View source for Beginner's guide to playing a sorcerer

{{HSN}}
[[Sorcerer]]s are devastating killers, summoners of demons, animators of the dead, and otherwise generally fun people!  If this sort of life sounds appealing, you've come to the right place!  If you want to become skilled in these arts, it is not just like flipping open a book and slamming it over the head of your foe.  Rather, you can study our arcane arts, study them again, and with enough practice, all these powers can also be yours.

==Overview of Sorcery==
It must be confessed that [[sorcerer]]s are grouped as one of the four [[pure]] spell-casting classes in [[Elanthia]], although we do not consider these other classes equal to us nor our peers.  In strict and boring terms, the class might be described as a unique hybrid of [[spiritual]] and [[elemental]] magic; but most importantly we are the only ones with knowledge of many arcane secrets and [[Sorcerer Base|sorcery]].  While we sorcerers have an array of utility spells and skills we might bother to bless the world with (in cases of utter boredom), we need only lift a finger to slay our enemies in combat, perhaps by slow dismemberment or an instantaneous implosion.  In awe of this power, we are outcast as mere [[Sorcerous Lore, Necromancy|necromancers]] and [[Sorcerous Lore, Demonology|demon summoners]]; these accusations are not precisely wrong, although such parlor tricks are more for our entertainment than anything else.  So long as being accused of criminality for such sleights of hand does not bother you, read on friend&hellip;

===What it means to be a sorcerer===
Although it isn't too difficult to encapsulate sorcery with some general terminology, these words are lost on those who do not understand their meaning.  It should come as no surprise that many of the extant [[:Category:Essays|essays]] in these archives focus specifically on our subtle art.  These range from the essays of [[Lord High Priest Bleeds]] (his work on [[True_Evil_(essay)|True Evil]] is a modern classic) to the more recent insights of [[Silvean Rashere]].  Yet, offering a synopsis of our class to a heathen is not overly complex.

Sorcery is the study of the true essence of the world: its manifestation; its power; its forms.  We do not shy in fear from [[undead]] beings nor those entities from other [[Extraplanar|planes]]; we summon them or destroy them at will.  Indeed, it would be foolish&mdash;if not paramount to utter stupidity&mdash;to claim any knowledge of the world without studying such things.  In our endeavors, we can find slaves and friend alike (both of which will surely assist us).  In consequence of such discoveries, we can thoroughly comprehend nature and employ our knowledge methodically, exploiting its nuances to our own advantage.

While we are pleased with your interest to join our prestigious ranks, we request that you take a little of your precious time to review our simplistic and modest advice concerning our profession.

==Character creation and skills==
To become a powerful sorcerer, first you need to use your imagination.  How do you envision yourself as a sorcerer?  In what specific ways are you powerful?  Although you are unlikely to admit it in-game, your sorcerer will have weaknesses, too; which ones can you accept or play off best?  Below is a guide to this process, with a slight over-emphasis on mechanics while always striving to offer each player their fair range of options.

===[[Race|Racial]] Selection===
[[File:AuraBonus_v_SpiritRegen.png|300px|thumb|right|Anti-correlation of Spirit Regeneration and Aura Bonus]]
[[File:700sCS_v_SpiritRegen.png|300px|thumb|right|Spirit Regeneration against combined Aura and Wisdom Bonus]]
Historically in [[Elanthia]], sorcery was largely discovered and developed by the [[dark elf|dark elves]]&mdash;specifically the [[Faendryl]]&mdash;which came to prominence particularly during the [[Undead War]].  Mechanically, dark elves have an advantage, as the [[Casting strength|CS]] for sorcerous warding spells are influenced by both [[Aura]] and [[Wisdom]] statistical [[New_Players%27_Guide#Stat_Bonuses|bonuses]], which are the highest for this race.  Thus, from both a roleplaying and mechanical perspective, it is not overly surprising that a plurality, if not a majority, of sorcerers are indeed dark elves.

However, there are many other facets to the decision, and it must be stressed that any race can make a good sorcerer.  The advantage in CS is an important factor, but certainly not the only one.  For example, unlike many forms of attack, CS and maneuver spell power are ''not'' [[Spirit#Low_Spirit_Penalties|penalized for low spirit]] (although other unrelated penalties still apply); as there are methods to trade [[spirit]] for [[mana]], such as the class-specific [[sacrifice]] as well as the [[Sign of Wracking]] from the [[Council of Light]], races with high [[Spirit#Spirit_Regen|spirit regeneration]] have a different advantage.  An important point to note here is that aura bonus and spirit regeneration are anti-correlated racial properties; that is, typically the higher a race's aura bonus, the lower their spirit regeneration (see the image to the right).  All other things being equal, it is not possible to have a high bonus to CS and a good spirit regeneration; the exception is [[forest gnome]]s, partly from their wisdom bonus (which has no correlation with spirit regeneration).

