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Spell Picks for my Solo Sorcerer in BG2

Wutan1988Wutan1988 Member Posts: 131
edited September 2015 in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Hi guys,

here is a list of my spell picks for my Solo Sorc:

Level 1:
- Magic Missile
- Identify
- Friends
- Protection From Petrification
- Chromatic Orb

Level 2:
- Mirror Image
- Knock
- Web
9 Melf's Acid Arrow
11 Resist Fear

Level 3:
- Melf's Minute Meteors
- Skull Trap
9 Haste
11 Flame Arrow
22 Slow

Level 4:
8 Spider Spawn
9 Stoneskin
11 Minor Globe of Invulnerability
13 Farsight
23 Greater Malison

Level 5:
10 Spell Immunity
11 Breach
13 Lower Resistance
15 Animate Dead
23 Sunfire

Level 6:
12 True Sight
13 Death Spell
15 Protection from Magical Weapons
21 Protection from Magic Energy
30 Chain Lightning

Level 7:
14 Project Image
15 Mordenkainen's Sword
17 Mass Invisibility
22 Finger of Death
31 Protection from the Elements

Level 8:
16 Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
17 Pierce Shield
19 Spell Trigger
23 Power Word Blind

Level 9:
18 Time Stop
19 Chain Contingency
20 Wish
25 Spell Strike

Ok have you any advice for me? Possible Changes?

I am not sure about:

- Minor Globe of Invulnerability (the only reason i pick it is because of free running through my web spell but i think i will miss the Improved Invisibility)
- Farsight (maybe Wizard Eye is better)
- Spell Strike (should i replace it with Shapechange?)
- Mass Invisibility (it is for buffing the summons but i am not sure about it)
- Chain Lightning (the damage is mediocre but i dont know what i can pick instead of it)



Greetings

Wutan

Comments

  • OlvynChuruOlvynChuru Member Posts: 3,083
    Minor Globe of Invulnerability is good because you can cast it, lure enemies to you, and kill them all with some skull traps, and you don't have to worry about being damaged by the skulls.

    Maybe you could replace Chain Lightning or Protection from Magic Energy with Wyvern Call or Invisible Stalker.

    You could replace Spellstrike with Imprisonment. Since you're going to be really high level, you could probably dispel most of the mage protections with Dispel Magic or Remove Magic, so replace one of the level 3 spells with one of those.
  • Wutan1988Wutan1988 Member Posts: 131
    edited September 2015
    Thank you i have totally forget that Minor Globe also protects me from being damaged by the skulls. That is a good point.

    hmm eventually Summon Nishru over Chain Lightning?

    Imprisonment is n1 but i would lose exp and loot by using it. Is Remove Magic really that great? I could replace Slow with it.

    More suggestions?
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    I'd add Spell Sequencer and probably Minor Sequencer as well.

    Probably a Spell Turning as well.

    For oersonal flavour and fun I'd include Polymorph Self, Shapechange, Tensers Transformation and Improved Haste.
  • abacusabacus Member Posts: 1,307
    Protection from Petrification is pretty useless in BG2... You'll use other defences to combat possible instances.

    Protection from Evil might be better given how enemy mages love to call in big nasty demons/devils.

    Another potential issue is Magic Missile, Chromatic Orb, Melf's Acid and Flame Arrows is an awful lot of single target damage spells... Spook is a nice variation with a heavy save penalty to take someone out of the fight?
  • Wutan1988Wutan1988 Member Posts: 131
    edited September 2015
    Yeah Protection from Petrification is only for a few traps but i dont like Protection from Evil because Staff of Magi;D

    Chromatic Orb is for Troll Killing in Watchers Keep and cheese Dragon Killing. The Trolls in Watchers Keep are only vulnerable to acid. Magic Missile is stable for me because its good to scout foes Magic resistance.

    Spook has a heavy save Penalty thats true but it only affects one foe and i prefer damage over single crowd control.

    I really like the idea of Shapechange but can i skip Spell Strike for it?
  • zolzol Member Posts: 25
    edited September 2015
    Staff of Magi's Protection From Evil didn't worked in BG2.
    Pit Fiends summoned by Liches always chased me when staff was equipped. Shouldn't they ignore me?
    Is it fixed in BG2:EE?
  • abacusabacus Member Posts: 1,307
    Polymorph: Self is also a good pick for solo... If you're taking Web, Spider form keeps you mobile and it gives you a way to slap some poison on, and the Ooze makes you immune to lots of nastyness.
  • luskanluskan Member Posts: 269
    You'll want either Improved Invisibility at level 4 or Shadow Door at level 5 to go with your Spell Immunity. Don't just rely on the Ring of Air Control. Mages and Clerics can't target you with their spells, limiting their effectiveness.

