building a chromatic sorcerer

Ygramul

I'm thinking of turning my Dragon Disciple thematically into a chromatic sorcerer -not a mod or class; just a build- by using all damage types in spell selections.

This is for my ongoing SCS no-reload run featuring a Dragon Disciple charname:
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/32248/scs-no-reload-adventures-flamebreath-and-a-kiss
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/32197/proliferation-of-scs-no-reload-runs-warms-my-heart


Here are the suggested "chromatic" spells:
1. Magic Missile [magic] (well, "chromatic" orb has a +6 save bonus, so meh...)
2. Melf Acid Arrow [acid]
3. Fireball [fire] (SCS nerfs skull trap as it should; it is also hard to proof your party against)
4. Ice Storm [cold] (2d8 x 4 rounds; not spectacular, but it can disrupt casters; you can cast on your tanks if protected)
5. Cloud Kill [poison] (much later; as a last pick after Spell Imm, Lower Res, Breach etc.)
6. Chain Lightning [electricity]
7. ? - Sphere of Chaos? (OR Prismatic Spray) [everything] - it is THE chromatic spell; though not sure if it is a solid pick (DBF is redundant.)
8. Incendiary Cloud [fire] - ADHW is arguably better; but this is THE Dragon Disciple spell.
9. ? (no room after essentials; perhaps Comet or Dragon Breath, thematically)


What do you think? What would you suggest for a self-sufficient, sturdy Dragon Disciple build. (She is Chaotic Good in her RP choices.)


(full list of planned spell selections / considerations)

1. shield, mm, spook, prot pet, prot evil,
2. melf aa, mirror im, rem fear / web, inv, glitterdust,
3. fireball, spell thrust, dispel mag, melf mm, / haste, prot miss, rem mag, slow,
4. ice storm, stoneskin, fireshield blue, imp inv, teleport field / wiz eye, , gr malison
5. lower res, breach, spell imm, spell shield, / cloud kill, sunfire
6. chain light, PfMW, True Sight, Death Spell\Fog / Imp Haste, GoI, PW: Silence, Contingency
7. Ruby Ray, DBF / lim wish, finger of D, Mord Sword, Spell Seq, Sphere Chaos
8. inciendary cloud, PW:Blind, Spell Trig / Simulacrum, Prot Ener
9. Spell Trap, Time Stop, CC / Spell Strike

abacus

If you're prepared to use eekeeper, you could go further and edit your resistances as they develop:
So you take the 25% fire at 4th level, but then at 8th, 12th & 16th you remove the extra 25% you're given at each and instead put it into another element...
So you gain moderate resistance to a wider range of elements, rather than pure immunity to just one.

Edit: And maybe you could give yourself Prismatic Spray as an innate 1/day ability and remove fire breath?

Ygramul

Nice ideas @abacus‌ -- but my OCD experience shows that once I begin altering my characters extensively using EEkeeper I don't know where to stop and I usually kill the run subsequently. A terrible way for a charname to go. So, I'll stick to vanilla Dragon Disciple abilities for the moment.

Meanwhile, does anyone know if Sphere of Chaos is useable at all?
(Also, I hear Teleport Field is a hoot, and shots down most melee for ambushes, no?)

Gallowglass

Surely for a "chromatic" theme, you ought to think about Color Spray as a level 1 spell? No, I'm joking :-)

More seriously, I recommend reconsidering Chromatic Orb. Obviously it's appropriately "chromatic", it does some damage, and (after you've hit the enemies with Greater Malison) the side-effects will sometimes get through even against quite a tough enemy - and once you're level 12, that's an insta-kill. It's not such a reliable workhorse as MM, but it's not a bad spell at all and so much more suitable for the chromatic theme.

Edit: further thought - if you're taking along a Cleric, why not leave Protection from Evil as a job for the Cleric and give yourself CO and MM?

lunar

Prismatic spray also suits the chromatic theme. It can pack quite a punch occasionally, as well.

Still, I find your spell picks okay, but not exactly what I had in mind when I read about your idea. Too many utility spells (slow, remove magic, sequencers etc. do not fit the theme at all IMHO) A pure elemental-chromatic sorc would be like:

1-color spray, chromatic orb, shocking grasp, chill touch, burning hands
(you have color, chromatic one that can do acid damage, electric, cold and fire damage.)
2-glitterdust, aganazars scorcher, melfs acid arrow, invisibility, mirror image
(fire and acid damage, the other utility spells can be considered chromatic by bending light and sparkling etc.)
3-fireball, lightning bolt, melfs minute meteors, flame arrow, remove magic
(pure damage spells, plus a single utility I still find it not suitable to theme)
4-stoneskin, ice storm, fire shield blue and red, greater malison
(earth, ice, fire, cold, and single utility)
5-sunfire, cone of cold, cloudkill, breach, phantom blade
(fire, ice, poison, utility, magical weapon)
6-chain lightning, death fog, pro from mw, mislead, flesh to stone
(lightning, acid, utility, illusion is light and color bending, plus earthen magic etc.)
7-delayed blast fb, prismatic spray, ruby ray, pro from elements, spell turning
8-incendiary cloud, horrid wilting, simulacrum
9-meteor swarm, black blade of disaster, spell strike

Not power game picks, but perfectly doable, and tries to suit the theme a bit closer IMHO. ^^

Ygramul

Very good points @lunar‌ -- though given that this is an SCS no-reload run (and that I have yet to finish a single BG2 run that way - through BG1, yes, but never a whole trilogy run yet) I am reluctant to stretch my spell picks too far afield from safety picks. (e.g. really NEED Spell Immunity and Spell Shield).

My fears aside, really solid picks, thank you!


... which almost suggest a counter-question:
what would be a good IRON SORCERER build?
(i.e. an untouchable, defense oriented build, in a party, safest for a no-reload run

Ygramul

... and further on the topic of a chromatic sorcerer: IWD2 had some really nifty elemental spells (Outiluke's Freezing Sphere etc.). A sorcerer spell book from IWD2 in BG2 would have been epic to play!