4E Sorcerer vs Wizard?

[Hawke]

Any word or speculation about how this class will be different than the wizard? Without the basic mechanic difference from 3.5, I'm having trouble how this isn't simply adding more wizard options... and can't seem to figure out how the basic mechanics will change.

I'd love to learn more official stuff (labeled as such with links provided) as well as some speculation about how it will work out.

 

[Venator]

Who knows?

Maybe the Sorcerer = Striker?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Any word or speculation about how this class will be different than the wizard? Without the basic mechanic difference from 3.5, I'm having trouble how this isn't simply adding more wizard options... and can't seem to figure out how the basic mechanics will change.

I'd love to learn more official stuff (labeled as such with links provided) as well as some speculation about how it will work out.

Others might dig out some links, but here's what I remember:
The idea is to make the sorcerer more like a "wild mage" - meaning that his powers are more chaotic, and have a less controlled feeling. A Sorcerer that fires a fireball like spell might be surrounded by flames that damage foes nearby.

 

[Hawke]

Interesting idea about the wild mage. I sort of thought that's how they would've done the Warlock class - their dark pact gives them awesome power but there may be some chance that their powers damage them or their allies in the process. Maybe the Sorc will fit that role a little bit more.

 

[TerraDave]

Others might dig out some links, but here's what I remember:
The idea is to make the sorcerer more like a "wild mage" - meaning that his powers are more chaotic, and have a less controlled feeling. A Sorcerer that fires a fireball like spell might be surrounded by flames that damage foes nearby.

It was Rich Baker.

Full quote, bold mine:

Second interesting tidbit: One of the really fun things I've had a chance to play with in the last couple of weeks is a little bit of development assistance on the Player's Handbook II. The part that I got to get my hands dirty on is the sorcerer--an old friend, since I created the first draft of the sorcerer back in the early days of my work on 3rd Edition. The 3rd Edition sorcerer was spurred by the simple observation that an enormous hunk of valuable real estate in the Player's Handbook was devoted to the support of a single class--the wizard. I asked the question, "Is there some other way we can utilize all these spells?" That and the idea of cast-on-the-fly from a limited list was enough to get the sorcerer into the book, and it became one of the most popular innovations of the 3rd Edition game. In 4th Edition, we don't want to design classes for this sort of reason anymore; since every class is in effect a spellcaster, we don't want to see a 99% overlap of the power lists between two classes. That mean taking the sorcerer back to the broad story concepts (concepts that evolved later in the sorcerer's original 3e design, since the sorcerer began with mechanics in 3e) and thinking hard about what it *could* be and how it could occupy the same role and power source as the wizard but be a different class. I think we've got some great ideas cooking up on that score. (Hint: It might involve some wild magery.)

 

[Hawke]

Now just to decipher what "wild magery" means. Interesting!

 

[gribble]

thinking hard about what it *could* be and how it could occupy the same role and power source as the wizard but be a different class.

This at least heavily implies the Sorceror will be another arcane controller.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Hmm. I hope in their wild magery they don't impose too many extra dice rolls on sorcerer powers.

You know, "When you cast this power, roll 1d6, on a 1 blah blah on a 2 bleh bleh...." Something like that would rapidly get tedious in play.

 

[Draksila]

Oh, I don't know. My players used to adore wild mages in 2E, and they had to roll on a special chart every time they cast a spell to see how far from par they veered. Never underestimate the draw of a chaotic class to your standard gamer, even if extra dice are involved.

 

[wedgeski]

My nutty 2ed wild mage remains one of my favourite ever characters. He was short-lived (half-a-dozen sessions or so) but made quite an impression. I'll be a happy camper if the 4ed sorcerer harks back to those days in some fashion.