Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Sorcerers: Favored Souls, Phoenix Sorcery, Sea Sorcery, & Stone Sorcery

Favored Soul (again), Phoenix Sorcery, Sea Sorcery, Earth Sorcery.

Could this be the start of Elementalists?

 

[TerraDave]

Worth the wait? I actually thought these where pretty good, if you want to play a sorcerer.

I guess the storm sorcerer is the missing air one?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I think the problem with the elemental sorcerer like the earth origin is that there's nothing in the class features that makes me feel my character is bound to the earth element. I get extra sturdiness: ok, stone is sturdy, I get that. Weapons are made of metal, so I know how to fight with weapon: ok maybe. But if there were no reference to earth and stone if each feature fluff, you would never guess its supposed to be a sorcerer manifesting earth magic. I want my elemental sorcerer to feel like they belong in their element, like a earth-themed creature is. I want a burrow speed, earth-sense, an aura of tremor around my character. I my PC to be immune to petrification.

 

[Juomari Veren]

The Favored Soul is the most disappointing archetype to come out of these yet. Though I speak as someone who has looked on most of these archetypes with a favorable light. The fact that they gutted everything that made the test archetype both fun and good (and similar to the original 3.5 class, though that's a minor detail considering the identity of a favored soul isn't necessarily something that's been fully realized) while doing nothing good to satisfy the image of someone chosen by the gods except give them virtually unrestricted access to the cleric list really makes me wonder why they feel the need to keep surpressing the Sorcerer. Favored Soul was easily my favorite Origin, and probably the closest to a well-designed Origin I've seen thus far. Storm came close until they neutered the bonus spells, which was really the only nail in the coffin it could take before becoming a vanilla archetype.

Though at this point I'm not entirely surprised that they skimped on the sorcery point-based abilities and didn't bother to address the paltry spell selection of the class. The other archetypes at least have the benefit of cohesive abilities that have a variety of uses or benefits that make the character unique. Favored Souls 0, Sorcerers as a whole 1. I'm really torn with how this one came out.

 

[Bera]

I miss the bonus spells a bit, but agree that the old favored soul and original storm sorcerer got a few too many. I wish they would have picked a solid utility spell (or pair?) for each of these elemental-themed sorcerers. Storm sorcerer wouldn't be overpowered with free access to featherfall, fog cloud and/or gust of wind, but a sorcerer doesn't have enough spells known to go for some of those thematic gems. Sea sorcerer could get create/destroy water and/or fog cloud. Stone sorcerer might need to have earth tremor from EE and/or something new printed alongside it (much like Tritons got wall of water in Volo's).

 

[cbwjm]

This is cool, over the last couple of days after reading a thread on additional subclasses, I've been thinking of writing up sorcerers of the other three elements to complement the storm sorcerer. Seems WotC has done it for me.

 

[MrHotter]

I like the idea of a Favored Soul, but it seems to be lacking in the 'why to pick this class' department. I been trying to determine the best way to make a non-armored healer besides just having a cleric who does not wear armor. I just don't think the Favored Sould has anything that a regular cleric does not do better.

 

[DaviMMS]

My thoughts

Favored Soul

Certainly better designed than the last one, but I miss the access to melee capabilities. This one plays completely different than the last one. It fits the need for a charismatic priest, but it is not a favored Soul.

Divine Magic: Fixes one of the problems of the last version. It is powerful, but not OP considering the extreme limitation on sorcerer’s spells known.

Supernatural Resilience: Extra HP is always good, but the reason favored souls needed more HP was because they wanted to go melee. If you remove all armor and weapons, this become kind of pointless.

Favored by the Gods: Nothing to say about it. Mechanically is fine but it is not really flavorful neither fells necessary.

Blessed Countenance: Very powerful and with an interesting flavor. I like it.

Divine Purity: The only rotten apple in this archetype. It is mainly a highly ignorable ribbon. Make it only immunity to diseases and add something else. I want my wings back.

Unearthly Recovery: Nothing impressive but it does the job.

To make it more in line with the last version this is what I would do:

Remove Favored by the gods, add simple (maybe martial) weapons and light and medium armor (no shields). Blessed Countenance could turn back to Extra Attack or something that supports the use of GFB or BB, and Divine purity back to wings. I would not mind having two versions of a Divine Sorcerer. The Favored Soul from this UA with another name and an actual Favored Soul with melee capabilities.


Phoenix Sorcery

Interesting Flavor but bad mechanics. It is almost completely based on a once per long rest ability. And not even a powerful one.

Ignite: You can ignite flammable stuff. Like you can already do with fire bolt. Unless I am missing something, this ability is kind of pointless. It can stay as it is just a ribbon.

Mantle of Flame: Once per long rest you can fell to have a subclass. It must become at least once per short rest to be useful.

Phoenix Spark: Interesting and cool. But again only once per long rest. Now you can feel like having a subclass TWICE per day!

Nourishing Fire: Finally something at will. Interesting and powerful.

Form of the Phoenix: Very powerful and interesting, but again only once per day, and is not even a new once per day ability, it triggers together one you already have.

As I said above, the number of uses of Mantle of Flame must rise. And something at will needs to be added at level one so you can actually feel that you have a subclass before 14th.I also thinks that it should get fire resistance. Phoenix Spark is fine if the problems I said are solved. And Form of the Phoenix needs to be turned on only once per long rest if the number of uses of Mantle of Flame increases.


Sea Sorcery

I have nothing to add here. This is one I think could go directly to a book unchanged.


Stone Sorcery or earth Swordmage

My favorite from this pack. There is only one main problem here. Stone’s Edge is too powerful to be added to every cantrip. Make it only add a quarter your sorcerer’s level on cantrips or add nothing at all. The way it is it fells too powerful.

Other problem only appears with the AC bonus if you multiclass. But I don’t known how this could be addressed without removing it entirely. Level 6 is too far away to delay an important ability like that.

 

[Fritzo]

New Favored Soul is great with the expanded spell list. I can now make a Necromancer with the Sorcerer!!

 

[DaviMMS]

Just noticed a problem. If Stone sorcery ever gets released it won't be able to get SCAG cantrips if you're playing by AL as the book where stone sorcery gets released would already be your 2nd book.

 

[Istbor]

I like these. I like these a lot. Makes me excited to play a sorcerer once again. Can't wait to play test them.