20 replies to this topic

[neostalker]

I would like my sorcerer to be able to hold his own in as many situations as possible. Against mages, vampires, beholders, Irenicus... you name it.
I'm not going to solo, but I like the option. What spells should I go for, and which should I avoid?

Thanks

[Irbis]

i remember a great guide on gamefaq with enlisted and explained all this
http://www.gamefaqs....le/919881/11588
take a look. one of the best i know, even if i prefer my own setting

[Icendoan]

Well, it depends. If you play with Spell Revisions, you are quite likely to find a use for *everything*.

If you are not, I will tell you what 5 of each spell level works best for me:

Level 1:

Magic Missile
Spook
Protection from Evil
Chromatic Orb
Burning Hands (trolls)

Level 2:

Blur
Mirror Image
Annagazzar's Scorcher
Glitterdust
Melf's Acid Arrow

Level 3:
Flame Arrow
Haste
Melf's Minute Meteors
Remove Magic
Skull Trap

Level 4:
Emotion
Greater Malison
Spirit Armour
Stoneskin
Secret Word

Level 5:
Breach
Animate Dead
Cloudkill
Spell Immunity
Chaos

Level 6:
Death Spell
Protection from Magical Weapons
True Sight
Summon Nishruu
Globe of Invulnerbility

Level 7:
Mordenkainen's Sword
Summon Haekeshar
Project Image
Khelben's Warding Whip
Finger of Death

Level 8:
Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
Protection from Energy
Pierce Shield
Bigby's Clenched Fist
Maze

Level 9:
<HLAs>
ShapeChange
Wish
Spellstrike
Chain Contingency

Those work quite well solo, I feel, with or without SR.

That has a fairly good damage output, but can definitely look after itself. For endurance, use the SotM's Spell Trap to regain spells, and don't worry about sending in Projected Images in instead of yourself, I have found that tactic hugely worthwhile.

Whatever you do, this is the BEST Chain Contingency I can think of: Greater Malison, Emotion, Abi Dalzim's Horrid Wilting. Lowers their saves, stuns them and then does an insane amount of damage.

Icen

[GeN1e]

Spell Sequencer and Trigger are a must for any kind of arcane caster. Imp Haste is also needed for party fighters. Imp Invis too.

[Irbis]

rather off topic but anybody have any idea how to mark some spell for a just one type of spell caster? like wild mage who is the only one being able to cast that "wild" spells
i just have a cozzy idea for mod :3

[Kellen]

I never soloed, but the only thing beyond magic immune characters that my Sorcerer struggled with was Fire Giants and Mellissan(because he was running out of spells by the end of that fight. And he had no trouble with Sendai/Abizagal/Yaga-Shura or even Gromnir because he couldn't exactly solo them). He was, however, easily able to handle, on his own, Demi-liches, Draconis, the army at the oasis, and just about anything less than magic-resistant armies(against single bosses he did rather fine.)

That said, spells, done in the order I remember them. I will of course probably not put down every spell for every level, but these are what I generally had.

Level 1:
Magic Missile, Chromatic Orb, Find Familiar, Identify, (Friends, Protection from Evil/Petrification, Armor, Reflected Image)

Level 2:
Melf's Acid Arrow, Mirror Image, (Knock(depending on thief friends), Resist Fear, Horror(for Viekang), Vocalize, Strength, Ray of Enfeeblement, Aganazzar's Scorcher)

Level 3:
Flame Arrow, Fireball, Melf's Minute Meteors, (Haste, Vampiric Touch, Spell Thrust, Dire Charm, Dispel Magic Remove Magic)

Level 4:
Stoneskin, Minor Sequencer, Spirit Armor, (Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Polymorph Other(great on low saves or in conjunction with spells like Doom), Wizard Eye, Improved Invisibility, Fire Shield: Red/Blue, Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Ice Storm, Spider Spawn)

Level 5:
Lower Resistance(Your first spell. Your best spell.), Sunfire, Breach, Shadow Door, (Animate Dead, Minor Spell Turning(only cast after buffs ), Oracle, Cone of Cold)

Level 6:
Chain Lightning(an area effect that doesn't hurt your party, yes!), Protection from Magic Weapons(Invulnerability when combined with the immunity to +1 and less weapons from Hell Trials, though it only lasts 4 rounds), (Tensor's Transformation, Disintegrate, Death Spell, True Seeing, Globe of Invulnerability, Pierce Magic, Summon Nishru, Death Spell, Carrion Summons, Wyvern Call)

Level 7:
Spell Sequencer, Limited Wish(only if high Wisdom), Prismatic Spray, (Ruby Ray of Reversal, Sphere of Chaos, Mass Invisibility, Spell Turning, Summon Hakeashar, Cacofiend)

