A nifty idea? (Specialist Sorcerers)

[Dagredhel]

I have an idea that I'd like to share. Feedback would be appreciated.

Specialist Sorcerers: A specialist sorcerer would be similar to a specialist wizard, except he or she would gain a bonus spell known per spell level, instead of a bonus spell per level per day. Everything else (benefits and opposition schools) would be the same.

 

[Mordane76]

Specialist Sorcerers: A specialist sorcerer would be similar to a specialist wizard, except he or she would gain a bonus spell known per spell level, instead of a bonus spell per level per day. Everything else (benefits and opposition schools) would be the same.

While the idea of a specialist sorcerer could be done (and I like it in principle), as stated above could seriously hamper a sorcerer, even more so than the drawbacks a wizard experiences when he specializes. The sorcerer would gain an additional spell known per level, but would lose access to at least one whole school of spells to choose from. With the limited number of a spells a sorcerer can select, this might not matter too much, but throwing out an entire area of spells from which he could otherwise choose. At least one of the schools require that their specialists give up more than one school, which limits their options even more.

I've seen a few other threads that take a crack at Specialist Sorcerers, and some of their ideas aren't too shabby. I'd say that if you're going to offer specialization (as presented above) to sorcerers, though, I don't know how many people would take it. Then again, in the games I've run so far in 3E, we haven't had one PC specialist wizard. IMHO, I think that specialization is a little weak as it is written in the PHB, but I haven't sat down and thought about a way to make it more desirable as an option without completely unbalancing it.

 

[Technik4]

Specialization seems week sometimes, but its usually because there is only 1 primary arcane caster. If she can't cast from all schools, then she hampers the whole party. However, in a large party, specialization is pretty cool, if she is a transmuter, then maybe the sorceror wouldnt have to worry about learning buffs.

Also, in theory, the spell focus feat is more useful to a specialist.

As far as giving the sorc an additional spell known, I think its broken, as in too good. The spells known category is what limits the sorceror, all the sorceror has to do is take a specialization with a weak school in opposition, then have quite a bit more versatility than her peers.

Technik

 

[Geoff Watson]

Sorcerors have so few spells known, that losing access to one school is rarely a handicap. It would be rare for a sorceror to actually know spells from all eight schools, except at very high levels.
This would basically give them something for nothing. Maybe if they were restricted to one or two schools only.

Geoff.

 

[Destil]

Sorcerors have so few spells known, that losing access to one school is rarely a handicap. It would be rare for a sorceror to actually know spells from all eight schools, except at very high levels.
This would basically give them something for nothing. Maybe if they were restricted to one or two schools only.

Geoff.

My thoughts on the matter, exactialy. If I were doing this I would limit them to a very small number of Schools:
The schools are weighted like this, in reguards to wizard specialist:
Evo, Conj, Trans - 3 points
Ill, Enc - 2 points
Nec, Div - 1 point

So I'd say if you want to make a Specialist Sorcerer, give them 4 or 5 points to work with, at most.

 

[Cheiromancer]

If I were doing this I would limit them to a very small number of Schools:
The schools are weighted like this, in regards to wizard specialist:
Evo, Conj, Trans - 3 points
Ill, Enc - 2 points
Nec, Div - 1 point

So I'd say if you want to make a Specialist Sorcerer, give them 4 or 5 points to work with, at most.

I was thinking along the same lines, but that the Sorcerers would have to be "double-specialized." Value of schools as given above (Abj = 2 points), bonus spells known are taken alternately from the specialized schools.

A diviner/abjurer might give up evocation, say, and get a bonus divination spell known every odd level and a bonus abjuration spell known every even level.

 

[Destil]

All I'd do is let the Sorc take 5 points worth of schools and make all other schools opposed. So they are either specialized or not (This may take a bit of work for some spell levels, since there are big gaps in the number of spells / school at some spell levels. But I like making new spells, anyway). Then give them +1 spell known / spell level.

 

[Corlon]

not really

Sorcerors have so few spells known, that losing access to one school is rarely a handicap. It would be rare for a sorceror to actually know spells from all eight schools, except at very high levels.
This would basically give them something for nothing. Maybe if they were restricted to one or two schools only.

Geoff.

Mabye not one spell of ALL schools, but I can think of some "must have" spells that my sorcerers have

And if you're saying "I never really liked any divination" then you'd get necromancy specializing, but then you only learn an extra from necromancy, which is also pretty weak.

If I were to give up something, I would give up conjuration and get evocation.

I find this system fairly balanced.