Sorcerer's Guide for Baldur's Gate 2

By: Roman Grigoriev

1. General Information

2. Race

3. Alignment

4. Stat Allocation

5. Spell Picks

 5.1 Level 1
 5.2 Level 2
 5.3 Level 3
 5.4 Level 4
 5.5 Level 5
 5.6 Level 6
 5.7 Level 7
 5.8 Level 8

6. Equipment

7. Battle Tactics


1. General Information
   
   Dedicated solely to pursuit of magic, Sorcerer is undoubtedly the most 
   powerful spellcaster in BG2. Having your entire spell list available 
   for casting at all times is incredibly convenient, and makes Sorcerer
   that much superior to the already underpowered plain Mage. As for
   Sorcerer's limited choice of spells; it is not much of a detriment, 
   as even with this weakness Sorcerer will still have more variety of
   spells in any given battle. Sorcerer's main weakness is the fact that
   you can't Dual-Class him or to him, but then again, if you could, it 
   would be a totally unbalanced killing machine (Berserker/Sorcerer? Ouch!)
   All in all, if you enjoy playing a spellcaster, you will immensely enjoy
   this kit, probably to the point of never even looking at a Mage 
   (or Specialist Mage) again. In the party, it definitely pays to have
   a Sorcerer as your main spellslinger, while have someone like Jan or
   Imoen as a support mage.

2. Race
   
   Since it is impossible to Dual-Class a Sorcerer, we are no longer limited
   to Humans as the only racial choice. Other possibilities include Elves and 
   Half-Elves, with the former being the most optimal choice for a Sorcerer.
   Why Elf? Because Elven Sorcerer has a few nifty (albeit minor) perks
   that Humans lack. Infravision aside, you have high resistance to sleep,
   charm (although Domination will still work against the Elf), and 19 Dex.
   All of that with no downside whatsoever. Of course, overall it won't make 
   that much of a difference, but why not grab a free perk? In short, Elf is
   a perfect choice, but any other available race will do.

3. Alignment

   The most obvious effect of your alignment is a familiar that you get. Yes,
   for some reason, Pseudo Dragon (Lawful Good, Neutral Good) got the most 
   attention because of his combat skills. Ask yourself, however, how many
   times should you involve your familiar in combat? The correct answer is
   NEVER. Having said that, I'd opt for Chaotic Neutral which will net you
   a Cat. With 99% in both Hiding and Stealth, this kitty will make a perfect 
   scout, which is the only practical use of your familiar 
   (aside from the HP bonus).
   As for the difference in the starting Rep... Lawful Good starts at 12,
   Chaotic Neutral at 10, boo-hoo. If you want 20 Rep, you still can get it,
   and if you're in a habit of having Evil companions (most wise choice, 
   I might add), then you will never need more than 18 rep anyway. In short,
   don't limit yourself to Lawful Good, see which familiar you like the most
   and pick your Alignment accordingly.

4. Stat Allocation

   Since Sorcerer is a pure spellcaster, he should have the same stats as a
   Mage, right? Wrong! There is one very important difference between the
   two, specifically: Sorcerer does NOT need Intelligence. That's right, 
   Intelligence plays absolutely no part in how many spell picks you get,
   or how high up in spell levels you can advance. With that being said,
   you are left with a few stat points that can be allocated elsewhere.
   Go ahead, and max out Str, Dex, and Con. Keep Int at 9, Wis at 8, and 
   pump the rest into Cha. The Sorcerer I tested when writing this FAQ, had
   the following stats (he was an Elf):

   18 Str, 19 Dex, 16 Con, 9 Int, 8 Wis, 16 Cha.

   Took me about five minutes to roll enough stat points for that character.

   Note: When I was forced to sacrifice a stat point while in Spellhold, I
   did so with Int, which brought it down to 8, and resulted in an interesting
   sideffect; I was no longer able to cast spells from Scrolls. No big deal 
   really, it can be bypassed with a good old potion of Genius, but it is
   something to keep in mind.

