D&D 5E Do you feel like the "Sorcerer" is really lacking in options?

[famousringo]

I stand by this. The wizard's spell list is more expansive and includes more varied effects. The wizard has subclasses with more subtle effects than the dragon and wild mage. Yeah, sorcs get silent spell, that's pretty minor in the feel of the class when it comes to the effects you can produce.

I'm not really disagreeing with you. Just pointing out that that there are two things the sorcerer is uniquely suited to do thanks to the metamagic feature: Blast with authority and cast on the sly. The former is at least nominally backed up with a subclass, even if the spell list pushes you towards fire magic, while the second can only be developed through multiclassing.

Actually, the more I look at sorcerer, the more I think multiclassing is the whole point of the class. The only high-level feature that's really compelling is the wild surge control. Just 3 levels lets a bard be sneaky with her magic or gives an evoker permanent Mage Armor and more reliable spells.

 

[Uchawi]

I wish the warlock was more like the sorcerer in respect to gaining higher level spells. They could combine those two classes and not lose much. Heck even a bard has access to higher level spells.

 

[Minigiant]

So solidly Tier 2, then. Could be worse.

Basilly.
Tier 2 is good.
If you just need arcane magic, sorcerers are the best. Sorcerers can excel at clubbing the average adventuring problems with raw magic.

If you need a particular magic effect, call a wizard.
If you need a particular style of arcane magic, call a wizard.

 

[famousringo]

I wish the warlock was more like the sorcerer in respect to gaining higher level spells. They could combine those two classes and not lose much. Heck even a bard has access to higher level spells.

No PHB in front of me, but isn't that what arcanums are about? High level spells that the warlock can't replenish on a short rest or cast at higher level? They get about as many level 6+ spells per day as any other caster, I think. I guess the other thing about arcanums is that they don't mesh with multiclassing very well, but that's true of pact magic in general.

 

[steeldragons]

No PHB in front of me, but isn't that what arcanums are about? High level spells that the warlock can't replenish on a short rest or cast at higher level? They get about as many level 6+ spells per day as any other caster, I think. I guess the other thing about arcanums is that they don't mesh with multiclassing very well, but that's true of pact magic in general.

There is no arcanum class in 5e.

...at this time.

 

[famousringo]

There is no arcanum class in 5e.

...at this time.

I now have a PHB in front of me, so I can tell you that I'm talking about the Mystic Arcanum warlock class feature.

Yeah, basically the same as other high-level casters, except warlocks can't change them, don't get a second 6th and 7th level casting at level 19 and 20, and can't juice up a 6th level spell with a 9th level slot.

Also, it seems to be a secret feature that nobody can actually see.

 

[Psikerlord#]

Yes.

However the ones already in the book give you a good guide when expanding them yourself.

Yeah I think this is right. You could just refluff a lot of the stuff for other themes, and/or make a few careful changes.

On the other hand I would certainly welcome more Sorceror subclass options. I'd love an Elementalist style one.

 

[Eric V]

Agreed. More subclasses won't fix the problems I see with the sorcerer. The extreme lack of flexibility, plus reduced number of casting slots compared to the wizard, cripples the class IMO.

What if, just as the wizard can recover half their level in spell slots once per day during a short rest, the sorcerer could recover half their level in sorcery points?

 

[Manbearcat]

One of my three players very much digs Storm from the X-Men. In our first 4e game, she played a Storm Sorcerer and absolutely loved it. Flying around, conjuring the elemental forces of wind, lightning, thunder, and cold. All that good stuff. I suspect that sort of archetype would have been nice to have at release for players like her. It should be pretty trivial for 5e's PC build rules and the sorcerer chassis to accommodate such an archetype I would think.

 

[steeldragons]

One of my three players very much digs Storm from the X-Men. In our first 4e game, she played a Storm Sorcerer and absolutely loved it. Flying around, conjuring the elemental forces of wind, lightning, thunder, and cold. All that good stuff. I suspect that sort of archetype would have been nice to have at release for players like her. It should be pretty trivial for 5e's PC build rules and the sorcerer chassis to accommodate such an archetype I would think.

Anyone who wanted to could play this, yesterday, as is. Make a dragon sorcerer, take all the dragon fluff out, put stormy fluff in. Element affinity for lightning. The 6th level ability is just flying via controlled/summoned winds instead of dragon-wing transformation. It's...absolutely trivial to have this kind of sorcerer if you want it.