I don't play Sorc. nearly as often as I play the (completely fucked) pure Artificer. (Hmm. Maybe if I try pure 20 EK, I'll enjoy Sorc. more, b/c completely fucked?) Anyway, maybe this puts me closer to a newb perspective on Sorc.
I have questions.
For Fire/Acid:
5 Foot Step wrote on May 17
th, 2017 at 12:47pm:
Level 6 : Insightful Reflexes
The difference between -1 and +3 to Reflexes. What effect does that have for your average douchey pigeon-toed macho-nerd newb toon in-game, at level 6 and above? Before gearing, I doubt it makes a difference. After gear, I'm not really sure. When it's inside the relevant d20 range, it makes a 50% difference in damage on 20% of Fireballs. How often is +3 going to put you in that range? I'm trying to compare this to the benefit of another metamagic feat.
Heighten might cause a newb to always run out of sp, but its effect on nuker SLAs is pretty good, right? Or is it unnecessary overkill in Heroics, with very little middle ground before it becomes useless in Epics?
Enlarge can make somewhat-hard-to-quantify tactical differences, but still noticeable. Whereas Insightful Reflexes if it makes a difference, that diff. is in the background survivability/frustration factor. Don't stand in traps, though, is still what we want the newb to learn. Don't stand in front of Fireballs. Killing beats dodging.
Extend is mostly QoL, but also mostly useless for a blaster Sorc. Fuck Extend.
Evo. Focus & Spell Pen. Not sure how much a blaster notices these. I don't really notice them. But if they help your spells inside that d20 range of landing, I'd say they're better than Insightful Reflexes, on the principle of killing > dodging. It's much more fun to burn mobs & *ding* than it is to watch your spell fizzle & maybe not die until your next spell fizzles.
5 Foot Step wrote on May 17
th, 2017 at 12:47pm:
Level 12 : Force of Personality
I'm on the fence. In the plus, yay, saves calc'd from your prime ability! In the minus, boo, WGAF about Will saves? Cast Prot. from Evil/FOM/Wear spell resistance gear/kill that mob with rays & Enlarged SLAs before it casts.
5 Foot Step wrote on May 17
th, 2017 at 12:47pm:
Add Skill Focus Spellcraft if Human
+3 elemental/force/untyped spell power.
Versus Heighten or Enlarge, I'd go with one of those. What's the damage increase from 3 spell power? More than Heighten? Is it better than Fireballing an extra time b/c of Enlarge before a mob closes?
For Water/Elec:
5 Foot Step wrote on May 17
th, 2017 at 12:48pm:
Level 6 : Force of Personality
Enlarge is extra useful for Elec., extending range for both of its first two SLAs. Elec. offers the strongest case imo, for taking Enlarge.
Water, not so much. Enlarge
might help Snowball Swarm land before the mobs start moving. Does anyone know how to actually target that fucking spell? Half the time it goes off at your feet; half the time it goes off behind the mobs. This is not determined by chance, however. 100% of the time, it is the opposite of what you want. With an undocumented 2 second delay & a fibbing duration on top of that shitcake, just for ... icing, I guess.
5 Foot Step wrote on May 17
th, 2017 at 12:48pm:
Add Skill Focus Spell Penetration if Human
Do the trees allow Spell Pen. enhancements w/o the feat for a prereq.? If so, it might be more beneficial to drop the feat, move Force of Personality to the Human extra, and shuffle Enlarge into the normal feat progression.
Maybe not for Water. Only EK takes less advantage of Enlarge than Water.
Speaking of EK:
Fucked. Completely fucked. God help the idiot who decides to capstone EK*. This path ought to just say, "Don't". Or not exist. Or recommend buying Warlock instead, which EKs better than EK does.
5 Foot Step wrote on May 17
th, 2017 at 12:48pm:
Level 9 (Sorcerer)
Spell (2): Eagle's Splendor
That said, kudos to you sir.
But doesn't this mean the 32pt. build can also stay at 15 Cha.? Evening it out isn't really worth more than an extra skill, is it?
*
Maybe a triple racial completionist Elf would benefit? (Shhh! I bet it still winds up below average.)
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Sorcerer build paths for beginners (Read 13207 times)