5. Spell Picks

   Ahh, this is what makes or breaks a Sorcerer. The first two levels are very
   forgiving, but beyond that you'll be forced to make a few tough choices.
   
   Spells to avoid:

Charm-type spells: (Dire Charm, Domination, etc.) I find them to be of             
marginal 
value. If you like them, put them on your Secondary Mage (you do have a 
Secondary
   mage, right?). Personally, I avoid them altogether.
   
   AC-modifying spells: (Armor, Ghost Armor, etc.) Don't get me wrong, these are       
   nice spells, the problem is that you don't need them. What? You want to take  
your Sorcerer into the heat of a battle? So do I, and there ways to enchant 
   Sorcerer enough to make a Dragon cry. AC spells are NOT the way to do it 
though.

   Various Weapon Immunities: (Normal Weapons, Normal Missiles, Mantle, etc.)
   The same reason as with the AC-modifying spells.

Damage-over-Time spells: (Cloudkill, Ice Storm, etc.) I'll probably get  
bashed for 
   	this, but I find these spells to lead to cheap tactics. Functional? Sure.
Enjoyable? Hardly so. I prefer to take my Sorcerer into the heat of the   
battle and have him single-handedly destroy, say a group of ten Vampires 
while watching them make futile attempts to harm him. In short, if you 
want to have fun, avoid the Damage-over-Time spells.

   	Trigger-type spells: (Sequencers, Contingencies, etc.) Sure, sure, Minor
Sequencer is a nice spell to have early on (Double Magic Arrow hurts a 
lot), however, it is by no means crucial to a Sorcerer. Especially later 
on in the game (which is when your Sorcerer really shines), when your main 
spellcaster is used as heavy artillery rather than a sniper. As for the 
highly acclaimed Contingency, I find it utterly useless. That's right, 
useless. That stone skin at 50% hitpoints won't save you. Better avoid 
getting hit in the first place. Save the triggers for your Secondary Mage.
      Note: 8th Level Spell Trigger IS worth having.
   
Summoning Spells: with the notable exception of Hakeashar, all of the 
remaining summoning spells are a waste of time and spell slots. 

   	Finally, avoid spell duplication. By that I mean, avoid having two or more
spells that do the same thing (unless they can be combined for a 
cumulative effect.) In other words, if you have Nishruu, you don't need 
Hakeashar, if you got Pierce Magic you don't need Pierce Shield, etc.

   5.1 Level 1 Spells (5 Picks)

Magic Missile: The only must-have in this whole level. Good damage, handy 
for spell disruption in the early parts of the game.

Chromatic Orb: after you reach level 12, it becomes a poor man's Finger 
of Death. I did manage to kill Firkraag with 3 Orbs (after a preemptive 
Greater Malison of course). Yes, you need luck with it, but hey, it's a 
1st level spell.

       Protection from Petrification: Where does it come into play? Whenever you
       fight Beholders. Doubly important if you don't have Shield of Balduran or
       Cloak of Reflection.

Protection from Evil: Sure, it is best left for Cleric's Protection 10',     
however this way you have a way out if Cleric's spell is dispelled  or 
runs out. Also, it leaves open the option of getting Gate (level 9) which 
should become available in the expansion. 

Burning Hands: Why have it? In case if you ran out of Flame and Melf's 
arrows vs. Trolls. Also, it seems to do more damage vs. the Undead.

Summary: the most forgiving spell level. Just get the Magic Missile, the 
rest is up to you. Identify is a good pick, but I did not dare waste 
Sorcerer's spell slot on a non-combat skill. Spook is nice, but 2nd Level 
Horror is better. The remaining 1st level spells aren't even worth 
mentioning.
 
Note: Find familiar should be cast of a scroll, since you are only going 
to do it once.

   5.2 Level 2 Spells (5 Picks)

Blur: -3 to opponents' chance to hit you, and it lasts a looooong time. 
Instrumental in making your Sorcerer invulnerable to melee attacks (more 
on that later).

