ESO: Sorcerer as the DPS - Sorcerer class, tips, skills ESO guide, tips
Sorcerer as the DPS: General information, Recommended build, Recommended item types
Last update: 07 July 2020
This page of The Elder Scrolls Online guide has a recommended Sorcerer build. Its idea is to make a Sorcerer become a DPS focused on dealing as much damage as possible. We have prepared general information about this character build and listed the most useful skills.
General information
Sorcerer is a typical class created for the purpose of dealing damage, controlling groups of enemies and healing both oneself, and the party. This chapter focuses on the description of the most important properties of the Sorcerer class at dealing damage. Arguably, along with the rogue, this is the most effective class, as far as dealing damage, within a short time window, is concerned. The shortcomings of this class are the main defense statistics. This is due to the fact that, to use your passive abilities effectively, you need to wear a light armor (the so called Glass Cannon). Fortunately enough, if you use the vast array of your abilities efficiently, you are capable of withstanding even the greatest of challenges (PvE and PvP).
Recommended build
Sorcerer, as a damage dealer, focuses mainly on offensive ability trees.
- Destruction Staff - allows you to deal damage from magic with fire, frost and lightning. The effect depends on the type of staff that you are using at a given moment (ice slows down, fire decreases the magic defense statistics and lightning cause a chain reaction and hop onto the nearby opponents).
- Dark Magic - this tree allows you to deal damage and control the opponents. Its main ability deals huge damage from magic and slows the opponent down. Definitely one of the best abilities that should be unlocked in the first place.
- Light Armor - the tree that determines the passive abilities, which provide a bonus only if you use light armor (in the majority of cases, each element of light bonus carries a certain bonus with it).
- Storm Calling - it is a tree that entirely revolves around dealing damage with lightning. Here, you will find the most useful ones, which you are going to use throughout the entire game.
- Daedric Summoning - this tree focuses on summoning creatures that fight on your side, but there also are damage-dealing abilities here, as well as and excellent final ability, which get you out of trouble many times.
- Mages Guild - this tree is an optional one, due to the fact that it is difficult to learn it and it requires progress in the mages' guild missions and collecting of Lorebooks. Still, there is a ability here that deals a lot of damage.
In the set connected with the first weapon, you focus mainly on the offensive abilities. It is ideal for hunting in groups, in dungeons, where you get healed after sustaining damage. The basic weapon is the magic staff of ice, fire or lightning (Destruction Staff). The first ability can be used against a single target (Crystal Fragments). It deals huge damage and, in combination with luck, you stand a chance to kill the opponent with one ability, through a critical hit. If the opponent survives, you additionally cast Weakness to Elements, which decreases their defense to elements. If the opponent is all by himself, cast Endless Fury, which will probably kill them with the explosion (20% of health). If there are several opponents, cast Lightning Splash into the middle of the group and finish them off, one by one, with the Endless Fury. After casting Liquid Lightning, an ally can activate synergy, which will cause a Nova and deal lots of damage over vast area. The Inner Light is to be initiated and it remains on, until death. Use the ultimate ability only in heavy clashes, which provides you with lots of damage, not only against bosses, but also against groups of monsters and the other PvP players.
