D&D General One thing I hate about the Sorcerer

[CreamCloud0]

I am looking closer at the UA7 for the 2024 Warlock.

These Warlocks actually do "quest for knowledge", like Wizards do. But "they make pacts ... unlocking magical effects, as they pry into the mysteries of realities".

In this flavor, the Warlock is soliciting the otherworldly being to be a tutor. Warlocks study, but get insider info from someone who already knows.

Typically, the Warlock-to-be is motivated by power, and the being tempts and traps the Warlock in a bargain. Warlocks "wield the power their patrons have given them". Apparently, the gift is the knowledge to know how to perform this kind of magical power.

According to this flavor, Warlocks are like Wizards.

Warlocks are like wizards this way in the same way that someone who orders and collects the recipes from those delivery meal-prep in a box can be compared to a professional chef with their own restaurant and official cooking degree/award

Sorcerers in this analogy are someone who grew up in and inherited their parents bakery or diner.

 

[Krachek]

I call this the Matrix effect.

At first Rules were created to emulate Fantasy.
Then Rules create their own Fantasy.
Ultimately Rules will replace reality!

 

[Minigiant]

Warlocks are like wizards this way in the same way that someone who orders and collects the recipes from those delivery meal-prep in a box can be compared to a professional chef with their own restaurant and official cooking degree/award

Sorcerers in this analogy are someone who grew up in and inherited their parents bakery or diner.

The Warlock doesn't even collect recipes. They just get the box of prepackaged meals.

There's no assumption the Warlock knows how the magic works, just how to get it. Warlock isn't an INT class and never was for that reason. That's why they need the Patron in some way. They often fundamentally do not know how the magic works.

Wizard on the other hand are required to understand the concept of wizardry in order to scribe in their spellbooks.

Sorcerers inherited their parent's skills and have a great sense of taste, smell, or sight. They are the home chef who makes their own recipes. But if you ask them the recipe, none of what they say makes sense because its all by feel. They inherent their parent diner because only they can reproduce the family's secret recipe and its nonsense measurements like smidgen" and "this much" and "like so".

 

[Zardnaar]

aberrant mind make Sorcerer worth playing in 5E.
everything else is poor mans wizard.

add subtle spell metamagic, Strixhaven background that gives healing spells and Telekinetic feat and I have found my best vision of mage class in D&D.

You spelt clockwork sorcerer wrong.

 

[Minigiant]

Ultimately the problem with the 5e Sorcerer is that WOTC did not give them enough exclusive spells NOR enough spells tied to their origin.

A dragon sorcerer's spell/power prepared should look like dragon breath, dragon scales, dragon sregth, dragonfear, dragon wings, summon dragon, dragonshape.

Ifnot actual spells then subclass features or metamagics.

WOTC didn't commit to the gimmick nor design space and you can't really retroactively fix it without doing so.

 

[Horwath]

You spelt clockwork sorcerer wrong.

hehe, maybe

but nothing beats, for me, psionic sorcery feature. The way spellcasting should be. No yapping or flapping hands like a spastic.

also clockwork would be better fit for artificer class

 

[Zardnaar]

hehe, maybe

but nothing beats, for me, psionic sorcery feature. The way spellcasting should be. No yapping or flapping hands like a spastic.

also clockwork would be better fit for artificer class

Tbf the Aberrant Mind looks better.

Until you look at the Abjuration and Alteration spell lists.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Warlocks are like wizards this way in the same way that someone who orders and collects the recipes from those delivery meal-prep in a box can be compared to a professional chef with their own restaurant and official cooking degree/award

Sorcerers in this analogy are someone who grew up in and inherited their parents bakery or diner.

This doesn't really work. In this analogue warlock is just an amateur wizard, but that's not what the mechanics reflect. Warlock is just as powerful as wizard, but has completely different way of doing magic.

And like I said before, this is just background. It is explanation for how you got the magic, but not for why your magic is different. This I feel is the issue with warlock, wizard and sorcerer. Most classes tend to have somewhat defined "what I do", but these three really don't beyond "I do magic." I think I would refocus these so that the innate intuitive caster sorlock* is the "blaster" which does flashy destructive magic well, whist the studious wizard is the "utility caster" who has big repertoire of magical tricks**. Doesn't of course mean that's all they do and there can be no overlap, just like whilst cleric is the traditional healer that's not all they can do, but I think it would help if these classes had a focus this way. And to all the 4e fans, yes, a bit like roles in 4e, but less rigid. The wizard is controller/utility the sorlock is a striker.

* Our new combined sorcerer and warlock class. Can go what name seems most appropriate.
** And you need to redo the boring school based wizard subclasses. There is no evoker, as blasting is sorlock thing, there will be no enchanter or illusionist, as those will be the bard thing (if we must keep them as full casters.)

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Ultimately the problem with the 5e Sorcerer is that WOTC did not give them enough exclusive spells NOR enough spells tied to their origin.

A dragon sorcerer's spell/power prepared should look like dragon breath, dragon scales, dragon sregth, dragonfear, dragon wings, summon dragon, dragonshape.

Ifnot actual spells then subclass features or metamagics.

WOTC didn't commit to the gimmick nor design space and you can't really retroactively fix it without doing so.

Because the design space is too crowded due too many classes for similar niche!

 

[Minigiant]

Because the design space is too crowded due too many classes for similar niche!

No, it's because WIZARDS of the Coast is wizard biased and coddles wizard fanboys.

There is plenty of space. 4e did it.

But Everything in 5e got crowded out to give wizards more spells.

I mean I thought up 7 dragon spells for dragon sorcerer and that's just one subclass and I was half awake.

1. dragon breath,
2. dragon scales,
3. dragon strength,
4. dragonfear,
5. dragon wings,
6. summon dragon,
7. dragonshape.