SORCERER BUILD & WIZARD BUILD, ToEE, Temple+ (Sorcerer versus Wizard)

Sorcerer versus Wizard ToEE

The Sorcerer and Wizard Builds are ToEE Builds for the Temple+ mod for Troika's cRPG of 2003, Temple of Elemental Evil.

These are Temple+ 1.0.75 builds with no extra build content enabled (no Houserules). The vanilla Sorcerer Build ToEE is unmodified by Temple+ but there are changes to the Wizard Build ToEE. Following the builds is a comparison between the Sorcerer and the Wizard.

Sorcerer Build Temple+

Sorcerer Build Temple+ Foundation

• Male Human Sorcerer: Kermin Mind-Bender.
• Alignment: irrelevant to build.
• Strength: 10 or dump 8
• Dexterity: crank it for +Initiative
• Constitution: 14 or so
• Intelligence: 10 for +2 skillups per lvl
• Wisdom: dump is fine
• Charisma: max to 18, pump every 4 lvls for +2

Only important spell choices have been listed. Spell choices are of course dependent on tactics employed and party composition (which other spellcasters we have in the party, if any). Red indicates key Evocation spells.

Sorcerer Build Temple+ Progression

◦ Sorcerer 1: Call Familiar, Scribe Scroll, Improved Initiative, Spell Focus: Evocation
Sorcerer Level 0 Spells ToEE (x4): Daze, Detect Magic
Sorcerer Level 1 Spells ToEE (x2): Magic Missile, Grease
◦ Sorcerer 2:
0-level (x1): whatever
◦ Sorcerer 3: Greater Spell Focus: Evocation

1-level (x1): Mage Armor

◦ Sorcerer 4: +1 Cha
0-level (x1): whatever; Sorcerer Level 2 Spells ToEE (x1): Mirror Image
◦ Sorcerer 5:
1-level (x1): Enlarge Person; 2-level (x1): Tasha's HL
◦ Sorcerer 6: Empower Spell

0-level (x1): whatever; Sorcerer Level 3 Spells ToEE (x1): Fireball

◦ Sorcerer 7:
1-level (x1): whatever; 2-level (x1): Glitterdust; 3-level (x1): Lightning Bolt
◦ Sorcerer 8: +1 Cha
0-level (x1): whatever; Sorcerer Level 4 Spells ToEE (x1): Ice Storm
◦ Sorcerer 9: Heighten Spell
2-level (x1): whatever; 3-level (x1): Haste; 4-level (x1): Greater Invisibility, Stoneskin or ORS
◦ Sorcerer 10:
0-level (x1): lol; Sorcerer Level 5 Spells ToEE (x1): Cone of Cold (Cloudkill, Teleport, Mord's FH)

Wizard Build Temple+

The difference between the vanilla/patch2 build [Wizard Build ToEE] and the Temple+ build is that, in the latter, we are auto-given all nine cantrips at first level, and also get to choose no fewer than six first circle spells at first level. On top of that, we also receive a Class Bonus feat at 10th.

Wizard Build Temple+ Foundation

• Alignment: irrelevant to the build.
• Strength: 12 or so
• Dexterity: crank it as much as you can
• Constitution: 14 or so
• Intelligence: max to 18, pump every 4 lvls for +2
• Wisdom: 12 or so
• Charisma: dump

Wizard Build Temple+ Progression

Blue indicates key enchantment spells.

◦ Wizard 1: Call Familiar, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus: Enchantment, Improved Initiative

All nine Wizard Level 0 Spells ToEE are auto-given!

Choose 6x Wizard Level 1 Spells ToEE: Charm Person, Sleep, Magic Missile, True Strike, Grease, Mage Armor

◦ Wizard 2:

Choose 2x 1-level spells: Cause Fear, Identify

◦ Wizard 3: Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment

Choose 2x 1-Wizard Level 2 Spells ToEE: Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Daze Monster

◦ Wizard 4: Int +1

Choose 2x 1-2-level spells: Glitterdust, Invisibility

◦ Wizard 5: Class Bonus Feat: Widen Spell

Choose 2x 1-Wizard Level 3 Spells ToEE: Deep Slumber, Suggestion.

