New Metamagic option, needs work

[famousringo]

As I see it, both is what he gets.

He would be able to either cast Lightning Bolt as-is, doing lightning damage, or to use this feature to change it into Icicle Bolt, doing cold damage.

Mechanically, yes, either ability lets you get around resistance, so there's some redundancy buuuut...

Would Arctiklon, Underlord of the Frozen Wastes cast a mere Lightning Bolt? Fie! He casts Icicle Bolt, and FrostBlight, and Melf's Minute Snowballs. Snowballs cold enough to slice through your feeble Absorb Elements spell and freeze the naughty bits off (checks book) an arcanoloth!

 

[CapnZapp]

Snowballs cold enough to slice through

Yeah, sure, but problem with that is it does nothing to help cold-themed users relative to fire.

If Sorcerers get a way to slice through resistance, you still choose Fire, only now you're even better than before, with even fewer reasons to cast anything else but fire.

The idea is to even the field. To make cold, or poison, or acid suck a little less compared to fire. Make cold a little more of a viable alternative to fire.

Not solve the old chest-nut D&D conundrum that shall remain unsolvable

https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.ph...-Frost-Mage-in-the-frozen-tundra-quot-problem

 

[Eric V]

Only if the ability (or metamagic pick) permanently changes one damage type into another would zero SPs be appropriate.

That is, if the Ice Mage permanently gives up the ability to have the spell cause lightning damage, if it always now causes cold damage, then and only then would 0 Sorcery Points be a good idea.

Since I realize that would be a hard sell, that's not the path I would travel.

Instead, I'm advocating you start playtesting with a 1 SP cost, expressly reserving your right to increase it to 2 SP if the results of your playtesting warrants it.

Thus, your Ice Mage picks Lightning Bolt. It will spew lightning unless she spends a Sorcery Point to have it throw bolts of ice instead.

What if it was both? My arctic sorcerer picks cold, so now all his elemental spells do cold damage. However, he can also spend an SP (or 2 or whatever) to make it do different elemental damage.

That way, "staying on theme" doesn't cost him anything, but he still get some versatility at a cost.

 

[CapnZapp]

What if it was both? My arctic sorcerer picks cold, so now all his elemental spells do cold damage. However, he can also spend an SP (or 2 or whatever) to make it do different elemental damage.

That way, "staying on theme" doesn't cost him anything, but he still get some versatility at a cost.

Sure, essentially the reverse ability.

I briefly considered it. But it would need a good write-up. Can you phrase it in a straightforward way, go for it!

 

[Satyrn]

Select an element from one of the following types: {list elements}. When you cast a spell that deals damage of one the listed types it instead deals damage of the type you chose. You may spend 2 SP to cast the spell unmodified (it deals damage of the type listed in its description).


That still needs some polishing.