Diablo 4: The Unwritten Rules of Playing a Sorcerer Explained

All the classes in Diablo 4have their strengths and weaknesses, offering players different play styles and skill trees to experiment with. The Sorcerer has always been a glass cannon class in Diablo 4, offering powerful offensive magic at the cost of bulk and survivability, making it a class that is easy to pick up but difficult to master. While the utility of a class might change with each seasonal balance patch, there are still some general guidelines Diablo 4 players will want to follow when picking the Sorcerer class.

When it comes to tackling new Diablo 4 Season 3 content like the Gauntlet, the Sorcerer has a few great builds that are great for players looking for a class with a high skill ceiling. With a sixth class planned to come to Diablo 4 with the release of the upcoming Vessel of Hatred expansion, it's unclear how the game's class meta will adapt to this addition. As such, it's a great time to try out the Sorcerer class during Diablo 4 Season 3, but there are some important community-defined rules to keep in mind to ensure the best experience when battling through Sanctuary as this class.

Unwritten Rules for Success When Playing a Sorcerer in Diablo 4

Invest in One Primary Type of Elemental Skill

The Sorcerer's skills fall into three primary elemental types: Pyromancy, Frost, and Shock, with each element capable of inflicting their associated elemental status ailment. As such, it's generally a good idea to stick with one type of element when investing in skills for a Sorcerer build, since these skills tend to have good synergy with one another. For example, Chain Lightning is a very powerful Shock skill for Sorcerers to build their character around, and it synergizes well with other Shock skills like Arc Lash and Unstable Currents.

Utilize the Enchantment Mechanic for the Sorcerer's Specialization

A key part of any Diablo 4 Sorcerer build is taking advantage of the passive effects offered by the Enchantment mechanic that becomes available once players hit level 15. After completing the Sorcerer's specialization quest and gaining access to Enchantments, players can slot a skill in the Enchantment slot to add a unique passive ability to their Sorcerer. These passive abilities are sometimes overlooked but can be incredibly helpful in rounding out a Sorcerer build, offering bonuses like additional chances to activate a skill or increased damage from certain skill types.

The Teleport Skill is a Must-Use for Diablo 4 Sorcerers

While most Diablo 4 Sorcerer builds will require players to invest in specific skills based on what type of elemental damage they want to do, there is one skill that is near-universal for all Sorcerer builds. Teleport is a necessity for Sorcerers in Diablo 4 to help mitigate their poor defenses, since it allows players to teleport out of dangerous situations and reposition to a more favorable location. Since most Sorcerers will utilize ranged magic skills, Teleport can be useful for creating distance between the player and the enemy before unleashing their powerful offensive skills.

Look for Gear with the Mana Cost Reduction Affix

Unlike Diablo 4's Barbarian and Druid classes, which have to generate their own resources, Sorcerers start with a specific amount of available Mana for them to cast skills with. While this Mana regenerates over time, it can be costly for the Sorcerer to constantly be casting their Core Skill in battle, and draining their Mana too quickly could prove fatal. The best way to avoid running into this issue is to make sure the Sorcerer is equipped with gear that offers the Mana Cost Reduction affix, which can be found on armor pieces like boots and amulets.