Question about D&D 3.5 and sorcerers

[MensurB]

I have seen many things about 3.5 for the past couple of months, are they going to tell us everything that they are going to change or are they keeping something from us. They said that they read the message boards and stuff, did they hear everyone complain about the sorcerer being too weak. I know some people feel that he is just fine they way he is, but I think the majority feels that he is underpowered. I am not trying to start a debate about the sorcerer being underpowered, all I want to know is, is there a chance that they made a change to the sorcerer without telling us?

 

[Piratecat]

The general consensus (at least as far as I know) is that the sorcerer wasn't one of the classes that needed significant adjustment. As a result, I'd be surprised if they did more than tweak a thing or two, if that.

Most of the class-related changes ended up with the ranger, the bard, the druid, the monk, and the barbarian.

 

[MensurB]

Well I guess we will just have to stick to house ruling him, there was only one DM that wanted to keep him the way he was all other DMs eithere gave him a D6 hit die or game him the same feat progression as the wizards or something they totally made up, like that one time when my dm allowed me to take cleric spells which I though was a little overpowered but hey now we have the mystic thorg...whatever...

 

[Piratecat]

Personally, I think sorcerers are just fine. In my game I give the Eschew Materials feat as a bonus, but that's entirely flavor instead of game balance. I haven't seen any power imbalances at all. I suspect that campaigns differ, though.

 

[MensurB]

You're right, however, I did hear that they are making that feat(Eshrew Materials) a general feat, now we won't have to use a full round action to cast a spell with that feat.

 

[Ruvion]

I remember reading in WotC web site that all arcane spellcasters will face major changes via changes in their spells (not necessarily changes in the classes themselves).

 

[MensurB]

I think that we have seen their "major changes" with spells like Haste Harm and Heal...what do you know they all stat with an H

 

[Gimble]

Most of the class-related changes ended up with the ranger, the bard, the druid, the monk, and the barbarian.

Don't forget the biggest change to bards: they added me

Any power increase in the 3.5 bard is nothing more than a more accurate (though still inadequate) modelling of my immense style and aptitude.

 

[Will]

One change I'd make with sorcerers is allow them to use metamagic without the normal delay... so long as they memorize that spell in metamagic form.

That is, a sorcerer could have quickened magic missiles. But... he'd have to spend one of his 5th level 'spells known' as 'Quickened magic missile.'

I particularly like the idea for emulating, say, a sorcerer style where nearly every spell is Still, Silent, Eschew materials. Or all Still (for a martial sorcerer class?)

 

[Celtavian]

Re

I still wish they would modify metamagic so that a sorcerer could use the Quicken spell feat. The loss of the extra Haste action for casting an extra spell will limit sorcerers to one spell per round. I don't know how other people play their sorcerers, but the Haste action was a big reason why I could go toe to toe with wizards.

The spontaneous casting and two extra spells per level is not going to balance out the wizards much larger spell list, ability to use metamagic more efficiently, ability to create metamagic as well as regular scrolls, and the greater number of skill points they receive for having intelligence as a primary stat.

Very disappointing. Once 3.5 comes out, I will be able to actually determine empirically how much power the sorcerer loses being unable to cast multiple spells per round. My bet is that they will be substantially weaker than a wizard and it will only become more dramatic as they reach higher levels.