Talk:Sorcerer/@comment-142.254.101.158-20190722074624

Basic Dragon Disciple vs Sorcerer broken down into a single quick post.

DD major advantages are permanent, non-dispellable fire resistance, d6 hit die means about 10 extra hit points, -5 AC by level 20, losing a spell slot per level.

Full disclosure I've played a mostly solo (some quests need companions to activate) DD run on Core difficulty. I use a lot of scrolls to cover spells I don't know or to extend use of spells I use a lot, since you swim in money in a solo run. Wands take inventory slots so I tend to mule extras on NPCs.

In BG1, DD (with ring of wizardry) gives up 2 L1, 1 L2, 1 L3 1 L4 spell slot. You can get to 90% fire resistance with a single ring slot, using consumables to get over 100% on rare situations where you need it. The AC boost is enough to reduce the speed of mirror image/stoneskin destruction, probably enough to make up for the L2/4 slot especially in situations where you are running potions of defense or spirit armor (there are 20 scrolls for sale in sorcerous cundries), and the L3 slot is the one you'd spend for resist fire if you want 100% fire resistance (useful vs kobolds, traps, enemy wizards, demons and your own fireball wands at ground zero). I'd say in BG1 advantage is DD, partly because passive defenses are always up on those huge empty maps. The breath weapon +hp more than makes up for the lost 2 L1 slots.

In SOD, I'd slot the breath weapon as the replacement for the L5 spell slot, making the tradeoff about 10hp for two L1 slots. Again advantage DD but you could argue some fights (especially in Hell) need every slot you can muster (although undispellable fire resist is also nice for the earlier fights in Hell). I went in with a giant pile of potions and scrolls though so I didn't run out of slots. My main problem was simply contributing enough offence in the final fight (protip, make sure a certain NPC doesn't die or switch sides in the dialog).

In BG2 SOD/TOB the loss of a L6, 7, 8 and 9 slot are serious (the basic kid advantages mostly compensate for the L1-5 slots as noted above). But one thing I've never seen anybody talk about is slayer form. Passive 100% fire resist (which works on traps/natural fire not just magical fire like cloak of mirroring) and -5 AC is a big *** deal when in slayer form (you did take prot from magic energy right?  and save all those imp haste item/scrolls for extra slayer offense). Yes, in slayer form you can actually tank most opponents if you gear correctly with that extra AC boost and you can clear a lot of trash maps with zero spells used except for prebuffing with turn/level passive buffs like prot magic energy/lightning etc. Most spell support a slayer needs can be done with consumables or sequencers. When it is time to reload sequencers/rebuff or nova for a big fight with time stop or whatever you go back to human form, with far less wasted just getting through the fights. (stoneskin lasts a LONG time in slayer form with -5 passive AC+AC gear and you don't need mirror image at all). YMMV with higher difficulties or core.

In a party, I'd go with pure sorcerer as the DD stuff is mostly 'be tougher' and the breath weapon isn't party friendly. Solo I really dig what DD brings to the table.