The Sorcerer

Sorcerers in Pathfinder are amazingly powerful spellcasters, capable of rivaling even the so called almighty wizards via the powers granted to them by their Bloodlines in terms of versatility. Herein I shall present you with five builds to showcase what true magical might really is.

The Base Sorcerer

There has been this thing about the fact that the Sorcerer has always been the jealous little sister of the Wizard all the way back to 3.5 because the Wizard can scribe any spell on their list in their spellbook from various sources, allowing them immense versatility, and they gain their spell levels faster by one level, making people assume that the Sorcerer, due to their limited spell known list have to specialize, usually in blasting with a few battlefield control spells in support. This build is to demonstrate how incorrect this assumption is in Pathfinder, and how the Sorcerer can very much be on par, if not downright surpasses the Wizard in pure versatility.

Class

Sorcerer 20

Bloodline

We are taking the Arcane Bloodline, focusing on pure, unaltered magic, making metamagic faster, granting a familiar and even a few more spells to our list of spells known.

Race

Half-Elf for a few reasons. We get access to a certain 3rd level spell that is strictly for Half-Elves, and as we count as both an elf and a human, we can take the Human Alternate Favored Class Bonus, which we will. Put that +2 in Charisma and don’t look back!

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 11/Con 14/Int 13/Wis 10/Cha 18 Round up Dexterity then everything in Charisma

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 13/Con 14/Int 13/Wis 10/Cha 19 Everything in Charisma

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 13/Con 14/Int 13/Wis 10/Cha 20 Round up Dex, then everything in Charisma

Traits

You want Reactionary to get as high an Initiative as possible, picl Magical Lineage for your favorite spell and make it so metamagic costs 1 less level on that spell. I suggest a lvl 1-3 spell for maximum effectiveness.

Favored Class Bonus

As we specifically count as both human and elf, we have a plethora of choices here. However we are making a bee-line for the human alternate FCB because it gives us one more spell known by level of a level below our highest spell level. This is a free +20 spells known so just shut up and take it.

Skills

Spellcraft, Use Magic Devices and Knowledge(Arcana) are your go to as an arcane specialist. You’ll need at least 2 in Knowledge(Engineering), but I recommend at least 9.

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

Half-Elf-Skill Focus(Use Magic Devices) Sorcerer Bonus 1-Eschew Materials

3-Spell Penetration

5-Extend Spell

7-Improved Initiative

Bonus 7-Improved Counterspell

9-Versatile Spontaneity

11-Widen Spell

13-Sacred Geometry(Ascendant Spell, Quicken Spell) Bonus

13-Still Spell

15-Greater Spell Penetration

17-Sacred Geometry(Reach Spell, Bouncing Spell)

19-Combat Casting

Bonus 19-Iron Will

Toughness makes us considerably more resilient at low level, which is amazing as we desperately need more of that. Spell Penetration makes Spell Resistance much less annoying, Improved Counterspell make us a capable counterspeller if needed, and our variety of metamagic feats truly makes us a capable spellcaster. Sacred Geometry let us cast the associated Metamagic without raising our spell levels.

Want to Quicken spells without siphoning your higher spell slots? Want to cast Mythic spells in a non-mythic game?

Yep. Sacred Geometry got you covered. Broken. Absolutely broken.

Versatile Spontaneity allows us to prepare spells we don’t know from scrolls or spellbooks, making the claim that sorcerers aren’t as versatile as wizards moot.

Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic Read Magic, Resistance, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Shield, Color Spray
2-Arcane Mark, Mending
3-Open/Close, Mage Armor, Identify
4-Magic Missile, Protection from Arrows
5-Ghost Sound, Vanish, Enlarge Person, Web, Invisibility
6-Mirror Image, Parangon Surge7-Message, Feather Fall, Command Undead, Rope Trick, Fly, Dispel Magic
8-Suggestion, Stoneskin
9-Bull’s Strength, Fireball, Haste, Black Tentacles, Scrying Dimension Door
10-Spark, Arcane Eye, Hostile Juxtaposition
11-Darkvision, Displacement, Shout, Vitriolic Mist, Teleport, Overland Flight
12-Wall of Stone, Hellfire Ray
13-Cone of Cold, Telekinesis, Eyebite, Disintegrate, True Seeing
14-Flesh to Stone, Forcecage
15-Analyze Dweomer, Mislead, Greater Scrying, Greater Teleport
16-Prismatic Spray, Maze
17-Simulacrum, Waves of Exhaustion, Polymorph Any Object, Greater Shout, Power Word Stun
18-Mind Blank, Meteor Swarm
19-Dimensional Lock, Prismatic Wall, Prismatic Sphere, Wish
20-Wall of Lava, Energy Drain

