New sorcerer variant (need comments)

[Draugin]

Re: Channeling

i would suggest that when channeling, to differentiate it from Barbarian rage a little more, make durration based on Wis instead of Con and give +4 Wis while channeling (constitution boost didn't make sense anyway) since they are channeling from their surroundings, it makes sense that their senses/perceptions would benefit. will save bonuses and skill bonuses would make slightly less sense, but i don't see why they're less justifiable than extra hit points and Fort. bonus.

i second the idea of high level abilities while channeling.
All in all, seems pretty good.

Thanks Tzudralkor.
I think that Constitution is okay, because you become a fulcrum of energies that fuel your body, so in fact you can take extra damage and resist to many physical punishment - you are full of raw magic!
I like the idea of becoming aware of surroundings while channeling, I didn't think about it at first, but not every sorcerer does (some only draw power, without care to the source).

(But the question is, channelling or channeling? WHops. )

 

[The Proconsul]

Yes, saving throws grow slowly compared to AC, but a sorcerer cast an inferior number of spells compared to the number of attacks a barbarian usually makes, and Strenght adds its bonus to hit and also to damage. I don't have the maths but I don't feel it's particulary unbalanced.
BTW, it shouldn't necessary be balanced with rage either. This variant sorcerer gets other restrictions (no familiar, limited schools) to pay off the channelling ability.

Perhaps. You are right in that you can't really compare the two.

However, I wonder whether the class is not a little too powerful as it is now. An artillery sorcerer looeses very little because of the forbidden schools (he doesn't need Divination and Enchantment anyway, for example), and the familiar is not very usedul in combat encounters, even though the bonuses are rather nifty. In exchange, he gets three bonus feats and quite an array of other enhancements, small and great (though the inability to read scrolls offsets this a bit)...

 

[Angcuru]

Personal sorcery: Every sorcerer develops his own way to cast spells. At 1st level, a sorcerer gain a bonus feat chosen from these: Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Magical Affinity, Silent Spell, Spell Penetration or Still Spell.

I'm snatching this to help balance an alternate magic system I'm currently putting the finishing touches on. THX!

Don't worry, you get credit.

 

[DreamChaser]

Other drawback ideas.

No creation of magical items.

Use of all spell completion items requires Use Magical Device.

These fit with the on the fly, personal style idea the sorcerer is supposed to have.

DC

 

[DreamChaser]

Perhaps something like this. I tweeked a couple things. I unloaded some of the feats...this one may seem much weaker than the previous. I'm not sure.


SORCERER VARIANT

<snip>

Hit dice: d4.
Base attack bonus: Poor (as wizards).
Good Saving Throws: Will.
Alignment: Any.
Spell known/Spells per day: As original sorcerer.

Skill points per level: 4 + Int modifier (x4 at 1st level).

Class skills: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Class abilities:
Weapon and armor proficiency: All simple weapons, no armor, no shield.

Spells: As original sorcerer, but a sorcerer must choose a theme for his spells (i.e. light, fire, ice, birds, stone) and every spell learned must fit this theme. The spell can be changed cosmetically and have energy substitution applied but must otherwise retain the original spell effect.

Channeling: A sorcerer can channel magical energy from the environment, becaming a visible and spectacular fulcrum of power. While channeling he gains +4 Con, +4 Cha and +2 to saves against magic and magical effects, and -2 to AC. He cannot cast defensively and cannot go more than 2 rounds without casting a spell or the channeling ends prematurely.

The normal duration of channelling is 3 rounds plus the sorcerer's new Con modifier (it can be stopped at will). At the end of the channeling, the sorcerer is fatigued. At 1st level, you can channel 1/day. You gain another channeling every four levels (2/day at 4th, 3/day at 8th and so on).

At 9th level, the sorcerer's channeling has become charged with the effects of his theme. Anyone within 5 feet of the channeling sorcerer takes 1d6 points of damage.

Upon reaching 15th level, the sorcerer's connection to the magical energies while channeling has grown to the point where his concentration can no longer be disrupted no matter how much damage he takes.

Personal sorcery: A sorcerer's power is innate, wild, and highly personal. Because of this, a sorcerer never needs to use material components except those with a specific gold piece value. Unforturnately, sorcerers cannot craft magical items and require a Use Magical Device check (albeit with a +5 to the check) to use any spell completion item (scroll, wand, or staff).

Magic sense: At 3rd level, a sorcerer has developed keen senses about flows of magic. The sorcerer is considered permanently under the effects of a detect magic spell, and he only has to concentrate to use it (supernatural ability). If he already knew detect magic, he can swap it for another 0-level spell.