If a player is more mechanically inclined, the racial selection can be influenced by their respective bonuses, and certainly the statistics should be selected in accordance with the racial selection regardless.  It should also be pointed out that races vary in many ways, such as their innate resistance to [[disease]]s and [[poison]]s, their natural [[encumbrance]], maximum [[Hitpoint]]s, different innate bonuses to [[Target defense|TD]], and so on; although these factors are certainly not irrelevant to sorcerers, they should not play a decisive role in character creation. 

Below is a table of selected differences resulting from racial selection and possible offsets available to sorcerers.
{|{{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="Lightgrey"
| '''Racial bonus''' 
| '''Offset available from sorcery'''
|-
|Decay Timer
| None.
|-
|Max Health
| Desire not to be hit; high DS from [[buff spells]]; typically in stance guarded.  [[Blood Burst (701)]] and [[Ensorcell (735)]].
|-
|Encumbrance Factor
| Knowledge of [[Phase (704)]] and possibility to train further in Demonology.
|-
|Maneuver Bonus
| [[Scroll Infusion (714)]] to extend the life of [[Prayer (313)]] and [[Mobility (618)]] scrolls.
|-
|Target defense
| Access to spiritual, elemental, and sorcerer TD buff spells.  Knowledge of [[Corrupt Essence (703)]] and [[Limb Disruption (708)]].
|-
|Poison and Disease
| Access to [[Disease Resistance (104)]], [[Poison Resistance (105)]], [[Undisease (113)]], and [[Unpoison (114)]].
|-
|}

'''It is probably most pertinent to select the character's race based more on how the character will be roleplayed than the mechanics.'''  Although above it was emphasized the racial relationship among aura and spirit regeneration, there are [[enhancive item]]s (in particular [[Adventurer's Guild Badge]]s), and a dedicated sorcerer can surely find ways to offset any of their weaknesses.

To fully explore all the racial options in a meaningful way would be an exhaustive exercise. Instead, a few superficial examples are offered.  Choosing a dark elf will seem most natural and offer you many peers; however, dark elves as a whole are more commonly looked down upon by the broader society (whether for fear, distrust, or historical racism).  Supposing one chose an [[elf]] instead, it should be pondered why an elf from another clan went about learning or acquiring an interest in the dark arts.  [[Paradis]] halflings diverged from the other [[halfling]] clans specifically from their alliance with the Faendryl in the Undead War and the use of demons; although [[Icemule Trace]], the town they founded, no longer outlaws demons, a compelling backstory may be elusive for such a case.  Perhaps an [[Aelotoi]]an sorcerer has tunnel vision for vindictive revenge on the [[kiramon]] and merely requires a destructive toolbox.  

A player may find some insight into choosing a suitable sorcerous persona of a given race by investigating the different [[culture]]s of races that interest him/her; however, since cultural selection has very few mechanical influences and is difficult to undo, actual setting of the culture is best left to a later date.

In summary, players should feel unrestricted in the racial selection of their sorcerer.  Starting to build a general picture of your character in your mind will surely assist in some of the required decision-making processes at the beginning.  Still, it is important to keep an open mind so that you can learn more about your character as you explore and interact with the world, because some of the most rewarding experiences are the ones which were not foreseen at the outset.

===Statistics===

There is a general guide on [[New_Players%27_Guide#Stats|statistics for new players]] which is worth reading for its general points.  Here the focus will naturally be the points of particular interest to sorcery.