Equipment

You don’t really need anything in particular so pick stuff your party will need.

Final Thoughts on the Build

Yeah, your spell list is extremely versatile, capable in many different aspects of magic, be it buff, battlefield control, divination, debuffs, blasting, you can easily do it, and your list is well supported by your ability to prepare any Sorcerer/Wizard spell at +1 lvl from a scroll. But. We have a final trick to absolutely and completely overthrow any naysayer. Parangon Surge, which is a spell we gain at lvl 6, and is a spell that only half-elves can choose, let us gain any feat for the duration of the spell.

Here’s two for you: Leadership and Expanded Arcana. Expanded Arcana lets you learn any spell on the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list. So for the low low cost of a standard action, you can summon an army, or cast any spell you need that you do not know. Meaning you effectively know all Sorcerer/Wizards spell at any moment. Now yes, a Half-Elf Wizard can take this spell too. But he has to prepare it, significantly reducing it’s versatility to one encounter or two a day. You can just spam it whenever you need as you are a spontaneous spellcaster, meaning that any spell that you need right now is only a standard action away…

Orcish Warlord

Okay, that was cool and all but what if we really wanted to be the blastiest blaster to blast them all?

Don’t worry, I got us covered.

Enter Crossblooded, which by slowing down our spell known progression, lets us get two bloodlines. All the remaining builds use this archetype because it’s that good. We will also take a single level in Cavalier and then ride our way into Eldritch Knight.

Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Sorcerer (Crossblooded) 9/Cavalier 1/Eldritch Knight 10

Bloodlines

We are taking the Draconic bloodline, taking either the Bronze or Blue dragon for Electricity, and the Orc Bloodline. We are also taking a Bloodline Mutation at lvl 1: Blood Havoc which replaces our 1st lvl bloodline power with the ability to add +1/dice in damage to our spell damages for spells of a school we have Spell Focus in, which cumulates with the Arcanas of both Bloodlines for +2 Damage per damage die on spells, and +3 per die on electricity spells.

For our Bloodline Powers, take the Orc’s Fearless and Strength of the Beast at lvl 3 and 9 to get rid of Light Sensitivity, get Natural Armor and a bonus to Strength.

Race

Let’s go for Half-Elf here. Take the Ancestral Weapon Alternative Racial Feature to get access to the Fauchard, which is a reach weapon with a crit range of 18-20. Place that +2 in Charisma.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Charisma.

15Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 10/Con 10/Int 9/Wis 7/Cha 18

20Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 10/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 18

25Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 18

Traits

Reactionary for a +2 to Initiative, and Gifted Adept with the spell Shocking Grasp to be able to cast it at +1 Caster level(yes, this means 2d6+4 damage at first level with it)

Favored Class Bonus

Yeah, Hit Points this time, we’ll need em.

Skills

Intimidate.

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

Half-Elf-Exotic Weapon Proficiency(Fauchard)

Sorcerer 1-Eschew Materials

3-Power Attack

5-Spell Focus(Evocation)

7-Cornugon Smash

Bonus 7-Improved Initiative

9-Empower Spell Tactician

10-Outflank

11-Quicken Spell Bonus

11-Arcane Strike

13-Ascendant Spell

15-Weapon Focus(Fauchard)

Bonus 15-Improved Critical(Fauchard)

17-Weapon Specialization(Fauchard)

19-Widen Spell

Bonus 19-Greater Weapon Focus(Fauchard)

Yep. We’re doing a melee Sorcerer. Toughness, Power Attack and Cornugon Smash, due to our high Charisma, thus become very tasty choices. Still as a blaster we also get much value from Empower Spell, Quicken Spell, Widen Spell and Ascendant Spell. As an Eldritch Knight, we count as fighter for feats so Weapon Specialization and Weapon Focus are great, and since we cast arcane spells, Arcane Strike is great for us. Improved Critical combines sublimely with the Eldritch Knight’s Spell Critical ability, and with a Reach Weapon that will have a Crit Range of 15-20, we will make extremely good use of that.

