Sorcerer Fix - Continued from "D&D Rules" (PART 4)

[Khaalis]

Sorry I haven’t been around. My father has been in the hospital for the last few weeks, diagnosed with type 4 terminal cancer, so I haven’t been around. I will be around only sporadically for a while.

Fieari – Thanks for the updates. I am curious to know how the Nature’s Child pans out.

Quickleaf – For the Oracle, it totally depends on what form of oracle you refer to… In all cases the caster would choose predominately Divination spells.

Already written Lineages that work well…
Unknown Lineage with Divination Spell List.
Ancestor Spirit or Totem Spirit Shamans for a shamanic oracle.
Celestial, Fiendish or Natures Child with heavy divination for a more communal oracle.
Divine Receptacle with the Divination domain for a divine oracle.
Gypsy Family – enough said…
Magical Family with Divination school specialty.
Tarot Lineage for a more pagan oracle.

Corlon – In reference to the Shifter, I don’t really see Alter Self as a game breaking spell at 7/day. It is limited to the same “type”, may only be off by one size category, can only mimic a creature of up to 5HD, you lose any extraordinary special attacks and qualities not derived from class levels (thus racial), and you only gain normal physical abilities of the creature not extraordinary, supernatural or spell-like. It doesn’t even alter your gear in appearance (unless its absorbed to being non-usable), so its limited in use as a disguise tool as well. Overall, yes it has uses to a very planned and intelligent player, but nothing game breaking. At least IMHO.

As for the elemental lineages, this is purely a matter of taste. The abilities of resistance and immunity may seem weak to some, and incredibly powerful to others. This is a source of constant debate with prestige classes that give the same benefits. In someone’s campaign, resistance to fire may be a huge boon if they are based in say a desert campaign were fire magic and fire creatures are predominant. To some the abilities are seen as only a 1 in 5 usefulness since there are 4 other energy types they can be effected by. To those that do not see the immunity as a boon, then the elemental lineages might not be their cup of tea, and neither would any of the other elemental oriented PrC’s that basically give the same benefits. They would be better off being an Unknown Evoker or something similar.

As for the overall lacking in Pizzazz as you put it. Always open for ideas, but most of these lineages have been hashed over for balance. With the restrictions of power, we lose some ability to have pizzazz.


Keep the comments and thoughts coming. I’ll check in as often as I can manage.

 

[Corlon]

hmm, maybe give some abilities that enhance spells (that is IMO what the sorcerer is about anyways) like the ability to change somethign about the area of spells, enhance the range, DCs, or damage for spells with the descriptor.

Perhaps have a list of abilities (somethign akin to talents from D20 modern) that a person can choose from every time they gain an ability. Maybe give 6, two normal, two improved, and two greater, and have lists where you can choose from up to that list but you can choose from the lower ones, or possibly make ability chains (as in the fire resistance 10, immunity, etc.) so a person can go up in one or have a bunch of different abilities none of which are great.

This would make the sorcerers even more customizable inside of each lineage, so every child of fire sorcerer you meet won't have exactly the same abilities...

-Corlon

 

[Fieari]

That sounds more like a job for metamagic feats than a class feature, personally. Speaking of which, I don't think there are any metamagic feats that effect range or area... a niche that needs to be filled, perhaps?

Hm. You know, couple this design document with some nice flavor text, maybe get an artist or two, add some feats, roleplaying advice, a couple new magic items, and this might be publishable as a book. "Complete Sorcerer" anybody?

 

[Corlon]

I don't like the metamagic because it changes the casting time, and I'm not partial to the increased levels either.

I'm just thinking like various abilities, some like are already there and some that modify either the lineage spells or all spells with (*insert*) descriptor. Possibly have one "talent" where all the current lineage and innate abilities are.

Innate abilities could be one of these talents perhaps?