    You don't need Identify at level 1, as you have plenty of scrolls and the Glasses of Identification to use out in the field, and stores galore that will ID for a small price. Friends you can also skip as there's the Ring of Human Influence you can get before you even get to chapter 2. Shield is nice, as it stops Magic Missiles from removing your Mirror Images. Blindness, Protection from Evil, and Spook are good too even if you don't use them very often.

    Between Chromatic Orb, Melf's Acid Arrow and Melf's Minute Meteors you got an abundance of early level Troll killing to choose from. I usually take something like Blur or Glitterdust over Acid Arrow.

    Being solo you won't have a need for Breach or Lower Resistance so early, so you can move up Skeleton Warriors to 11 which is when they get a small boost. And if you're doing Watcher's Keep in chapter 2 or 3, there's the Wand of Spell Striking on the second level.
  • YannirYannir Member Posts: 595
    Wutan1988 said:


    Level 6:
    12 True Sight
    13 Death Spell
    15 Protection from Magical Weapons
    21 Protection from Magic Energy
    30 Chain Lightning

    Pick up Contingency instead of Death Spell, and Globe of Invulnerability instead of PfME.

    Death Spell is merely convenient, you don't really need it at any point in the game. Contingency on the other hand lets you have a backup when you miss something. Dispel Magic when Helpless comes to mind. Will be useful against the multitude of stun spells enemies will use against you.

    PfME will be redundant if you pick it that late, since you'll probably have or be very close to getting the Cloak of Mirroring. Globe of Invulnerability will protect you against more spells than it's minor version. Confusion cast by mages for example. This will also free you a level 4 slot to use.

    My order would be as follows:
    12. True Sight
    13. PfMW
    15. Globe of Invulnerability
    21. Contingency
    I'm really not sure on the last choice, there's a distinct lack of GREAT spells on level 6, there are merely good choices you can make. You might pick Improved Haste, if only for superbuffing your Planetar.
    Wutan1988 said:



    Level 7:
    14 Project Image
    15 Mordenkainen's Sword
    17 Mass Invisibility
    22 Finger of Death
    31 Protection from the Elements

    What I would do:
    14. Mordenkainen's Sword
    15. Project Image
    17. Power Word: Stun
    22. Spell Sequencer
    31. Limited Wish

    The biggest threat to your summons is Death Spell, which Mass Invisibility doesn't protect against. The same applies to ADHW, which is the 2nd biggest threat. (I'm mostly thinking of the Mordy's here)

    When you have Amulet of Power, PW: Stun is a life-saver. In that moment when the battle has begun, but the enemy mage hasn't cast his protections yet, you can insta-cast PW: Stun on him, and BOOM, the battle is already over. It makes spellcaster fights so ridiculously easy. (although I don't know if you have SCS installed or not, this probably doesn't work there)

    Spell Sequencer is for convenience reasons, gets your defenses up faster. Sometimes it will also save your a**. Limited Wish can bring bunny rabbits to your cause! No, seriously, I don't know about LW. You might be better off with Spell Turning.
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    The Ring of Air Control grants the exact same invisibility as Improved Invisibility and Shadow Door. You won't need to learn either spell--the spells will only allow you to stay invisible for a longer period of time. Also, unless they fixed this in EE, you can also purchase multiple copies of the Ring of Air Control, and therefore gain unlimited Improved Invisibility depending on your gold.

    Friends is unnecessary if you get both the Ring of Human Influence and the Nymph Cloak from the circus and Gorch at Mae'Var's guild hall, respectively. This is because the biggest discounts are achieved at 20 CHA, no higher, and the Ring of Human Influence alone cannot reach that without the cloak or Friends on top. But a solo character probably won't have much money trouble.

    Acid Arrow is useful for more than killing trolls. It also interrupts enemy spellcasters without a save, and the damage is pretty high in long battles.

