The Sorc: I like it!

The balance can be debated, but so far I love the core mechanics and flavor of the sorc.

I especially like the idea that the sorc gets unique benefits when running out of spells, and then creating a nice flavorful way for it to make sense.

So what say you?

I like that they kept the "dragonish" feel of the sorcerer from 4e. I also like burning spells to be a magically enhanced melee fighter thanks to manifesting his dragon-ness. I don't like that he has plate though, as it makes it too much of a fighter, and would prefer dragon scales earlier and better instead.

Besides, in the trailers he just wears banded armour and a horned helmet anyway.

I quite like the idea of being able to play essentially a dragon-blooded, magic weilding warrior, but like the OP I think it may need a bit of 'balancing'.

I also think it's a bit redundant to state that a Sorcerer cannot cast spells wearing armour, and then totally contradict this in the case of which type of Sorcerer you choose.

I also like the dragon sorcerer, but mostly because of its potential to be tweaked into something that would resemble a 4e-style martial character.

The current draconic sorcerous powers (apart from Dragon Breath, but that can be swapped out) are quite in line with what can be done with martial skill (maybe rename them Might and Skilled Parry).

We would also need to create new "spells" that would be less obviously magical and more in line with 4e-style martial exploits, including some that can be regained after a short rest, but that should not be too difficult - we have a wealth of 4e material to draw from.

IMO, this is the kind of flexibility that 5e needs.

Stalker0 said:

The balance can be debated, but so far I love the core mechanics and flavor of the sorc.

I especially like the idea that the sorc gets unique benefits when running out of spells, and then creating a nice flavorful way for it to make sense.

So what say you?

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It's too early for me to say. I don't like Draconic Sorcerers; and that's all we get in this first iteration.

I want to wait and see the Storm Sorcerer and the Chaos Sorcerer. When we get those, I will be able to tell you what I think, and feel, and believe, about the 5E Sorc. ("Dragon"-anything for PCs, be it "Dragon Breath" or "Dragon Scales" or "Dragon Strength," make my eyes glaze over. The PCs are supposed to be fighting against that stuff, not embodying it. . . .)

tuxgeo said:

It's too early for me to say. I don't like Draconic Sorcerers; and that's all we get in this first iteration.

I want to wait and see the Storm Sorcerer and the Chaos Sorcerer. When we get those, I will be able to tell you what I think, and feel, and believe, about the 5E Sorc. ("Dragon"-anything for PCs, be it "Dragon Breath" or "Dragon Scales" or "Dragon Strength," make my eyes glaze over. The PCs are supposed to be fighting against that stuff, not embodying it. . . .)

Click to expand...

The younger guys getting into this usually gloss over the PHB, throw it aside, and get glued to the Monster Manual. When asked what they would like to play, they say, "Can I be a dragon"?

Know what? Nothing wrong with that. You should be able to play a dragon. Even something with only draconic blood. If your little daughter gets a hold of your DnD books and wants to be a dragon would you tell her no?

Imagination, and an RPG, should have no bounds just because of some silly convention.

While reading through the Draconic Heritage write up these guys came to mind. If they were one of the inspirations for the heritage I do not mind.

I'm getting a huuuuuge Skyrim vibe from from the dragon sorceror! And I think that's a good thing.

I've tested him in an encounter side by side to a fighter and didn't feel like one overshadowed the other. Granted, this is at level one.

I rolled up a dwarven wizard/sage/necromancer at first, but with the release of sorcerer and warlock I wanted to roll those up too for comparison. I changed the background/specialty but it is very interesting to have 2 character sheets in hand and compare rather than comparing the class write-ups.

My dwarven sorcerer/thief/acolyte is a very interesting eldritch knight.

I ordered the stats cha/con/str...with a decent str he is a fair combatant. swapping out greatsword for greataxe (2d6 dmg as a dwarf) is nice. By using dragon strength he can do 4d6 +str mod dmg on a melee strike 3 times a day...not bad. Thinking along those lines, his spells are what he casts instead of melee so I chose things like cause fear and shield. The cantrips I chose Magic-missile for the easy ranged and shocking grasp (in case he gets disarmed or somehow cant use the weapon). Taking acolyte gives him 2 more cantrips (deaths door and detect magic) which along with thief background make him well-rounded (although avg wis means he shouldnt be the main thief)

very cool.

I think the sorcerer is off to a great start. I like how they're basing the mechanics on the class's flavor. I like the spell point system (though I do wonder how they're going to make psionics different from sorcerers). I have only a few concerns about the class so far.

I fear they might have too many willpower points. They effectively get the same total points as if you multiplied a wizard's spell slots by the spell level and added them all together. Since they don't have to worry about preparation, that may be too much.

Sorcerers are a level behind wizards in gaining access to higher level spells again. That was a major gripe of mine in 3.x and I'm not happy to see it happen again.

While I understand why sorcerers wouldn't get ritual spells, I think their spell list is way too small. I can see why they wouldn't be able to learn a spell like rope trick, but why not thunderwave, feather fall or counterspell? The spell list they currently have forces them into being very narrowly focused evokers, and I don't like that.

Sorcerers transforming as they spend willpower is kind of strange to me. I like the bloodline powers and all, but the whole "once I've spent 3 willpower I grow claws, 10 willpower and I grow scales, etc) just feels wrong to me somehow. I'm not sure why.