How do we fix the Sorcerer?

[CreamCloud0]

-CON as main casting stat [edit: or allow them to pick any of the three mental stats as their spellcasting mod at creation]
-increased sorcery points or more capacity to recover them more often
-raise number of metamagics known, or know all of them and your picks are actually your 'preferred' metamagics that cost less
-expanded spell lists for subclasses
-the sorcerer is has magic in their blood, give them more access to more than just a limited arcane spell list such as:
-expand their base spell list to cover stuff from all across the board magic-wise
-let them pick one of the other primary casters and let them pick a small handfull of spells from their spell lists every time they level up
-let them learn spells directly from other casters/scrolls/ect... in gameplay similar to wizard spell books
-increased attunement slots?

 

[jmartkdr2]

Skipping the half-measures: sorcerer shouldn't be a class. Dragon-blooded could be a class, Stormborn is a subclass of that. Wild magic is a wizard school, Shadow an Divine Soul are already warlock patrons, and Clockwork could be. Aberrant Mind is either a class or a really weird bard college.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Skipping the half-measures: sorcerer shouldn't be a class. Dragon-blooded could be a class, Stormborn is a subclass of that. Wild magic is a wizard school, Shadow an Divine Soul are already warlock patrons, and Clockwork could be. Aberrant Mind is either a class or a really weird bard college.

In my perfect world, I'd remove both of them and make their general themes Background ala Stryxhaven's Background.

Their archetypes could then be given to more generic spellcaster (Dragon Domain Cleric, Demonologist Wizard, Storm Druid, or Alienist Wizard, Wild Magic Wizard, Circle of Decay Druid, Fey Domain Cleric etc). Hexblade becomes a Fighter path, Genie to Rogue or Ranger, Undead to Paladin etc

Then move Metamagic to feats, usable PB per long rest.

 

[NotAYakk]

1. Origin specific spell lists. Including some spell morphing and restrictions (Draconic might get a spell changed to their damage type, or restricted, for example; storm gets summon elementals, but only water and air, etc).

2. No flexible casting. +1 metamagic instead at level 2 (and 2 more at 3).

3. Short rest sorcery points.

It makes them sufficiently distinct, in that they metamagic almost everything.

4. In T3/4 further boosts to metamagic. Thoughts:
a. First point free per turn
b. Spend an action, regain metamagic points (1/short rest)
c. Master a metamagic; is is 1 cheaper, and can do it alonside another.
d. Two metamagics per spell.
e. Gain 5 temporary HP per metamagic spent (max current lost HP). Sac them for +1 to a save/10 points left.

 

[Vael]

I still think that the Sorcerer is fine, it's just ... tight. Spell progression and Metamagics are fairly restrictive, and while I'll confess that is one of the draws for me to the class, I like that it makes you weigh your choices, I do get the desire for more choices.

And giving Metamagic to the Sorcerer is, I think, the best way to make a thematic sorcerer, if we push the system a little further. Currently, all metamagic offers ways to alter a spell, but we should also have subclass-specific metamagics that add rider effects tailored to their origin. So, yeah, to keep it simple, all Sorcerers (and other casters) can cast Polymorph, but only a Shadow Magic Sorcerer can apply the Umbral Spell metamagic when they cast Polymorph make themselves resistent to all damage, except for Radiant, when they cast the spell in dim light or darkness. Several of the Storm Soul Sorcerer's abilities could be strengthened and turned into Metamagics, like Tempestuous Magic. Hell, now Wild Magic Sorcerers can choose to generate a wild magic surge by applying a Chaotic Surge Metamagic to their spell.

 

[Guest 7034872]

I guess I'm with Vael on this: I've loved the Sorcerers I've played and they've been exceptionally powerful (IMO). Twinned Haste on a Barbarian and a tank-ish Druid, man, and suddenly the entire combat sequence turns insane. And Subtle Spell...well, that thing just cries out for sneaky combos.

I mean, I won't become upset if Sorcerers are given more spell choices in 6e--that's fine by me. I just don't see anything underpowered about the class as it stands.

 

[Steven K]

I guess I'm with Vael on this: I've loved the Sorcerers I've played and they've been exceptionally powerful (IMO). Twinned Haste on a Barbarian and a tank-ish Druid, man, and suddenly the entire combat sequence turns insane. And Subtle Spell...well, that thing just cries out for sneaky combos.

I mean, I won't become upset if Sorcerers are given more spell choices in 6e--that's fine by me. I just don't see anything underpowered about the class as it stands.

Underpowered isn't the real issue. The main problem is that the Sorcerer is designed in a way that does not give full mechanical weight to the narrative it is supposed to convey, which is different bloodlines or mystical events directly shape the form of the character's magic. The other significant problem is that the Sorcerer has a feature which is absolutely crucial to its identity, metamagic, both linked to a very limited resource, and also competing for design space with something else that uses that limited resource, flexible casting. Flexible casting is awful, as far as its design goes. If you convert your sorcery points to spell slots, you do so at a loss, and then you have less of an already limited resource to actually use on metamagic. And if you go the other way, you have a hard limit to how many sorcery points you can aquire, so you can waste all or part of a spell slot's worth of sorcery points just because you hadn't already used enough that day.

 

[Guest 7034872]

Underpowered isn't the real issue. The main problem is that the Sorcerer is designed in a way that does not give full mechanical weight to the narrative it is supposed to convey, which is different bloodlines or mystical events directly shape the form of the character's magic.

I see. I don't mind this very much. I can see well enough why others will, but I don't. These backstory elements for the various classes usually strike me as rather thin in the logical consistency department, so I tend not to worry.

The other significant problem is that the Sorcerer has a feature which is absolutely crucial to its identity, metamagic, both linked to a very limited resource, and also competing for design space with something else that uses that limited resource, flexible casting. Flexible casting is awful, as far as its design goes. If you convert your sorcery points to spell slots, you do so at a loss, and then you have less of an already limited resource to actually use on metamagic. And if you go the other way, you have a hard limit to how many sorcery points you can acquire, so you can waste all or part of a spell slot's worth of sorcery points just because you hadn't already used enough that day.

Here I really don't see a problem. The sorcerer does not suffer from insufficient spell slots, so converting sorcery points to spell slots is something I would do only in the most extreme of circumstances (someone is actually down and bleeding out badly with nary a potion nor a Healing Word in sight). And as for going in the other direction, sorcery points are a resource: you're not supposed to have many of them.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Delete the sorcerer, expand the warlock to allow representing sorcerer themes.

Ah, yes, save the village by burning it down. Always a stellar solution.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

We can perfectly predict that the sorcerer will get upgrades.
In tasha's guide they get a wide array of extra spells.