====Basic overview of statistics for sorcerers====

[[Aura]] and [[Wisdom]] are the prime stats for sorcerers; although for some classes the prime stats are not always of the utmost important, these two statistics are extremely important for any sorcerer.  One facet of their property as prime stats is that they are automatically added +10 each during stat assignment.  They will also determine the base value for your starting [[mana]], which is required to cast any spells&mdash;most of what a sorcerer can do!  [[Aura]] is the stat important for elemental spheres of magic, and [[Wisdom]] the one for spiritual spheres of magic.  Thus, the sorcerer's [[Casting strength]] for the sorcerer base circle takes the averaged bonus from these two stats.  Their CS for spiritual spells is only determined by Wisdom bonus, where as the CS for elemental spells is only determined by Aura bonus; however, sorcerers do not learn many of these spells, and most of them are not nearly as powerful as what's available in the sorcerer base circle.  A character's aura stat also determines how many [[spirit]] points they will have, which can be important depending on the society which is chosen (see below).  Finally, these prime statistics are doubled in the calculation of [[Training points]].  Of course, because these are prime stats, it also means they have a high growth rate, thus it is possible to initially place these stats to lower values as they will increase rather quickly over time.  However, setting these stats to lower values will also inhibit the character earlier in their career in terms of their training points and also CS; for a new player, it is probably a good idea to set these near their maximum of 100 (a setting of 90 before the +10).

[[Logic]] and [[Discipline]] are both important for their contribution to training points and how the affect a character's [[experience]] pool size and absorption rate.  

Although [[Influence]] and [[Intuition]] are both mental stats, and thus contribute to a sorcerer's mental training points, they are otherwise not very important.  Mid-range numbers can be comfortably set here, with favor to Intuition due to its boons for [[Magic Item Use]], [[Arcane Symbols]], [[Ensorcell (735)]] and [[Illusions]].

The physical statistics, [[Constitution]], [[Agility]], [[Strength]], and [[Dexterity]] generally play a lesser role for sorcerers.  Their influence to training points is mostly irrelevant, because as discussed below in the Skills section, sorcerers will be converting most of their physical training points to mental training points.  [[Agility]] contributes its bonus to the character's physical [[Defensive strength|DS]]; even though sorcerers won't be planning to make many melee attacks, they can still expect to be attacked quite often, and sorcerers tend to survive by '''not''' being hit.  [[Dexterity]] also contributes its bonus to a character's [[Bolt spell|bolt]] [[Attack strength|AS]], which while not the primary mode of attack for sorcery is a good supplemental offensive method; thus Dexterity should not usually be set too low.  Strength and Constitution mainly affect a sorcerer's encumbrance, which while not critical is still useful; smaller races like halflings and gnomes are usually advised to set a high Strength stat because the growth rate is so poor they will almost never increase over time.  Constitution also affects a character's starting and maximum [[Hitpoint]]s, but sorcerers mostly survive by not being hit.  Most of the physical stats can be set at low to mid-range values as long as the sorcerer is not optimizing for growth.

====Setting the statistics====

Obviously, a character cannot have perfect stats in everything at the outset.  The racial selection has almost as much importance as the class selection of sorcerer for how to precisely set the stats.  In particular, only race influences the statistical bonuses.  All other things being equal, when a race's bonus is lower, it is more important to place a higher statistical value, and vice versa.  Of course, if one selected a dark elf to maximize CS, perhaps the character should also have high Wisdom and Aura stats to not immediately negate this advantage.

====Growth====
Your stats increase as you gain levels.  The rate depends on your race and profession.  Sorcerers grow stats like [[Wisdom]] and [[Aura]] quickly, and [[Strength]] and [[Constitution]] slowly.  Because of this growth, it is usually a good idea not to set any one stat to or very close to 100 when starting out, because it spends a lot of stat points that you could have gotten "for free" over time.  Of course, you can change your stats 5 times in your character's first 20 levels, so this advice only applies as your are nearing the end of that introductory period.  It is possible to change your stats later on, but at great expense - see [[Fixstats]].

===Skill Selection===
The selection of skills will vary somewhat by the type of path preferred by the player.  Although it is possible to create a sorcerer that does not primarily rely on magic for their offensive capabilities, this is certainly not a typical approach to the profession, and its discussion will be left for [[Goat's Mutant Sorcerer Guide | more specific guides on mutant builds]].  As such, it is generally assumed that the sorcerer will use a [[runestaff]] along with spells for their defenses, and various spells for their offensive capabilities.  For proficient runestaff use, a character should have a training including at least 8 Magical Skills per level.  It is also typical that a sorcerer will quickly begin converting physical to mental [[Training points]], so do not worry about this inevitability.  When discussing the '''cost''' of skills (both in this article and in general), the values are quoted as the Physical/Mental training points required at each level this skill is trained&mdash;a reflection of the in-game and web-browser training systems.

