wizard or sorcerer

[kage1822]

this is a tough choice for me, I like the trees for both, so was wondering what everyone feels is the pros and cons on both, for whichever, I am planning on 2 levels of rogue for evasion as they both wear cloth so they get full dex benefit. oh and do plan on Harper tree, as it looks perfect for a spell caster

[Zavolar]

Sorcerer would not benefit from the rogue that much. Check for Cha to will save feat (can't remember name)

Wizard can take insightful reflexes feat and fully utilize int.

If it's your first life I would recommend sorcerer over wizard. Since wizard would need much more DC then a sorcerer to be able to function on the same level.

[kage1822]

eh, gonna scratch the Harper thing, didn't know you had to buy from the store

[Doug]

Wizard is generally a DC-based caster, with a greater variety of spells, but fewer spellpoints and more feats to improve them. Wizard is int-based. With the Insightful Reflexes feat, a wizard/rogue can go full-bore on Int and still get traps and have a reasonable chance for evasion to work. Wiz/rogue basically only needs Int, Con, and Dex (In that order of priority). Wizards can change their spells after any rest, though few bother. Still, that plus their greater variety of spells means they are more likely to have the right spells for any given situation. Wizards are great at CC (Crowd Control) and insta-kills like Finger of Death. But, as Zavolar says, a first life wizard will have some greater difficulty in landing DC-based spells.

Sorcerer is most commonly a DPS caster. A well-built Sorc with some history (past lives and/or tomes) can also be a decent CC build, but it's more challenging. Sorc is basically Cha, Con, and Dex (and needs Dex even less than the Wiz/Rogue). Adding Rogue to sorc is a bad synergy. Not only do you need to add Int, both for Disable DCs and to get enough Skill points to keep up the Rogue skills, but you are thereby much less likely to survive traps (even with evasion, you have to make a successful Reflex save). Sorcs can't change spells easily (normally 1 every 3 days at a trainer), so you have to pick a good all-around mix to be able to handle whatever you encounter.

[Solarpower]

Sorcerer is an easier DPS caster compared to Wizard. But, if you've never play an arcane caster in DDO, I'd say play a Wizard — learn the spells before you'll go for a Sorc.

[Doug]

Originally posted by Solarpower:

Sorcerer is an easier DPS caster compared to Wizard. But, if you've never play an arcane caster in DDO, I'd say play a Wizard — learn the spells before you'll go for a Sorc.

Some value in that advice. The ability to switch spells at will allows you to try them out and see which ones suit you and/or work as you expect. Just for one example, it's pretty common for an ice-based sorc to start out with Niac's Cold Ray. It does decent damage for a 1st level spell. But when you start casting it, you realize a couple of things:
a) it's all or nothing: a reflex save by your target means you wasted the SP (Don't cast it at ranged toons or rogue-types; they'll almost always save unless your DC is astronomical.)
b) it won't hit a moving target; you want to use it as your first spell before they know you're coming

Neither makes the spell useless, but they could well make you decide another spell's better for your purposes. As a sorc, if you've chosen it and decide to change your mind, you have to go to a trainer to swap it out, and you can only do that for one spell every three days. (Unless you happen across the Blood of a Dragon, which will allow unlimited swaps for a limited time.) If you're running a Wiz, you can swap it at the next rest shrine in the same quest after resting, if you want.. or in any tavern any time.

[Zavolar]

Originally posted by kage1822:

eh, gonna scratch the Harper thing, didn't know you had to buy from the store

Well you can also acquire it via Favor if you have Menace of the Underdark DLC

[kage1822]

Originally posted by Zavolar:

Originally posted by kage1822:

eh, gonna scratch the Harper thing, didn't know you had to buy from the store

Well you can also acquire it via Favor if you have Menace of the Underdark DLC

Once again, I'm F2P, I donr have the money to spare on any game