My group will be starting Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostamaiden soon and I would love to play a winter eladrin white draconic sorcerer. My problem is that many enemies in the book will be resistant, if not immune to cold damage. But playing a cold damage focused character seems sooo thematic for this adventure!
Any tips on how I can mechanically avoid this problem?
I feel you. I have a Goliath wizard that is cold damage focused - but it would seem very much in character for denizens of cold regions to learn fire based spells, knowing that their opponents are either likely resistant to cold (like my Goliath) or have vulnerabilities to fire.
The way I did it was to start him off cold damage focused (everything at level one and two had a bias toward cold damage) but as I level(ed) up, I will add in fire spells. Makes the character a tiny bit less effective at earlier levels but you can afford an excess of flavor over optimization at the early levels.
Frostbite, Ray of Frost, Chromatic Orb (which is great because you can do cold or fire), Ice Knife.
No reason why your sorcy could not have one of each, especially with starting with 4 cantrips: Chil Touch, Ray of Frost, Fire Bolt, whatever else. Level 1 the C Orb works great for both flavor and effect and it scales.
You should also look into secondary damage types and non-damaging control spells. In natural cold-climate phenomena, it's often not the cold itself that kills. Avalanches, blizzards, hail, could lead to thunder, blindness, and bludgeoning damage.
Hey guys,
My group will be starting Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostamaiden soon and I would love to play a winter eladrin white draconic sorcerer. My problem is that many enemies in the book will be resistant, if not immune to cold damage. But playing a cold damage focused character seems sooo thematic for this adventure!
Any tips on how I can mechanically avoid this problem?
Take the Elemental Adept feat and keep some backup spells of other types for the cold-immune enemies.
If a casting character has Fireball on it's list, it should learn Fireball. Really the only excuse not to is if it is 100% out of character.Or totally in character for a character who is scared of fire.
That... is exactly what I said?
If the character is scared of fire, acting in character would be not taking the spell. So they are acting in character, not out of character.
I feel you. I have a Goliath wizard that is cold damage focused - but it would seem very much in character for denizens of cold regions to learn fire based spells, knowing that their opponents are either likely resistant to cold (like my Goliath) or have vulnerabilities to fire.
The way I did it was to start him off cold damage focused (everything at level one and two had a bias toward cold damage) but as I level(ed) up, I will add in fire spells. Makes the character a tiny bit less effective at earlier levels but you can afford an excess of flavor over optimization at the early levels.
Frostbite, Ray of Frost, Chromatic Orb (which is great because you can do cold or fire), Ice Knife.
No reason why your sorcy could not have one of each, especially with starting with 4 cantrips: Chil Touch, Ray of Frost, Fire Bolt, whatever else. Level 1 the C Orb works great for both flavor and effect and it scales.
This, however, assumes you have the expensive Diamond in your possession for the Material Component.
You should also look into secondary damage types and non-damaging control spells. In natural cold-climate phenomena, it's often not the cold itself that kills. Avalanches, blizzards, hail, could lead to thunder, blindness, and bludgeoning damage.
Ice Knife mixes piercing and cold.
Cloud of Daggers does slashing damage and could be shards of ice.
Dragon's Breath is great because it's flexible.
Summon Fey Spirit could be used to conjure another Winter Eladrin who would separately deal piercing and force damage.
Tidal Wave deals bludgeoning and could be an avalanche.
Summon Elemental Water elemental would be easy and does bludgeoning.
etc...
Immunity should be fairly rare, but when it happens, having a few debuff/control spells will come in handy.
Very cool, I hadn't thought about that! Thanks!
I am now slightly leaning toward sorcadin though, so that if opponents are immune to cold, then I can smite my way through the encounter with weapons!