Beefing up the Sorcerer?

[Mister Mojo]

I know this issue has been debated to the dogs and back, but I thought it might be interesting to collect some ideas in one place. I have noticed IMC (as many of you seem to have noticed) that the Sorcerer, while an intriguing class, really gets nothing interesting at later levels other than "more spells."

Now as someone who played AD&D and OD&D for years and who was thrilled enough at the idea of Feats (Fallout Perks made true!) this didn't bother me initially. But as we played deeper into various campaigns, it became stunningly obvious that there is absolutely no incentive for a Sorcerer NOT to pick up some prestige class or other. Not one. Even the Wizard gets bonus feats.

Now I understand the Sorcerer's familiar won't progress, but that hardly seems to balance against even the most basic powers of a Loremaster, to say nothing of the Eldritch Knight, Mystic Theurge, or more exotic PrC's floating around out there.

So my question for all of you ... what have you been doing to make the Sorcerer more interesting? I've been considering allowing the same bonus Feats as the as the Wizard, or perhaps giving d6 hp, but I've never been much of a rules designer. So what's going on out there in your campaigns?

 

[Wippit Guud]

Monte's Sorc in BoEM2 is perfect.

Just started playong one in a campaign set in Egypt, concept is a staff fighter. Feats will be all fighting feats to augment the spells. with d6 HD and 6 skill points, really geta good base to start with.

Hate to see a pure spellcasting sorc in that vairant, probably be sick

 

[krunchyfrogg]

Just adding Bluff to the skill list in 3.5 helps so much. Being able to swap some spells helps too.

Sorcerers should either have a d6 HD and/or 4 skill points per level (they're tougher and more streetwise than wizards since they haven't been locked up reading books all the time).

 

[Larry Fitz]

A d6 HD works for me, and adding bluff as a class skill, but why should they have more skill points? IMCs Sorcerors are supposed to be dragon-blooded (only a little though) I don't let PC's take a level in it later on, if they want to learn how to cast arcane spells they can become a wizard. I like the balace of sorcerors as is really, the idea of innate magic use instead of studied magic use appeals to me, and in some ways since hey have not learned to optimize it, they should be penalized.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Since you're looking at house rules to alter the sorcerer, I'll move this there.

 

[Mister Mojo]

Since you're looking at house rules to alter the sorcerer, I'll move this there.

Sorry. I'm still not really hip to where different topics are supposed to go.

 

[Nifft]

I have a thread here:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58825

... which describes my changes to improve the Sorcerer class.

-- Nifft

 

[Nightfall]

Bah if you want an improved sorcerer, get Blessed of Mesos!

 

[Liquid Snake]

Nightfall, please do remind me what Blessed of Mesos is about.

*I'm feeling to lazy to look it up myself on my SL books*

 

[Vrylakos]

Well, my long-standing efforts, which has endured some playtesting, is on my website. Check the update history for a quick link to it, the "Sorcerer Domain System" - choose a source of your sorcerer's arcane power, each of which has arcane bloodline domains associated with it. I'm considering revising it and overhauling the website as well, since I haven't touched it in over a year...

Vrylakos