DDO: Sorcerers Guide

Racial Comparison
From an OP perspective, there are really only 3 races to choose from when building a sorcerer. These races and their
benefits are as follows:
Human: The human sorcerer has the advantage of extra skill points. There are only a few useful skills for a sorcerer, but
having the extra skill points makes it easy to optimize. Additionally, the bonus feat humans receive at level one can be a
major bonus throughout the course of the life of the build.

Stat allocation
This template uses a human for its racial choice, both for their extra feat at level 1 and increased skill point gain.
STR 10
DEX 8
CON 16
INT 10
WIS 8
CHA 18
Ability Point Buys: Every four levels, when given an ability point, increase your Charisma (CHA).

A sorcerer will almost always want to max his charisma, unless you are building a melee/sorcerer hybrid. The second
most important stat is constitution. Constitution governs the sorcerer's hit points and fortitude saves.
From a min/max OP perspective, these are the main two stats to be worried about. You can forget almost everything else.
- Strength: Strength gives bonuses to melee to-hit and damage. What kind of idiot full spellcaster hits anything with a
weapon? The only use for strength to a sorcerer is to prevent being rendered helpless by strength damage. This can
easily be avoided by drinking bull's strength potions at low levels, and wearing a strength item at the higher levels. Don't
waste those precious stat points.
- Dexterity: Dexterity gives a sorcerer a higher armor class and higher reflex saves. However, beyond the lowest levels,
the sorcerer is wasting his time by trying to have armor class and reflex saves. He has resistance and protection spells to
make up for his clumsiness. He has stoneskin and displacement to make up for his lack of armor class. The ranged touch
attack does not exist in DDO, thus making dexterity useless for all those ray spells.
- Intelligence: A sorcerer should only take enough intelligence to have enough skill points to max ranks in 3 or 4 chosen
skills. My recommendation is 3 skill points/level, you may wish to have 4. Five skill points per level is a waste of stat
allocation points. As with all classes, Intelligence (INT) affects a sorcerer's available skill points. With a high INT, more
skills can be raised, but it's generally recommended to boost Intelligence no higher than 12 unless you really feel like
more skill points are important to your character build.
- Wisdom: Wisdom gives a bonus to will saves for a sorcerer, and that's all it offers. Sorcerers have the high will save
progression, and thus allocating stat points to wisdom is more often than not a waste. If you are really worried about those
will saves, take Force of Personality to add your charisma bonus to will saves instead of wisdom.

Skill Point Allocation

First, you will want to make choices on which skills you wish your sorcerer to have. The following skills are, generally
speaking, the only useful skills for a sorcerer.
-Concentration: This skill is of utmost importance to any sorcerer, despite the availability of the Quicken Spell metamagic
feat. Quickened spells cost a lot of extra spell points, and you don't get hit every time you cast a spell. Running around
with Quicken on all the time is a ridiculous drain on spell points for little benefit. Maximize your concentration skill at all
times.
-Use Magic Device: Use Magic Device (or UMD) is probably the single most powerful skill in DDO. A sorcerer uses his
UMD skill to have access to divine spellcasting via scrolls. A sorcerer, with his high charisma, can easily raise dead, or
with UMD boosting loot resurrect his party members. A fleshy sorcerer with high UMD can easily heal himself with heal
scrolls at high levels, and at lower levels can use wands for cheaper healing (and faster healing, when used in
combination with potions).
-Diplomacy: Diplomacy is the twitch-players backup for armor class. Diplomacy drops the sorcerer to the bottom of a
monster's aggro list for 6 seconds, and it has a 6 second cooldown. You'd have to be dense to not see the synergy there,
and the usefulness of the skill. Sorcerer's get a lot of aggro throwing fireballs all over the place. With the simple press of a
hotkey the sorcerer can shed all aggro onto either a more sturdy party member, or a charmed monster lackey. It's
charisma-based, and thus sorcerers can use it to great results even though it's not a class skill.
- Tumble: Put enough points into the Tumble skill during character creation for 1 rank (2 points for human) -- not just 0.5
ranks, but 1.0! In DDO, a player cannot use Tumble without training, and tumbling away from ranged attacks is a useful
skill to have
- Balance Characters get knocked down by many types of attacks both physical and magical in DDO. With Balance, a
character regains their footing more quickly after a knockdown. Avoiding a knockdown requires either decent STR or
DEX, and because a sorcerer doesnt typically invest in either STR or DEX scores, the faster recovery-time offered by
Balance is invaluable.

