GameBanshee Forums

anyone have any good ideas on the best way to play a sorc on the highest difficulty for single player? im talking mainly about stuff like familiar, spells used, and best way to use spells.

Well that depends per player.
But if you're new to the game, and not familiar with the spells, i would choose a wizzard instread.

For familiar I would go for either the Panter or the Fariey(sp?).
THe panter is a nice tank for you at the lower levels and the Fariey is an okay thief familar for thoese pesky traps. (Locks you can blow open most of the time with spells anyway)

i say you take a combination of transumitation, evocation and illusion spells and a few conjuration and necromancy spells (if you are interested in a all-school-sorcerer type of a sorcerer...).
other then that, it depends on you

It would be nice if you state what level you are. If you're a lower level, burning hands can be very useful for taking out dangerous swarms. A bit higher, and fireball's going to be your main spell, while haste is very useful. Higher than that, learn what enemies cone of cold's good for, otherwise start maximizing or empowering spells. Even higher, chain lightning is the ultimate spell: party friendly, tons of damage, few monsters are resistant, and hits a lot of enemies (as well as any pesky chests in the area).

If you have ninth level spells, I'm not sure why you'd be asking for help: timestop.

Anyway, it's a good idea to figure out whether you're more a "wait while your enemies die in a cloudkill" strategist, a "nuke'em till they glow" offensive, a "hide behind Daelan" buffer, a "reload, reload, reload" instant-death maniac, or a combination of them all. Then base your spells accordingly.

I find what can be useful is checking what your enemies use against you: I discovered the wonders of chain lightning after a bunch of one type of enemy spellcasters kept killing me with it. I discovered the use of finger of death when one spellcaster in the back zapped me. Upon reloading, he was the one on the receiving end.

im not on a level, i havent started it yet. I have already beaten this with sorc before, and i play pen and paper d&d, so i know all the basics like burning hands in the beginning, and aoe damage spells in end like chain lightning and cone of cold. what i need advice for is how to hold off enemys effectively with the enemys doing double damage, and the best way to damage enemys without bombing my units too. also, ive heard that hellhound can be a good familiar, and a good combo with fireball. does this work well in this difficulty setting, can he survive in late game, and is he still usefull then?

Wihtout having played at that difficulty myself - I would think a tank familiar is very vulnerable at that level - unless they themselves get a boost.

Loosing your faimilar at the lower 2-3 levels can be devestating if it happens while you are in a fight.
I would go for a more defensive familiar though.

As for holding enermies off - I would think the best thing is simply haste and run away - cast spell - run away - cast more.
(called kiting)