12-27-2004, 02:08 PM
If I were you, I would stay away from the icebolt, and invest points into another tree. I suggest putting points into fireball/meteor. They synergize each other, and provide a second form of attack when dealing with cold immunes. Fireball also gives you a spammable spell to throw on the left mouse button while shooting orbs. With a decent enough fireball, you can get a nice hit recovery effect that can help keep monsters off your back, as well.
You mention running the pit. Most of the time in the pit, you will find one or two of the base monster types to be cold immune. A second form of attack will be necessary there, if you want to take advantage of the high drops of all monsters found in the pit.
So, for a fireball/meteor/orb sorceress, I'd spend 20 in orb, about 11-17 in cold mastery (depending on +skills--I shoot for at least slvl17 after +skills are accounted), prerequisites in the other cold skills. Drop 20 into fireball and meteor, and points into fire mastery that you can spare from teleport, telekinesis and energy shield. One possible strategy for energy shield is to rely completely on +skills from a memory runeword staff, or from +skills on a staff or sorceress orb. A particularly nice staff for buffing energy shield with a switch weapon is the Warpspear unique Gothic Staff, which has +3 to sorceress skills, as well as +3 to energy shield, telekinesis, and teleport. Avoiding putting hard points in energy shield saves you up to four skill points (energy shield and the charged bolt, lightning, and chain lightning prerequisites).
As far as magic find items, Wyrm gave excellent suggestions. A wealth runeword is spot on, and a rhyme shield also helps blocking and gives some help to resists. I prefer using dragon shields (exceptional version of kite shield), but many folks love those ugly grim shields [shudder]. If you are lucky enough to put a few of the tal's set together (including the armor), you will be in good shape. If you are lucky enough to have the full set, you will have one powerful sorcie. Stick perfect topaz in the fugly mask and armor, and you will be off to the races (meaning you will need to make lotsa mules :P).
Good hunting!
You mention running the pit. Most of the time in the pit, you will find one or two of the base monster types to be cold immune. A second form of attack will be necessary there, if you want to take advantage of the high drops of all monsters found in the pit.
So, for a fireball/meteor/orb sorceress, I'd spend 20 in orb, about 11-17 in cold mastery (depending on +skills--I shoot for at least slvl17 after +skills are accounted), prerequisites in the other cold skills. Drop 20 into fireball and meteor, and points into fire mastery that you can spare from teleport, telekinesis and energy shield. One possible strategy for energy shield is to rely completely on +skills from a memory runeword staff, or from +skills on a staff or sorceress orb. A particularly nice staff for buffing energy shield with a switch weapon is the Warpspear unique Gothic Staff, which has +3 to sorceress skills, as well as +3 to energy shield, telekinesis, and teleport. Avoiding putting hard points in energy shield saves you up to four skill points (energy shield and the charged bolt, lightning, and chain lightning prerequisites).
As far as magic find items, Wyrm gave excellent suggestions. A wealth runeword is spot on, and a rhyme shield also helps blocking and gives some help to resists. I prefer using dragon shields (exceptional version of kite shield), but many folks love those ugly grim shields [shudder]. If you are lucky enough to put a few of the tal's set together (including the armor), you will be in good shape. If you are lucky enough to have the full set, you will have one powerful sorcie. Stick perfect topaz in the fugly mask and armor, and you will be off to the races (meaning you will need to make lotsa mules :P).
Good hunting!