Feats
Remember that humans get a bonus feat at level 1.
Level 1 - Empower Spell
+Toughness (human bonus)
Empower spell is much less costly than Maximize Spell, and at the lowest levels it functions just as well. The spell points
you conserve could be the difference between winning and dieing. You take this feat at level 1 to dump out the damage
when you really need to.
Level 3 - Spell Focus: Evocation
Is recommended to most Sorcerers, since they use mainly Evocation Spells to deal damage, and can use it as a prerequisit for the elemental savant line.
Level 6 - Maximize Spell
If you didn't take extend spell at 3, take it now at 6. You now have haste, and you want to extend this spell as often as
possible. If you took extend spell at 3, take maximize spell at level 6. Turn on maximize when you're looking for massive
damage output in the least amount of time with little regard for your spell point pool. This will often occur during a fight
with the BBEG right after you've rested (e.g. Stormcleave).

Level 9 - Heighten Spell

This is your chance to flesh out your metamagics. If you haven't by now, dump your mental toughness feat if you took it.
Use heighten spell on your lower level spells to increase the DC to that of your highest level spells. Spells that this works
great on include: charm person, hypnotize, web.
Level 12: Greater Spell Focus: Evocation
Your spells of one school of magic are even harder to resist; this stacks with the bonus from Spell Focus.
Level 15 - Spell Penetration
At this level we take spell penetration in preparation for the highest level enemies, most of which have high spell
resistance. If you're planning on casting any spells that aren't conjurations or evocations, you had better have this feat. If
you're going to be exclusively casting buffs and conjurations/evocations, mental toughness is acceptable for this feat.
Level 18 - Toughness / Force of Personality / Your choice of Spell Focus
If you don't have FoP yet, you may want to take it now. If you don't want to take it, a few more hit points couldn't hurt.
Additionally, you may wish to take a spell focus in some school of magic. As most of the bases are already covered, the
feat at level 18 is very open-ended.
End-Game Feats at level 20
Make sure you have Empower, Maximize, Extend, Spell Penetration, and Greater Spell Penetration. After that, everything
else is just gravy.

Enhancements
Sorcerer enhancements can boost spell-power significantly, and in a number of ways. Go for enhancements that stack
with your preferred spells and chosen feats.
Some sorcerer enhancements are useful in a broad sense, like those that grant extra SP and CHA score boosts -- a
sorcerer with more SP and CHA has more fuel for spells!
Tip! You're never permanently stuck with enhancements! For a small in-game fee, it's possible to refund all Action Points
and re-pick your enhancement load-out, so feel free to experiment once you're making enough in-game currency
[Spell Damage Type] Manipulation - These increase the damage output of your spells of the type designated by the
damage type descriptor. The available choices are: Fire/Ice, Electricity/Acid, and Force/Repair. Typically a sorcerer will
always take fire/ice to the max, because your staple damage spells are usually fire or cold based. Electricity/Acid is useful
for a sorcerer that wishes to be a pure nuker all the way through the game, since electricity spells work well on devils.
Force/Repair is useful for a sorcerer concerned about casting magic/force missile type spells, and for repairing friendly
warforged.
Lineage of [Spell Damage Type] - These enhancements increase the spell critical chance of your spells of the energy
descriptor type. A typical sorcerer has full ranks of all fire/ice spell critical chance to maximize their damage output. If you
are a pure nuker type sorcerer, it can be extremely useful to maximize your investment in lightning/acid as well. A sorcerer
concerned about utilizing force spells will invest ranks in this enhancement for force, but personally I do not take them
since force spells are not exactly a high DPS option.

Lineage of Deadly [Spell Damage Type] - These enhancements increase the spell critical damage of your spells of the
energy descriptor type. The higher your investment in these, the more damage your spells will do on a critical spell roll.

Usually a sorcerer takes full investment in fire/ice damage enhancements, and chooses their investment in the others
based on their build plan (explained a bit above in the spell critical chance entry).

Sorcerer's Charisma - These increase your charisma score, manipulate your investment in these enhancements to make
sure your charisma score is always as high as possible, and always on an even number to get the most bang for your
buck.

Wand and Scroll Mastery - These enhancements increase the damage done by your wands and scrolls. They also
increase the healing offered from cure wands and heal scrolls, which is their primary use to a sorcerer. I recommend
taking at least 2 ranks of this enhancement, taking more may or may not be worth the action points to you.

Wand Heightening - These enhancements are a waste, do not take them for any reason.
Sorcerer Bluff - These enhancements are a turkey, just like the bluff skill. Do not take them.
Sorcerer Concentration - Useful as a filler enhancement if you find you need to spend ranks to qualify for other, more
useful, enhancements. I don't recommend spending more ranks here than you absolutely must to qualify for other
enhancements.

