New Sorcerors are too "vulgar"

[Kunimatyu]

I've decided I like the idea of Sorcerors spending Willpower to cast spells and revealing more of their inner essence as they lose Willpower.

What I don't like is an actual physical monstrous transformation. A draconic sorceror might gain firebreath and energy resistance spells as they lose willpower, or perhaps even a frightening presence, but they don't actually grow scales and claws.

If you want the physical side of a dragon, play a dragonborn. If you want the metaphysical side, play a draconic sorceror.

 

[CaptainAuanaghènz]

I've decided I like the idea of Sorcerors spending Willpower to cast spells and revealing more of their inner essence as they lose Willpower.

What I don't like is an actual physical monstrous transformation. A draconic sorceror might gain firebreath and energy resistance spells as they lose willpower, or perhaps even a frightening presence, but they don't actually grow scales and claws.

If you want the physical side of a dragon, play a dragonborn. If you want the metaphysical side, play a draconic sorceror.

I agree 101%

 

[Keefe the Thief]

I disagree. Just gaining power and losing stats is lame. If you're the son of Chthulhu you grow tentacles eventually, and feel the need to rise out of the sea now and then to shock people on the beach. Mind and body are one.

 

[Kunimatyu]

I disagree. Just gaining power and losing stats is lame. If you're the son of Chthulhu you grow tentacles eventually, and feel the need to rise out of the sea now and then to shock people on the beach. Mind and body are one.

You don't think the Sorceror physical transformations step on the toes of monstrous races (tiefling, dragonborn, etc) with similar qualities?

 

[Raith5]

I agree that these physical changes feel/seem inappropriate with respect to lower level PCs. But at high level I say bring it on!

 

[thewok]

You don't think the Sorceror physical transformations step on the toes of monstrous races (tiefling, dragonborn, etc) with similar qualities?

I don't.

For an example, look to the Breath of the Dragonsoul power granted by the Dragonsoul Heir paragon path in 4E. I wouldn't say it steps on the toes of the dragonborn. They have access to it, too; it would be yet another dragon breath attack for them, which I think most dragonborn players would enjoy.

As for the 5E dragon sorcerer (and, please remember that this is a single heritage we're talking about. It's not at all logical to assume that all heritages will have similar flavor--and that's really all it boils down to), we can't skip over some words, as many people are doing.

The sorcerer does not grow claws. It says that his hands grow claw-like (i.e. they look like claws, but they are not claws), and the body grows more imposing (which has no mechanical benefit, but I would flavor as a very minor manifestation of frightful presence). So, maybe the nails grow longer and sharper. Maybe they just "contort" to as close an approximation of dragon claws that the human hand can make (or maybe more, because the hand physically shifts somewhat, like the thumb more toward the bottom of the palm). It does not say that the sorcerer's hands become claws.

Later, the sorcerer grows scales over parts of his body--not the whole body, mind you, but parts. I'd imagine mainly over vulnerable areas, such as the heart, the neck, the stomach, the groin, and so on. If it were a dragonborn, I'd imagine the scales there would become real dragonscales temporarily.

Keep in mind that the dragonborn aren't dragons. They're not descended from dragons. They just look similar to dragons. I could see a number of dragonborn characters who would love this heritage so they could become closer to what they feel they are.

The infernal heritage (if it turns out the same way) will most likely be the same thing. Maybe that tiefling is going to look more like a pit fiend as the day wears on than the legion devil he resembles more in his normal form.

I'm excited just thinking of the possibilities when it comes to characters.

 

[slobster]

I don't have much of a problem with the Draconic bloodline given to sorcerers in the playtest. In general I think the sorcerer has been pretty weakly defined as a class. The bloodline is an obvious manifestation of what makes the class unique. Finally, my mental image of a sorcerer is strong and distinct, as opposed to being "the spontaneous casting wizard".

With that said, 5E is supposed to be the D&Dest D&D that ever D'ed, so if a lot of players have trouble with the concept of sorcerers shapeshifting as they exhaust their personal willpower, then maybe it just departs too much from that nebulous "D&D feel" for people to accept. It certainly is different, moreso than any other class we've seen so far, which harken back to their D&D roots fairly obviously. If the feedback they receive from the playtest is strongly negative on this aspect, then it's legitimate to pull the idea back and go a little more traditional with the sorcerer, even if I personally consider it a loss.

It's such a good idea, though, that I hope it isn't tossed completely, no matter the feedback. We don't know how they'll handle advanced classes/prestige classes/paragon paths yet, but this seems like a prime candidate for a sorcerous one of those.

 

[Yora]

But spontaneous casting wizard is what we need.
If they want to do something else as well, they are free to do it. They may even call it sorcerer if they think they absolutely have to, but that shouldn't be a reason to drop the spontaneous casting wizard.

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

When sorcerers were introduced in 3E, I seem to recall their source of power being left vague, though blood of dragons was definitely mentioned as a rumour/possibility. I much preferred this open-ended description to what we have now - an explicit link to your source of power and indeed, a vulgar expression of it.

I have problems envisaging Warlocks being nice guys, and I have problems envisaging Sorcerers being accepted into society, even a fantastical one.

 

[Yora]

But to an outsider, a sorcerer isn't really any different from a wizard. The one has a huge bookshelf at home and the other not, but I don't think people in the villages care about that.