Horror: area effect with -2 save penalty. Excellent spell to use early 
on. Far superior to any confusion-type spells, since panicked opponents 
are far less likely to attack you even when swung upon. Best effect: 
panicked spellcasters cease casting spells!

Melf's Acid Arrow: Aside from it being a troll killer, there really isn't 
much to it.
Unfortunately, it is the only direct damage projectile in this level. 
Since it deals damage every round, it can be used for spell disruption 
(mainly vs. Clerics) early in the game.

Mirror Image: Absolutely essential in buffing up your Sorcerer's 
defenses. Doesn't last nearly as long as Blur, but still a good pick. 

Resist Fear: Awesome spell. Not only does it affect more than one 
creature, but it also acts as Remove Fear as well, i.e. if you cast it on 
a panicked party member, their morale immediately returns to normal. 
Useful throughout the game.

Summary: most second level spells are defense-oriented, which is fine. I 
recommend having both Blur AND Mirror Image. Other spells worth 
mentioning...
       Knock: are you a thief? No. Let the thief do his job.
Vocalize: when you need it, you can't cast it. When you can cast it, you 
don't need it. Its pitiful duration makes it useless as a pre-emptive 
spell. Plus, there's that wonderful Amulet or Power...
Web: Too risky. I see some merit in having this spell, but it can far too 
easily disable your own party.
Invisibility: nice spell. Except that everybody and their brother can see 
through it.
Stinking Cloud: Does not seem to work against anything stronger than 
Goblins and Kobolds.
Overall, Second level gives you some room to maneuver, but not much. 
Weigh your spell picks carefully.
 
  5.3  Level 3 Spells (4 Picks)

Dispel Magic: Just an insurance against Confusion/Hold type spells. A 
must, if you don't have Keldorn in your Party.

Fireball or Skull Trap: You pick it. Fireball has better range, Skull 
trap has better damage. Both are pretty good at wiping out clusters of 
ranged attackers. Overall, Skull Trap has more potential, but requires 
more care when using.

       Flame Arrow: The only 3rd level projectile that is not affected by THAC0, 
so it's a must have. Decent damage at levels 16 and up. Good for testing 
enemy's 
 magic resistance.

Slow: Oh my God. This is the most potent and most debilitating 3rd level 
spell. It literally turns impossible fights into cakewalks. Umber Hulks, 
Vampires, tough war parties, all become weak as kittens after I apply 
this spell. Excellent way to counter an ambush. -4 THAC0 penalty and +4 
AC penalty, AND halved attack rate all on top of the -4 save penalty? 
This is the best 3rd level spell, bar none.

Summary: This is the first spell level where we have to make some tough 
choices.
Haste: I forego it in favor of Slow (leave Haste for your Secondary 
Mage). If you absolutely MUST have Haste on your Sorcerer, drop 
Fireball/Skull Trap in favor of it.
Remove Magic: you CAN take this instead of Dispel Magic, however, I find 
the latter to be more versatile.
Lightning: I do not like this spell, mostly because I find it difficult 
to use without inflicting some heavy casualties on my party. All those 
Lightning wands that I get, usually end up on the shelves of the 
Adventurer's Mart.
Melf's Minute Meteors: With your THAC0, it's a total waste. Plus, the 
damage isn't great either. If you like this spell, take it instead of 
Flame Arrow. 
Protection from Fire/Cold: there are better ways to accomplish the same 
thing.

  5.4  Level 4 Spells (4 Picks)

Fireshield Red or Blue: I prefer Red, since fire is far more common than 
cold. Why do I like this spell? Because it is an excellent Offensive 
weapon. That's right, offensive. Each time someone hits you they get 
zapped by fire. Instrumental in buffing up the defenses.

Greater Malison: Extremely powerful, makes all those Horrors, Chromatic 
Orbs, Fingers of Death, VERY hard to resist. An absolute necessity later 
in the game.