====Core Skills====
Below are the core skills for any standard sorcerer (trained on a per-level basis):

{|{{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="Lightgrey"
| '''#''' 
| '''Cost'''
| '''Skill'''
| '''Reasoning'''
|-
|1x
|8/0
|[[Physical Fitness]] 
|Necessary to firstly attain full [[Hitpoint]]s and then as one of the few defenses available to sorcerers against [[Creature maneuver|maneuver]] attacks.
|-
|2x
|0/24
|[[Spell Research]]
|Learning new spells, increasing CS, and various increases to spells, such as AS, DS, TD, and general power.
|-
|1x
|0/4
|[[Harness Power]]
|Required to gain mana.  This should normally be at exactly the character's level, then giving 3 mana per rank.
|-
|1x
|0/2
|[[Arcane Symbols]]
|A cheap magical skill, particularly useful with [[Scroll Infusion (714)]] to charge up unlocked scrolls.
|-
|1x
|0/2
|[[Magic Item Use]]
|A cheap magical skill, useful for using wands at low level among other applications, and useful with [[Scroll Infusion (714)]] to unlock unused scrolls for charging.
|-
|1x
|0/3
|[[Elemental Mana Control]]
|A cheap magical skill, giving benefits to a number of sorcerer spells, sharing mana, and access to [[MANA (verb)|mana spellup]] and mana pulse.  It impacts the amount of mana needed to infuse scrolls and, at higher levels, the ease of animating the dead.
|-
|1x
|0/3
|[[Spiritual Mana Control]]
|A cheap magical skill, giving benefits to a number of sorcerer spells, sharing mana, and access to [[MANA (verb)|mana spellup]] and mana pulse.  It impacts the amount of mana needed to infuse scrolls and, at higher levels, the ease of animating the dead.
|-
|
|8/38
|'''Total'''
|
|-
|}

Note that only 7 magical skills per level are included here, but that the total number of training points allocated is not exhaustive.

====Threshold Skills====
Some skills only need to be trained to achieve a certain threshold.  Although in certain cases the thresholds may slowly increase with time, these are anyway basic skill levels that should be attained by every sorcerer.
{|{{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="Lightgrey"
| '''#''' 
| '''Cost'''
| '''Skill'''
| '''Reasoning'''
|-
|0, 2 or 6
|15/0
|[[Armor Use]]
|No training to wear robes, 2 ranks for full leathers, or 6 ranks for double leathers (2% [[spell hindrance]]) .
|-
|0-3
|15/10
|[[Multi-Opponent Combat]]
|Several ranks goes a long way for some crowd control spells.  Also an ideal use for [[Adventurers Guild]] badges.
|-
|10+
|4/0
|[[Climbing]]
|To get around the environs up to level 20-30.  May depend on region.
|-
|5+
|3/0
|[[Swimming]]
|To get around the environs up to level 20-30.  May depend on region.
|-
|10
|0/3
|[[Perception]]
|To get around the environs up to level 20-30.  May depend on region.
|-
|}

====Additional training====
The way to use the rest of the points will depend on the player.
{|{{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="Lightgrey"
| '''#''' 
| '''Cost'''
| '''Skill'''
| '''Reasoning'''
|-
|2.5-3x
|0/32
|Spell Research
|To increase Sorcerer Base CS, or learn more [[Minor Spiritual]] and/or [[Minor Elemental]] spells.
|-
|2x
|9/3
|[[Spell Aiming]]
|An "all or nothing" skill.  Bolting ([[Fire Spirit (111)]], [[Web (118)]], [[Disintegrate (705)]], [[Balefire (713)]], [[Arcane Blast (1700)]]), picking a specific limb with [[Limb Disruption (708)]], focusing [[Energy Maelstrom (710)]] and [[Implosion (720)]] on a single target.  Cheap magical skill.
|-
|-
|1x
|0/3
|Perception
|Creature maneuver defense, [[Illusions]], [[Foraging]], [[Popping boxes]].
|-
|1-2x
|0/6+
|[[Sorcerous Lore]]
|1 rank of [[Sorcerous Lore, Necromancy]] to unlock Blood Burst.  More ranks improve the damage and round time of [[Pain (711)]].  Used Later in a sorcerer's career for [[Animate Dead (730)]] and to speed gathering energy for permanent [[Ensorcell]]ing.
[[Sorcerous Lore, Demonology]] helps [[phase]] treasure boxes to reduce encumbrance.  Improves the damage of [[Balefire]].  Increases the retribution chance of [[Cloak of Shadows]]. Later on, helps with [[Minor Summoning (725)]] and [[Planar Shift (740)]].
|-
|2x
|0/4
|Arcane Symbols
|Longer duration for buff spells from scroll invokes.  Greater ease in charging up unlocking scrolls with [[Scroll Infusion (714)]].  Cheap magical skill.
|-
|10-40
|0/7
|[[Elemental Lore]]
|Up to 10 ranks of each lore for [[Dark Catalyst (719)]]
|-
|20+
|0/7
|[[Spiritual Lore, Summoning|Summoning]]
|Minor benefits early on to [[Curse (715)]].  Unlock the bolt for Web.  Increase targets and DF for Fire Spirit.  [[Locate Person (116)]] benefits.
|-
|4+
|12/8
|Combat Maneuvers
|Creature maneuver defense, and defense against combat maneuvers like [[Disarm Weapon]]
|-
|}

