Sorcerer 101 - Part 1

Well, it's almost time for my new DnD campaign to launch, so I figured I'd kick it off by talking about my favorite class in 4th edition: the Sorcerer.

The Sorcerer is a striker, meaning that they focus on dealing damage as a top priority. They also have a few powers that are very good at controlling, but that isn't their main focus. If you just want to blow things up, preferably with fire, then a sorcerer is the class for you.

Let's start by talking about a few core elements to Sorcerer's in 4th Edition:

Your Place in Combat


Sorcerers have two places on the battlefield: either in the back, hurling lightning at bad things, or on the front lines in melee combat, stabbing things and channeling spells through their daggers. Your place depends heavily upon your build and other sorcerer class choice options.

Ranged sorcerers tend to favor the staff implement, though I have seen builds that use daggers. They tend to stick with either the Wild or Storm sorcerer power source, as they both have powers that help you keep enemies at bay.

While sorcerers can only wear cloth at first, it's very easy through feats to gain access to leather and even hide armor. Some sorcerers like to start off with a shield, and then later retrain it for Two-Weapon Defense, but I think that's a lot of hassle. The main build-goal with this type or sorcerer is to get your AC high, while still pumping up your damage.

Power Choices


Powers are very important, and there are always powers that are useful for everyone. For example, Chaos Bolt is a very useful spell for Chaos sorcerers, but targets Will, which is useful for all sorcerers. Here are some guidelines when it comes to choosing powers:

• If a power says "Can be used as a ranged basic attack", it has one main purpose: to be channeled in melee. With Sorcerous Blade Channeling, any of these attacks can become melee-ranged attacks, which takes away the attack of opporunity. However, it's a good idea to have at least one power like this, even if you're a ranged sorcerer, especially if you have a leader who can give you free ranged attacks.
• Many powers give you special perks for being of a certain spell-source, and sometimes these perks make the spell golden. I've had many laughs watching Chaos Bolt bounce around the battlefield.
• Don't be afraid to go for flavor. Focusing on acid spells, for example, can help you optimize later down the road. I once rolled a dragon sorcerer who multiclassed assassin focused on stealth and acid powers. The character was very cool, and could pump out the damage.

Next week, I'll talk about the next most important thing about sorcerers: Spell Source.