Best sorcerer spells AFTER level 5?

[dan_gerous87]

There are plenty of starter builds around from EA but now I'd like some advice for mid-end game. I'd rather not keep re-speccing to change spells and just choose well the first time. Is Magic Missile / Chromatic Orb still worth keeping or should I swap them out?

At level 5 I have;

Magic Missile
Chromatic Orb
Thunderwave
Misty Step
Fireball
Haste

[TheBlueFox]

Evard's black tentacles is an amazing crowd control, damage, and area denial spell, Look into it

[Actalo]

Nothing beats single target damage like Scorching Ray, especially if you're able to apply your CHA modifier to each ray. For instance, at level 6 -Scorhing Ray has 7 projectiles. That's 14d6+35 (49-119) fire damage that can bypass fire resistance if you've taken the ele adept feat.

But you wanna diversify due to monsters/people having immunity So

lvl 1: Ice Knife, Magic Missle
lvl 2: Scorching Ray, Misty Step
lvl 3: Fireball, Lighting Bolt, Haste
lvl 5: Whatever
lvl 6: Chain Lightning

For higher level spells, look at their function and if it works - the lower level spells have the best damage potential when scaled up.

[canuck250]

I personally like 'abusing' the wet condition, focusing on cold/lightning spells. Using either create water or throwing crafts of water, then doing double damage with those spells. Lightning bolt has been my main power spell and ice storm for big aoe cc and also good damage. Then ray of frost for basic spell casts (I have an item that adds dmg to cantrips and also creates an ice patch with ray of frost, I also have both my melee fighters with boots that prevent falling on ice)

If you want to force a big turn in 1 round. (you can do bigger dps then this but this sets up for longer fights, more dps is not casting haste and just going all offensive but then round 2 and onward has less potential)
Twin cast haste.
Get them wet.
Then quicken cast a spell.
Big dps or cc and then sets up for a bigger round 2.

You do not hit the same single target as scorching ray but you still do good single target damage but also can clear whole group of mobs with a well set up wet lightning bolt. Plus as I said with the ice, constant good cc, with the create water/ice storm spells, you will have whole areas with ice. Enemies will struggle and if your melee have those boots, your melee goes to town.

Pairs very well with a cleric, mainly for the create water, bless and sanctuary. Sanct has been crucial for me to go glass canon for my mage without much worry. Things either can't get to my mage due to ice or can't target my mage due to sanct.

I am really loving the storm sorc with 2 tempest cleric. Forcing max damage dice on a big aoe dps spell that gets to do double damage due to wet... So good. Then on normal casts you can just add extra lighting damage which gets doubled.

[Kenaron]

Originally posted by Actalo:

For higher level spells, look at their function and if it works - the lower level spells have the best damage potential when scaled up.

I'm currently at the very early stages of a fire dragon sorcerer, and while I can't seem to find a complete list of spells that are in this game, I know fire is solid from cantrip to 3rd level. Does fire work out for endgame because of this?

I wanted to do the same with lightning dragon instead, noting Chain Lightning but an otherwise lackluster distribution of lightning spells. Did I make a good choice with fire or since I'm early still should I restart with lightning?

[Actalo]

You're looking at the problem all wrong - any level 2 or 3 spell can be scaled up in damage for higher levels. Like I showed you with Scorching Ray, you can easily do more than 100 damage in a single spell cast.

Personally, the only high level spell I use that's not a utility spell is Chain Lightning. All my damage comes from casting level 2 and 3 spells at level 5 and 6 - if I need to. You don't have to select any higher level spells if you don't want to -or feel you need to.

In other words, your level 1, 2, and 3 damage spells ARE your level 4, 5, and 6 damage spells.

[Kenaron]

TY, that clears everything up for me.