==[[Society]] selection==

There are three mutually-exclusive societies which a character can join.  Once a character has resigned from a given society, s/he cannot rejoin the same one without resetting their society; characters are automatically granted one such reset, but attaining further resets is non-trivial.  The major disadvantage in resigning from a society is all the relevant skills (and thus any work done to achieve them) are lost.  However, a player can certainly feel free to explore the options.  Roleplaying and play-style should, as usual, have a predominate role in the selection.

*The [[Order of Voln]]: Focused on slaying the [[Undead|minions of Luukos]], some of the main highlights for sorcerers are the [[Symbol of Supremacy]] (which increases CS against the undead), and many utilities to cope with an untimely death, such as [[Symbol of Preservation]] and [[Symbol of Need]] while dead, [[Symbol of Recall]] to get back [[buff spells]] after death, [[Symbol of Dreams]] to more quickly recover from [[Death's Sting]], as well as [[Symbol of Mana]] and [[Symbol of Renewal]] to get back spirit and mana a little more quickly.

*The [[Council of Light]]: A society shrouded in mystery, the highlight of swapping some spirit for mana via [[Sign of Wracking]] is extremely handy and powerful for sorcerers.  Mastering this society is quick and easy, but gathering a few skins and heavy backpacks may not be the only cost&hellip;

*The [[Guardians of Sunfist]]: Dedicated to eradicating the [[Grimswarm]], mechanically this society offers the least advantages to sorcerers.  However, the ability to open a warcamp and find literally hundreds of creatures to slay anywhere in the world is definite perk, in particular for gaining necromantic power for Ensorcell.

==Playing a sorcerer==
Sorcery is unusual compared to other branches of magic in that it is laden with historical significance. There are "forbidden" magics in the various cultures of Elanthia, with much of sorcery regarded as "the dark arts." [[House Faendryl]] was exiled from the [[Elven Empire]] for summoning demons and imploding the fortress of [[Despana]]. [[Halflings]] learned magic from an [[Illistim]] elf who was exiled for dark magic, and not long after lost all of their ponies to the [[Ardenai]] sorcerers. The [[Human]] [[Turamzzyrian Empire]] banned magic of "sorcerous" nature, and built the [[Demonwall]] to keep out "black elven wizardry." Necromancers often invoke the wrath of religious authorities. These things are largely the province of disdained races, or restricted within certain contexts such as the military.

In other words, much of sorcery has a tenuous relationship with civilization, with some aspects more tolerated than others. Most towns will treat a demon in their jurisdiction, from casting [[Minor Summoning (725)]], as a crime which will get you arrested. Sorcerer Guild buildings are often located outside of towns for good reason. Nevertheless, it is up to you to abide by the laws of the lands, and show that their prejudices are hollow superstitions. Most sorcerers do not regard themselves as "evil", instead thinking of others as weak minded.

Many sorcerers have "dark" personalities, which is not surprising, given the cruelty of our spells. Others might have dubious sanity. However, this is not a license for wanton violence, which will quickly backfire on you. Sorcerers are often arrogant or intolerant, and will not look kindly on having their art abused. This is especially true given the history of power downtweaks of our spells due to abusers that are vividly remembered by older players. It is important to know how to properly use your magic, especially [[area of effect]] spells that can unintentionally kill other [[Player character|adventurers]]. These include the spells [[Energy Maelstrom (710)]], [[Implosion (720)]], and [[Evil Eye (717)]] when used with [[Eye Spy (707)]]. You should avoid using the area wide versions of these spells in hunting grounds where other people are present, and not at all if you do not know how to end them early.

