Elven favored class Sorcerer?

[L0rd_Dark0n]

I've started a new campaign, and the issue hasn't come up yet, but I'm thinking about making Sorcerer the favored class for Elves instead of Wizard. To me, Elves are closer to magic than Men, and I have a hard time seeing Elves pour over spellbooks the way Men do. Wizards are the crude forced imitation of Sorcerers. Functional, powerful, but crude. In my worlds, there are far more Human Wizards than Sorcerers. The Sorcerers that are "Human" always have a touch of something extra in their blood. Something in their distant ancestry, be it Elvish, Fey, Celestial, Draconic, Fiendish, something. What I am wondering is, would it upset the balance of the game to have an Elf's favored class as Sorcerer? But the trick is, I also think that Elves should have very powerful magic. As a Sorcerer, they wouldn't have access to higher level spells as soon as Wizards, but then again, they aren't as ambitious for power as Men. What do you all think?

 

[rkanodia]

Personally I think Wizard suits Elves just fine. After all, they have plenty of time to sit around studying spellbooks compared to humans.

At least, if you use 'preferred class' anyway. I think it's a sort of silly idea; clearly, whatever class my character starts as is the one he prefers; who gives a damn what the rest of the race spends its time doing?

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I also think sorcoror makes more sense.

 

[Olive]

i think wizard makes more sense for me, but i'm sure that game balance wouldn't be effected in the least.

 

[Gez]

Making elves sorcerers suppose that they have an affinity with magic itself -- whereas in D&D, they have a fondness with learning magic, because they like it. They're sort of magic nerds.

 

[Argent Silvermage]

My vote for Sorcerer.

The elven god is a god of magic (the only good aligned god who specializes in it from what I can tell) The Elves are directly linked to him because the Elves were formed out of his blood that fell during his battle with the Orc diety. Thus Elves are decended from a being of magic. Sorcerer is a great idea and One I've thought of for a long time was better than wizard. The Blood Mage PRc is a fantastic PRC for them too, the character would be a religious fanatic.

I just thought of this! How about a PRc just for elves that grants spontanious healing like a cleric. it would be "Blessed of Corillion".

 

[Buttercup]

Re: My vote for Sorcerer.

The elven god is a god of magic (the only good aligned god who specializes in it from what I can tell)

This only applies if you're using the pantheon from the PHB. Since most of us use a homebrewed world, we need to come up with another excuse. If one dropped the whole favored class thing, then half elves would suck just that much more! Not that anyone plays them anymore anyway.

But back to the topic. Given that elves are supposed to be flighty dilettantes, sorcerer does make more sense to me than wizard. Can't you just see them studying a spell and getting distracted by a butterfly or something?

 

[Flyspeck23]

Although I think it would be alright if you made sorcerer the elves' favorite class (if you use that concept), I'd be careful in making all elven sorcerers always more powerful than other sorcerers (by using the wizard's spell progression). You could design a prestige class who'd do just that, however.

 

[Psion]

Re: Re: My vote for Sorcerer.

This only applies if you're using the pantheon from the PHB. Since most of us use a homebrewed world, we need to come up with another excuse.

I have a homebrew world... and I use the same "demihuman deities" I have been using for years... which are the same ones that were in 1e UA & DDG.

That said, I don't use the all-too-specific greyhawk deities.

But back to the topic. Given that elves are supposed to be flighty dilettantes, sorcerer does make more sense to me than wizard. Can't you just see them studying a spell and getting distracted by a butterfly or something?

In Dynasties & Demagouges, Chris Aylott hits the nail on the head by stating that there are three typical concepts for elves. The one you describe is only one... the "flighty nature elf." Flighty nature elves are best represented by wood and wild elves... and lookie what wild elves' favored class is.

The other two concepts for elves are basically "ancient and aloof people" or "magical and benign psuedo-humans."

The idea of elves being wizards does fit the anciet elf idea very well. Elves under this concept are steeped in ancient lore, and their power stems from their collective racial knowledge. Wizard is perfectly appropriate for this.

At any rate, wizard or sorcerer works fine depending on your favored concept of elves... so pick whatever you want and run with it. But don't sit here and try to tell everyone that your way "makes more sense." It's all a matter of taste.

 

[mmu1]

I don't think that giving a race that's supposed to have a deep and profound connection to and understanding of magic a favored class that's a limited and second-class spellcaster a very good idea.

These guys are around for hundreds of years, and I have trouble taking a 350 year old arch-mage who only knows 6 3rd level spells seriously.

The sorcerer class might have the right flavor text for Elves, or anyone for whom magic is "natural", but in terms of game mechanics, it doesn't represent anywhere near the kind of in-depth understanding you'd expect someone with innate magic ability to have.