Spells by Level

1-Jolt, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation,Shocking Grasp
2-Detect Magic
3-Enlarge Person, Mage Armor
5-Resistance, Magic Missile, Spider Climb, Resist Energy
7-Touch of Fatigue, Shock Shield, Alter Self, Paragon Surge, Fly
9-Bull’s Strength, Lighting Bolt, Telekinetic Maneuver, Spell Resistance
12-Read Magic
13-Bear’s Endurance, Suggestion, Dragon’s Breath,Telekinesis
15-Greater Aggressive Thundercloud, Lightning Arc, Chain Lightning
17-Dominate Monster, Transformation, Form of the Dragon II
19-Forcecage, Stormbolts

Equipment

A Fauchard and clothes I suppose.

Final Thoughts on the Build

We are a gish. We have a medium BAB, decent HP, and we can blast our enemies with lighting in a way that would make Palpatine proud. We can fight decently in melee too which is great.

Now you may have noticed that we do not learn 9th lvl spells, but still have 9th level slots. Which we can use anyway via Metamagics, or again, with our Paragon Surge-Expanded Arcana trick. We also get to choose a Cavalier’s Order and get a mount which is nice for rapidly moving across the battlefield for better positioning.

The Sorcerer-King

Remember when I said all the other builds will be using Crossblooded? Yeah, I lied. Not this one. This one is going for Mongrel Mage. This Archetype let use chose a new Bloodline each day and spend points from a pool to get said Bloodline’s powers. And starting at lvl 7, we get to add said Bloodline’s spells to our spell known for the day. I cannot emphasize just how powerful this is and just how versatile this makes us.

Class

Sorcerer (Mongrel Mage) 20

Race

We are going for a Rakshasa-Born Tiefling. We are also taking the Prehensile Tail Alternate Racial Feature.

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 13/Int 10/Wis 8/Cha 18 Round up Con and then Charisma.

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 8/Cha 19 Everything in Charisma

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 15/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 8/Cha 20 Round up Dex then Charisma.

Traits

Reactionary for more Initiative, Trustworthy to get a bonus on both Bluff and Diplomacy and making the latter a class skill.

Favored Class Bonus

Hit Points, I love me some Hit Points!

Skills

Use Magic Devices, Diplomacy

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

Sorcerer Bonus-Eschew Material

3-Spell Penetration

5-Greater Spell Penetration

7-Still Spell

9-Extend Spell

11-Quicken Spell

13-Widen Spell

15-Empower Spell

17-Enlarge Spell

19-Ascendant Spell

Toughness is a great investment from the get go to make us more resilient, Spell Penetration mitigates Spell Resistances. Everything else goes in various Metamagic Feats to make our spells more powerful and adaptable to situations.

Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Acid Splash, Mage Hand, Shield, Magic Missile
2-Ghost Sounds
3-Charm Person
4-Invisibility
5-Arcane Mark, Ray of Sickening, Protection from Arrows
6-Vampiric Touch
7-Spark, Mage Armor, Bull’s Strength, Fly
8-Black Tentacles
9-Scorching Ray, Fireball, Dimension Door
10-Mending, Prying Eyes
11-Spider Climb, Dispel Magic, Stoneskin, Baleful Polymorph
12-Disintegrate
13-Wall of Force, True Seeing
14-Banishment
15-Telekinesis, Greater Dispel Magic, Plane Shift
16-Polar Ray
17-Greater Teleport, Death Clutch
18-Wish
19-Statue, Shapechange
20-Time Stop

Equipment

Get yourself some fancy clothes for better diplomacy with nobles and so soon you will be the Sorcerer-King, you need to dress as such

Final Thoughts on the Build

Being able to switch your Bloodline on a whim is beyond ridiculously broken. It makes your spell list highly versatile, which is further enhanced by your various metamagics, and with the different Bloodline powers you can conjure up, you become extremely versatile, capable of melee, blasting, debuff, buff, summoning, social, scouting the list goes on and on. A very powerful build indeed.

