LordArchaon
Explorer
The sorcerer. I define it as the most neglected class in D&D. Maybe because it was born only as a variant mechanic on the Wizard, and because when it got separate spells (powers) in 4e, the edition design philosophy was still that of not differentiating classes at deep levels. But the result is that the Sorcerer has become one of those classes that the devs themselves have trouble finding a space for. (Today's seminar has a quote stating this.)
What's the matter? Simple. When they assume they'll cast the same arcane spells of Wizards, they necessarily dumb it down in that sense, and when they change the spells, they give the impression of them being just copies with changed flavor, a bit more damage, and Charisma-based.
Why? Because the truth is that they haven't found the "soul" of the Sorcerer yet. And I think they're not trying hard enough, because I honestly think I did.
Sorcerers are the only characters who have innate arcane powers. Warlocks have the big at-will magic shtick too, but it's not coming from their blood, they're powers granted by a patron.
So it's only Sorcerers that should really feel magic coming out of their bodies.
So here's my first point: what's exactly Charisma-related about this? I think that's the first error. Ok, certain spells, even if they come natural to the sorcerer may be better controlled or casted with a strong force of will/personality etc that is Cha, but should their internal arcane wellspring of power be truly fuelled by that? No, I think there's one ability score that fits the bill perfectly. Constitution. It doesn't fit the bill for Warlock powers (not as primary at least, and they recognized it in the long run), it doesn't for the Battlemind, at least as they did it, because they have weapon powers fuelled by psionics that even if innate, should then still pass through their weapons which are moved by Strength. But it does fit the Sorcerer! It's magic in their blood we're talking about, I don't see a more perfect fit. Although I also have different ideas for the ability scores of Sorcerers, more on that later.
The central problem of the Sorcerer is that we assume they "cast spells". I think that sacred cow should be killed. No, not talking about changing power source (although Elemental was a wasted opportunity...) or even the "spells" in "casting spells". I'd remove the "casting". Because I think they should MAKE spells. They have magic in their blood, not spells. So they should make them, before actually casting them.
I think the sorcerers should be the ONLY class that actually has a spell-making system in it. They should be able to make their spells on the fly, because it is a natural function for them. As we take a leak, they throw fire balls! And we males are quite capable of directing our pee in any of very many possible ways!
So Sorcerers should be able to form many different spells from the raw energy they have.
Another thing: they can't have all possible arcane forces inside their blood, there should be limits. And Sorcerers are famous for their lack of versatility compared with Wizards. So I say they'd get a maximum of two "spell-seeds" (think keywords, or damage types, anyway mostly elemental in nature) and use those only. They could change them (retraining) but it shouldn't be possible at each level, it should be a traumatic thing for the sorcerer, because he/she would be transforming his very essence.
So, they'd have "spell-seeds" (example: "Force and Earth"), and then they'd have "forms". Forms should differ a bit from seed to seed. You can't make earth explode like fire, at least not at low level... Earth would be about controlling terrain, making it muddy (slowing), or impassable (walls), or using it for defense (shielding). So I actually mixed what could be considered effects (slow) with true forms (wall). Maybe they'd be separated. I don't have the time to come up with a good system, but the devs are paid for this, and anyway I know of a very good starting point in Pathfinder's Ultimate Magic book: the Words of Power, making the Wordcasting option! It gives you some constraints in terms of power, and you can build a lot of different combos within those limits. Should be the same for the "true Sorcerer".
Class features... Well, we got many options. Because many are the possible spell-seeds. Each should give some benefits, a bit like the Spell Source feature of 4e. In particular, elemental magic should "linger" around the sorcerer after usage. You cast a fireball? a halo of fire damages foes that attack you afterwards. You conjure a bridge of ice to cross a chasm? Your allies would like to stay away from you immediately after if they don't want to get slowed by your aura of cold. And so on.
Another wasted opportunity in 4e was represented by a Sorcerer feat: Sorcerous Vision. It does something cool by replacing Perception with Arcane and suggesting that Sorcerers "see with magic", but being Arcane a skill tied to Intelligence, it's simply useless. I think the class features of the Sorcerer should reflect the fact that their metabolisms are changed by magic. Sorcerous Vision could be one of these things.
Also, here comes combat role. Of course, it would largely be based on the spell seeds. Assuming there could be a Charm spell-seed, [now that's something I'd see from a Charismatic type... I'm getting there...] the sorcerer using it would surely be the party face, because he/she'd get at the very least some at-will boons in social interactions. And in combat she would be a quintessential controller. Now, Charm is a bit problematic, because maybe we want other classes to master it better (Psion-Telepath for example, or Bards), but even with our example Force & Earth sorcerer, Earth would mostly be a controllerish spell-seed. Air could be even more controllerish, with Wind-walls, gusts of wind, tornados and so on. Earth could be more defenderish, along with Ice. Fire would obviously be strikerish. So a lot of options.
As you can see, I say Sorcerers should be defined by what kind of magic they have inside them. So let's talk about ability scores again... What if Constitution is actually useful for certain kinds of magic and not others? After all we said magic comes natural to them like peeing. We don't pee better if we have better Constitution! But if we poured ice instead of urine, then I guess we would like A LOT of Con to do it..! Exactly... I say different spell-seeds tied to different Ability scores. Here's how I see it:
Strength: Force and Water (yes, water! Maybe it includes Acid)
Dexterity: Fire and Air (maybe it includes Lightning)
Constitution: Ice and Earth
If we include more general magic, then I'd also make
Wisdom: Illusion and Necromancy?
Charisma: Enchantment and Transmutation?
No Intelligence. Because magic needing Intelligence is magic needing to be studied, and that's Wizard, not Sorcerer!
