Pwn, bridging areas your opponent thought impassable. Not to mention always being able to go back to a nice, comfortable inn after a long day's adventuring, only to return to the very spot you left the night before and continue on your way.

    The one fly in the ointment is that you are limited to a number of spells known, so choose wisely from these categories, my friend, and enjoy!
    Last edited by ShneekeyTheLost; 2009-10-12 at 12:49 AM.
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Alright, so without giving newbie unfriendly optimizing advice:

    Take a few of each kind of spell. One damaging spell, one spell to hinder the enemies and one to help your allies.

    I do recommend both Fireball and Lightning Bolt. Fireball occurs beyond the range of your allies, usually, and can soften the enemies for them. Lightning Bolt starts at you and hits in a line. So you can reach out and touch someone reliably even if they're standing left or right of your allies.

    Enervation is good, but if you're getting into the mess that is Metamagic, you can use Draining instead, which you can apply to Magic Missile, so you get up to five hits instead of Enervation's one. Or apply it to Fireball and hit several enemies at once right off the bat and let your allies mop up.

    Yes, the tank might be doing 35 or more damage to as many foes as Fireball at 10, but only if they all sit in the exact right place and wait for him. You can hit them without charging out to them and then getting beaten on. And do it while he's wasting time charging at them.
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by Eldariel View Post
    Anyways, the key to Sorcerer is picking versatile spells; you have very limited spells...
    Wizards have less different spells prepared, and it only gets worse as the day goes on.

    The key is to pick a good general purpose spell list, similar to what a wizard would prepare every day without knowing what kind of dungeon he'll be facing. Search the forums for tips on good sorcerer/wizard spells, or follow some of the links posted here. But beware of recommendations for "sorcerer specific" spells, which often involve suboptimal choices like excessive blasting and spells that only partially imitate spells of a lower level.

    Here's the spell list of one of my sorcerers to give you a few ideas, but do look at other options from others and make your sorcerer your own:
    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showp...7&postcount=21
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    I don't want to be the guy who thinks that, "Your character sux! Play something else!" is useful advice, but... I don't really recommend Sorcerers for newbie spellcasters. You'd probably be better-served by a Wizard.

    This is not a power comparison (though there are plenty of people around here who will tell you that the Wizard is just better)... it's that the "you don't have to prepare spells in advance" sounds really nice when you're not really sure what you're doing... but it's misleading. What it really means is "you have to pick your spells long in advance, and it's difficult to switch them around if you discover that what you're doing doesn't really work". Which is a pretty likely scenario for someone who's never played before.

    Where the Wizard can go, "Oh, well, these spells are crap. I'm not preparing them anymore," and choose different ones from his spellbook the next day - which may include going out and dropping some cash to add some completely new spells to his spellbook - the Sorcerer's stuck with what he picked at least until he levels, and possibly longer.

    At least see if your DM will agree to loosening up the rules for changing spells-known.
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by Pharaoh's Fist View Post
    After level 5, you should enter a prestige class. Mage of the Arcane Order from the Complete Arcane is a nice one.
    How does one enter as a sorcerer?

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by Myou View Post
    How does one enter as a sorcerer?
    Being able to prepare spells is by no means an entrance requirement. It's just ranks in Spellcraft, Knowledge (arcana), and the Cooperative Spell feat. Also 750 gp for initiation fees. It's actually BETTER for sorcerers, it's just that the fluff has it keyed towards Wizards because the Order is big on knowledge and intelligence, while Sorcerers are not so much.
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by root9125 View Post
    Being able to prepare spells is by no means an entrance requirement.
    It is. It totally is.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    There's a feat that lets sorcs prepare a couple spells. It's pretty bogus, except it lets you do Mage of the Arcane Order which is win.
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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Aright, quickie guide to playing a sorc.

    First off, stats. Charisma is your primary stat. Make sure your best roll is there. Constitution and dexterity are your secondary stats, in order to make you slightly less squishy. Strength tends to be your least important stat(thus, avoiding grappling, since most people will be stronger than you). Wisdom and intelligence can also be low stats, but they give you more than strength does, so place stats accordingly.

    Rank of importance: Cha, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Str.



    Next, you'll want to pick race. Anything that boosts your important stats at the price of your unimportant stats is golden. If nothing else appeals to you, human is always a solid choice.



