Part I Character Generation and Training

Disclaimer: I stress being versatile, with multiple attack options. This is not the only approach! Now, having said that ...

Sorcerers are a hybrid that have access to both the Spirit and Elemental circles. You will not be as good with spirit spells as a cleric, or as good with elemental spells as a wizard. Your advantage comes from having access to both Circles. To succeed you must plan your character out carefully for at least the first 20 levels. Take advantage of your versatility, it is your main strength.

Realize that your skills cost more development points than for other spell users. To compensate, you need to get as many developmental points as you can, especially mental points. Of the ten numbers rolled, the first three are weighted to be above 60, and the last is completely random. Keep rolling until you get at least one number over 90, and the other three over 75. Preferably, you'd like one in the high 90's, one at or slightly below 90, and the rest over 80. If possible (time permitting), also try not to get anything in the 20's or 30's on the remaining rolls. This may take about an hour of rolling, I'm not certain on the time with the different service providers, I have not seen an automated character generation script that works except for the one available for folks using the GEnie network.

Different stats are used to calculate mental and physical development points available to train your character. However, Discipline and Aura are used to calculate both types of training points. Therefore you want to place that high 90's roll into Discipline, and that 90 (or the next highest roll) into aura. Aura is used for mana. How much mana you have determines how often  you may cast spells, as each spell cost a set amount of mana to cast. You want this very high. Sorcerers get +10 added to both Aura and Wisdom, so it is a waste to put in a number over 90 into either. This approach helps insure you the highest possible number of development points and mana.

Most older sorcerers have placed their third highest roll into Wisdom. This is because at one point in the games history (pre-Fall 1995) your CS bonus (your bonus to your "to hit" rolls  with Sorcerer spells) and how much mana you had to use was based upon the average of your Aura and Wisdom attributes. Currently, while Wisdom no longer affects your mana generation, it still gets averaged together with your Aura for calculating your CS bonus.  So while there is less need to place your third highest number into Wisdom, I still favor this approach. As to were to place the other rolls, here is were it gets harder. You have to take into consideration your characters race (and the racial modifiers) and how you intend to role-play.

I could tell you what race to choose and what order to place your stats in, and if you followed all of my advice you would have a very successful character. That wouldn't mean you would enjoy role-playing that character though! This is your character and you are the person who has to be happy with the end result! Thats the reason why instead of stating lists I prefer to tell you about the design choices you have and let you choose something you feel comfortable with.

Basically, you have a bit of a dilemma. Sorcerer spells tend to use more mana, and miss more often, than their Wizard counterparts. You will be relying on your sword arm for as many as your first 30 levels, far longer than Wizards. It is therefore tempting to place high numbers into your physical stats, like Strength. However, as you age, the physical abilities become much less important - and you find out that you really would have rather placed those higher rolls into your mental areas were you need them when your older. This is something everyone must decide for themselves.

I suggest trying to make do with as low a physical statistic (Strength, Constitution, etc.) as you feel comfortable with. Plan for the long term and realize that your first 20 years will be tough going. Remember that racial modifiers seem to affect stat increase rates. (i.e. if a race gets a bonus in the stat it seem to go up quicker, if it gets a penalty it seems to go up slower.) There is a popular belief that Dark Elves make the best sorcerers. I believe that depending on how you intend to role-play your character, there are better racial choices. I will go as far as to state that sorcerers of some of the other races, properly generated and trained, actually perform better in the long run, and are more enjoyable to role-play, than Dark Elves. 

My thoughts on some of the character Attributes:

Dexterity affects your ability to hit with elemental spells. I favor placing a number over 50 here, preferable as high as you can spare! Sorcerer's eventually learn the equivalent of a "fireball" on the minor spirit list which will benefit from this stat. We also have access to some of the Wizard spells through the use of wands. This adds an extra dimension to the class. Remember, I stress being versatile and this approach gives you options.

Logic and Intelligence affect how much experience your mind can absorb and how fast it gets absorbed. Sorcerers, historically, are lousy experience earners - so these are good places to dump those low numbers. We have to put them somewhere afterall!

Reflex influences your physical defenses, so try to keep this a positive bonus number. How high a number to place here will be affected by your choice of character race and hunting style.

Charisma is a tough call. Most sorcerers in the game today have placed a low number into this statistic. Yet it is rumored it will play a part in the as yet unimplemented Demonic Summoning spell. It might be best to play it safe and try to achieve a positive bonus number here as well, yet in order to do so you must place an even lower number somewhere else. This will be a point of much debate among sorcerers in the game.