Secret Word: quick, cheap, gets the job done. If you have this, and Lower 
Resist, you don't need to worry about having Pierce Magic or Pierce 
Shield.

Stoneskin: the most important defensive spell bar none. An absolute 
necessity for any spellcaster, since it prevents spell interruptions 
while active (although it does not protect from area effect spells). 

       Summary: with no direct damage spells, save for Ice Storm (which is a 
Damage-over-Time spell), Level 4 is mostly composed of buffing/disabling 
spells.
       Other spells worth considering...
Emotion: not bad, when it works. Doesn't seem to affect spellcasters 
though.
Enchanted Weapon: early on, I keep one memorized on my Secondary Mage. 
Not worth having on your Sorcerer though.
Improved Invisibility: same flaw as with regular invisibility, many 
monsters detect you anyway.
Minor Sequencer: I miss it, but not enough to consider spending a spell 
slot on it. Keep it on your Secondary Mage.
Otiluke's Resilient Sphere: too easily resisted, otherwise would have 
been a worthy pick.
Polymorph Other: entertaining. Works okay when combined with Greater 
Malison. Not as good as Finger of Death though.
       Wizard Eye: get a cat.

  5.5  Level 5 Spells (4 picks)

       Breach: The most important spell in the game. Get it, or else. Seriously.
Without Breach, mages will wipe the floor with you over and over, so get 
it, or face countless reloads and hours of frustration.

Lower Resistance: Works very well, and becomes essential when facing the 
Drow. If you have this AND the Secret Word, don't bother with Pierce 
Magic.

Shadow Door: the only Invisibility spell worth its salt. Makes you 
untargettable with spells, unless your opponent uses True Sight. Fast 
casting time makes it very viable in combat. Leave the other 
"invisibility" spells for amateurs.

       Sunfire: one of the most damaging spells in the game. In order to use it
correctly, you must be able to properly protect your caster. A no-no, 
when your party is around. Absolutely devastating when used correctly.

Summary: I have to make a few sacrifices here, so I pick the best spells 
available(imho). Other spells worth looking at...
Cone of Cold: weaker than Sunfire, and still hard to use when your party 
is around.
Spell Immunity: pretty nice, although Shadow Door does the same thing, 
until your Illusion is True-sighted anyway.
       Spell Shield: see above.

  5.6  Level 6 Spells (3 Picks)
       
Chain Lightning: rather mild damage, but it is a party-friendly spell. 
Comes very handy when battling the Drow, as a way to disrupt the 
spellcasting of all Drow Priestesses at once.

Tenser's Transformation: too awesome for words. Makes your Sorcerer 
useful when facing Magic-immune monsters (like Golems). When combined 
with other defensive buffs, it turns your Sorcerer into a non-stop 
killing machine.
Note: don't forget that you lose your spellcasting abilities while TT is 
active.

True Sight: the second most important spell in the game (after Breach). 
The only spell capable of dispelling Shadow Door (which enemy mages use 
extensively), along with any other Illusion. Best of all, it does NOT 
dispel your party's Illusions (unlike Oracle). An absolutely necessary 
spell, more so, if you don't have Keldorn in your party (even if you do, 
it is still worth having).

Summary: only 3 spell picks, ouch. 6th level is brimming with useful 
spells, but oh well. Here are some other good spells...
Death Spell: useful for killing summoned creatures. Of course, the only 
summoned creature that you need to worry about, is a Nishruu/Hakeashar, 
and not many enemies are smart enough to summon those. Keep one spell on 
your Secondary Mage.
Disintegrate/Flesh to Stone: nice to look at, but they lack a saving 
throw penalty (which makes Finger of Death such a nice spell). Also, many 
creatures carry important loot, making these spells even less useful.
Improved Haste: Keep one memorized on your Secondary Mage. only cast it 
on your best Fighter.
Invisible Stalker: a decent scout. Unfortunately, you can't waste a spell 
slot on a scout. Other than being good Mind Flayer fodder, this spell has 
few other uses.
Pierce Magic: I'd go for Pierce Shield. Only pick this one if you didn't 
pick either Secret Word, or Lower resist.
Mislead: a nice spell, actually. Far more useful than Simulacrum, since 
it comes a lot earlier. Don't get this if you have Shadow Door, and vice 
versa.
Summon Nishruu: I prefer Hakeashar, but if you want to spend a 7th level 
pick on something else, this is acceptable.
Power Word Silence: if it had a decent area effect or longer duration, 
I'd consider it.
Spell Deflection: ask yourself, what is the first spell an enemy mage 
sends at you? Something to counter this spell. Cast Shadow Door instead.

