ClaytonCross
Kinder reader Inflection wanted
I was studying my hand book and making classes for fun just to learn some of what makes them tick. Looking at the Wizard school of Evocation I realize they basically have improved versions of several meta magic's.
Evocation Wizard:
Sculpt Spells
Beginning at 2nd level, you can create pockets of relative safety within the effects of your evocation spells. When you cast an evocation spell that affects other creatures that you can see, you can choose a number of them equal to 1 + the spell’s level. The chosen creatures automatically succeed on their saving throws against the spell, and they take no damage if they would normally take half damage on a successful save.
- Evocation spells only (which most of the good AoE spells are evocation so its not much of a restraint)
+Protect more players on 5th level spells or higher
+Take no damage instead of half!!!
+ Free to use, unlimited uses
Sorcerer:
Careful Spell (Meta Magic)
When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do so, you spend 1 sorcery point and choose a number of those creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
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Evocation Wizard:
Empowered Evocation
Beginning at 10th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the damage roll of any wizard evocation spell you cast.
- you get it 4 levels later
+ it effects most if not all of the same spells and ALOT more spells
Sorcerer: Draconic Bloodline
Elemental Affinity
Starting at 6th level, when you cast a spell that deals damage o f the type associated with your draconic ancestry, add your Charisma modifier to that damage. At the same time, you can spend 1 sorcery point to gain resistance to that damage type for 1 hour.
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Evocation Wizard:
Overchannel
Starting at 14th level, you can increase the power of your simpler spells. When you cast a w izard spell of 5th level or lower that deals damage, you can deal maximum damage with that spell. The first time you do so, you suffer no adverse effect. If you use this feature again before you finish a long rest, you take 2d12 necrotic damage for each level of the spell, immediately after you cast it. Each time you use this feature again before finishing a long rest, the necrotic damage per spell level increases by 1d 12. This damage ignores resistance and immunity.
- Multiple uses causes damage (but once a day its free... also, the times where taking the damage is worth it is exactly when you need an ability like this most.)
+ Maximum damage instead of higher damage
+ Ignores resistance (as if max damage wasn't strong enough, lets make it reliable too)
Sorcerer:
Empowered Spell (Meta magic)
When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls.You can use Empowered Spell even if you have already used a different Metamagic option during the casting of the spell.
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+/=Sorcerers get 4 meta magic's total. The Evocation Wizard basically gets 3 that are significantly better.
+Sorcerers can only use 2 at once if once of them is empower. Wizards can use all 3 on the same spell really hitting hard when you need it.
Now the next thought is multiclass to get the Wizard with 3 levels of Sorcerer to get 2 meta magic's. Which is possible. However, a level 18 wizard get Spell Mastery basically letting them cast:
--- Burning Hands (3d6+5 15ft cone AoE) as a cantrip that ignores 2 allies
--- Shatter (3d8+5 20 diameter sphere AoE ) as a cantrip that ignores 3 allies
Which might not seem super good compared to:
--- Flame Bolt lvl 17 (4d10+5 single target)
But Consider multiple targets engaged with allies and the fact that Evocation Wizards get Flame Bolt too..
--- Burning Hands: 1 target (4-23 dpr), 2 targets (8-46 dpr), 3 targets (12-69 dpr) --- Dex save for half, reflected in min.
--- Shatter: 1 target (4-29 dpr), 2 targets (8-58 dpr), 3 targets (12-87 dpr) --- Con save for half, reflected in min.
--- Flame Bolt lvl 17: 1 target (9-45) Twinned at 2 Targets (18-90) Quickened for 3 Targets (27-135) --- Requires 3 hits
Spell Mastery
At 18th level, you have achieved such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. Choose a 1st-level w izard spell and a 2nd-level w izard spell that are in your spellbook. You can cast those spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot when you have them prepared. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal. By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.
On the other hand, Sorcerers can cast Cone of Cold up to 10 times in a single day by devouring spells slots 1-4 with Magic Font and creating 5th level spell slots.
Cone of Cold (8d8 +5)
1 target (7-64 dpr), 2 targets (14-128 dpr), 3 targets (21-192 dpr) --- Con save for half, reflected in min.
8 times and using empowered spell and careful spell on 7 of the casts.
Or...
Multi class 2 Evocation Wizard/18 Sorcerer to cast it 6 times using Sculpt Spells, Heighten Spell, and Empowered Spell on all 6 of the casts with 4 sorcery points or 4 levels of lower level spells in some combination.
What makes me think that wizard is still stronger build is that Sorcerers require between 12 and 19 actions to perform this feat of devastation meaning they really need to divide it between 2 battles to be effective. Evocation Wizards are innate and require 0 action economy. So they can do it in all battles and sculpt every single spell with no limit and perform this it all in a single combat. Since Overchannel uses the Wizards health, If the wizard stays out of combat, at higher levels (remembering the don't get it until level 14) the can spend health to burn out the battle field without damaging allies and possibly killing off enemies until before they can fight through to the Wizard.
Now I do realize that twinned makes Sorcerers the ultimate buffer, however I previously held the notion that Wizards were the flexible problem solver casters due to there large selection of spells but Sorcerers were the highest DPR due to focus and metamagic. So did I miss something big that makes Sorcerers more powerful DPR or are Sorcerers relegated to buffer/rpg roles using subtle spell etc? How do you use Sorcerers? (I do understand that Sorcerers DPR is not bad, just that I question there role when compared to Evocation Wizards.)
