Is sorcery weak in this game?

[cdrw2400]

Tried playing through as a sorcerer but got plopped on hard by enemies every step of the way, right up to (and including) Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, where I gave up.

This is despite finding all the scrolls to that point, using a +2 heretic staff, rings to buff magic, etc. Great heavy soul arrow was the only real decent spell, and even then (despite the ring to speed up spellcasting) spellcasting was slow to the point enemies could do the Macarena and then hit me several times before they came out.

Replaying as a melee character with the claymore, and now I am the one plopping hard on enemies in a new easy mode. Seriously, is magic that weak, at least at the beginning of the game?

[Rando the Crit Clown]

Sorcery is really overpowered. Sit a mile away and just deal 8 billion damage with like no risk to yourself. If you think it's weak your build was probably wack. You need to hard dump into int & use a good catalyst.

[Pat Fenis]

It's kind of slow and boring early game. You basically stick to the FP efficient soul arrow, heavy soul arrow, and farron dart. Heavy soul arrow is a good opener but generally too slow to cast close.

Until you have a lot of estus charges you will need to fall back on melee weapon a lot. Mace and longsword are very good for low stat investment. You'll want a raw weapon to use for enemies and boss resistant to magic and a crystal infused.

Depending on your int, sorcerer's staff may have better spellbuff than heretic. https://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.com/Sorcerer's+Staff

Higher level with access to more spells and weapons it really takes off and is pretty fun in pvp.

[Rando the Crit Clown]

Originally posted by Pat Fenis:

It's kind of slow and boring early game. You basically stick to the FP efficient soul arrow, heavy soul arrow, and farron dart. Heavy soul arrow is a good opener but generally too slow to cast close.

Until you have a lot of estus charges you will need to fall back on melee weapon a lot. Mace and longsword are very good for low stat investment. You'll want a raw weapon to use for enemies and boss resistant to magic and a crystal infused.

Depending on your int, sorcerer's staff may have better spellbuff than heretic. https://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.com/Sorcerer's+Staff

Higher level with access to more spells and weapons it really takes off and is pretty fun in pvp.

Only thing I disagree with is it being boring early game. I think needing to ration out the spells and frequently use melee is fun.

[[NG]Giuls The Original]

dark sorceries are really good

[☀️Linkyy Sunbeam]

early game is hard for sorcerers, thats true, but in mid-late is very good (even better then lighting spells for me)

[Watereaters]

Similar to Pyromancy you need to solely invest in it for the magic to be any good on its own.

Also I hope you found the sorcery vendor in the left castle in Road of Sacrifices.

[Zodee]

early game no, late game become god walks the earth , especially if u build faith/int able to use pyromancy as well as dark

[Terrorize Exercise]

You cannot just simply start a Sorcery Build in this game, you can only finish it.

Its like putting a puzzle together but all the pieces are hidden away untill mid or late game "or NG+2 for that matter lol".

[Swanky]

It's... serviceable. It works better in places where traditional melee builds usually struggle a bit and places where it struggles more due to enemies having magic resist or just dodging around very often.
Very hit&miss. Raged a lot more in lategame with magic than with traditional bonking, mostly due to long casting times and enemies dodging left & right. Damage is good though.

Personal opinion: It works but compared to DS1 where it was OP in the end it's gimped in DS3, mostly because the more aggressive enemy behavior, faster gameplay in general and long casting times.

[cdrw2400]

Originally posted by Swanky:

It's... serviceable. It works better in places where traditional melee builds usually struggle a bit and places where it struggles more due to enemies having magic resist or just dodging around very often.
Very hit&miss. Raged a lot more in lategame with magic than with traditional bonking, mostly due to long casting times and enemies dodging left & right. Damage is good though.

Personal opinion: It works but compared to DS1 where it was OP in the end it's gimped in DS3, mostly because the more aggressive enemy behavior, faster gameplay in general and long casting times.

This is the impression I got.

[Sparhawk 59]

make sure you use the rings to enhance the spells being used

[Insomniac Jack]

Yeah, spellcasting got gimped in this game whilst enemies and combat in general got the bloodborne treatment. Rather inefficient in both pve and pvp and starting out as a caster is essentially hard mode. It becomes playable as you level up and even decent later on, but still too slow for pvp (vs an experienced opponent).

I was going for a hex build with my first character, starting out was especially grueling and made me wonder whether I acquired a degenerative disease. So I created a new joke character, unarmed (caestus) warrior and dumped all my points into vigor and strength. Breezed through most of the game in a mere fraction of the time.

That being said I managed to solo most bosses with my hex build, only summoned someone for Sister Friede (I ran out of patience after getting one shot killed countlessly in her third phase). I wouldn't do it again, though. Unarguably the weakest game in the series if you're playing as a caster.

[Rando the Crit Clown]

Originally posted by Insomniac Jack:

Yeah, spellcasting got gimped in this game whilst enemies and combat in general got the bloodborne treatment. Rather inefficient in both pve and pvp and starting out as a caster is essentially hard mode. It becomes playable as you level up and even decent later on, but still too slow for pvp (vs an experienced opponent).

I was going for a hex build with my first character, starting out was especially grueling and made me wonder whether I acquired a degenerative disease. So I created a new joke character, unarmed (caestus) warrior and dumped all my points into vigor and strength. Breezed through most of the game in a mere fraction of the time.

That being said I managed to solo most bosses with my hex build, only summoned someone for Sister Friede (I ran out of patience after getting one shot killed countlessly in her third phase). I wouldn't do it again, though. Unarguably the weakest game in the series if you're playing as a caster.

Originally posted by Insomniac Jack:

2 words: honest merchant. Only chumps spend hours farming items in a single-player game like it's world of warcraft in 2005. Just don't purchase any dlc items if you dont own the dlc and you're good.

Interesting advice, thanks for sharing.

[𝙷𝚘𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊]

Yeah, sorcery in DS3 is the weakest in the series including ER and DeS.

[Insomniac Jack]

Originally posted by Rando the Crit Clown:

Interesting advice, thanks for sharing.

If you're trying to make a strawman argument by quoting a comment I made in a different threaad, out of context, I don't follow.