update -koz-ivan wrote:wizards always got a bad rap in iwd2, mostly due to lack of available scrolls - depending on the speed in which you level - the sorc can actually gain the spell(s) you really want faster than their wizard friends.
my current crew is a drow wizard & an asimar sorc, both were pure class, somewhere around level 10 the sorc picked up a pally level for absurdly high saves.
now, scrolls...
the drow wizard has been getting scrolls after hitting the requisite levels to cast them, in most cases it is a slight delay - of an area or two, but if the wizard was leveling faster (no 2 ecl penalty, using mules or squatting tricks) it would have been a longer wait. the real "pain points" have been:
fireball & skulltrap @ spell level 3.
pretty much anything at spell level 5. spells were for sale @ black raven monastery
mords sword & finger of death @ spell level 7. found both in the yuan-ti's temple, chult.
chance to fail while scribing scrolls - i've been quicksaving & dropping the level difficulty to easy to ensure that the scrolls get learned. even with a max int & spellcraft scrolls are failing to scribe on medium or hard. one of the mods i saw addressed this, but oddly it seems not to be working.
minor note - scrolls also cost gold. not a super big deal - but the sorc doesn't get those same costs.
ok now i've had the chance to see how this works in action again.speaking of "friends" - the sorc can turn cha booting spells into more bonus spells,
the sorc can start boosting cha w/ spells or items around level 3-4, the variety of winter wolf gear can even off a round stat score from lv 4, eagles splendor can boost cha by 2-5 pts for 1 hr per level, at levels 9+ you can double pump on rest - rest, cast the boosts, rest for 8 hrs and get all the benefits - more spells and your spells are harder to resist.
the wizard otoh first gets int boosting items in kuldahar, ie chapter 5, my team hasn't left for the hand yet but are ready to go - my wizard gets a choice of a +1 int ring or a +1 int robe.
(meanwhile wisdom casters get a +5 ring, a +1 ring, as well as some potions that will add wisdom)
so while the wizard has more (spell casting) feats, i'm not seeing it reflecting in game action the sorc's spells are just as hard to resist thanks to the easier to boost casting stat. (side note it wasn't the wizard w/ gsf transmutation sticking a disintegrate on the guardian, that was the sorc.)
when my wizard & sorc were both pure classes i'd notice that the sorc could often cast more than just the 1 spell per spell level as documented.
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all that being said - wizard has some other upsides - drow has both the ability for max int & favored class wizard. tiefling allows for 20 int and favored class rogue. it is much easier to use either for a multiclass wizard build.
sorc just doesn't get that, they are much harder to multiclass beyond a token splash of paladin or an xp penalty - and all the pally levels have to be taken in a row.
for my sorc i'm looking at taking my last level as a monk for evasion, may alternately take 2 levels of rogue for evasion and skill pts.