    EE might have fixed this, but Minor Globe of Invulnerability won't protect you from your own spells. In my experience, a sorcerer may cast Haste and Skull Trap while under the effects of MGOI, and will be affected by both the Haste and Skull Trap spells (your spells are rigged to bypass your spell protections, which is why Stoneskin won't deplete Spell Turning). Your MGOI will, however, block a different mage's Haste and Skull Trap spells. Either way, there are alternatives to using MGOI: Potions of Freedom and the Ring of Free Action will block Web, Potions of Absorption and the Cloak of Reflection will block Lightning Bolt, and Protection from Magical Energy will block Skull Trap.

    Farsight isn't quite as good as Wizard Eye, though I prefer Farsight. However, I would not recommend using either of them to guide summons or Project Image or Simulacrum clones. Both Farsight and Wizard Eye allow you to let your summons and clones do all the fighting for you in many cases, which may get boring. If you need to scout, you can do so with invisibility or your familiar instead.

    Spellstrike is probably not going to be very useful if you already have Pierce Shield and Time Stop. But if you have SCS installed, then Spellstrike combined with Improved Alacrity will do a lot to help you against the big mages of BG2. If you take Ruby Ray of Reversal, Spellstrike won't be so helpful.

    Mass Invisibility won't do too much for your summons, since your summons won't be able to take much advantage of the invisibility--they'll just attack and break it. There's another bug EE might have fixed, in which Improved Invisibility and Mass Invisibility don't give the targets any saving throw or AC bonuses.

    Chain Lightning is a safe option that can bypass lich immunities, but by the time you pick it, you'll have Horrid Wilting, which is equally safe and much stronger. Improved Haste might be a good idea. It will go well with a Planetar.

    You might consider taking Teleport Field. Against melee opponents, it can easily cut their attacks in half. Put two on the map, and almost no melee weapon will strike you. Even hasted opponents will have difficulty reaching you. But Teleport Field is less powerful in close quarters. Don't rely on it to save you from Intelligence drain in a hallway full of Mind Flayers. Otherwise, Teleport Field is one of the best defensive spells in the game. Only Melissan is immune to it.

    Shapechange can be lots of fun. The Greater Wolfwere form is nearly unkillable thanks to its regeneration, the Iron Golem form is immune to all magic as well as all elements, and the Mind Flayer form can instantly kill any opponent not immune to +2 weapons. It would also probably be an interesting break from spellcasting for a solo sorcerer.

    You might consider taking Maze instead of Power Word: Blind. Maze has a shorter range, but it removes an enemy completely from battle, and in most cases it will last longer than PW: Blind.
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,760
    @Wutan1988 I advice to read through https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/33324/sorcerer-guide-solo-walkthrough-and-the-right-spell-choices ( @meagloth 's post there with further links about this topic) and https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/36604/bg2-solo-scs-spell-guide/ - this guide is especially useful, it helps to choose spells.
  • Wutan1988Wutan1988 Member Posts: 131
    edited September 2015
    ok thank you all for the comments. I am playing BG2 EE without SCS btw.

    Here is an improved list of my Spell Picks:

    Level 1:
    - Magic Missile
    - Identify
    - Spook
    - Protection from Evil
    - Chromatic Orb

    Level 2:
    - Mirror Image
    - Knock
    - Web
    9 Melf's Acid Arrow
    11 Resist Fear

    Level 3:
    - Melf's Minute Meteors
    - Skull Trap
    9 Haste
    11 Flame Arrow
    22 Remove Magic

    Level 4:
    8 Spider Spawn
    9 Stoneskin
    11 Minor Globe of Invulnerability
    13 Farsight
    23 Greater Malison

    Level 5:
    10 Spell Immunity
    11 Breach
    13 Lower Resistance
    15 Animate Dead
    23 Sunfire

    Level 6:
    12 Mislead
    13 True Sight
    15 Protection from Magical Weapons
    21 Contingency
    30 Protection from Magical Energy

    Level 7:
    14 Project Image
    15 Mordenkainen's Sword
    17 Mass Invisibility
    22 Spell Sequencer
    31 Finger of Death

    Level 8:
    16 Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
    17 Pierce Shield
    19 Spell Trigger
    23 Power Word Blind

    Level 9:
    18 Time Stop
    19 Chain Contingency
    20 Wish
    25 Shapechange

    With Mislead i have an option to go Improved Invisible. Thats the reason i skiped Improved Invisibility.

    What do you think about the new list? I am good to go right now?
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    It's an excellent list. Have fun!
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