    Skills: Keep Spellcraft, Concentration, and Knowledge: Arcana maxed at all times. If you have points to burn, I suggest looking into the following skills: Use Magic Device, Spot, Listen, Hide, Move Silently, in that order.



    Feats: For starting off, I'm going to avoid crazy combos, and just suggest handy overall feats from core. Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Great Fortitude, and Skill Focus: Concentration are all excellent. Dodge is also good if the common house rule of it simply being +1 AC is in effect.



    Familiar: I'm a fan of the rat and the weasel, since I like having high saves. Opinions vary on this, though. Owl is better than a Hawk, since spot checks in shadow are generally tougher than spot checks in bright light.



    Spells: Pick things that will remain useful. IE, if it has a hit die cap(such as sleep does), realize that you'll quickly outgrow it's usefulness. Some suggestions for solid all rounders: Magic Missile, Fly, Protection from Arrows, Mage Armor or it's cousin, Greater Mage Armor, Mage Hand, Light, Prestidigitation, Lightening Bolt, Dispel Magic.

    That list was light on damage spells, but you can scoop up a variety of different ones at different levels, so they're generally less important. For very specialized spells, carry a scroll or two. For stuff you really want, but can't fit into your spell list, look at wands.


    Gear: Get a belt of healing as quickly as possible. It's only 750 gold. Next up, Heward's Handy Haversack, only 2k gold. Once you get a decent amount of cash, start collecting wands, nice stat buffing items, and perhaps a decent cloak of resistance.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by root9125 View Post
    Being able to prepare spells is by no means an entrance requirement. It's just ranks in Spellcraft, Knowledge (arcana), and the Cooperative Spell feat. Also 750 gp for initiation fees. It's actually BETTER for sorcerers, it's just that the fluff has it keyed towards Wizards because the Order is big on knowledge and intelligence, while Sorcerers are not so much.
    Wrong.

    Requirements
    To qualify to become a mage of the Arcane Order, a character
    must fulfill all the following criteria.
    ...
    Spells: Able to prepare and cast 2nd-level arcane spells.
    ...
    Quote Originally Posted by sonofzeal View Post
    There's a feat that lets sorcs prepare a couple spells. It's pretty bogus, except it lets you do Mage of the Arcane Order which is win.
    Except it only lets you prepare a low level spell, and MotAO only lets you fill a prepared slot with a new spell.

    Edit: Ohhh, I was wrong, it doesn't restrict the number or level of spells you can prepare! That works just fine then.
    Last edited by Myou; 2009-10-12 at 02:18 PM.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by sonofzeal View Post
    There's a feat that lets sorcs prepare a couple spells. It's pretty bogus, except it lets you do Mage of the Arcane Order which is win.
    Also, if you prepare a Quickened spell, you don't suffer any casting time penalties.

    Quote Originally Posted by Myou View Post
    Except it only lets you prepare a low level spell, and MotAO only lets you fill a prepared slot with a new spell.
    Myou, the MotAO description specifically states that sorcerers may join.
    Last edited by Pharaoh's Fist; 2009-10-12 at 02:23 PM.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by Pharaoh's Fist View Post
    Myou, the MotAO description specifically states that sorcerers may join if they take Arcane Preparation.
    I never said it stopped you entering, I had just mixed up Arcane Preparation with something eles, thinking it only gave you one prepared slot of level 2, making MotAO pointless if that's the only one you get.

    Bold text is bold.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Guys, I don't think you are considering how overwhelming this all is for a new player.

    Niagaron:

    "Um...yeah, nephew? How about I just play a fighter?"
    GMs 3.5, cWoD, Rogue Trader, Monsterhearts, The Pool, and Fudge. Narrativist, wacky builder, and dancer.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by gdiddy View Post
    Guys, I don't think you are considering how overwhelming this all is for a new player.

    Niagaron:

    "Um...yeah, nephew? How about I just play a fighter?"
    To play a sorcerer: Pick a few cool-looking spells. Cast as required. Ask the DM to let you swap out any that you don't like.
    Last edited by Myou; 2009-10-12 at 02:43 PM.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Eldariel and Schneeky are right on target. But if you're starting at level 1 or 2, I just want to speak for a moment in praise of the equipment section of the player's handbook. Since you don't have to buy armor or a suite of weapons like some other characters do, you can spend your money on utility items that benefit everyone.

