D&D General One thing I hate about the Sorcerer

[CreamCloud0]

That's because "martial" isn't a power source in this game. Its a fan-made description,

Fan made? You mean other than the time it was used as an official power source in the official 4th edition of the game? Maybe it was originally just fan classification but it’s been canonised as a thing that exists now.

 

[James Gasik]

Fan made? You mean other than the time it was used as an official power source in the official 4th edition of the game? Maybe it was originally just fan classification but it’s been canonised as a thing that exists now.

Fan-made isn't quite the correct term, but fan-adopted seems apt, since the term isn't in official use.

 

[Remathilis]

Fan made? You mean other than the time it was used as an official power source in the official 4th edition of the game? Maybe it was originally just fan classification but it’s been canonised as a thing that exists now.

It can join "bloodied", "demihuman" and "prime requisite" in the list of "things that once were a thing, but isn't in the current edition"

 

[Remathilis]

That works for me.

It's generally good to remember for classes with weak diegetic footprints like fighter or rogue, any particular backstory will generally function more as a origin story for the character, not as something that will generate a narrative for every member of the class.

Like, if I say my fighter is the recipient of a supernatural legacy like Buffy, that doesn't mean that every fighter is also a recipient of that legacy. Every fighter will probably have their own backstory.

In my perfect world, the Warrior (RIP fighter) is a class that draws power from some supernatural destiny. Your subclass determines your destiny. Maybe your destiny is dragon knight (which draws on draconic powers like wings, fear and dragon breath). Maybe its supernatural might (where you draw strength from some source like deities or primordials) or maybe you get the power of psionics, arcane magic, dunamancy, undeath, alchemy, or more. Rogues run on the same model, but they get schemes that give them abilities similar to Warriors that grant them the power of shadow, of artifice, of psionics, etc.

The advantage here is that you can now move some of the "supernatural" power budge to the main class because every Warrior and Rogue is going to have some supernatural abilities assumed. You don't have to design around nonomagical builds, you can just give them some magical abilities right in the main class and then use the subclass to justify/explain/flavor it.

 

[Remathilis]

Actually if you read the Barbarian class closely, you'll note that "primal power" is just one possible explanation; the class also offers "just being super angry" as an alternative power source.

Classic 5e method of presenting a variety of suggesting rather than attempting to define things specifically. Suffice to say, its still a class that straddles that line between supernatural and nonmagical in the way a fighter doesn't.

 

[James Gasik]

Classic 5e method of presenting a variety of suggesting rather than attempting to define things specifically. Suffice to say, its still a class that straddles that line between supernatural and nonmagical in the way a fighter doesn't.

It's a fair point to be sure, it's obvious the Barbarian does things that "mundane" characters shouldn't be able to do, even if the lore reasons for why are pretty shoddy.

Realizing that, I switched to the Rogue, who has even less justification for that sort of thing.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Classic 5e method of presenting a variety of suggesting rather than attempting to define things specifically. Suffice to say, its still a class that straddles that line between supernatural and nonmagical in the way a fighter doesn't.

And ignoring the fantastic, as is the current style in discussions of this fantasy game.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Fan made? You mean other than the time it was used as an official power source in the official 4th edition of the game? Maybe it was originally just fan classification but it’s been canonised as a thing that exists now.

A thing that exists in one edition of the game. Martial power has never expanded beyond 4e.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

[T]hat seed which grows from mortal soil and mundane roots, but which rises to touch the firmament.

this line goes hard. feel free to screenshot.

 

[Minigiant]

The key is

The designers of 5e decided to not be concrete and defined elements to the lore because the D&D community is diverse and some parts are okay with stuff and others aren't.

This appears is the fighter, sorcerer, and warlock.

Imagine a tier 3 fighter being hit by a giant mace. And he is armorless.
To some he got hit with a metal spiked tree trunk and stood back up.
To others he dodge out the way at the last second.
For some the first is mundane. To others it's supernatural. And repeat for the second.

For the sorcerer,the sorcerer has a magic origin. She can cast magic without intense study, devotion, or compliance.
How does that work?

Does the spells magically appear in her mind from her blood?
Does her fingers and toes each contain of of the spells she might know?
Is she magically mentally atypical and can instantly get some spells but not know how the spells work?

Again the designers do not tell you. You choose.

What this means is both Alice and Bob can understand the game. But it is possible for Alice's understanding might not meld well with Bob's.