  5.7  Level 7 Spells (3 picks)

Finger of Death: Dragons, Greater Wolfweres, Elder Beholders, Kuo Toa 
Princes, and anything else I can think of, will fall to this spell, 
provided that you bust their spell protections and cast a pre-emptive 
Greater Malison.

Summon Hakeashar: the only summoning spell worth having. Excellent for 
disabling tough spellcasters. Hakeashars are useful even against 
warriors, because they come with a few of their own spells (including 
Lightning) and are immune to normal weapons.

Khelben's Warding Whip: I keep this one for extra tough spellcasters, 
for times when I can't cast enough Secret Words to eliminate their 
defenses. As a rule of a thumb, if after 3 Secret Words The enemy is 
still not vulnerable, it's whipping time.

Summary: 7th level is surprisingly disappointing when it comes to 
spells, with only a few incantations worth mentioning...
Power Word Stun: it would be a nice spell if the opponents that are 
worth casting this spell on, had fewer hitpoints. Not a bad pick though.
Limited Wish: a great spell... for your Secondary Mage. Don't even think 
of wasting a spell pick on it. It's too... err... limited.
Mordenkainen's Sword: summon it, kill it with two Magic Missiles, 
collect the Greenstone Amulet. Repeat as needed. Good for your Secondary 
Spellcaster, absolutely worthless in combat (the sword has a pitiful 
THAC0).

  5.8 Level 8 Spells (2 picks)

Abi Dalzim's: this spell is just too cool for words. I took down half of 
the Underdark with it (including the Mind Flayers' Elder Brain). Cruel, 
brutal damage, and totally party-friendly! Long casting time though (but 
that can be countered).

Spell Trigger: out of all trigger-style spells this is the only one 
worth having. I used it mostly to queue Secret Words and then release 
the trigger on a particularly nasty spellcaster (mostly Irenicus, and a 
couple of Rakshasa mages in Suldanesselar).

Summary: Yuck! 8th level proves to be even more useless than 7th... 
other than those two aforementioned spells there's hardly anything here 
to lay eyes on...
Maze: cool effect, no save. What the spell description doesn't say 
however, is that this spell CAN be countered by magic resistance. By the 
time you can cast this spell, most of your adversaries will have TONS of 
magic resistance, making this spell far less than what it seems to be.
Pierce Shield: not bad, not bad at all. One can always use another 
defense-breaching spell, although Warding Whip is better, and of lower 
level.
Symbol Stun: also an okay spell. Good effect and good saving penalty. 
However, by this time melee opponents are no longer a threat, and Mages 
don't seem to be affected by it. 
       

6. Equipment

There are a few particularly potent items that will make your Sorcerer 
extremely powerful. Listed in the order of importance...

Amulet of Power: Vocalize + Immunity to Level Drain + Spellcasting reduced by 
1. All three effects are VERY handy, making this the most important artifact 
for your Sorcerer (or any spellcaster for that matter). It has a magic 
resistance bonus as well, but that is really unimportant.
Location: Thieves Guild. A gift from (or loot from) Aran Linvail.

Robe of Vecna: Spellcasting reduced by 4(!), AC set to 5. Further reduction 
in the spellcasting time makes it possible to cast most spells instantly. 
Spells are literally cast faster than you can finish the incantation. AC 
bonus is nice, but unimportant.
Location: Sold by Deidre at the Adventurer's Mart (bonus CD).

