Tome Of Sorcery
by Lady Nei Blave 
What I've learned about being a Sorcerer in Elanthia is rather hard to express. Basically, I feel like the way to succeed as a Sorcerer is looking at the big picture. Its like watching TV. Get too close, and all you see is a bunch of dots. But if you back up, everything will be much clearer.
If you have ever read a GemStone guide, you know that Sorcerers start out weak. But you don't *have* too :). A well designed Sorcerer who knows what to do is a deadly character, regardless of level. But of course Sorcerers are hard to play, and becoming this "well designed Sorc" is even harder. But it can be done, and hopefully I can help you do it :).
Making it to 4th level... Fast
We all know what its like to be level 1. It stinks right? Well, the best way to get from 1st to 4th is to deliver messages. It will earn you lots of silver, and if you know what you're doing, can keep your mind at "Must Rest" for a long time. But there is something that you absolutely need when delivering messages. Make sure you have a map. And if you don't have one, go get it!. Now, you might say, "Geesh, this is boring, I want to go kill something!". Well, if thats the way you feel, then by all means do it. But learning your way around the town will help you greatly in the future. Oh, one little tip. The system has been changed so that you *must* deliver the message you were given. If you eat it, or drop it, the clerk will be upset and refuse to give you another for a little while.
How to train yourself

Training yourself as a new Sorcerer is a very difficult thing to do. Anybody who knows how to play effectively, knows you can't have a good sorc unless you get great rolls in the CM. Its important to try to get nothing less than a total of 630 when rolling for stats. It is also very important to start with a high Aura, as close to 100 as possible. This will give you many advantages: 
•	High Spirit levels
•	High amount of Mana to begin with
•	High Casting Strength (CS)
All of these things are VERY important to a Sorcerer. In fact, a lot of mana and a high CS can advance you all on their own. But getting a good CS is a lot harder than you might think. To get the highest possible CS you would have to: 
•	Train in the Sorcerer Circle every level, and even past spells that you cannot even cast.
•	Have an Aura of 100.
•	Have a race that gives you a high Aura bonus.
So while the last two don't seem that bad, the first one is the kicker. To get the highest CS possible, you must overtrain in the Sorc Circle. Meaning: You must learn spells that you cannot cast yet (remember, you can only cast 5th level and under spells if you're 5th level, but you can learn past that). BUT, if you choose to go this way, it is important to still get spells in other Circles that will help you. Having the first three spells of Minor Spirit (Protection I, Aura, and Spirit Barrier) are great spells as a Sorcerer. Because our spells are not affected by Spirit Barrier (only things like swinging a sword, or casting a fire bolt are) we can get an extra +50 DS without any side effects. There is also another important factor of CS. If you are attacking something one level below you, you get an extra +3, two levels +6, three levels +9, etc. BUT, if you're attacking something one level above you, you recieve a penalty of -3. So, you'll probably have to hunt at the same level or below. Not very fair is it? Well, life isn't fair either ;). Oh, one thing I forgot to mention: The weapon you'll use for your entire career is Mana Disruption. Keep that in mind, and remember it doesn't work well against creatures with armor.

Weapon training, or Magic training?

One thing every Sorc must decided is their weapon of choice. Some Sorcs train every level in Edged Weapons. Some even go far enough to train in Ambushing and Two-Handed Weapons (although this is very rare). Yet others decide to use spells, and train in Brawling to give them a free hand and more DS at Stance Defensive. There are advantages and disadvantages to both listed here:

The weapon wielders advantages: 
•	You will always have something to fall back on if you run out of Mana. 
•	You can purchase enchanted swords that will add to your AS or inflict crit damage (such as a Drake Falchion). 
•	You do more damage than a Brawler. 
•	You can fight undead if you find someone to bless it (although Sorcs rarely fight undead unless they have to). 
The weapon wielders disadvantages: 
•	Upgrading magical weapons if lost or stolen can become extremely pricey (some of the least enchanted weapons sell for 30,000 silvers). 
•	You incur at *least* a 5 second RT when swinging anything. 
•	By the time you have reached tenth level, you may have spent over 100k on these weapons. Upgrading from a drake falchion, to a mein broadsword, to a vultite broadsword gets expensive. 

The Brawler/Magic user advantages: 
•	You always have a free hand to pick stuff up when hunting. 
•	You incur minimal casting times when casting spells (and even then you go do limited actions). 
•	You don't have to worry about losing a sword if you die. 
•	You save a lot of money not worrying about weapons, and have extra cash to upgrade your shield. 
•	You can participate and win in the Gladiator Games if you're good enough with Brawling. 
•	If you join Vuln (and very few sorcerers do) you'll be very good at the Punch, Kick, and Throw symbols. 
The Brawler/Magic user disadvantages: 
•	**If you run out of mana, Brawling skill does not do very much damage.** 
•	It's extremely expensive to train in. 
•	Brawling weapons are very rare and very expensive. 
•	It is very hard to use only magic at low levels.