 | Ability name | Ability description |
 | 1. Crystal Shard + Morph on Crystal Fragments | This ability deals a lot of damage and knocks the opponent down |
 | 2. Mages Fury + Morph on Endless Fury | This ability deals lightning damage and explodes, as soon as the opponent's health drops below 20%. Morph - regenerates Magicka when you kill an opponent with this ability. |
 | 3. Lightning Splash + Morph on Liquid Lightning | AoE that deals lightning damage. Morph on higher damage on the first hit. |
 | 4. Weakness to Elements + Morph on Elemental Drain | Buff cast on the opponent, which decreases his defense against fire, lightning and cold. Morph on replenishing Magicka, while attacking the opponent with elemental magic. |
 | 5. Magelight + Morph on Inner Light | Toggled ability - increases your chances to score a critical hit. Morph increases the chances of the occurrence of the critical hit. |
 | R. Overload + Morph on Energy Overload | Ultimate ability. While using the heavy attack, destroys everything in its path. Morph on Magicka regeneration. |
In the set with the second weapon, you will focus on playing solo so, it is a good idea to have a good healing ability on the selection bar (it is necessary to use the Restoration Staff). With this build, you are capable of handling any situation, be it a group of monsters, be it a boss. The order is similar as in the case of the first weapon and, when your health drops to a critical level, cast the Healing Springs. The monster that you summon will charge at the opponents and the entire fire will focus on it so, it is a good idea to keep an eye on its health bar. The ultimate ability draws attention not only away from you, but also away from the summon, which makes you even safer. Atronach can be healed at any moment and reflect the opponents at a distance and, if there is an ally nearby, he can activate synergy, which increases the damage dealt by the summon.
 | Ability name | Ability description |
 | 1. Crystal Shard + Morph on Crystal Fragments | The ability deals lots of damage and knocks down the opponent. |
 | 2. Mages Fury + Morph on Endless Fury | The ability deals damage from lightning and explodes when the opponents health drops below 20%. Morph - regenerates Magicka when you kill an opponent with this ability. |
 | 3. Grand Healing + Morph on Healing Springs | Healing ability that acts on you and on all the allies within reach. Morph on regeneration of Magicka, if the ability touches to an ally. |
 | 4. Lightning Splash + Morph on Liquid Lightning | AoE ability that deals damage from lightning. Morph on higher damage at first strike. |
 | 5. Unstable Familiar + Morph on Unstable Clannfear | Ability to summon a monster that fights on your side. Morph on increasing health of the summon. |
 | R. Summon Storm Atronach + Morph on Greater Storm Atronach | Ultimate ability. You summon a Storm Atronach that stuns opponents within the reach of its ability and shocks with electricity, whenever they are within its reach. Morph on increasing of health and duration of the ability. |
As a class, Sorcerer requires, of the player, the highest Magicka amount. It is, therefore, a good thing if you spend the point on Magicka, each time you reach a higher level. At some point, the amount will be disproportionately higher than the value of the rest of the statistics and the game will impose a penalty on you, in the form of lower amount of points awarded for Magicka (usually 15, with the penalty - 10). At such moments, it is a good idea to focus on another one. Since the sorcerer does not make too much use of Stamina-based abilities, it is a good idea to spend the points on Health, which offers you a longer life expectancy in the battlefield, thanks to which, you will partially alleviate the effect of the "Glass Cannon".
Recommended item types
The items that you need for the game, are typical for the Sorcerer class. Of course, there is nothing standing in your way, if you want to use completely different weapons but, for this build, the ones that work best are the ones intended for mages.
- Destruction Staff - you need the Destruction Staff for the first weapon, This is the most effective weapons, when it comes to dealing damage. You first decrease the defense against elements and use this to your advantage to attack with this type of weapon. In this build, you focus mainly on the highest possible chances of critical hits so, a good choice is the Precise trait, which raises that factor.
- Restoration Staff - To use healing abilities, you need the currently used restoration staff. Although this is a healing weapon, you can still use a series of magic attacks and launch the heavy attack with the weapon itself. Here, you use spells that deal damage from magic and regenerate magicka.
- Light Armor - As the Sorcerer, you mainly focus on using the bonuses provided by passive abilities. This is a good solution, because even in the fight with a group of mobs and a boss, you will not run out of Magicka. Use light armor with spells to increase the magicka factor. Magic defense allows you to withstand magic attacks, even coming from the heaviest of the opponents and critical damage and avoiding of the opponents' magic defense allows you to deal with them quickly.
- Accessories - Accessories, i.e. the necklace and rings. You can choose the ones that provide you with higher damage from magic, decrease the cost of Magicka or raise the Magicka amount.
- Mundus Stone - use The Thief stone, which increase the chances at critical hit.