D&D 5E Sorcerer: what's the point in Sorcery Points at 2nd level?

Reaper Steve · Aug 25, 2014

A Sorcerer doesn't get metamagic until 3rd level. They can't do anything with sorcery points at 2nd level except cash in 2 points for a 1st level spell. So effectively, they have 4 1st level spell slots at 2nd level, and that's it.

Shouldn't they have have just listed 2nd level as having 4 1st level slots and then start granting sorcery points (3) at 3rd level?

MerricB · Aug 25, 2014

Reaper Steve said:
A Sorcerer doesn't get metamagic until 3rd level. They can't do anything with sorcery points at 2nd level except cash in 2 points for a 1st level spell. So effectively, they have 4 1st level spell slots at 2nd level, and that's it.

Shouldn't they have have just listed 2nd level as having 4 1st level slots and then start granting sorcery points (3) at 3rd level?

Not really, because then it wouldn't work with multiclassing.

Note that a Cleric 5/Sorcerer 2 can convert a first level slot and a second level slot into sorcery points, then cash them in for a 3rd level slot!

Cheers!

Reaper Steve · Aug 25, 2014

Clever!
I had faith that the designers didn't make such a obvious error, but I'm not a big multiclasser, so that option didn't occur to me.
Thanks, Merric!

Reaper Steve · Aug 25, 2014

For that matter, the Cleric 5/Sorcerer 2 can convert the 4th level slot (that he has no spells for*) into 7 sorcery points!

(* I am aware that the 4th level slot could also be used to cast a lower level spell.)

MerricB · Aug 25, 2014

Reaper Steve said:
For that matter, the Cleric 5/Sorcerer 2 can convert the 4th level slot (that he has no spells for*) into 7 sorcery points!

(* I am aware that the 4th level slot could also be used to cast a lower level spell.)

Indeed! The potential to get two or more slots from a higher level spell is really interesting.

Cheers!

ccooke · Aug 25, 2014

Reaper Steve said:
For that matter, the Cleric 5/Sorcerer 2 can convert the 4th level slot (that he has no spells for*) into 7 sorcery points!

(* I am aware that the 4th level slot could also be used to cast a lower level spell.)

Unfortunately it's not quite that powerful - when you convert spell slots into sorcery points, you only get a number equal to the level of the slot. So a 4th level spell slot gets you only 4 sorcery points.

MerricB said:
Indeed! The potential to get two or more slots from a higher level spell is really interesting.

Cheers!

This is still doable, but obviously you'll only get much lower level spells from doing it.
On the other hand, there are circumstances where being able to cast lots of level 1 spells might be more useful than a few level 4, 5 or 6 spells (Attacks from intermittent waves of tiny creatures that are easy to kill, for instance (Not that I've ever done that to my players. Oh no. No hordes of tiny little sprites determined to swarm all over them and steal all their stuff with no regard to their own survival) - A fourth level magic missile gets you six missiles, but so do two 1st-level castings.

CapnZapp · Sep 12, 2014

Reaper Steve said:
Shouldn't they have have just listed 2nd level as having 4 1st level slots and then start granting sorcery points (3) at 3rd level?

Even without the multiclassing considerations, the answer would be "no".

If they baked in that extra slot into the table, we would instead be having a "why does the sorcerer spell progression table have a strange bump at second level?" discussion...

Much neater this way...

...and besides, getting that extra slot is not just it. It's a powerful and flexible use of sorc points in itself!

Grainger · Sep 12, 2014

Also, part of 5e is drip-feeding the abilities to you - so you get to play with what you've got a level 1, then you get a bit more at level 2, etc. This way, you get something new to play with at each level, and in this case, you get a bit of practice with the mechanism you're going to be using.

D&D 5E Sorcerer: what's the point in Sorcery Points at 2nd level?

Reaper Steve

Explorer

MerricB

Eternal Optimist

Reaper Steve

Explorer

Reaper Steve

Explorer

MerricB

Eternal Optimist

ccooke

Adventurer

CapnZapp

Legend

Grainger

Explorer

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