Improved [Metamagic] - These enhancements help your spell point pool go further. I like improved heighten and
maximize, but wouldn't bother with the others. I only spent action points on one tier of Heighten, and at most 2 ranks of
Maximize. There are too many useful enhancements and a sorcerer has too many spell points to be especially concerned
with maximizing these enhancements.

Improved Spell Penetration - Take these enhancements if you often cast spells that call for a spell resistance check on
monsters. If you don't often cast spells with caster level checks for spell resistance, it doesn't make much sense to be
worried about these enhancements. They are highly dependent on your spell list.
Subtle Spellcasting - I would never invest in these enhancements, there are better ways to manage monster aggression
than spending action points.

[Human Racial Enhancements]

Human Improved Recovery: This is a nice enhancement to have one or two tiers in, but putting in the maximum is not
necessary and could be considered a waste of action points.

Human Versatility: Nice for the boost to skills, but the short-term bonus makes it not as useful for things you'd like to have
all the time (like UMD).

Human Adaptability: Always take the first tier of this in Charisma. The second tier is pretty expensive, and if it puts you on
an even number you might choose to take it in Constitution. Not essential in second tier, though.

Racial Toughness: would recommend opening all 3 tiers of this. Take Toughness, take Greater Human Adaptability Con,
and max out this line. You gain up to 72 hit points depending on gear and modifiers.

Spells
This is only a loose guide for spell choices. You may want other spells depending on what you want your sorc to do. Also,
please note that this run-down is not especially party-friendly. You may choose to take Haste earlier because you want to
buff up your party with it. You may choose to take other CC spells in favor of the damage spells I prefer. It's all a matter of
preference.
Spell choices: 1st level
Magic Missile, Niac's Cold Ray
Niacs is for single-target damage output. It is the highest damage spell for first level available, and it works well on early
mobs, especially casters.

Spell Choice: 2nd level

Hypnotism
Will save spell, useful for making groups of mobs stand still. A sorceror can spam cast 2-3 hypnotisms and render entire
crowds immobile. I recommend taking this at 2nd level to help control crowds.

Spell Choice: 3rd Level

Charm Person
At early levels you will want to be able to short-man quests, and you will want to be able to take control of the baddies to
fight for you. Charm Person works on kobolds and hobgoblins, the common enemies in the early game.A sorceror should
remember melee mobs have low will, and caster mobs have low dex, so charm the fighting types and kill the caster types.

Spell Choice: 4th level

Web or Resist Energy
Web is the fundamental crowd control spell in the game. Learn it, use it, and master it. Being able to use this spell
effectively will help you use others later down the line. Resist energy is a MUST HAVE for a sorceror. Taking this spell
early also makes your sorceror more able to short-man quests for quicker experience. You can make due with your first
level spells for CC and damage. A veteran may also prefer to take Resist Energy first, since they should have experience
with the types of energy enemy spell casters will use on various difficulty levels, and for being prepared for traps.

Spell Choice: 5th Level

Web or Resist Energy
Whichever one is not chosen at 4th, take it at 5th.

Spell Chice: 6th Level

Fireball, Haste or Acid Blast
Everybody loves haste. You know you can't live without it. At low levels there is nothing like hasting a fighter. Alternatively,
like in my case, I solo a lot through lower levels and prefer having fireball. I don't need to attack fast, and I can use striders
to run past monsters and gather them up in a group for a single mass kill with a well-placed fireball. Acid Blast is Fireball
with the acid damage type. I actually prefer Acid Blast to Fireball, as it damages pretty much everything in quests.

Spell Choice: 7th Level

2nd Level - Blur
3rd Level - Fireball / Haste / Lightning Bolt / Acid Blast
Blur will be your first defensive buff. KEEP YOURSELF BLURRED. You have no AC. Damage avoidance is your only way
to survive. I chose to add Lightning Bolt here as an alternative to magic missile for killing the boss in Stormcleave, as well
as for use on other fire immunes if Niac's isn't landing for you. Alternatively, you may use Acid Blast the same way you
use Fireball, for the same things you'd use Lightning Bolt. Lots of options here.

Spell Choice: 8th level

8th level spell selection is very subjective. It depends on your build. Are you an instant-death build? You want PK. Are you
a direct damage build? You want Wall of Fire. Are you a charm build? Charm monster.
My chosen spell at this level is Wall of Fire.