Evocation Wizard:
Sculpt Spells
Beginning at 2nd level, you can create pockets of relative safety within the effects of your evocation spells. When you cast an evocation spell that affects other creatures that you can see, you can choose a number of them equal to 1 + the spell’s level. The chosen creatures automatically succeed on their saving throws against the spell, and they take no damage if they would normally take half damage on a successful save.
- Evocation spells only (which most of the good AoE spells are evocation so its not much of a restraint)
+Protect more players on 5th level spells or higher
+Take no damage instead of half!!!
+ Free to use, unlimited uses
Sorcerer:
Careful Spell (Meta Magic)
When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do so, you spend 1 sorcery point and choose a number of those creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
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Evocation Wizard:
Empowered Evocation
Beginning at 10th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the damage roll of any wizard evocation spell you cast.
- you get it 4 levels later
+ it effects most if not all of the same spells and ALOT more spells
Sorcerer: Draconic Bloodline
Elemental Affinity
Starting at 6th level, when you cast a spell that deals damage o f the type associated with your draconic ancestry, add your Charisma modifier to that damage. At the same time, you can spend 1 sorcery point to gain resistance to that damage type for 1 hour.
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Evocation Wizard:
Overchannel
Starting at 14th level, you can increase the power of your simpler spells. When you cast a w izard spell of 5th level or lower that deals damage, you can deal maximum damage with that spell. The first time you do so, you suffer no adverse effect. If you use this feature again before you finish a long rest, you take 2d12 necrotic damage for each level of the spell, immediately after you cast it. Each time you use this feature again before finishing a long rest, the necrotic damage per spell level increases by 1d 12. This damage ignores resistance and immunity.
- Multiple uses causes damage (but once a day its free... also, the times where taking the damage is worth it is exactly when you need an ability like this most.)
+ Maximum damage instead of higher damage
+ Ignores resistance (as if max damage wasn't strong enough, lets make it reliable too)
Sorcerer:
Empowered Spell (Meta magic)
When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls.You can use Empowered Spell even if you have already used a different Metamagic option during the casting of the spell.
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+/=Sorcerers get 4 meta magic's total. The Evocation Wizard basically gets 3 that are significantly better.
+Sorcerers can only use 2 at once if once of them is empower. Wizards can use all 3 on the same spell really hitting hard when you need it.
Now the next thought is multiclass to get the Wizard with 3 levels of Sorcerer to get 2 meta magic's. Which is possible. However, a level 18 wizard get Spell Mastery basically letting them cast:
--- Burning Hands (3d6+5 15ft cone AoE) as a cantrip that ignores 2 allies
--- Shatter (3d8+5 20 diameter sphere AoE ) as a cantrip that ignores 3 allies
Which might not seem super good compared to:
--- Flame Bolt lvl 17 (4d10+5 single target)
But Consider multiple targets engaged with allies and the fact that Evocation Wizards get Flame Bolt too..
--- Burning Hands: 1 target (4-23 dpr), 2 targets (8-46 dpr), 3 targets (12-69 dpr) --- Dex save for half, reflected in min.
--- Shatter: 1 target (4-29 dpr), 2 targets (8-58 dpr), 3 targets (12-87 dpr) --- Con save for half, reflected in min.
--- Flame Bolt lvl 17: 1 target (9-45) Twinned at 2 Targets (18-90) Quickened for 3 Targets (27-135) --- Requires 3 hits
Spell Mastery
At 18th level, you have achieved such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. Choose a 1st-level w izard spell and a 2nd-level w izard spell that are in your spellbook. You can cast those spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot when you have them prepared. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal. By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.
On the other hand, Sorcerers can cast Cone of Cold up to 10 times in a single day by devouring spells slots 1-4 with Magic Font and creating 5th level spell slots.
Cone of Cold (8d8 +5)
1 target (7-64 dpr), 2 targets (14-128 dpr), 3 targets (21-192 dpr) --- Con save for half, reflected in min.
8 times and using empowered spell and careful spell on 7 of the casts.
Or...
Multi class 2 Evocation Wizard/18 Sorcerer to cast it 6 times using Sculpt Spells, Heighten Spell, and Empowered Spell on all 6 of the casts with 4 sorcery points or 4 levels of lower level spells in some combination.
What makes me think that wizard is still stronger build is that Sorcerers require between 12 and 19 actions to perform this feat of devastation meaning they really need to divide it between 2 battles to be effective. Evocation Wizards are innate and require 0 action economy. So they can do it in all battles and sculpt every single spell with no limit and perform this it all in a single combat. Since Overchannel uses the Wizards health, If the wizard stays out of combat, at higher levels (remembering the don't get it until level 14) the can spend health to burn out the battle field without damaging allies and possibly killing off enemies until before they can fight through to the Wizard.
Now I do realize that twinned makes Sorcerers the ultimate buffer, however I previously held the notion that Wizards were the flexible problem solver casters due to there large selection of spells but Sorcerers were the highest DPR due to focus and metamagic. So did I miss something big that makes Sorcerers more powerful DPR or are Sorcerers relegated to buffer/rpg roles using subtle spell etc? How do you use Sorcerers? (I do understand that Sorcerers DPR is not bad, just that I question there role when compared to Evocation Wizards.)
At my table, at least, sorcs and wizards have a pretty different feel, and I would compare them based on that experience, rather than theoretical DPR comparisons.
