D&D 5E Enough is Enough: WotC needs to add "domain spells" to *existing* sorcerer subclasses

[Thurmas]

Domain spells is only part of the problem. Metamagic is the other half of the equation. The number of spell points known is one of the major problems with the class. So few points on a long rest really limits the sorcerer being able to do their defining feature. They really need to refresh on a short rest, much like the Monk does.

The problem with it then becomes Flexible Casting and creating spell slots. This gets crazy into crazy coffeelock shenanigans without even adding the lock half of it.

So, just remove flexible casting. But the issues go a bit deeper and you need to make a couple more minor tweaks to make up for removing flexible casting. Slightly more spells known. Slightly more metamagic known. As it is, basically the same few metamagic are learned by everyone, and most will never be used because few people play past 10, when you only know three total. I'd love to use Distant Spell one day, but I won't, because it's an inferior option when I have so few selections.

Make these changes:

Flexible Casting goes away.
Sorcerer Points refresh on a short rest.
Either 1 domain spell each odd level 1-9 -or- Spells known = Sorcerer Level + Cha Mod.
Increased Metamagic pool. Just know more or all of the metamagic options.

 

[tetrasodium]

Domain spells is only part of the problem. Metamagic is the other half of the equation. The number of spell points known is one of the major problems with the class. So few points on a long rest really limits the sorcerer being able to do their defining feature. They really need to refresh on a short rest, much like the Monk does.

The problem with it then becomes Flexible Casting and creating spell slots. This gets crazy into crazy coffeelock shenanigans without even adding the lock half of it.

So, just remove flexible casting. But the issues go a bit deeper and you need to make a couple more minor tweaks to make up for removing flexible casting. Slightly more spells known. Slightly more metamagic known. As it is, basically the same few metamagic are learned by everyone, and most will never be used because few people play past 10, when you only know three total. I'd love to use Distant Spell one day, but I won't, because it's an inferior option when I have so few selections.

Make these changes:

Flexible Casting goes away.
Sorcerer Points refresh on a short rest.
Either 1 domain spell each odd level 1-9 -or- Spells known = Sorcerer Level + Cha Mod.
Increased Metamagic pool. Just know more or all of the metamagic options.

flexible casting is a big symptom of whatever flight of munchkinismled someone at wotc to seemingly put more effort into making the both sorc/warlock classes take a back seat to scorlock. Just going all in on a balanced & interesting spellpoint>spell rather than the convoluted & totally predictable coffeelock spellslot>spellpoint>spellslot craziness by RAW hamstrings sorcerer to be something other than a charismatic wizard without a spellbook as someone put it earlier

 

[Chaosmancer]

Yea rituals are useful, but those are a half baked problem of their own.
Filtering out the duplicates

1. Alarm, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Find Familiar, Floating Disk, Identify, Illusory Script, Unseen servant
2. Gentle repose, Magic Mouth, Skywrite
3. Feign Death, Tiny Hut, Water Breathing
4. none
5. Contact Other Plane*, Instant Summons, Telepathic Bond

A good number of those are also on other class lists (including divine casters like cleric who can grab them at any long rest without the cost of scribing)...

"A good number of those" being detect magic, gentle repose, and feign death for the cleric. Two of them being ones you said no one really ever uses (and yes, this is all of the overlap over all levels, barring specific domains). Druid does detect magic, skywrite, feign death and water breathing. So... one more useful one.

Also, there is a pretty hefty cost to using a prepared slot for a ritual spell. If you go via point buy, your cleric has a 16 wisdom. Meaning that for the first few levels, you have less than 10 spells you can prepare. And there are a lot of spells you want to have, a lot of different pressures, and dedicating a spot to a ritual spell means it will rarely actually get used.

 

[Salthorae]

so much that they could be considered a keystone component of their character

the keystone component isn't that the ritual spells are so useful in and of themselves, it's that the wizard can have them in the spellbook, never prepare them, but still use them all day long.

Meaning that for the first few levels, you have less than 10 spells you can prepare.

By 3rd level you should have 10 spells prepared as a Cleric at least. 3 lvl + 3 Mod + 4 domain = 10.

I catch your point though. Divine casters though they have ritual casting, still have to waste a prepared slot on the ritual to use it that way. That's why wizard and book of ancient secrets ritual casting is so much better than anyone else's and why it's a core feature of wizard spellcasting.

 

[tetrasodium]

the keystone component isn't that the ritual spells are so useful in and of themselves, it's that the wizard can have them in the spellbook, never prepare them, but still use them all day long.

The half baked phoned in aspect is the spells themselves.thet just pretty much stop at 3rd, too many non ritual spells should be ritual, etc. Despite the insistence of someone above, water breathing is not one of those "right spells" like detect magic or tiny hut... as useful as ritual spells can occasionally be, they are still a half baked feature of mostly niche spells that require a wizard to either get very lucky to find in a spellbook or to take instead of one of those largely shared by sorcerer "right spells".

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

I still think that for the Sorcerer, they should use the Spell Points Variant for their spells, but for the Metamagic features, Sorcery Points should be used to fuel them.

I used to think both should be combined, but now I'm pondering this.

I've had that idea, Haven't really tried it out yet, but I think it could work.

If I get to try it out, I'll let you know if it works.