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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Urbannen" data-source="post: 412317" data-attributes="member: 7643">I think the main problem is that the sorcerer is poorly defined class, which has been mentioned before.  The sorcerer's class description says that they begin to spontaneously cast 0-level spells at puberty and then later learn to develop their "powers."  However, the PHB also says that it is impossible to distinguish between a wizard and a sorcerer when they cast spells.  These two things are incompatible.  When a wizard casts spells, he uses specific words, gestures, and material components.  He learns these things through study.  The PHB implies that the knowledge of these words, gestures, and material components comes to the sorcerer by intuition.  IMO, that's crazy.  If a spell's verbal component is "Sambo Bizzle Foobar Hiakim", and you need to sprinkle crushed pearl over your toes, every sorcerer is not going to come up with that by intution.  Yet, all sorcerers cast spells just like wizards.  There has to be a decision:  either sorcerers develop spell-like abilities, or they learn how to cast spells like wizards, except that they internalize the knowledge of the spell.  If sorcerers develop spell-like abilities, which is consistent with how they are described in flavor text, then something like Monte Cook's variant sorcerer would be very appropriate.  If sorcerers develop spell-like abilities, then they should only need somatic components to cast spells - think Princess Ariel from the "Thundarr the Barbarian" cartoon.  She was a "Sorceress" and could not use her magic when her hands were bound.  Where would they learn the verbal components, anyway?  Additionally, Sorcerers would not be able to use or make scrolls. You can't pull the words of a foreign language, in this case, magic, out of thin air. Their class skills would have to be revamped to reflect the fact that they do not have magical "training."  If a sorcerer learns to cast spells indistinguishably from a wizard, then they should actually have to learn their spells from someone or through study.  The difference is that their special talents allow them to internalize the spells.  They would thus be able to scribe and use scrolls.  They would not spontaneously gain knowledge of a the new spells of their choice whenever they gained a level.  From the standpoint of current rules mechanics, this philosophy is the most consistent.</blockquote>

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