The Phoenix

I believe at this point that I have made my case about the sheer versatility of the Sorcerer. Yet there is one role that Sorcerers can’t seem to really fulfill. That of healing.

Except they can. We are once again going for Crossblooded.

Class

Sorcerer (Crossblooded) 20

Bloodlines

Phoenix and Elemental(Fire).

Elemental Fire changes all elemental spells to fire. Phoenix can switch damage from fire spells to healing, making you capable of healing(and damage), turning you into a strange combination of blaster/healer. We are taking all the Bloodline Powers from Phoenix.

Race

We are going with Ifrit with both the Wildfire Hearts and Mostly Human Alternate Racial Traits to look mostly human and have a massive Racial +4 to Initiative.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Charisma

15Point-Buy

Str 8/Dex 16/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 8/Cha 18

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 18/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 7/Cha 19

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 18/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 8/Cha 20

Traits

Reactionary for even more Initiative, Rich Parents to get some great equipment to support your party as you don’t really need anything else.

Favored Class Bonus

Hit Points. You always need more of those.

Skills

Use Magic Devices, Knowledge(Arcana)

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

Sorcerer Bonus-Eschew Materials

3-Improved Initiative

5-Spell Focus(Evocation)

7-Spell Penetration

Bonus 7-Skill Focus(Knowledge-Arcana)

9-Eldritch Heritage(Arcane-Arcane Bond)

11-Greater Spell Focus(Evocation)

13-Empower Spell

Bonus 13-Elemental Focus(Fire)

15-Maximize Spell

17-Quicken Spell

19-Ascendant Spell

Bonus 19-Iron Will

Toughness at lvl 1 for more survivability, Improved Initiative means our Initiative bonus is up there in the lower stratosphere and with the Familiar we get from Eldritch Heritage, we take a Compsognathus, making our Initiative at lvl 9 a minimum of +15.

Spell Focus and Elemental Focus means no enemy will resist our fire damage, and with Empower Spell, Maximize Spell and Quicken Spell, we can increase our firepower/healing output to a degree that would make even the healbot that is the Oradin(see incoming Palibro builds) blush.

Spells by Level

1-Spark, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Flare, Burning Hands
2-Mage Hand
3-Shocking Grasp, Color Spray
5-Mending, Mage Armor, Scorching Ray, See Invisibility
7-Arcane Mark, Vanish, Invisibility, Fireball, Magic Circle Against Evil
9-Detect Thoughts, Fly, Fire Shield, Wall of Fire
10-Ghost Sounds
11-Bear’s Endurance, Dispel Magic, Stoneskin, Fire Snake, Break Enchantment
13-Telekinesis, Hellfire Ray, Path of the Winds
15-True Seeing, Delayed Blast Fireball, Firebrand
17-Prismatic Spray, Greater Shout, Prismatic Wall
19-Polar Ray,Wish, Fiery Body
20-Meteor Swarm

Equipment

You have 900 Gold Pieces to toy with and you don’t need anything in particular, so have fun! Don’t spend it all in one place.

Final Thoughts on the Build

Anything that is not outright immune to fire is going to have a bad day facing you, and even those that are immune to fire, well, Hellfire Ray. You still get quite a few support, buff and battlefield control spells like Color Spray and Telekinesis. You can also cast Greater Restoration once a day and Death is merely an afterthought at 20th level for you. The fact that you can turn those high damage spells into healing, (fireball heals everyone for 10d6) is way better than Cure spells, and it keeps on getting better and better, making you one of the two best healing builds in the game, yet remaining a very powerful blaster.

The Anomaly

Okay so now that we had fun with all of those, let’s make something that breaks reality for the giggles. We are once again taking the Crossblooded Archetype as you probably expected by now.