Spell Choices: 9th level

W00T!! We get 3 spells this level!
2nd Level - Scorching Ray
3rd Level - Displacement
4th Level - Wall of Fire
Displacement is a MUST HAVE for a sorceror. 50% miss chance will save your tail regularly. Use this spell, and use it
often when you get aggro.
Scorching Ray - staple single-target damage spell. At low levels it is less useful, due to 1 ray only. It now has 2.
Wall of Fire - Staple damage over time, area of effect spell. Learn to love it. You'll be jumping around in it like a jackrabbit
on crack.

Spell Choices: 10th level

5th level - Hold Monster or Ball Lightning

Hold Monster is your new Melee destruction spell. Being attacked by a fighter type mob? HOLD THEM. Will save spell.
Ball Lightning is like a lightning Fireball with higher damage dice cap. It can replace Acid Blast.

Recommended spell swap:

Hypnotism for Jump
With your casting speed on hold monster, hypnotism is not necessary. Use web for group control, if necessary.
Acid Blast for Haste

Spell Choices: 11th Level

3rd Level - Protection from energy
4th Level - Stoneskin
5th Level - Cone of Cold
Displacement and Stoneskin are your armor. Use it, love it. Live it.
Protection from energy may seem like it is unnecessary, but you won't think so when you get hit with 100 damage
lightning and 180 damage polar rays. Damage mitigation is your friend. Cone of Cold is your new burning hands, except
much better. Especially useful on fire monsters.

Spell choices: 12th level

6th Level - Flesh to Stone or Disintegrate
This spell is your new caster-stopper. It is a fort save, and clerics/caster types have low con. Use it, and love it. Spam it, if
you must. Damage dealers may choose disintegrate, which kills golems easily and damages other constructs. It also can
kill many caster enemies in one shot.

Spell Choices: 13th Level

4th Level-Enervation
5th level-Break Enchantment
6th Level-Flesh to Stone
Enervation is your debuff spell. Hit tough mobs with an enervation (it has no save) and then PK to your heart's content.
Break Enchantment is great for clearing away enemy AoE effects.
Flesh to Stone is a nice spell to have for situational purposes, and is also a great enemy caster stopper.

Spell Choice: 14th Level

7th - Finger of Death

Single fortitude save or die, consider to replace PK unless you LOVE instant kills. This spell will kill caster monsters
instantly 95% of the time.

Consider swapping PK for Dimension Door. Dimension Door scrolls are rare and valuable, and it's a great utility spell to
have. Another option is Fire Shield, which makes you immune to webs and reduces fire/cold damage by 50%.

Spell Choice: 15th Level

5th - Protection from Elements OR your choice - It's nice to cast protections just once, and since our choices at level 5 are
thin, you can also decide to take any other spell that catches your eye. Replaces Protection from Energy, swap this for
Rage (+2 Strength, Constitution) for more hit points
6th - Reconstruct - You will be expected to have this spell to heal warforged tanks in raids. You need not invest in the
enhancements if you don't feel like it.
7th - Waves of Exhaustion or Delayed Blast Fireball - Waves is a great debuff spell. Minus 6 to strength and dexterity
AoE. Gives -3 to hit, damage, and armor class for enemies and slows them down. Works great on BBEG types. Delayed
Blast Fireball is a 20d6 capped Fireball. It should replace many of your AoE burst damage spells, with exception for when
monsters are immune.

Spell Choice: 16th Level

Polar Ray - Ice damage ray spell, no save. Works great on fire elementals, and BBEG types that have high saves and/or
evasion.

Spell Choice: 17th Level

Incendiary Cloud - lower fire damage damage-over-time. Works well on the Abbot. Burns for a very, very long time.
or
Otto's Irresistable Dance - Great spell, no save single-target crowd control. It's only drawback is the casting range, which
is touch, and is subject to spell resistance.

Spell Choice: 18th Level

Wail of the Banshee - Area of Effect Finger of Death centered on the caster, fortitude save or die and subject to spell
resistance. Extremely useful for killing groups of low fortitude monsters like fire bats in VOD, or mephits in Genesis Point.
Also great for favor running.

Spell Choice: 19th Level

9th level - Energy Drain - 2d4 negative levels, just like enervation. It effectively replaces enervation, therefore:

Swap Enervation for Fire Shield, which has two options, fire and cold versions. Each version reduces damage from the
opposite element by 50%, and does a small amount of damage when you are hit. It also makes you immune to web.
8th Level - Trap the Soul - will save or die, bypasses instant death wards. The only problem is that it has very expensive
components, and is subject to spell resistance (you dont want to waste components on this one)
or
Repair Critical Damage - Mass - For repairing lots of warforged

Spell Choice: 20th Level

This one is a big toss-up. Make a personal decision here. I currently favor Mass Hold Monster.