[3.5e] Building a Battle Sorcerer

[Spirit_Crusher]

Spells I would suggest you to chose, both on the spell compendium:

Orb of Something, lesser: it requires a touch attack, but does 5d8 and NEGATES saving throws AND spell resistance. An overpowered spell if I've ever seen one.
Fist of stone: the power of this spell should be self-evident, no?
These are in my opinion the 2 best options for a "battle" sorcerer at first level. Do yourself a favor and pick them.

Also, you could consider as an option for your Sorcerer to be a Spellscale from races of the dragon. At first level you choose to skip the familiar for the Metamagic Specialist option from Player's HanbookII and Empower Spell as a feat. At third level you "suspend" the choice of a second feat and at 6th you pick the Practical Metamagic, Empower from Races of Dragon AND Arcane Thesis from Player's Handbook 2 for some attack spell. This will let you cast Empowered spells at just one slot higher and your "go-to" blast Empowered at its normal slot.

Also, you definitely WANT to pick Abjurant Champion (Complete Mage) as a prestige class when you reach 8th level.

[A.J.Gibson]

Originally Posted by A.J.Gibson

I'll definitely drop the familiar for better meta-magic feats. I saw the Stalwart Sorcerer, and it looks pretty good combined with a level of Armored Mage Fighter, the total result duplicates a lot of the Battle Sorcerer's abilities, except for the Base Attack Bonus. I kind like playing just the one class, though, and mayeb a prestige later on, if I find one I like (DragonHeart Mage and Dragon Disciple both look good).

Actually, I've been thinking about this, and I realized something:

The Battle Sorcerer gets less spells per day and spells per level in return for better attack and hit points, but the way most prestige classes work is they make you continue to advance in your spell casting while replacing your attack and hit dice, so if I take a prestige class (and I plan to) I'll continue to pay but won't receive benefits. I hate to min-max, but that's a little too steep a price to pay, so I'm going to go with Fighter 1 (Armoured Mage) / Sorcerer 4 (Stalwart Sorcerer), which will give me all the benefits except for the attack.

I really wish this game was balanced a bit better to avoid crap like this.

[Ace]

Originally Posted by A.J.Gibson

Actually, I've been thinking about this, and I realized something:

The Battle Sorcerer gets less spells per day and spells per level in return for better attack and hit points, but the way most prestige classes work is they make you continue to advance in your spell casting while replacing your attack and hit dice, so if I take a prestige class (and I plan to) I'll continue to pay but won't receive benefits. I hate to min-max, but that's a little too steep a price to pay, so I'm going to go with Fighter 1 (Armoured Mage) / Sorcerer 4 (Stalwart Sorcerer), which will give me all the benefits except for the attack.

I really wish this game was balanced a bit better to avoid crap like this.

yeah 3.5 PRC's have bugs. The Abjurant Champion is a noted exception. You get better (d10) hit dice, full Bab and a raft useful powers for the cost of a feat. Happily it will work fine with what you have there or with the standard battle sorcerer -- I'll note the Battle Sorcerer 15 Ab Champ 5 has with 9th level spells, 2- caster levels and 4 attacks per round --

An alternate build, combat sorcerer is Fighter 5/Armored Mage Sorcerer 6 Abjurant Champion 5 Knight Phantom 4

Thats tons of HP 15 caster levels (7th level spells) 17 BAB -- not bad -- you also gets plenty of feats to use with you orb and ray spells Also because of Ab_Chap all your fighter levels still give you caster levels (though not advancement) -- your durations and ranges and such are 17 caster levels too...

[A.J.Gibson]

I'm actually looking at the DragonHeart Mage (Races of the Dragon) for my Prestige Class. They get the same attack as sorcerers, good will and good will saves, d6 hit dice, and 4 draconic feats spread over 10 levels, with 8 of those levels advancing my sorcerer's spell level and some interesting dragon breath bonuses. It's probably not the optimal career path, but it fits with what I'm doing with the character.

(Frankly I think the Abjurant Champion is a flavorless class)

[dimensional]

OK

Your going for dragon Heart Mage, In which case your playing more of a straight sorcerer, than afighter mage, up in their face build Yes?

You are going to be a couple of caster levels behind, due to the fighter level and Dragon Heart mage. Which actually isn't that bad. You won't be supoer powerful, but hey have fun.

RAce wise, spellscale, is probably your optimum choice. otherwise human or silverbrow human.

You want a cold theme in your spell selection, you definatly want to take thepeircing Cold Feat from Frostburn, which gets your cold spells through Cold resistance and cold imunity. In fact check out frostburn anyway, for cold type spells.

Dragon Heart mage should cover your dragon type feats you are going to want to pick up metamagic feats with your other feats. I'd also pick up a reserve feat, I think there is a cold themedone otherwise talk to your GM about reskinning one of the others.

Empower obviously, quicken eventually, i'd recomend arcane thesis on a signiture spell at some point as well as residual magic, but feats are limited.

I'd also pick up PBS and precie shot if you can squeze them in early.

Have fun

Jeremy

[A.J.Gibson]

Originally Posted by dimensional

OK
Your going for dragon Heart Mage, In which case your playing more of a straight sorcerer, than afighter mage, up in their face build Yes?

You are going to be a couple of caster levels behind, due to the fighter level and Dragon Heart mage. Which actually isn't that bad. You won't be supoer powerful, but hey have fun.

I do like my sorcerer power, so I don't want to dilute it too much

The GM has suggested the campaign might get us past level 20, in which case I will eventually max out my spell power. I might even end up taking a second prestige class: Dragon Devotee (gotta love that +2 Cha at level 1) if the GM allows it.

I used my first fighter level to buy Point Blank Shot, and I might take a second fighter level at some point to get Precise Shot. I'm playing a human, so my bonus human feat is going to be Able Learner from Races of Destiny. As for Draconic Feats, I'm looking at:

Draconic Heritage: Bonus vs Sleep, Paralysis, Cold and Disguise is a class skill
Draconic Power: +1 CL for cold spells
Draconic Senses: bonus to perception skills, low-light and darkvision
Draconic Breath: 2d6 damage per spell slot sacrificed, 30' cone
Draconic Vigor: heal hp equal to spell level after each spell casting
Draconic Legacy: gain three spells
Draconic Toughness: bonus hp
Draconic Aura (Toughness): DR for everyone!
Draconic Presence: fear against everyone in 10'
Draconic Arcane Grace: +1 to all saves per level of spell slot sacrificed

Draconic Presense would be a lot more useful if the range was a bit farther than 10'. Draconic claws are neat thematically, but weak as an option. Draconic Flight is neat too, but again, I don't think it's worth it. And I'm certainly not wasting a feat on Draconic Persuasion!

[Spirit_Crusher]

Take a good look at the Human Paragon class in unhearted arcana. You lose 1 caster level but get a lot of very nice stuff.

[RUMBLETiGER]

Another feat that might be fun for the dragon, battle flavor your developing is Frightful Presence from Draconomicon.

The prereq's are cha 15 (which you'll obviously meet) and 9 ranks in Intimidate (which might be pricey...) but you gain a 30' radius shaken effect on all opponents who have fewer HD then you, for 1d6+cha mod. rounds (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + cha mod).

The effect is triggered every time you attack or charge.