PWMangband strategy: how to play a Sorceror

[PowerWyrm]

Sorcerors are pure spellcasters. Basically they get offensive spells with high damage and support spells, but their max bpr is limited to 1 so they almost never melee and their hps are the lowest of all classes (base dice = 0, -3 starting CON).

What is the best race for Sorceror? Really depends on the player... but the following races make good Sorcerors:
- human: hard in the beginning without any int boost, but they level fast (30% xp penalty) and get decent hps
- half-elf: almost the same as human, +1 INT, -1 CON, 40% xp penalty
- elf/hobbit/gnome: decent +2 INT, good skills, low xp penalty (40/55%)... but very low hps (elves get -2 CON and base dice 9, hobbits/gnomes get +CON but lower base dice)
- dunadan: decent +2 INT, good skills, decent hps (+3 CON will help in the beginning), but high xp penalty (110%)
- high-elf: starts with +3 INT (best you can get), see invisible, decent hps and skills... but high xp penalty (130%)
- yeek: people could think it would be the worst choice (-5 to all stats, lowest base hp dice of all races)... but they level so fast (20% faster than a human warrior) that in the end they make nice Sorcerors
- thunderlord: decent +2 INT, great STR/CON, great hps, limited ESP (radius)... but awful stealth and horrible xp penalty (280%!!)
And for a challenge, try any of the other races (Dragon should be fun...)

Sorcerors have to rely on their mana. At same character level, they get 25% more mana than Mages. Regenerating mana quickly will become a key issue at low level, so try to accumulate funds quickly to be able to buy an Amulet of Regeneration or similar item with regeneration ability. They will also need to be able to cast a lot of offensive spells, which tend to be quite costly in mana. Sparing cash to be able to buy +INT items will be a must.

So how to play a Sorceror? As they gain levels, they get the following useful spells:
- Magic Missile and Detect Monsters (level 1): a starting Sorceror will mostly kill everything with Magic Missile, but a good Battle Axe (or a Beaked Axe if you can lift it) can be helpful too; the hard part is staying alive at low level, killing stuff slowly and spending a lot of time resting for mana; cast Detect Monster like paranoid to pick your fights
- Detect Treasure (level 4): this spell will detect any object in addition to treasures; use it to collect goodies in the dungeon
- Lightning Bolt (level 5): if enough INT/mana, this spell will help clearing early orc pits and level quickly
- Identify (level 12): with Detect Treasure and Identify, a level 12 Sorceror should be able to get cash rapidly; scum BM or player shops for +INT rings/items and items with regeneration ability
- Sense Surroundings (level 13): the basic magic mapping spell... very useful
- Detect Invisible (level 15): at level 15, a Sorceror should be able to travel through the dungeon easily, casting Sense Surroundings, Detect Doors/Stairs, Detect Traps, Detect Treasure, Detect Monsters and Detect Invisible on the current panel before doing anything
- Elemental Bolt (level 17): combining the four elements, this is the first offensive spell that deals enough damage to be able to gain faster xp (for a level 17 high-elf, base damage: 4x8d8 - fail rate: 28% - cost: 13); scum around 1000ft for hounds and T pits; if possible, get the lows, FA, SI, regen, res confusion, blind, sound and poison
- Meditation (level 20): this spell will increase your mana by 50% at the cost of 40% of your hps; very helpful to kill stuff that don't have ranged attacks from a safe distance (T pits come to mind); avoid using against stuff that can cast spells, breathe or shoot missiles, or while in melee range
- Stone Prison (level 20): if you have the "Powerful Sigils" book, use this spell to create walls around your character; especially useful when you want to rest safely
- Stair Creation (level 24): if you have the "Powerful Sigils" book, use this spell to create stairs to dive deeper more quickly
- Haste Self (level 25): to combine with bolt spells and kill/regen tactics for quick xp (for a level 25 high-elf, fail rate will be 43%); start to dive to 1500ft and collect your first stat pots
- Firestorm (level 26): a powerful fireball spell that deals good damage (for a level 26 high-elf, base damage: 162 - fail rate: 43% - cost:18), but be careful it can destroy loot on the ground
- Sunfire (level 28): this will be your main offensive spell for almost half of the game, but you will have to lower its high fail rate first and get enough mana to cast it multiple times (for a level 28 high-elf, base damage: 186 - fail rate: 58% - cost:30; for a level 33 character with 18/*** INT, damage: 196 - fail rate: 0%); stay around 1750ft, clearing T pits and collecting stat pots; as soon as your INT is maxed, replace +INT items by +CON items and start diving deeper; look for ESP items; look for gloves of the Magi to increase your mana capacity
- Wraithform (level 30): if you have the "Disruptive Forces" book, use this spell to make your character incorporeal, allowing it to cross walls; this is a key spell for surviving (fail rate: 38% with max INT at level 30)
- Word of Destruction (level 33): the perfect lifesaver if you are in great danger, but you need the last Sorceror book "Power of Ancient Sorcerors" to be able to cast this spell (base fail rate: 23%)
- Disruption Shield (level 35): the spell that reveals the true power of Sorcerors, it allows them to deflect all damage done to them to their mana... but to use this spell effectively, you will have to combine it with the Meditation spell and find items that increase mana capacity (you need the "Disruptive Forces" book to cast this spell; base fail rate: 38%)
- Mass Banishment (level 35): this spell banishes every monster except uniques around the caster; very helpul to grab great items in vaults without much trouble, but you need the last Sorceror book "Power of Ancient Sorcerors" to be able to cast this spell (base fail rate: 33%)
- Sea of Runes (level 36): creates a few runes of protection around your character; helpful against summoners
- Plasma Blast (level 36): if you have the "Disruptive Forces" book, you can cast this spell to create a ball of plasma around you; it has the advantage of doing the most damage at this level (base damage: 322, and with a base fail rate of 0%), but only affects monsters in melee range
- Mana Blast (level 38): if you have the "Disruptive Forces" book, you can cast this improved version of the "blast" spell (base damage: 426)
- Annihilation Bolt (level 39): the most devastating bolt spell in the game, you will have to find the last Sorceror book "Power of Ancient Sorcerors" to be able to use it (base damage: 478 - base fail rate: 0% - cost: 30)
- Clairvoyance (level 40): if you have the "Forces of the Mind" book, cast this spell to enlighten the dungeon (base fail rate: 38%); at this point, you should have max INT, max CON, some gloves of the Magi to increase your mana, and all books except the last one; use Disruption Shield to powerdive to 4500ft and get a copy of "Power of Ancient Sorcerors"; maximize your mana and replace now obsolete +CON items with +speed items
- Mana Storm (level 42): the first ball spell that deals a good amount of damage (spell from "Power of Ancient Sorcerors"; base damage: 434)
- Tidal Wave (level 45): the most devastating ball spell in the game (spell from "Power of Ancient Sorcerors"; base damage: 540)
- Anarchy Force (level 47): this spell will fire a ball of chaos in the 8 directions (spell from "Power of Ancient Sorcerors"; base damage: 194 per chaos ball); devastating against powerful uniques when in melee range (especially in confined areas, since they will be hit by up to 8 balls doing 200 damage each at level 50)

Then reach level 50, clear the uni list, stockpile potions of *restore mana* and go kill Morgy!
If you play PWMangband and want to try a powerful but challenging class... try a Sorceror.

[Fink]

Awesome writeup, PW - great idea!

[PowerWyrm]

Updated for PWMAngband 1.1.1.