8 Simple Rules For Selecting Sorcerer Spells

[ninjarabbit]

This mini-guide isn't meant to tell you which are the best sorcerer spells or how to play or build your sorcerer. Rather this guide is simply meant to create a thought process for picking out sorcerer spells and to help maximize your sorcerer's effectiveness.

[ninjarabbit]

[ninjarabbit]

[ninjarabbit]

[ninjarabbit]

[ninjarabbit]

[Solo]

Hmmm..... reserved for what, I wonder?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

#4 Metamagic breathes new life into old spells: Something simple like heighten spell, split ray, or empower spell can make low level spells like charm person, glitterdust, and scorching ray viable at medium or even high levels. Think twice before replacing these spells and/or upgrading to another spell.

I believe you misspelled "sculpt" as "heighten" there.

[snakeman830]

#4 Metamagic breathes new life into old spells: Something simple like heighten spell, split ray, or empower spell can make low level spells like charm person, glitterdust, and scorching ray viable at medium or even high levels. Think twice before replacing these spells and/or upgrading to another spell.

I believe you misspelled "sculpt" as "heighten" there.

Sorcerers do get more mileage out of Heighten Spell than Wizard spells do, and that's before considering things like Shadowcraft Mage.  Especially things like Cham Person or Bestow Curse.  Sculpt Spell is amazing, though.  It just can't work on every spell like Heighten can (and before you start saying that there is never any reason to heighten no-save spells, think again).

[Negative Zero]

#4 Metamagic breathes new life into old spells: Something simple like heighten spell, split ray, or empower spell can make low level spells like charm person, glitterdust, and scorching ray viable at medium or even high levels. Think twice before replacing these spells and/or upgrading to another spell.

I believe you misspelled "sculpt" as "heighten" there.

Sorcerers do get more mileage out of Heighten Spell than Wizard spells do, and that's before considering things like Shadowcraft Mage.  Especially things like Cham Person or Bestow Curse.  Sculpt Spell is amazing, though.  It just can't work on every spell like Heighten can (and before you start saying that there is never any reason to heighten no-save spells, think again).

I did. I don't know what you're getting at here.

[Solo]

It's fine the way it is.

[snakeman830]

Spell Turning and Limited Magic traits can both be avoided or limited by Heighten Spell, and I think it's  one of two metamagic feats that can be applied to every single spell in existance.

[ninjarabbit]

Both heighten spell and sculpt spell are good metamagic feats, I really don't see the reason for the debate. I was just using heighten spell as an example.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

I've never really been in a situation when playing a sorcerer where heightening a spell would be better than just using a spell of that level.

[snakeman830]

I've never really been in a situation when playing a sorcerer where heightening a spell would be better than just using a spell of that level.

There are a few times, such as you don't know a spell of that level that would be more useful.  I'm not saying it comes up often, just that they do get more mileage out of it than a Wizard does.

[CantripN]

I've never really been in a situation when playing a sorcerer where heightening a spell would be better than just using a spell of that level.

It's rare, but with a Sorcerer's limited spells known, it can happen. For instance, let's assume you've just hit 14th level and got your first 7th level spell. Arcane Spellsurge is it, if you know what you're doing. I'm assuming you've got a Runestaff for Elemental Body. That 3 spells per day (and let's assume 1 more from CHA, shall we?), one going to EB, you've got 3 left. Now, I'm not sure you'll be casting this 3 times a day. Probably, but who knows? Well, actually, I'm sure you will.

Now look at your 8th level spell when you're 16th. It's what? Greater Arcane Fusion, right? But what if your only Will Targeting spell is Freezing Glance? Won't you agree that +2 DC is worth a higher slot for this spell? Or you're fighting a Black Ethergaunt, and know that without Heighten it does nothing? Perhaps you want +4 DC for Wings of Flurry? I'd still prefer GAF.

I agree it doesn't come up as much, but what with your fairly limited spell choices it might come in handy. It's one of the better Metamagics for DC based spells (...wait, isn't it just better to make the spell itself better with Metamagic?). I'd still prefer other Metamagic most of the time, such as making that Wings of Flurry Maximized, though.

You know what, after all that looking at options and spells, I've decided I really prefer other Metamagic. Also, Sorcerers are all the more pathetic now that I've looked at the table again. Hell, without Metamagic, I could predict their every action. Still can, probably. Good thing my DM is reasonable.

Heighten gets an F.

[ninjarabbit]

Having heighten spell means you don't have to upgrade your low level save-or-be-screwed spells and I can choose something else instead with my higher level spells. Not to mention Shadowcraft Mage and early-entry-into-PrCs abuse.

[CantripN]

Having heighten spell means you don't have to upgrade your low level save-or-be-screwed spells and I can choose something else instead with my higher level spells. Not to mention Shadowcraft Mage and early-entry-into-PrCs abuse.

I don't see myself often wanting to waste a higher level slot for a DC boost alone. If it worked like Psionic Augments, sure, but it doesn't.

[Negative Zero]

And anyway, the low-level save-or-lose spells aren't usually that great. It's like 'save or drop your weapon' or 'save or be blind', which isn't bad, but it's a debuff a lot of higher-level creatures can ignore. When you get to higher levels, you get things like 'save or be shredded into powder' or 'save or collapse into a singularity'.

[Prime32]

You know, I would just build Heighten Spell into the sorcerer's casting mechanism. Makes it more fluid.