D&D General One thing I hate about the Sorcerer

[CreamCloud0]

Sorcerer subclass: Wizard
1st:
spellbook: you gain a spellbook that helps you memorise and comprehend additional magics, it can be used as an arcane focus, you know additional spells equal to your INT mod and you may also swap out INT mod number of spells after a short or long rest, you can replace PB+INT number of your spells known for others on any base spell list of an arcane caster, if your spellbook is lost or destroyed you loose access to these features until you perform a 1-hour ritual to replace it.
ritual caster: you can cast any spell you know that has the ritual tag without a spell slot by casting it as a 10 minute ritual, also by expending [spell scribing value] you can copy any ritual spell you know into your spellbook so that you may perform it as a ritual even if you don't currently know it, if you have to replace your spellbook you need to re-scribe any rituals in it to use them while not known.

6th:
expanded knowledge: you become proficient in the arcana skill, if you are already proficient gain expertise in it instead, you also gain proficiency in two other INT skills, you have advantage when rolling checks for these three skills.

14th:
empowered upcasting: when casting a spell you can increase the level of the spell slot being used to cast the spell by expending 2 sorcery points per slot level. (so say, you can cast a 7th level spell with a 5th level slot and 4 sorcery points), you can't upcast a spell above your max spell level known.

18th:
greater memorisation: you can replace all spells known over the course of a long rest.

a sorcerer 'wizard' subclass i've sketched up previously.

 

[SkidAce]

The issue is that metamagic is literally the only unique thing about the sorcerer class. If you give it to others the class has no reason to exist. Which is fine by me as I don’t think it should.

We toyed with "Elven High Magic" being metamagic for a while. Had potential, never fully followed up though.

 

[SkidAce]

Yeah, in those worlds that use the “spark” trope, I’d always considered that those who dialed-classed or multi-classed into the Wizard “had the spark”, they just possibly came into it late. If your character never took Wizard levels, you didn’t have the spark.

Prior to 3E, I seem to remember the character stories of magic-users always being one of intense training and study. No one had natural talent of the likes of the sorcerer, or at least, that I recall. The appearance of the 3E sorcerer opened up that possibility, and people jumped on it -“yeah, natural magic, like a dragon - because I’ve got some of that in me - why didn’t we think of this years ago?” was the sort of reaction me any my group had. And that seems to be a lot more common in YA modern fiction and the old “burning the midnight oil for years” just to make a few magic sparks has faded away. Self-discovery of innate power vs. study, research and hard labor. Personal growth vs. slaving away beneath another’s tutorage for jealousy guarded secrets.

A lot of fantasy literature from the 70 and 80s seemed more like sorcerers though, otherwise 3E did open it up in D&D.

 

[SkidAce]

All Humans have the "spark" of magic.

Human martials exhibit this spark when doing superhuman feats at the highest tiers.

Thats fluff, and depends on the campaign.

IMHO.

 

[Yaarel]

Thats fluff, and depends on the campaign.

IMHO.

Certainly the theory of magic depends on the setting. That said.

It is safe to presume Humans in the Forgotten Realms setting possess the spark of magic, including psionic magic.

In these cases, the "soul" is explanatory.

 

[Mind of tempest]

The Psion class can have the psionic Mystic flavor. The Sorcerer subclass can have the Sorcerer flavor.

Relatedly, I feel the Psion class should allow the player to pick any mental ability for the Casting Ability: Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

The stereotypical Half Elf Sorcerer would still maintain its lineage and flavor.


I am flexible about the following, but I wouldnt give the Dragon flavor to the Psion. I would give it to the Warlock class as a Dragon Pact. The Warlock has great mechanics for the concept, including an inherited lineage from an ancestral pact. This pact is with a powerful extraplanar Dragon, such as Celestial Dragon Bahamut or member of his court or with the Infernal Dragon Tiamat or member of her court.

no class can have two base flavours, subclasses can add flavour notes but it is a variety of the dish to follow the metaphor.
I would rather both reach their full potential even if I natively hate the flavour of one.

A lot of fantasy literature from the 70 and 80s seemed more like sorcerers though, otherwise 3E did open it up in D&D.

do we have any other experts from back then as it is too late for me to phone my farther at this time of night?

 

[SkidAce]

do we have any other experts from back then as it is too late for me to phone my farther at this time of night?

 

[Yaarel]

no class can have two base flavours, subclasses can add flavour notes but it is a variety of the dish to follow the metaphor.
I would rather both reach their full potential even if I natively hate the flavour of one.

The innateness of both Psion and Sorcerer is similar. They share flavor. In both cases, the magic originates from ones "soul".

It is ok if a Sorcerer starts off as a normal Psion learning to exert ones own magical influence.

Then getting more competent a personal sorcerous talent or lineage, opens up elemental possibilities that are normally inaccessible to "psychic" power.


Subclasses can substantially transform flavor, such as in the case of Fighter class.

 

[Yaarel]

I have read a couple of the Elric books, which are from the 1960s onward.

If I recall correctly, he is mainly summoner, who uses specific rituals to conjure specific beings. He is actually what I think of when I think of the word "sorcerer".

He is different from the D&D Sorcerer.

I wouldnt even stat him as a D&D Warlock, because he has multiple pacts with multiple beings.

And I wouldnt stat him as a Wizard, because he is mainly performing rituals. It is the summoned creatures who are doing the magical effects.

If D&D had a Summoner class, whose pets do all the magic stuff, that seems closest to the Elric concept.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I wouldnt even stat him as a D&D Warlock, because he has multiple pacts with multiple beings.

Isn't he who the hexblade is based off of?