◦ Wizard 6: Craft Wondrous Item

Choose 2x 1-3-level spells: Fireball, Hold Person

◦ Wizard 7: --

Choose 2x 1-Wizard Level 4 Spells ToEE: Charm Monster, Confusion

◦ Wizard 8: Int +1

Choose 2x 1-4-level spells: Greater Invisibility, Stoneskin

◦ Wizard 9: Craft Magic Arms & Armor

Choose 2x 1-Wizard Level 5 Spells ToEE: Teleport, Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound

◦ Wizard 10: Class Bonus Feat: Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Craft Wand or Craft Rod

Choose 2x 1-5-level spells: Hold Monster

Sorcerer vs Wizard

General parameters being equal, Wizards receive incomparably more skillpoints as well as seven feat selections whereas Sorcerers only receive five. The +feats and +skills are notable because they allow for flexible and versatile Wizards builds. +Feats allow Wizards to be crafters or effective spearmen/crossbowmen as well as spellcasters, for example. It opens up spell focus and GSF in a second school of magic or it opens up spell penetration and GSP. It opens up more meta-magic feats: we can take Heighten and Empower, not or. The +skills allow us to take on the Rogue utility role to a degree as well (through cross-class skills).

Also, Wizards receive 33 spellpicks whereas Sorcerers only receive 24. Non-Specialist Wizards can scribe 125 different spells to their spellbooks whereas Sorcerers are limited to 24 choices. Most notably, in terms of repertoire, is that Wizards have access to the full array of powerful 4th and 5th circle spells whereas Sorcerers only receive two spellpicks of 4th and a pathetic one of 5th.

In addition, Wizards can tailor their repertoire on the fly (by resting) in order to make themselves useful in any scenario, combat or otherwise, whereas Sorcerers must make do with what they have. For example, a Sorcerer that chose Cone of Cold of 5th can never cast Cloudkill, and a Sorcerer that chose Ice Storm and Confusion of 4th can never cast Greater Invisibility or Stoneskin.

As a rule, Sorcerers are also less likely to take utility, warding and mobility spells which culminate in 5th circle Teleport. Sorcerers are far less likely to take situationally useful spells which can be very useful at key points, and save us a lot of hassle. When we take a Sorcerer we desire a Wizard as well (or at least a Bard), but when we take a Wizard we don't often desire a Sorcerer in addition because with Wizards, as with Clerics, we feel covered.

While not applicable to veterans, we should also spare a thought for newbies who might gimp their Sorcerer completely by choosing the "wrong" spells.

What, then, is the advantage of the Sorcerer?

Putting aside the Charisma bonus to social skills (meaningless in ToEE), the advantage Sorcerers have over Wizards consists solely (but notably) in the number of spellcastings they get before they need to rest to replenish them. IOW, Sorcerers can fire more rounds than Wizards before they need to reload.

At 10th level and with 26 in the spellcasting stat (the maximum possible), spell slots for each spell level/circle are as follows:

• Generalist Wizard: 4/6/6/5/5/3
• Sorcerer: 6/8/8/8/7/4

Thus, the Sorcerer clearly possesses more spellcasting staying power in prolonged combat encounters and dungeon crawls (in which resting is restricted).

Itemization does not factor in. Both classes gain +6 crafts to their prime spellcasting stat, the crafted items being a headband or cloak makes no notable difference (it slightly favors the Wizard), and there are no Sorcerer-only or Wizard-only items that would tip the balance one way or another.

cf. Craft Magic Arms and Armor ToEE and Craft Wondrous Items ToEE.

Spell scroll itemization also does not matter in the comparison because Wizards receive +9 picks over Sorcerers on top of scrolls found and purchased in-game. This isn't Icewind Dale 2.

Wizards can more easily fit in Craft Wand as well. A crafted, caster-level-9 Wand of Fireball has 50 charges of Fireball and costs 10,125 gold and 810 XP. Wizards can craft such wands from many spells known to them up to 4th circle.

Lastly, if we look more closely at the builds/3.5 rules, we can see that Wizards are breaking into spell circles two-through-five one level earlier than Sorcerers, which means, for example, that Sorcerers must earn 5,000 more experience points than Wizards in order to gain access to Fireball, which equates to 40,000 more XP in the case of an eight-person party.

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