Best Sorcerer blasting prestige class

[The_Mad_Linguist]

If something has particularly irritating DR you just break out the energy damage splashes (by that level, it's trivial to teleport to a red sea and get enough liquied salt to depopulate the elemental plane of slug).  Assuming, of course, you don't just hunter's eye for enough sneak attack to blow through the DR.  Or buy some colossal arrows of the appropriate funky materials to ignore DR.  Or exploit the endless force javelins from the manticore set item.  Or iaijutsu up.  Or hit them with metamagiced fire shuriken.  Or any number of other things you can do. 

True, DR can be irritating, but that's the tradeoff for getting a significantly better ROI when things like knowledge devotion or precision damage get added for each individual attack, rather than just once. 

Spells with a single target like you were suggesting have to deal with shit like mirror images and concealment.  Telekinesis can strip those off in the first two salvos, leaving the remaining volley able to fire, as well as making common immediate action counters to single attacks (like abrupt jaunt or shadow cloaks) significantly less useful. 

[SorO_Lost]

If something has particularly irritating DR you just break out the energy damage splashes (by that level, it's trivial to teleport to a red sea and get enough liquied salt to depopulate the elemental plane of slug).  Assuming, of course, you don't just hunter's eye for enough sneak attack to blow through the DR.  Or buy some colossal arrows of the appropriate funky materials to ignore DR.  Or exploit the endless force javelins from the manticore set item.  Or iaijutsu up.  Or hit them with metamagiced fire shuriken.  Or any number of other things you can do. 

True, DR can be irritating, but that's the tradeoff for getting a significantly better ROI when things like knowledge devotion or precision damage get added for each individual attack, rather than just once. 

Spells with a single target like you were suggesting have to deal with shit like mirror images and concealment.  Telekinesis can strip those off in the first two salvos, leaving the remaining volley able to fire, as well as making common immediate action counters to single attacks (like abrupt jaunt or shadow cloaks) significantly less useful. 

I have only suggested area spells, Fireball in all but fire and free CC flavored build and a few passing references to Wings of Furry. In fact, I have been REALLY conservative with my examples and you should know that.

Tell me TML. Does the max 800ish damage and w/e iaijitsu focus, poor rulings, CL loss, all those items and wealth spent, come even remotely close to simply reducing Metamagic costs with a couple of feats to you?

[BeholderSlayer]

If something has particularly irritating DR you just break out the energy damage splashes (by that level, it's trivial to teleport to a red sea and get enough liquied salt to depopulate the elemental plane of slug).  Assuming, of course, you don't just hunter's eye for enough sneak attack to blow through the DR.  Or buy some colossal arrows of the appropriate funky materials to ignore DR.  Or exploit the endless force javelins from the manticore set item.  Or iaijutsu up.  Or hit them with metamagiced fire shuriken.  Or any number of other things you can do. 

True, DR can be irritating, but that's the tradeoff for getting a significantly better ROI when things like knowledge devotion or precision damage get added for each individual attack, rather than just once. 

Spells with a single target like you were suggesting have to deal with shit like mirror images and concealment.  Telekinesis can strip those off in the first two salvos, leaving the remaining volley able to fire, as well as making common immediate action counters to single attacks (like abrupt jaunt or shadow cloaks) significantly less useful. 

Sounds like a lot of hoops to go through to do something that is, at best, moderate damage. That's if it even works at all.

Something in me wants to say: "Congratulations, you just spent tons of cash and dedicated your character to a concept that turns you into a medium grade barbarian that can do things at range. How do you feel about sucking at life?"

[snakeman830]

Yes it is.  "Target or targets" means it always has at least one target.  Ergo, the weapon you are wielding with it is the target.

Combat Maneuver targets the guy you're attacking and is the rules you should pay attention to.

And MotUH changes this to the weapon you're attacking with, as that's what you're doing shit to.  The fact remains, Telekinesis still has a target and thus Chain Spell can be applied just fine.  You aren't using Chain Spell on a class feature, you're using it on the spell.

I'm not saying it is the optimal blasting choice, I'm just saying that it's legal.

[Echoes]

On the topic of PrCs, the Escalation Mage from Faiths of Eberron is pretty awesome for Sorcerers. Grab Arcane Mastery and you get automatic quicken spell 7/day, plus some bonus HP and a good Fort save progression. All it costs you is some skills you should have and a metamagic feat.

[CantripN]

On the topic of PrCs, the Escalation Mage from Faiths of Eberron is pretty awesome for Sorcerers. Grab Arcane Mastery and you get automatic quicken spell 7/day, plus some bonus HP and a good Fort save progression. All it costs you is some skills you should have and a metamagic feat.

+1. This is very true.

That said, Recaster, if you can take it, is a lot like it, except better in every way that matters.

[SorO_Lost]

On the topic of PrCs, the Escalation Mage from Faiths of Eberron is pretty awesome for Sorcerers. Grab Arcane Mastery and you get automatic quicken spell 7/day, plus some bonus HP and a good Fort save progression. All it costs you is some skills you should have and a metamagic feat.

