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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Al'Kelhar" data-source="post: 1380899" data-attributes="member: 7884">That's fine.  No-one says that a cleric with access to the Trickery Domain has to prepare only spells which make them sneaky.  I have no problem with a sorcerer having a Fire Affinity, for example, knowing no other spells with the [Fire] descriptor than those in the Affinity spell list.  It's the player's choice and DM's look-out.Wouldn't that leave 42% either undecided or satisfied that the class was balanced? If so, I'd make dramatic changes only at my own peril.I think you're approaching balance on too shallow a level.  Lies, damn lies, and statistics, and all that.  YMMVI think you might've missed my point on "Affinity".  It's a concept to cover both those sorcerers who have some sort of ancestral or mystical tie to some source of arcane power - your "Lineage" - and those sorcerers who are just good at, like, or even study (shock, horror, that's too much like a wizard) arcane power with a particular theme.  One concept good, two concepts bad.One Affinity is the "base sorcerer", which the class defaults to if the player doesn't elect another one.  It would have no restrictions on who might take it, the benefit would be the Eschew Materials as a bonus feat, and the Affinity spells would be a mix of the most commonly used defensive and utilitarian spells, e.g. detect magic, shield, invisibility, fly etc.Have 20-25 Affinities, covering the sorts of things already discussed, in the "core rulebook".  Every man-and-his-dog will then get on the bandwagon and publish alternative Affinities, as they have for cleric Domains.The fighter gets nothing special ever, yet people are quite happy to take fighters to 20th level.  Just more feats.  The cleric gets nothing special.  Just more spells. The wizard gets a bonus feat at 20th level, but really you keep taking wizard to 20th level because of the spells, not the feat.  Only those classes which have a "keystone" ability - barbarian's rage, bard's music, druid's wildshape, ranger's favoured enemy, etc. - have extra little benefits to this keystone ability as they get to high levels.  Is the spell-like ability the sorcerer's keystone ability, or is it a handy "extra"?  I reckon it's the latter.Was the personal only restriction for balance or for reasons related to the "concept" of the sorcerer?  I don't see any need for the restriction, particularly if we're only talking 0-level to 3rd level spells.OK, my take on the alt.sorcerer:Sundry changes:1.  d6 Hit Dice;2.  add Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate and Sense Motive to the class skill list;3.  remove Knowledge (arcana) from the class skill list;4.  4 + Int bonus skill points per level;5.  no familiar (although may gain one through an Affinity or taking a feat).NB No light armour proficiency.Spells per day:UnchangedAffinity:At 1st level, a sorcerer must choose an Affinity.  (I've described these previously).  The sorcerer's Affinity grants him a particular benefit or benefits, lists spells which he automatically knows on attaining the necessary class level to cast them, and defines the sorcerer's Innate Abilities.Spells Known:At 1st level, a sorcerer knows 6 0-level and 2 1st level spells of his choice, and 1 0-level and 1 1st level Affinity spells.  Every class level thereafter he learns 2 more spells of his choice (as well as automatically learning his Affinity spell when he becomes capable of casting spells of that level).  One of these spells may be of any level of spell he is capable of casting.  The other must be of a lower level than the highest level spell he is capable of casting.Innate Ability:At 2nd level, the sorcerer is able to use his 0-level Affinity spell as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma bonus.  He can elect either to drop the spell from his list of spells known and replace it with another 0-level spell, or he can retain it in his list of spells known.  If he elects to retain it in his list of spells known, he always uses it as a spell-like ability, but if he uses it more times in a day than his Charisma bonus, each additional use consumes one 0-level spell slot.The spell-like ability is used at the sorcerer's class level (including any caster level bonus from the sorcerer's Affinity).  The spell-like ability's saving throw DC (if applicable) is that which it would be if it were being cast as a spell by the sorcerer.As a spell-like ability, the Innate Ability is not subject to metamagic feats which affect spells.  However, the sorcerer can learn metamagic feats which affect spell-like abilities, such as Empower Spell-like Ability and Quicken Spell-like Ability (see Chapter 6 Monster Manual).At 8th level, the sorcerer is able to use his 1st level Affinity spell as a spell-like ability in the same manner as the 0-level spell.At 13th level, the sorcerer is able to use his 2nd level Affinity spell as a spell-like ability in the same manner as the 0-level spell.At 17th level, the sorcerer is able to use his 3rd level Affinity spell as a spell-like ability in the same manner as the 0-level spell.At 20th level, the sorcerer is able to use his 4th level Affinity spell as a spell-like ability in the same manner as the 0-level spell.Example Affinity: Innate CasterDescription:  Your inner strength is the source of your power to wield arcane magic, but why and how this came to be so remains a mystery to you.  NB This is the default Affinity for the sorcerer core class.Limitations:  None.Benefits:  Knowledge (arcana) skill is a class skill for you.  You gain Eschew Materials as a bonus feat.Affinity Spells:0-level: detect magic1st level: shield2nd level: invisibility3rd level: fly4th level: dimension door5th level: break enchantment6th level: globe of invulnerability7th level: spell turning8th level: polymorph any object9th level: mage's disjunctionCheers, Al'Kelhar</blockquote>

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