D&D 5E Any interest in the not-quite-so-wild mage?

[wedgeski]

I've played one in every edition where they've been available, and the return of the wild surge sent a thrill of excitement through the D&D centre of my brain. I would welcome alternatives, the more the better.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

But this changes nothing.

Either you both surge and get back your Tide. Or you don't surge and don't get back your tide. Only difference is that the DM leaves it up to the dice.

My point is that you should always want back your Tide. If you can talk your DM into giving it back to you without Surging, so much the better, but Surge or no Surge, it is the Tide that provides the oomph of your subclass - any time you cast a spell without getting it back, you're losing out.

What it changes, is that now not the DM decides if you get it back, but luck.

 

[CapnZapp]

What it changes, is that now not the DM decides if you get it back, but luck.

Look, here are three DMs running one game each. Let's call them Ann, Boyd and Claire.

• Ann feels Wild Surges disrupt the serious mood of her campaign and never allows Wild Surges.
• Boyd has nothing against Wild Surges but wants to keep them out of climactic end fights and other inappropriate moments, and so sometimes allow Wild Surges.
• Claire loves Wild Surges and tells the player upfront she'll always allow them.

My point is that only in DM Claire's game will the Sorcerer reach its full potential.

Another way of saying this is that DMs Ann and Boyds are gimping the subclass, unwittingly or no.

So, again, make sure beforehand* that your DM is like DM Claire. Otherwise, play a dragon sorcerer or another class completely. It really is as simple as that.

*) If, of course, you care about being combat effective and choosing a class that allows you your share of the spotlight. If you don't mind playing a class below its maximum potential, perhaps valuing the subclass' unmatched power for whackiness higher, then you don't need to worry about any of this.

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Now, note how your proposal is functionally equal to having DM Boyd run your game.

That is why I feel your proposed house rule is not a good general rule: it puts on paper a limitation that wasn't there before. It lessens the potential of the class for all the DM Claire's out there.

If you recognize DM Boyd in yourself, however, it's a fine house rule. For your personal game.

Cheers,
Zapp

 

[TarionzCousin]

Any interest in the not-quite-so-wild mage?

So... a "Mild Mage."

 

[UngeheuerLich]

If you recognize DM Boyd in yourself, however, it's a fine house rule. For your personal game.

Cheers,
Zapp

Never wanted to force it on anyone. Just feeling always aving wildsurges and advantages was not the intend of the rule.
So I want for my personal game something that takes me as a DM out of the decision making... feeling that especially in climatic fights, I like randomness...

 

[CapnZapp]

Never wanted to force it on anyone. Just feeling always aving wildsurges and advantages was not the intend of the rule.

And cheers to that.

In general, however, am I the only one in feeling the rules text makes a really poor job explaining the wild mage, and the crucial fact advantages is the only thing the wild mage has going for him or her?

It would have been much better imo to first state the subclass is optional and should only be used at tables where the DM is completely comfortable throwing flumphs, rainbows and potted plants around.

And then, once the DM is aboard, remove the DM intervention from each and every instance of a surge. The character really needs his advantages to compete, and I feel the text makes it really unclear that the option is even there.

TL;DR: The Wild Mage has the potential to gain advantage N+1 number of times each day, where N is the total number of non-cantrip spells gained by sorcerers.

Any DM that is stingy in "forcing" wild surges throttle that potential, and any powergamer is well advised to stay away from the subclass under such conditions.

 

[Steely Dan]

If it is to round-corner it, no thanks.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I ope the revised PHB just moves them out to the revised DMG and brings the elemental sorceror or something in the PHB.

It is too much DM dependant for my tastes. And a wild magic chart really is a DM tool.