    Get yourself a good crossbow, so that you can contribute to a fight without casting spells. A bolt from a heavy crossbow can kill a first-level monster outright. Forget about wielding a dagger or staff. Melee is not for you unless you're ALL out of options.

    Get a bag or two of tanglefoot, and some rope with a grappling hook. Get some chalk and some string and a handful of torches. You never know when you'll need these things. Get several empty sacks, vials, and bottles to store neat stuff that you find. Smokesticks, vials of acid, shovels, and pickaxes will come in handy at the oddest moments. You don't have to carry all this stuff - that's what the big strong characters are for.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by gdiddy View Post
    Guys, I don't think you are considering how overwhelming this all is for a new player.

    Niagaron:

    "Um...yeah, nephew? How about I just play a fighter?"
    Fighters are even worse than Sorcerers with the, "You picked something that looked good, but isn't, and now you're stuck with it," because they're so feat-dependent.

    If you want simple, you want a Barbarian. It's really hard to screw up a Barbarian.
    Play your character, not your alignment.

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Yeah, screw melee weapons. I used to pack daggers and such as a backup for my backup(caster players are notoriously paranoid. Probably the low hp that does it)....but in the few instances when I actually used melee weapons, they never did jack.

    The only melee weapon I ever bother with now is a scythe, and that's solely to coup de grace. Money is much better spent on a crossbow, some bolts, and your basic dungeoneering equipment(backpack, rope, pitons, alchemist's fire, torches, etc)

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    Default Re: New DnD player--sorcerer

    Quote Originally Posted by jiriku View Post
    Eldariel and Schneeky are right on target. But if you're starting at level 1 or 2, I just want to speak for a moment in praise of the equipment section of the player's handbook. Since you don't have to buy armor or a suite of weapons like some other characters do, you can spend your money on utility items that benefit everyone.

    Get yourself a good crossbow, so that you can contribute to a fight without casting spells. A bolt from a heavy crossbow can kill a first-level monster outright. Forget about wielding a dagger or staff. Melee is not for you unless you're ALL out of options.

    Get a bag or two of tanglefoot, and some rope with a grappling hook. Get some chalk and some string and a handful of torches. You never know when you'll need these things. Get several empty sacks, vials, and bottles to store neat stuff that you find. Smokesticks, vials of acid, shovels, and pickaxes will come in handy at the oddest moments. You don't have to carry all this stuff - that's what the big strong characters are for.
    I would respectfully submit that a Spear, or even Longspear is a decent choice, since a Sorcerer has proficency in ALL simple weapons.

    Longspear is good in that it is a Reach weapon, meaning you get to hit them before they get to hit you. However, once the close to melee, you need to back up to hit them again. At low levels, 1d8 + 1.5 x Str Mod isn't bad damage. It's going to be better than Magic Missile, anyways.

    I strongly disagree that Wizard is easier to play than Sorcerer. You have to handle your spellbook, which is a nightmare. You have to choose, each day, what spells you are going to prepare that day, every day.

    Sorcerers, knowing they can't cover every base with their Spells Known list, will pick up scrolls and wands to cover bases. Wizards often feel that they can cover any situation ever, and never bother with scrolls. Either that, or they simply memorize the same spell list every day because it's easy to remember, in which case a Sorcerer is a stronger choice.

    Wizard is a bookkeeping nightmare and a headache. It's less versitile in combat, because you blow specific spells. A Wizard who has memorized Scorching Ray and Mirror Image can cast each one once. A Sorcerer who has Scorching Ray and Mirror Image as spells known can cast either one more times per day. So he can cast three or four scorching rays, or he can cast Mirror Image once, and Scorching Ray a couple more times. Or, if he is constantly getting jumped on, he can simply cast Mirror Image multiple times per day. In other words, he doesn't need to try to memorize multiple castings of the same spell he suspects he may need more than once in a day. He just casts the magic he knows when he needs to, and tries to get creative about how to apply his spell list to the problem at hand.
    Last edited by ShneekeyTheLost; 2009-10-13 at 12:05 AM.
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