POLL: Sorcerer spells in normal mode - level eight

Remove all ads!

Grading scale:
A: Powerful
B: Effective
C: Marginal or highly situational.
D: Ineffective. Do not learn.
F: Worthless. Do not learn.

A sorcerer learns his first 8th level spell at level 16, and a second 8th level spell at level 17.

Assume a "normal" party of cleric, sorcerer, fighter, etc.

Sorcerer spells discussion: http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/14/2930.html

Poll Information
This poll contains 14 question(s). 12 user(s) have voted.

Poll Results: Sorcerer spells in normal mode - level eight (12 votes.)

Fiery Cloud (Choose 1)
* A - 8% (1)
* B - 17% (2)
* C - 67% (8)
* D - 8% (1)
* F - 0% (0)

Flaying (Choose 1)
* A - 8% (1)
* B - 42% (5)
* C - 8% (1)
* D - 17% (2)
* F - 25% (3)

Great Shout (Choose 1)
* A - 8% (1)
* B - 0% (0)
* C - 42% (5)
* D - 42% (5)
* F - 8% (1)

Horrid Wilting (Choose 1)
* A - 75% (9)
* B - 17% (2)
* C - 8% (1)
* D - 0% (0)
* F - 0% (0)

Iron Body (Choose 1)
* A - 0% (0)
* B - 17% (2)
* C - 42% (5)
* D - 8% (1)
* F - 33% (4)

Mind Blank (Choose 1)
* A - 42% (5)
* B - 42% (5)
* C - 8% (1)
* D - 0% (0)
* F - 8% (1)

Power Word Blind (Choose 1)
* A - 25% (3)
* B - 17% (2)
* C - 50% (6)
* D - 8% (1)
* F - 0% (0)

Summon Fiend (Choose 1)
* A - 8% (1)
* B - 8% (1)
* C - 58% (7)
* D - 0% (0)
* F - 25% (3)

Summon Monster VIII (Choose 1)
* A - 0% (0)
* B - 33% (4)
* C - 58% (7)
* D - 0% (0)
* F - 8% (1)

Symbol of Death (Choose 1)
* A - 0% (0)
* B - 17% (2)
* C - 25% (3)
* D - 42% (5)
* F - 17% (2)

Symbol of Fear (Choose 1)
* A - 0% (0)
* B - 17% (2)
* C - 33% (4)
* D - 25% (3)
* F - 25% (3)

Symbol of Hopelessness (Choose 1)
* A - 42% (5)
* B - 17% (2)
* C - 33% (4)
* D - 8% (1)
* F - 0% (0)

Symbol of Pain (Choose 1)
* A - 0% (0)
* B - 0% (0)
* C - 50% (6)
* D - 25% (3)
* F - 25% (3)

Symbol of Stunning (Choose 1)
* A - 0% (0)
* B - 25% (3)
* C - 50% (6)
* D - 17% (2)
* F - 8% (1)

 

Bump! More votes please.

Rather than spam the board by bumping the other eight polls, here are links to them:

level nine
level seven
level six
level five
level four
level three
level two
level one

 

HW is a winner, doing insane amounts of cruel damage which can not be evaded. Undead are immune to this spell so they make excellent fodders.

Flaying is nice and there is no scroll for it AFAIK. Sorcs should get it to deal massive damage to a single target in a blink. (short casting time helps! besides the spell is cruel and cool! Although its secondary effect, bleeding, is rather laughable.)

Symbol of Hopelessnes is also exceedingly good. IIRC there is no scroll for it in the game neither, so pick it up as a Sorc! It can stop hordes of enemies in their tracks, (better than symbol of fear as panicked enemies are annoying) and has a relatively short casting time. Good!

 

Have those that gave symbol of hopelessness less than A-grade even tried it?

I always used to think that the spell description didn't sound too good and always choce HW as a first choice and spells like flaying and Fiery cloud as second.
That was until I once tried SOH in one though fight when I had played for long without resting and didn't have much spells left. I couldn't cast HW without hitting my party members so I tried SOH that I had picked as second choice that time. All but one of the 10+ enemies as if I had cast a party time stop! And the best part of it - It lasted almost forever (well 10 rounds, but with paralysed enemies that's probably most of the battle).
That seemingly though battle suddenly became really easy.

Nowadays I consider SOH as one of the super-spells together with the lvl 9 spells MD and WotB and the extremly useful mirror image and not far from the unpatched Animate dead and improved invis.