 

[Draugin]

About balance

However, I wonder whether the class is not a little too powerful as it is now. An artillery sorcerer looeses very little because of the forbidden schools (he doesn't need Divination and Enchantment anyway, for example), and the familiar is not very usedul in combat encounters, even though the bonuses are rather nifty. In exchange, he gets three bonus feats and quite an array of other enhancements, small and great (though the inability to read scrolls offsets this a bit)...

An artillery sorcerer would not take only direct damage spells. If he did, he would not be able to protect himself (and so it would result less powerful). There are a lot of Abjuration/Illusion spells that are truly useful even for a chaingun sorcerer. So he's missing something. There are some other killer-spells (I mean exceptionally stronger than other spells of their level) such as horrid wilting you would miss. We're talking about restricting him to four schools out of eight, it's not ininfluent (IMO).

 

[Draugin]

I'm snatching this to help balance an alternate magic system I'm currently putting the finishing touches on. THX!
Don't worry, you get credit.

Hey, I'm flattered.
What's your magic system like?

 

[Draugin]

[...]
Spells: As original sorcerer, but a sorcerer must choose a theme for his spells (i.e. light, fire, ice, birds, stone) and every spell learned must fit this theme. The spell can be changed cosmetically and have energy substitution applied but must otherwise retain the original spell effect.

It's okay, but I don't like the energy substitution part... if a sorcerer chose "sound" or "force" he would be far more powerful. I like your concept as a variant of my variant though, so I'll consider it more. Maybe we should think at a list of themes, but without a too complicated system (I thought about a system based on spell chains and spell themes, but it was too much different).
BTW, this is the same thing Monte Cook's doing with the Witch on his Arcana Unearthed so maybe before starting this path I'll wait and see.

Channeling: A sorcerer can channel magical energy from the environment, becaming a visible and spectacular fulcrum of power. While channeling he gains +4 Con, +4 Cha and +2 to saves against magic and magical effects, and -2 to AC. He cannot cast defensively and cannot go more than 2 rounds without casting a spell or the channeling ends prematurely.

I also thought about the "must cast spells" part, but I discarded it. I don't like too many restrictions. It would be as saying that barbarian's rage ends if he doesn't fight. It would put restrictions on many other interesting uses and RP opportunities aside of combat.

[...]
At 9th level, the sorcerer's channeling has become charged with the effects of his theme. Anyone within 5 feet of the channeling sorcerer takes 1d6 points of damage.
Upon reaching 15th level, the sorcerer's connection to the magical energies while channeling has grown to the point where his concentration can no longer be disrupted no matter how much damage he takes.

I don't like the damage part, but I like very much the "Unbreakable casting" (or something like that). Maybe +10 to Concentration checks though, so a massive damage could distract you.

Personal sorcery: A sorcerer's power is innate, wild, and highly personal. Because of this, a sorcerer never needs to use material components except those with a specific gold piece value. Unforturnately, sorcerers cannot craft magical items and require a Use Magical Device check (albeit with a +5 to the check) to use any spell completion item (scroll, wand, or staff).

I don't like the part that every sorcerer has Eschew Materials. Maybe some of them truly master magic only with their bodies and their will, but some others are children of their time and think (erroneously) that they need some "special focus" in order to cast a spell. And in fact, they're so determined that they can't cast spells without them.
I'd also permit them to craft items and normally use magic items (except scrolls). Frankly, I think that a few of them will ever take any item creation feat, so I don't see that as a balancing factor, only as a unneded restriction.

Maybe you're right at finding some other restriction, but I don't feel that he's so unbalanced.
Thank you for your work and ideas anyway, it was a pleasure to read and comment.

 

[Agis666]

This sounds like a great way to add flavour to the Sorcerer class. The Channeling ability matching with the Rage ability is clever. Although I would put an alignment restriction on this version of the class along the lines of "cannot be lawful" instead of "any."

 

[Draugin]

Non-lawful restriction

This sounds like a great way to add flavour to the Sorcerer class. The Channeling ability matching with the Rage ability is clever. Although I would put an alignment restriction on this version of the class along the lines of "cannot be lawful" instead of "any."

That's a good point. At first I've put that alignment restriction, but then I removed it because I don't think that alignment interferes with channeling. You are not releasing your primal rage (so I understand barbarians' restriction), but drawing power from the surroundigs, so you can do it even if you are lawful. Lawful sorcerer are rare indeed but I don't think they cannot exist.
But this is not my final word, so maybe I'll change my mind again two or three times.