===Spells===
Casting spells is an integral part of any pure profession, and sorcerers not the least.  This section outlines how to use spells, as well as highlighting important spells that are available to sorcerers.

====How to cast spells====

Casting a spell costs [[mana]].  The general rule-of-thumb is that the mana cost of a spell is equal to the last two digits of the spell's number; that is, [[Mana Disruption (702)]] costs 2 mana, and [[Energy Maelstrom (710)]] costs 10 mana.  (The numbers before the ones and tens place indicates the spell's circle; the 700 circle is the Sorcerer Base.)  A character can also never cast a spell when the last two digits exceed the character's level; that is, a level 1 character could ''learn'' Mana Disruption, but not ''cast'' it until level 2.  Some spells have exceptions which do not follow this rule for the mana cost; the most common exceptions are either targeted versions of Area Effect spells will cost less, and buff spells with increasing benefits may also exhibit increasing mana costs.  While these exceptions are also important to learn, for the general introduction to casting spells outlined here, we assume this rule applies (and will only use examples appropriate to this assumption).

In order to attempt to cast a spell, a character must have ''at least'' one mana point, but preferably the character has mana points greater than or equal to the spell's cost.  A character casting a spell without sufficient mana will incur [[Wound#Nervous_System_Wounds|nerve damage]] (or possibly death, although this is rare), the severity of the injury depending on the mana deficit and existing wounds.  The character's mana pool will also go into negative numbers, reflecting the mana deficit.  For instance, having a pre-existing level 1 nervous system injury (not a scar) and going below 0 mana will lead to a minimum of a level 2 nervous system injury.  Level 1 nervous system wounds or scars do not impair the character's ability to cast further spells, provided they again have a positive mana pool.  Level 2 nervous system wounds ''or scars'' will not only prevent the casting of any spells, but other actions as well (such as looting creatures).  A sorcerer should always carry the necessary [[herbs|herbal remedies]] for ''all nervous system wounds and scars'' since accidents can happen and the penalties are severe; although it depends on the town, the common versions of these are: [[wolifrew lichen]], [[torban leaf]], [[bolmara potion]], and [[woth flower]].  Major injury to the head, eyes, and arms can also prevent casting, so it is usually a good idea to carry these herbal remedies as well (but these will usually be externally, and not self-inflicted, injuries).

A character's existing mana is displayed graphically in most Front Ends.  It can also be seen under the [[EXPERIENCE (verb)]], as well as the [[MANA (verb)]]; the MANA verb will further indicate how much mana is gained on- and off-node.  A character's maximum mana is basically determined by their starting statistics, summed with the contribution from their Harness Power training.  Every two minutes, or each "pulse", a character will regain some amount of lost mana, mainly depending on several factors: 1) Whether the character is at a node; 2) The character's maximum mana; 3) The character's mana control training (more mana control means more mana per pulse).  (There are some other mechanisms which may temporarily increase this value, such as [[Manna (203)]], [[Heroism (215)]], and so on, but none of these spells are natively known to sorcerers.)  As mentioned above, there are also other ways to gain back expended mana, such as [[sacrifice]] as well as society skills.  Lastly, characters can [[SEND (verb)]] mana to each other.  (Grr, do we really want to get into other exceptions like Mana Focus and Dark Catalyst here?)

So, your character has sufficient mana and would like to cast a spell.  There are two complementary (and generally interchangeable systems) for doing so: the [[CAST (verb)]] and the [[INCANT (verb)]].  CASTing a spell requires that it is first [[PREPARE (verb)|prepared]], and also generally requires that a target is specified, unless it is an area effect spell (which is essentially cast at the room) or a buff spell to be cast at the character him/herself.  INCANTing a spell can generally be done without specifying a target (and without preparing the spell); if it is a buff spell, it will target the caster; if it is a hostile spell, it will target a creature in the same room as the caster.  The target will ordinarily be chosen at random, unless the caster first uses the [[TARGET (verb)]]; subsequent incants will target the same creature, until the creature dies or fails to be in the same room as the caster (i.e. the caster or creature has moved).  CASTing a hostile spell always requires the target to be specified along with the command, even for subsequent casts at the same target.  There are several further nuances and related verbs, but before giving further details, some examples are useful.

Suppose the character is out hunting, and encounters a [[giant rat]].  A level 1 sorcerer should know [[Blood Burst (701)]] and can cast it.