+1. This is very true.

That said, Recaster, if you can take it, is a lot like it, except better in every way that matters.

Recaster Link
What it don't say: d4 for HD, Poor BAB/Fort/Ref, Good Will, and 2 Skill Points(bluff, concentration, craft, decipher, disguise, profession, motive, spellcraft).

Lose one CL for
Eschew Materials.
3/day Quicken (duration becomes 1 round but it quickens ANY casting time. tip: use with extended ice assassin for a 2/round clone).
5/day Area of Effect alteration.
5/day Core Metamagic (like empower/maximize).
And learn two any spells. For a Wizard this means you get (Greater) Arcane Fusion for the ultimate versatility since a Wizard "knows" all spells in his spellbook(s).

[Echoes]

On the topic of PrCs, the Escalation Mage from Faiths of Eberron is pretty awesome for Sorcerers. Grab Arcane Mastery and you get automatic quicken spell 7/day, plus some bonus HP and a good Fort save progression. All it costs you is some skills you should have and a metamagic feat.

+1. This is very true.

That said, Recaster, if you can take it, is a lot like it, except better in every way that matters.

Recaster is awesome, but it isn't strictly better than Escalation Mage. You get less Quickens per day and they're limited to spells that have durations greater than instantaneous, and you lose a CL. The upside is more useful things outside of Quicken (area alteration, sudden metamagics, bonus spells from any list), but overall I'd call them equal.

For a Sorcerer, I'd prefer Escalation Mage. Thanks to Skip Williams, Quicken Spell is out for them so getting access to it is really nice. Losing a CL as a Sorcerer is also really harsh, since you're already behind the curve.

Spellwarp Sniper is also nice for Sorcerers for one reason: no-save ray of flurry. If you can qualify without losing a CL (Unseen Seer, Martial Stance (assassin's stance)), it's not a bad investment. Slap on Twin + Split Ray to get some multi-target no-save daze action going.

[SorO_Lost]

For a Sorcerer, I'd prefer Escalation Mage. Thanks to Skip Williams, Quicken Spell is out for them so getting access to it is really nice.

You know the Sorcerer's casting time with Metamagic Feats is one of the reasons why they kick ass right?

Arcane Spellsurge makes Full-Round spells cast in a Standard, and Standard cast in a Swift. So you cast a Fireball was a Swift action then an Invisible Fireball as a Standard. AKA, using a 7th level spell slot you get free Quicken Spell for the entire encounter and unlike Wizards you can still dual cast just fine.

[Echoes]

For a Sorcerer, I'd prefer Escalation Mage. Thanks to Skip Williams, Quicken Spell is out for them so getting access to it is really nice.

You know the Sorcerer's casting time with Metamagic Feats is one of the reasons why they kick ass right?

Arcane Spellsurge makes Full-Round spells cast in a Standard, and Standard cast in a Swift. So you cast a Fireball was a Swift action then an Invisible Fireball as a Standard. AKA, using a 7th level spell slot you get free Quicken Spell for the entire encounter and unlike Wizards you can still dual cast just fine.

Huh? Escalation Mage and arcane spellsurge don't interfere with each other in any way. There are times you'll want to cast something as a swift action without spending a 7th-level spell to cast arcane spellsurge first. Plus, you finish Escalation Mage a full three levels before arcane spellsurge even comes online, minimum.

Escalation Mage also offers you other perks, like a good Fort progression, some bonus HP (~17 by level 20, so nearly as good as Imp. Toughness), and other abilities. If you don't want quicken, free empower or widen are available (I'm not gonna claim Heighten +1 is worth anything).

[SorO_Lost]

Huh? Escalation Mage and arcane spellsurge don't interfere with each other in any way.

Oh it sounded like you thought the default usage of Quicken Spell as a Sorcerer was some form of problem. To me, it's a boon.

[Echoes]

Huh? Escalation Mage and arcane spellsurge don't interfere with each other in any way.

Oh it sounded like you thought the default usage of Quicken Spell as a Sorcerer was some form of problem. To me, it's a boon.

Yes, I find the fact that Sorcerers can't use Quicken Spell normally stupid. Skip William's original ruling that Sorcerers couldn't use Quicken Spell was wrong by the rules, and the fact that it got codified in 3.5 was dumb. What that has to do with Escalation Mage and Quicken Spell is beyond me though.

[rasmuswagner]

Disregarding Telekinesis, go for Elemental Savant (fire) 1/Sanctified One (of Kord) 1.

You lose a level. Yes, that's terrible, I know. But every single energy damage spell you cast becomes untyped, irresistible divine damage.

[Mpws1]

Thanks for all the response so far ive got loads of avenues to try out. 

I really like the idea of war mage from Dragonlance Age of mortals and will be asking my DM for his permission to take this prestige class, ive also come across a prestige class called force mage which i think will pair with war mage very nicely its in a book called path of magic.

Im almost level 11 and im considering taking the 5 lvls of age of mortals and 5 of force mage purley for the +3 per damge dice for war mage and +2 per damage dice of force mage!