Level 8:
Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting(your #1 against Fire Fiants ), Spell Trigger, Wish(Again, only if high Wisdom), Simulacrum, (Pierce Shield, Protection from Energy(never actually tried this one, but it looks helpful), Summon Fiend)

Level 9:
Time Stop, Wail of the Banshee, Spellstrike, Spell Trap, (Meteor Swarm, Gate, Shapechange(if you like being unable to Dragonbreath their bums)

Level 10: (Takes one daily casting of your level 9 spells)
Dragon's Breath, Summon Planetar, Energy Blades (Improved Alacrity, Comet)

As you can see, some spell levels have some room for maneuvering, anything inside the () is open to choice. And of course you can swap out other spells as well. With the Level 10 spells I did it in the order you should take them(my opinion of course) with the () being whichever you want more. My sorcerer had 19 wisdom after the hell trials, so wish sometimes gave him a full night's rest worth of spells. For that purpose he always kept two level 8s ready to be converted to it(in case one should fail).

Also, Time Stop and Energy Blades or Dragon Breath, kills most opposition. Demi-Liches too. I might just have to play through a Sorcerer again... Hmm.

EDIT: This is without Refinements or any other spell-changing mod(save perhaps fixpacks that alter spells to what they should be).

Edited by Kellen, 28 November 2008 - 10:00 AM.

[Icendoan]

Greater Malison is best with Wail of the Banshee, as it AoE lowers saves.

I am tempted by a solo sorc now...

ShapeChange: Greater Wolfwere is great for solo, simply because you end up with a huge regeneration, with the ring of Gaxx as well.

Icen

Edited by Icendoan, 28 November 2008 - 11:10 AM.

[neostalker]

Thanks for your helpful replies, now I know what I shouldn't choose.

[Icendoan]

Well, Shouldn't Choose is A Bad Thing ™, and you should always experiment with all your spells and find what works best for you.

Icen

[Kellen]

Really, if you have any experience as a wizard, pick the spell he used most first, and anything else can go from there.

[Thanatos.]

I'm not really a magic-man (I mean, Icen is a FIREBALL and Kellen is, like, the strongest mage in Warcraft III) and look at me. Just the poor 'ol Lich King/Arthas with a badass two-hander.

Nah, I don't know any spell combo's and such. Usually with my mage I just buff up <CHARNAME> and go slaughter everything with Gram, whilst Edwinee or Esirk sits back dealing insane amounts of damage with Abawatshisname's Horrid Whilting and such.

But nothing beats asking for a Limited Wish and selecting a Horde of Monsters, just to get an army of rabbits to help you defeat Melissan.

Spoiler

Good Times *sigh*

[Icendoan]

Actually, double wishing with that is bloody powerful, just you can actually survive it.

I wish for a horde and then ADHW on every creature in the area. Huge amounts of damage, but make sure your party members are not near anything else, with Sup Healing at the ready.

Icen

[neostalker]

Thanks for the tips.
Had a great time with my sorceror, but decided at the beginning of ToB that I wanted to play a kensai/mage instead.

Now, I have dual-classed it to mage when my kensai was level 9. But my kensai part stops levelling completely even when I've reactivated it?

Dual-class character advance both their classes even after dual-classing from what I know?

[Icendoan]

No, what happens is this:

Kensai 9: You get level 9 Abilities of a Kensai, while it is active.

DUAL_CLASSING: Kensa becomes inactive, you start at level 1 with the abilities of a level 1 Mage. (Save HP)

You get to level 10 Mage, and you get your previous Kensai abilities Back (weapons, damage ect)

You can only continue leveling with your Mage class, not the Kensai.

You were thinking of Multiclassing, which is worse for Mages.

Icen

Edited by Icendoan, 10 December 2008 - 12:40 PM.

[neostalker]

That must be it.
Thanks for the clarification.

[Toews]

i remember a great guide on gamefaq with enlisted and explained all this
http://www.gamefaqs....le/919881/11588
take a look. one of the best i know, even if i prefer my own setting

 

Such a bad listing of spells for a solo run.

 

This is your best bet to solo the game or even with a party because this build covers a lot of ground. Leaves an extra spot only for a purely offensive mage or just another one to cast spells every round. With this build you shouldn't need another Mage... you shouldn't need a party actually.

 

Level 1- Magic Missile, Chromatic Orb, Find Familar, Protection from Evil, and Reflected Image. Everything is really useless except MM and FM for the hit points.

 

Level 2- Web, Mirror Image, Resist Fear, Melf's Acid Arrow, Knock. Useful page in your book

 

Level 3- Melf's Minute Meteors, Haste (summons), Skull Trap, Remove Magic, and Flame Arrow. This is a tough tree to ration out with your levels. I suggest going with MMMs>Skull Trap>Flame Arrow>Haste>Remove Magic.