<pre{{log2}}>
[Abandoned Sewer]
A faint light trickles in through the cracks in the ceiling, as the tunnel continues to drop.  In the distance, you can hear the faint scratching sounds of vermin being about their business.  You also see a giant rat.
Obvious exits: northeast, southwest
>mana
     Maximum Mana Points: 24
   Remaining Mana Points: 24

  Mana gained off node: 3
   Mana gained on node: 6

  Mana Control abilities:
    MANA PULSE   - Manually invoke a mana pulse to gain mana as if you were off a node.
    MANA SPELLUP - Instantly cast all of your defensive spells.

>prep 702
You are not experienced enough to harness such power!

A giant rat tries to bite you! 
  AS: +34 vs DS: +72 with AvD: +35 + d100 roll: +31 = +28
  A clean miss.
>prep 701
You trace an intricate sign that contorts in the air while forcefully invoking Blood Burst...
Your spell is ready.
>cast rat
You gesture at a giant rat. 
  CS: +42 - TD: +3 + CvA: +25 + d100: +7 == '''+71'''
  Warded off! 
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
>prep 701
You trace an intricate sign that contorts in the air while forcefully invoking Blood Burst...
Your spell is ready.
>cast rat
You gesture at a giant rat. 
  CS: +42 - TD: +3 + CvA: +25 + d100: +62 == '''+126''' 
  Warding failed!
A ragged wound rips open a giant rat's jugular, which begins spurting blood.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

>mana
     Maximum Mana Points: 24
   Remaining Mana Points: 22

  Mana gained off node: 3
   Mana gained on node: 6

  Mana Control abilities:
    MANA PULSE   - Manually invoke a mana pulse to gain mana as if you were off a node.
    MANA SPELLUP - Instantly cast all of your defensive spells.
</pre>

This example will be fully explained soon!  PS: Spirit death sux :/

How about an example of CASTing Mana Disrupt at a [[sea nymph]]:

<pre{{log2}}>
Log file to go here
</pre>

An example of CHANNELing Mana Disrupt at a kobold.

An example of INCANT, perhaps with two (different noun) targets in the room.

An example of casting Elemental Defense I at the sorcerer.  Example of casting a buff spell at a friend.

Further expansion: Casting Roundtime, hard RT for channeling, the flag for channel/incant, how to RELEASE a spell (and mana cost), information about the mana lost for preparing but not casting a spell after 30 seconds

====Attack Spells====
Sorcerers have a very wide variety of gruesome and effective ways to defeat an opponent.  Here are some highlights.
*[[Blood Burst (701)]]: First sorcerer spell you learn, and cheap to cast, but low damage.
*[[Mana Disruption (702)]]: This is a sorcerer's primary attack spell for many many levels.  Decent damage for very modest cost.
*[[Corrupt Essence (703)]]: Keeps things from casting spells at you.
*[[Disintegrate (705)]]: An attack spell that does more damage than [[Mana Disruption]] at high endrolls, at the cost of more mana
*[[Mind Jolt (706)]]: Stuns anything that is not immune to stuns, preventing it from attacking or casting.
*[[Limb Disruption (708)]]: break a limb or blow it up.  With sufficient [[Spell Aiming]], you can target the right arm so your foe cannot attack or cast spells.
*[[Quake (709)]] (and [[Elemental Wave (410)]]) Chance to knock down every foe in the room and keep them down for a few seconds.  Quake can also knock down foes in adjacent rooms.
*[[Energy Maelstrom (710)]]: Do recurring damage to everything in the room, or with sufficient [[Spell Aiming]], focus that energy on a single target.
*[[Pain (711)]]: Damage a foe and put it in round time, that is, prevent it from taking any action for several seconds.  Very useful against creatures immune to stun.
*[[Balefire (713)]] (and [[Fire Spirit (111)]]): ball spells, which target one foe but can hit everything in the room.  Mana-intense.
*[[Evil Eye (717)]] scare a foe into running away, perhaps for good.  Extreme success frightens the target to sudden death.
*[[Dark Catalyst (719)]] converts a foe's own mana to damaging elemental energy, consuming whatever mana is left to restore your own reserves.  High damage, high likelihood of a kill shot, and high cost.
*[[Implosion (720)]] open a void in the area or, with [[Spell Aiming]], next to a single target.  Targeted version has a high chance of immediate death, but all the treasure is often destroyed as well.
Of these, [[Mana Disruption]], [[Disintegrate]], and [[Dark Catalyst]] are perhaps the most-commonly used amongst most sorcerers.