Ring of Wizardry: Bonus 5th, 6th, and 7th level spells. A boon, for any mage, 
more so for a Sorcerer. Very nice. 
Location: Harper's Hold. After the first battle with Harpers.

Ring of Acuity: Bonus 2nd, 3rd, and 4th level spells. Goes very nice with the 
ring of Wizardry.
Location: Planar Sphere, on Lavok's body.

AC 3 Bracers: These will take care of your AC once and for all. You can get 
them early too.
Location: Sold by Ribald at the Adventurer's Mart.

+2 AC Cloak: aside from the AC bonus you also get +2 to saving throws which 
is invaluable.
Location: Don't remember. Honestly.

That pretty much sums it up for your Sorcerer's equipment, there are a few other 
items, but these are the best.

7. Battle Tactics

   Total Invulnerability:
Stoneskin + Blue + Mirror Image + Fire Shield makes your Sorcerer pretty much  
invulnerable to melee attacks. 

   Very useful when you don't feel like involving your party in the battle.
I usually just waltz my Sorcerer in the room jam-packed with tough monsters, 
give them some time to swarm around me, then cast Sunfires until everything 
is dead. I have yet to see this strategy fail, because it's a win-win 
situation: first of all, you are already very hard to hit. If they DO manage 
to hit you, one of the two things will happen; you lose one mirror image, AND 
whoever hit you gets zapped by the fire shield (yes, they get zapped
even if they hit a mirror image). Or, if you're unlucky, you lose one 
Stoneskin, AND whoever hit you gets zapped by the fire shield. This makes 
Fire Shield a decent offensive weapon, as you can just walk in and do 
absolutely nothing, and still hurt your enemies.

You can also combine total invulnerability with Tenser's Transformation, 
making your Sorcerer the single toughest warrior in the field. This is the 
way I battle dragons at lower levels (before Finger of Death). I Breach the 
dragon, then cast TT and move in with my Sorcerer... I let the dragon beat on 
me while my REAL warriors do the REAL damage. Haven't had a single casualty 
when battling dragons in this manner. Tenser's Transformation also makes 
killing Golems with my Sorcerer a snap. No matter how hard or fast those 
Golems hit, it's never hard enough or fast enough. Yes, this way your 
Sorcerer can kill Golems all by his little self. Sure, you can do the same 
thing using the Magic route, i.e. knock their Resistance with 3 Lower 
Resists, and then proceed to fire up spells, but it takes longer and uses up 
too many spells.

   Finger of Death:
This is the ultimate one-shot killer spell, IF you do it right. In order for 
it to work properly, you MUST insure its success, meaning...a  few pre-
emptive Secret Words a Warding Whip thrown in for good measure, and 
(drumbeat!) Greater Malison. Add Lower resistance when necessary. With this 
setup, Finger of Death usually works on the first try.
I successfully killed magic-immune Sarevok this way, although he did require 
4 Lower Resists.

This is how I usually use my Sorcerer when he battles alone. When I feel like 
involving the whole party, I just limit him to Breaching/True Sighting/Secret 
Wording/Slowing my opponents.
   That is all what is really needed from him in a group fight.

All in all, I find the Sorcerer class to be extremely enjoyable and quite 
easy to play. It is the perfect class to learn the ins and outs of magic, as 
long as you suit your spell picks to your gameplay style. And that concludes 
my Sorcerer's Guide.

Questions? Comments? Drop me a line at rvgrigoriev@mdeintl.com

Disclaimer: the writer of this guide is in no way responsible for any
wrong doing committed by anyone upon reading this guide, bla, bla, bla.
In other words, if you do something stupid, don't blame me.

Copyright notice: this guide is the sole property of Roman Grigoriev. Feel 
free to distribute it, but do not modify it or charge money for it. Okay? 
thanks.
