Playtest (A5E) Level Up Playtest Document #6: Sorcerer

Welcome to the 6th Level Up playtest document. This playtest contains a candidate for the first 10 levels of game’s sorcerer class.

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What this is​

This is a playtest document. We’d love you to try out the rules presented here, and then answer the follow-up survey in a few days.

What this is not​

This is NOT the final game. It’s OK if you don’t like elements of these rules; that’s the purpose of a playtest document. Be sure to participate in the follow-up survey in a few days. All data, positive or negative is useful.

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Your survey responses help form the direction of the game as it goes through the development process.

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[Faolyn]

@Stalker0, I do agree. But I think the biggest fix would have to be with the archetypes, which so far LU hasn't touched. Having archetype spells would help enormously, and for whatever reason, WotC keeps teasing them in UAs but not actually implementing them in the final products.

Don't forget, this is supposed to be backwards compatible. Doing a total rewrite of the sorcerer would mean that LU would be it's own game. Not a bad idea--many of the abilities the other playtest packages have given almost make having archetypes unnecessary--but I don't think it's what LU is going for.

I have no idea what archetypes are available in the SRD, if any, but it'd be nice if they did have archetype spells listed in the main book.

 

[Stalker0]

Don't forget, this is supposed to be backwards compatible. Doing a total rewrite of the sorcerer would mean that LU would be it's own game.

I'll disagree with you on this point. Backwards compatible simply means that the original sorceror should be able to play at the same table as the LU sorc..... aka nothing the LU does messes with how the vanilla sorc plays. However, that does not mean the LU has to look anything like the vanilla sorc in terms of abilities.

Now if LU started changing a bunch of spells....than that would break backwards compatibility. But barring that, the LU sorc can be wildly different and still fit the original requirement.

 

[Morrus]

I didn't read it, but

Good chat.

 

[Atsur]

The playtest has some really interesting ideas, but the O5E Sorcerer has 3 major problems: not enough spells known, not enough metamagic options known, and not enough sorcery points (or, a Long Rest is too long to recharge). Almost nothing in this playtest document addresses any of those issues, except splitting metamagic options into Minor and Moderate so that a PC can have 2 meh and 1 good option (formerly 2 good options).

The playtest gives TONS of new ways to SPEND sorcery points, but without enough points to go around as it is, you won't get to use all the fun features.

Conduit: I like that there isn't a penalty converting Sorcery Points from Spell Slots, but Sorcery Points need to recharge on a Short Rest. Also, what is the point of the name?

Manifestation: Weird for this to focus on only elemental damage-dealing spells. Why isn't this more inclusive? The options are bland and unoriginal, and Fire is SUPER good. If keeping this, don't make it a choice - just give them all as options.

Latent Power: Really neat RP options, although they feel expensive without giving SP a short rest recovery.

Metamagic: Similar to Manifestation, IMO just give them all to the player. Or double the amount of MM known. I don't want to play a class if I don't get to actually play the fun aspects of that class, and only having 1 "good" MM until 10th level is just boring.

Arcane Refinement: These are almost okay, but each has something that just makes it awful. Deep - seriously take damage to restore SP? WTF? Patient - LET THEM CAST RITUALS WITH SLOTS! Prodigious - okay, so a Warlock boon four levels later ... meh.

Rapturous Presence: They're okay, I guess... but they feel a little uninspired. And again, more ways to SPEND points, but there just aren't enough.

Evolving Manifestation: These should be additive effects to the originals, and the sorcerer should know them all.

Knacks: Interesting enough, but definitely don't need to be spending SP on these.

One way to solve the “too few spells known” problem is something I call Spontaneous Spellcasting, which I came up with and posted to Reddit. Originally intended for Wild Magic sorcerers, I think it could work for almost all except the new Tasha’s subclasses which know plenty of spells:

 

[rules.mechanic]

Spontaneous Spellcasting

You know, I think this could work well as a Metamagic option (perhaps given as a free extra to Wild Magic sorcerers) that costs 3 sorcery points. Allows you to try and cast any sorcerer spell up to 5th level if you have (and spend) the appropriate slot.

 

[Morrus]

Just a note, this playtest was 8 months ago!

 

[Atsur]

Just a note, this playtest was 8 months ago!

Right on. Just found it and hadn’t seen updated versions. Had heard of Level Up but I didn’t know playtest docs were available for A5E so I’m making my way through them slowly haha

 

[Morrus]

Right on. Just found it and hadn’t seen updated versions. Had heard of Level Up but I didn’t know playtest docs were available for A5E so I’m making my way through them slowly haha

No worries. Just be aware that after the playtest feedback they're all likely different to the final versions making it into the book in 7 weeks!