Sorcerers have access to a number of other offensive spells (or spells with an offensive component), which tend to be used somewhat less than those listed above: [[Phase (704)]], [[Curse (715)]], [[Disease (716)]], [[Torment (718)]], [[Unbalance (110)]], [[Web (118)]], [[Spirit Dispel (119)]], [[Elemental Blast (409)]], [[Elemental Saturation (413)]], [[Elemental Strike (415)]], and [[Elemental Dispel (417)]].  Some of these are very useful in specific situations or with specific play styles; others are rarely used at all.

====Defensive Spells====
Sorcerers have native access to buff spells from both the elemental and spiritual spheres.  Furthermore, these can be supplemented with a vast number of additional spells from scrolls, as outlined in [[Spell_Collection_Guide_(scroll_infusion)|Evarin's guide]].

Many of these spells provide increased benefit as you learn more spells in the same circle.  These effects have been omitted from the beginner's guide for simplicity.  For specifics, see the individual spell pages.

=====[[Minor Spiritual]]=====
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{{Minor Spiritual buff spells}}

=====[[Minor Elemental]]=====
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{{Minor Elemental buff spells}}

=====[[Sorcerer Base]]=====
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{{Sorcerer Base buff spells}}

====Featured spells====
Experienced sorcerers have access to a variety of very powerful and complex high-level spells, which many consider profession-defining and/or character-defining.  As a beginner, it will be a while before you have access to them, but they're linked here so you what to look forward to.
*[[Minor Summoning (725)]]: Summon a minor demon from another plane of existence to do your bidding.
*[[Animate Dead (730)]]: Raise a fallen foe as your puppet, or walk a dead friend back to town.
*[[Ensorcell (735)]]: Add permanent bonuses to weapons, runestaves, shields, and armor.
*[[Planar Shift (740)]]: Best teleportation spell out there - the only one that can take you to any town from any other town.

===Hunting===
While there are many hunting styles depending on your preference and what you're hunting, a few guidelines apply broadly:
*During your character's first 20 levels, you have the option of switching skills at will, and your stats up to 5 times.  Many beginning sorcerers choose to train in weapon skills during this time in order to make it easier to hunt with their limited mana pool.  They then switch away from weapon skills before before they turn 20 trainings.  You can see your starting stats at any time by typing {{boldmono|[[INFO (verb)|INFO START]]}}.  [[Two-Handed Weapons]] are a popular choice for this strategy, especially [[claidhmore]]s.  If you go the route of using a big two-handed weapon, you will want to also temporary set your [[Dexterity]] and [[Agility]] high enough to swing your weapon quickly (with a 5 second round time).  See [[AGIDEX]] for details.
*Sorcerers tend to rely on warding spells, which work fairly well (or even exactly the same) no matter what your stance.  You generally have the option to spend most of your time in guarded stance, which reduces the risk of injury from normal (AS-based) physical attacks.
*The combination of guarded stance and a using a runestaff means bolt spells are usually not a major concern.
*Sorcerers have defensive spells to aid with both elemental and spiritual TD, and that "spills over" into mental TD as well, so warding spells are rarely a concern.
*Creature maneuvers (most attacks without a visible roll) and combat maneuvers (like [[Disarm Weapon]]) will usually be your biggest vulnerability.  The best defense is to avoid swarms and to preemptively disable foes who can perform those attacks, like with [[Mind Jolt]] or [[Limb Disruption]], before they can attack you.  These attacks are fairly rare at the lowest levels and become more frequent and dangerous as you progress to more advanced hunting grounds.
*You can improve the damage of [[Mana Disruption]] and [[Disintegrate]] by CHANNELing them with a more aggressive stance; see the spell pages for details.

==See Also==
*[[Sorcerer]] (main article)
*[[New Players' Guide]] (a comprehensive beginner's guide for new players of any profession)
*[[Sorcerer Guild]]
*[[Goat's Mutant Sorcerer Guide]]
*[[The Art of Roleplaying in GemStone IV (guide)]]
*[[Player Guide Contest]]

==References==
*[http://www.play.net/gs4/info/professions/sorcerers.asp Sorcerer profession on Play.net]
*[http://www.play.net/gs4/info/npg/home.asp GemStone IV New Player Guide on Play.net]

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Sorcerer]]
[[Category:Professional Guides]]
[[Category:New Player| ]]