Character Classes Sorceress - Class Overview History - Since the time before the Three, the Sorceress has roamed the lands of Sanctuary, a rogue, yet a discplined user of the arcane magics. Descendant of the fourteen members of the clan of Zann Esu, the most well-known and respected of the ancient collaborations of this female practicioners of magic, the Sorceress is shrouded in mystery and surrounded with questions regarding her way of life, her origin, and most importantly, the nature of her magic, which is truly unique in that it requires no instrument of conjuring, very little gestures or words, and yet a great deal of concentration. It is for this reason that the Zann Esu are believed to possess some extent of telepathic abilities. Best described as elemental, the Sorceress is known as a magical being empowered with the forces of nature. From the time she is chosen by the Zann Esu at the tender age of seven, she is involved in a never-ending cycle of learning, striving to achieve the "perfect" magical properties through intense studies and use of skills in the field. Attuning their senses to the elements around them in a given situation, the Sorceress has long been known for focusing present energies into the form of magic she chooses, be it for destruction of a foe, or enchantment of a friendly creature. It is because of this that the Sorceress has gained such recent popularity from the otherwise tormented inhabitants of the various cities remaining in the West, as she is known for her mystifying displays of arcane, yet harmless magic abilities. For as long as most can remember, the clan of Zann Esu has been a secluded, independant lot. Only communicating with the outside world during recruitment missions, not much is known of their intentions towards the Three Prime Evils, although the known facts of their existence would suggest hostilities. Deeming themselves the "superior mages" of the realm of Sanctuary, the Zann Esu know the era at hand as the Emergance of Evil, a time when their presence shall be felt, and their fury shall be unleashed. Although none know of the exact targets of such a strike, most believe, or at least hope that the Sorceress clan will engage in the ongoing struggle with Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal, the Brothers of Destruction. Role - Purely based around magical attacks, the Sorceress is the superior enforcer of any group. Determination, concentration, and a massive reserve of mana highlight her abilities, allowing large increments of damage to be dealt in a very short period. Many have fallen victim to her beauty, becoming too enveloped in her enchanting gaze to realize what is being done to their physical form. Almost gracefully, the Sorceress can move about more quickly than other beings, both assisting and ridding the mortal world of other beings caught within the range of her powers, at her discretion. Strengths and Weaknesses - Basing almost exclusively around magical attacks, one can expect that the Sorceress is skilled in her field. Dealing massive amounts of damage through the uses of fire, cold, and lightning attacks, the Sorceress can evade enemies while still reducing them to a shadow of their previous form. Alongside an intense amount of speed, the Sorceress is able to move about much more quickly than other classes, especially with the ability to teleport in and out of combat. Definately an ability to take into consideration when combating large amounts of monster, or human opponents alike. On the flipside, the Sorceress is perhaps the weakest melee fighter of all classes, virtually dead on contact if struck with the powerful weapon of an Amazon, Barbarian, or Paladin. With this inability comes a dependance on speed and quickness of hand when doing battle. For some, this is a rather difficult skill to pin down, and can lead to an abandoning of characters if as extreme as such a lack of skill can become. Most Important Attribute - Magic, like none other. With a large reserve of magic, the Sorceress cannot be stopped in most cases. Sporting some of the most damage and radius-intensive spells the game has to offer, one can expect that a Sorceress with two times the mana can kill two times the opponents, thus very easily gaining experience, honor, and notoriety throught the realm of Sanctuary. Beginning Attributes - Strength - 10 Dexterity - 25 Vitality - 10 Energy - 35 Stamina - 74 Hit Points - 40 Mana - 35 Level Bonuses - Per level you gain when using a Sorceress, the following bonuses are applied to your character's statistics. It is because of these bonuses that the Sorceress is best-utilized with excessive amounts of energy. Vitality - 2 Life, 1 Stamina Energy - 2 Mana Life - 1 Added to Life Orb Stamina - 1 Added to Stamina Bar Mana - 2 Added to Mana Orb Weapons and Armor - The Sorceress has several weapons, item sets, and unique items that add skill points and are vital to close-combat survival. These weapons and armor are good for all difficulties, but are most important in Hell. Weapon Staff Crossbow Armor Socketed Helm Item Set Angelic Raiment Arcanna's Tricks Cathan's Traps Unique Tarnhelm Frostburns Magefist Stone of Jordan Nagelring Eye of Etlich Nightsmoke Bladebuckle Trads of Cthon Tearhaunch The Salamander The Iron Jang Bong Prefixes Wyrm's (+41-60 to Mana) Prismatic (+15-25% Resis [Amulet], +15% Resist [Ring]) Angel's (+1 Sorceress Skills) Arch-Angel's (+2 Sorceress Skills) Suffixes of Wizardry (+21-30 Mana) of the Vampire (+9-12% Mana Stolen Per Hit) of the Magus (Fastest Cast Rate) Item Concerns - When item-hunting with a Sorceress, it is a good idea to keep an eye out when visiting the healing vendors; Akara, Fara, Ormus, and Jamella. They are the vendors who will be selling the items a Sorceress can use, such as staves with additional free skill points, and the necessary potions for creating some interesting diversions, when used correctly. Definately keep an eye out in the trading channel on Battle.net, also, as rare and extremely powerful items for Sorceresses are always being traded by Paladins and Barbarians alike. Always keep an extra Paladin or Barbarian item on hand for this reason, as they will want something quite decent in return for what they have. All in all, look for the stave you need, and the listed uniques and jewelry, and you will be set.