 

Level 4- Stoneskin>Greater Malison>Minor Sequencer>Emotion>Fire Shield Red. SS and GM are the only essentials.

 

Level 5- Sunfire (very good for soloing)>Shadow Door>Breach>Lower Resistance>and Animate Dead. Your most helpful page yet.

 

Level 6- Death Spell>True Sight>Pro from Magical Weapons>Power Word Silence (helpful in a game with lots of powerful casters)> and Disintegrate.

 

Level 7- Project Image>Mordenkainen's Sword>Finger of Death>Spell Sequencer> and Summon Hakeashar.

 

Level 8- Horrid Wilting>Symbol Stun>Symbol Fear>Spell Trigger>and Simulacrum. A lot of people question Simulacrum but it adds versatility and it always helps to have more of yourself.

 

Level 9- Time Stop, Spellstrike, and Wish are the only essentials. I go for Gate and Chain Contengency as my picks.

 

ABC>XYZ indicates you should pick ABC before XYZ to lower your limitations and ability to solo tougher content. By level 12 you should have no problem dispatching a full group like the one that has Celestial Fury as your loot.

 

A lot will come down to playstyle. I prefer to have minions around because it helps divert a lot of attention off you. You can only make so many saving throws against spells like domination and whatnot, so I find it is best to avoid them like this. There are some spells like Haste you could find yourself commonly using to boost your summons and would rather just use a scroll, but all in all you don't need scrolls as a Sorcerer. Only in the early game will you need help from powerful scrolls and those situations can be avoided altogether or until a later time. The only spell I left out that I wish I could have is spell immunity as it makes fighting Demi-Liches much easier.

 

Once you add in gear like Staff of Magi, Ring of Gaxx, Amulet of Power, and The Robe of Vecna... you won't have much standing in your way for long.

[Kulyok]

Yay, a six-year old thread necromancy!

 

Because nobody ever mentioned a list of really, really perfect spells, I'll just post two things here:

 

1) There's an excellent guide by Roman Grigoriev at Sorcerers.net. Or here: http://www.gamefaqs....-amn/faqs/11588

Read it. You can't be a sorcerer until you read it.

 

2) Here's my list. And, yes, it's about the best thing there is(you definitely don't want Find Familiar as a Sorcerer's spell, Seldarine forbid!):

 

Level 1: Magic Missile, Chromatic Orb, Identify, Friends, Spook.

Level 2: Blur, Acid Arrow, Mirror Image, Knock, Resist Fear.

Level 3: Melf's Minute Meteors, Remove Magic, Dispel Magic, Skull Trap, Vampiric Touch(Flame Arrow and Haste are both decent choices, choose as you like - level 3 is really the best lower level)

Level 4: Stoneskin, Greater Malison, Improved Invisibility, Teleportic Field, Emotion

Level 5: Breach, Lower Resistance, Sunfire, Cone of Cold, Spell Immunity(Chaos and Animate Dead are nice, but only if you can squeeze them in instead of... what, by the way?)

Level 6: Death Spell, Chain Lightning, True Sight, Protection from Magical Weapons, Improved Haste

Level 7: Project Image, Limited Wish, Ruby Ray of Reversal, Finger of Death, Prismatic Spray(or Delayed Blast Fireball)

Level 8: ADHW, Spell Trigger, Silmulacrum, Symbol Stun(or Power Word: Blind)

Level 9: Time Stop, Chain Contingency, Wish, Imprisonment.

You really need these spells.

Edited by Kulyok, 27 February 2014 - 10:19 PM.

[Almateria]

Level 1: Protection from Petrification, Find Familiar, Infravision, Color Spray, Grease

Level 2: Know Alignment, Ghoul Touch, PW Sleep, Ray of Enfeeblement, Deafness

Level 3: Non Detection, Clairvoyance, Hold Undead, Protection from Normal Missiles, Ghost Armor

Level 4: Remove Curse, Spider Spawn, Enchanted Weapon, Wizard Eye, Contagion

Level 5:  Protection from Acid, Oracle, Conjure Lesser air Elemental, Phantom Blade, Spell Shield

 

Level 6: Globe of Invulnerability, Wyvern Call, Invisible Stalker, Flesh to Stone, Carrion Summons

Level 7: Control Undead, Mantle, Sphere of Chaos, Summon Djinni, Mass Invisibility

Level 8: Maze, Summon Fiend, Bigby's Clenched Fist, Protection from Energy, Symbol Death

Level 9: Absolute Immunity, Energy Drain, Freedom, Gate, Black Blade of Disaster

[Dakk]

Awesome post Monere.

 

For all those that post Find familiar as a lvl1 pick, I'm with Kulyok - Seldarine forbid!