Class

Sorcerer (Crossblooded) 20

Bloodlines

We are taking both the Impossible and the Psychic Bloodlines. One allows us from the get to to cast mind-affecting spells on Constructs which is really nice, and the other turn our spellcasting

from arcane to psychic which is broken because now we no longer have somatic components. That means never having to bother with Still Spell, we can cast while grappled, and in armor with zero penalty. Yes, yes yes all the yes. You are taking the following Bloodline powers as you level up:

1-Psychic Strike

3-Spontaneous Generation

9-Undercasting Prodigy

15-Relativity

20-Living Paradox

Race

Half-Elf, put that +2 in Charisma.

Ability Scores

Everything into Charisma, if Intelligence is under 13 at lvl 4 give it +1

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 10/Con 12/Int 13/Wis 10/Cha 18

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 12/Wis 10/Cha 19

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 13/Wis 10/Cha 20

Traits

Reactionary for higher Initiative, Hedge Magician to reduce costs of crafting magic items by 5% which may not seem like much at first, but trust me it piles up fast.

Favored Class Bonus

The Human variant for more spells known, as you have noticed, Crossblooded get fewer spells known and gain them in a delayed fashion. More spells is thus great for us.

Skills

Knowledge(Engineering), Use Magic Devices, various Crafts

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

Half-Elf Bonus-Skill Focus(Use Magic Devices) Sorcerer Bonus-Eschew Materials

3-Light Armors Proficiency

Spontaneous Generation-Craft Wondrous Items

5-Medium Armor Proficiency

7-Heavy Armor Proficiency

Bonus 7-Craft Magic Arms and Armor

9-Sacred Geometry(Empower Spell, Bouncing Spell)

11-Sacred Geometry(Quicken Spell Ascendant Spell)

13-Craft Wands

Bonus 13-Craft Constructs

15-Sacred Geometry(Empower Spell, Extend Spell)

17-Sacred Geometry(Maximize Spell, Widen Spell)

19-Spontaneous Versatility

Bonus 19-Iron Will

Casting spells from the Sorcerer/Wizard Spell List in Full Plate Armor HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA.

Heavy Armor Proficiency is great, we get quite a few Crafting Feats, Spontaneous Versatility makes you easily as well prepared as the Wizard. Everything else went straight into Sacred Geometry because Sacred Geometry is broken.

Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic, Read Magic, Prestidigitation, Acid Splash, Color Spray
2-Mage Hand, Light
3-Ghost Sound, Mage Armor, Mind Thrust I
4-Vanish
5-Resistance, Shield, Enlarge Person, Spider Climb, Id Insinuation I
6-Invisibility
7-Spark, Shocking Grasp, Create Pit, See Invisibility, Paragon Surge, Ego Whip I
8-Lightning Bolt
9-Ally Across Time, Fly, Gaseous Form, Black Tentacles, Intellect Fortress I
10-Mending, Dimension Door
11-Web, Haste,Stoneskin, Scrying, Telekinesis, Fabricate
12-Teleport
13-Hungry Earth, Waves of Fatigue, Form of the Alien Dragon I, Animate Objects
14-Disintegrate
15-Hellfire Ray, Antimagic Field, Form of the Alien Dragon II, Insanity
16-Shadow Body
17-Mass Hunger for Flesh, Simulacrum, Form of the Alien Dragon III, Bilocation18-Maze
19-Clone, Death Clutch, Time Stop, Wish
20-Temporal Stasis, Imprisonment

Equipment

Nothing in particular at first, but eventually the best armor you can get.

Final Thoughts on the Build

You are crafting items for your party at a reduced cost, can cast a wide variety of very, very powerful spells as Psychic spells, meaning you can cast in armor or if tied which is great, you say “screw gravity”, and via your Sacred Geometry feat, you can use various metamagic without increasing the levels of your spells which is hilariously good. By lvl 14 you should have your very own Golem following you around which is amazing. Finally you can cast any sorcerer/wizard spell via Versatile Spontaneity and Paragon Surge, making you a supremely versatile spellcaster.