Numbers assigned, your ready for training. This is really rather simple.

Twice per level:

Always learn two spells per level. At level two, you should have the first two spells in each of the three circles (spirit, elemental, and sorcerer). After this - and until you reach level 30, you should learn one spell from the sorcerer circle and one spell from the elemental circle. You may save unused training points to get a third spell every now and then from the spirit circle if you wish.

The sorcerer circle provides you with most of your offensive spells, the elemental with most of your defensive spells and the Elemental Targeting spell - which helps you hit critters. While the spirit circle is tempting, you need to look to your defenses first. At level 30, you can switch to one sorcerer circle spell and one spirit circle spell per level.

Once you have both the spirit and elemental circles learned to the 30th level (a 'lil over level 50 usually), you may want to consider doubling in the sorcerer circle, too really enhance your offensive abilities. This is because the new magic system uses how many spells you know from within a circle when calculating your ability to hit.

Spell Aiming: I stress versatility for sorcerers, which means having as many attack forms available as possible. This lets you hit as hard with an elemental spell as a wizard, you can get the spells in wands, and you will eventually learn one (Fire Spirit)! Additionally, the new versions of the Maelstrom and the Implosion spells in the works will have a tageted option that supposedly relies on spell aiming to hit with your perception skill as one of many modifiers. How much training you need to be good with these new spells is unknown, at least one training per level would be a safe assumption. Expect this skill to become more and more useful to sorcerers.

Once per level:

Shield use: Increases your physical defenses. Helps to parry missile attacks.

Physical Training: You need to increase your health points! When you are maxed out (different races having different maximums) if you can spare the training points keep studying as the excess helps increase the rate at which health points are recovered. This feature is implemented, and that increased recovery rate makes a difference. Can be safely skipped every now and then if you need the training points elsewhere.

Edged or Crushing weapons - pick one category and stick with it. There will come a time when you may stop studying weapon use, but for the first 30 levels or so you must have it.

Mana Sharing: This skill is actually used by at least two sorcerer spells, and the <SEND> command. Always train in this at least once. Never stop training in it. The higher the better.

Scroll Reading: Very useful. Can be skipped every now and then but generally try to train in this once per level until you can use any scroll you find.

Item use: Activates things like wands and rods! Goes hand in hand with spell aiming. This can also be occasionally skipped. Once you find you can easily activate any wand or item in the game, you may want to consider stopping. Older players will still dump a few points into this every now and then in case they find one of those unique magic items that requires a higher level of training to activate. Personal choice of when, if ever, to stop.

Other:

Armor: Train 4 times by level 25-30. You will be wearing AsG5, leather tunic, for all of your early life. Just 4 trainings will allow you to wear AsG6, which adds arm protection and is about 1%-2% more effective on average against attacks. Using anything better armor-wise incurs a spell failure roll. This % to have a spell fail due to wearing these better armors is unacceptable, given the mana intensive nature of sorcerer spells. Statistically the improvement by switching from AsG5 to AsG6 is minor so there are players who stay with AsG5 for their entire lives, but the way I see it every 'lil bit helps.

Perception: Try to train at least once every other level. If possible train every level. This skill has a variety of uses, and you'll need the skill to get into some areas of the game. It is also said to be used in the targeting formula in new versions of the Maelstrom and the Implosion spells. 

Climbing: As much as you can spare. Some areas of the game require some training to enter. There is no agreement on what the minimum recommended training is amongst players. I believe 4 times by level 25 a good minimum, though more is certainly better. Try for at least 10 ranks if you can squeeze it in.

Swimming: Same comment as climbing

First Aid: Usually skipped by allot of players, but if you can spare the points this really comes in handy when you have trained 10 or more times in it (allows use of the <DIAGNOSE <NAME> FULL> command). Also, the <TEND> command for bleeding wounds, the skinning skill modifier for getting pelts from dead critters (which you then sell at the furriers for cash), etc.

Combat Maneuvers: Usually ignored by sorcerers. Most high level critters in the game have special attack forms and this is your main defense against them. Instead of using spare training points to get a third spell every now and then, you are better off spending those same excess points on this skill. You will not regret doing so.

There you have it. My ideas on sorcerer design. The end result is not a specialist, but someone who is well balanced and capable of doing a great many things. This character always has an option or two to use. It's how I do it, at any rate. Others have their own ideas.