So, a classic character with two good ability scores could choose from at least 4 different spell seeds, and could have only 2 at a time. Our example had Force and Earth: it means Strength and Constitution. It means his other options would be Water and Ice. Maybe he wants to become a full defender, so he swaps Force for Ice. or he wants to become a full controller, so he changes Earth for Water.
Assuming they wanted to stay close to tradition and keep Charisma as primary (and make me unhappy by doing so
), they could still have the equivalent of riders key off like this. In that case, you'd be even more restricted, because you'd need 3 good scores to be able to choose from 4 spell seeds, assuming Charisma is not used to not step on other classes toes with Charm and Transmutation. Maybe Charisma could be tied to a catch-all spell-seed for non elemental magic.
Anyway, I think I gave you a good idea of how could the Sorcerer really be different and appeal to a big player base. You'd have little variability but incredible flexibility. There could be rules for mixing your two spell-seeds and create wonderful effects. There could be rules to allow creativity to an extent and invent spells that are not covered by the Forms available to you. Our Force & Earth Sorcerer could grant a mass fly by making a floating earthmote for example, or could propel spikes of rock in the air as missiles, impaling enemies or pinning them.
I really hope they'll come up with similar solutions for the Sorcerer, but I'm nearly sure they won't... I think too many fans would feel this concept as too alien, too "not core" for the game. Well, D&D Next will be modular... So who knows!
What do you think about this kind of Sorcerer? PEACH!
What's the matter? Simple. When they assume they'll cast the same arcane spells of Wizards, they necessarily dumb it down in that sense, and when they change the spells, they give the impression of them being just copies with changed flavor, a bit more damage, and Charisma-based.
Why? Because the truth is that they haven't found the "soul" of the Sorcerer yet. And I think they're not trying hard enough, because I honestly think I did.
Sorcerers are the only characters who have innate arcane powers. Warlocks have the big at-will magic shtick too, but it's not coming from their blood, they're powers granted by a patron.
So it's only Sorcerers that should really feel magic coming out of their bodies.
So here's my first point: what's exactly Charisma-related about this? I think that's the first error. Ok, certain spells, even if they come natural to the sorcerer may be better controlled or casted with a strong force of will/personality etc that is Cha, but should their internal arcane wellspring of power be truly fuelled by that? No, I think there's one ability score that fits the bill perfectly. Constitution. It doesn't fit the bill for Warlock powers (not as primary at least, and they recognized it in the long run), it doesn't for the Battlemind, at least as they did it, because they have weapon powers fuelled by psionics that even if innate, should then still pass through their weapons which are moved by Strength. But it does fit the Sorcerer! It's magic in their blood we're talking about, I don't see a more perfect fit. Although I also have different ideas for the ability scores of Sorcerers, more on that later.
The central problem of the Sorcerer is that we assume they "cast spells". I think that sacred cow should be killed. No, not talking about changing power source (although Elemental was a wasted opportunity...) or even the "spells" in "casting spells". I'd remove the "casting". Because I think they should MAKE spells. They have magic in their blood, not spells. So they should make them, before actually casting them.
I think the sorcerers should be the ONLY class that actually has a spell-making system in it. They should be able to make their spells on the fly, because it is a natural function for them. As we take a leak, they throw fire balls! And we males are quite capable of directing our pee in any of very many possible ways!
So Sorcerers should be able to form many different spells from the raw energy they have.Another thing: they can't have all possible arcane forces inside their blood, there should be limits. And Sorcerers are famous for their lack of versatility compared with Wizards. So I say they'd get a maximum of two "spell-seeds" (think keywords, or damage types, anyway mostly elemental in nature) and use those only. They could change them (retraining) but it shouldn't be possible at each level, it should be a traumatic thing for the sorcerer, because he/she would be transforming his very essence.
So, they'd have "spell-seeds" (example: "Force and Earth"), and then they'd have "forms". Forms should differ a bit from seed to seed. You can't make earth explode like fire, at least not at low level... Earth would be about controlling terrain, making it muddy (slowing), or impassable (walls), or using it for defense (shielding). So I actually mixed what could be considered effects (slow) with true forms (wall). Maybe they'd be separated. I don't have the time to come up with a good system, but the devs are paid for this, and anyway I know of a very good starting point in Pathfinder's Ultimate Magic book: the Words of Power, making the Wordcasting option! It gives you some constraints in terms of power, and you can build a lot of different combos within those limits. Should be the same for the "true Sorcerer".
Class features... Well, we got many options. Because many are the possible spell-seeds. Each should give some benefits, a bit like the Spell Source feature of 4e. In particular, elemental magic should "linger" around the sorcerer after usage. You cast a fireball? a halo of fire damages foes that attack you afterwards. You conjure a bridge of ice to cross a chasm? Your allies would like to stay away from you immediately after if they don't want to get slowed by your aura of cold. And so on.
Another wasted opportunity in 4e was represented by a Sorcerer feat: Sorcerous Vision. It does something cool by replacing Perception with Arcane and suggesting that Sorcerers "see with magic", but being Arcane a skill tied to Intelligence, it's simply useless. I think the class features of the Sorcerer should reflect the fact that their metabolisms are changed by magic. Sorcerous Vision could be one of these things.
Also, here comes combat role. Of course, it would largely be based on the spell seeds. Assuming there could be a Charm spell-seed, [now that's something I'd see from a Charismatic type... I'm getting there...] the sorcerer using it would surely be the party face, because he/she'd get at the very least some at-will boons in social interactions. And in combat she would be a quintessential controller. Now, Charm is a bit problematic, because maybe we want other classes to master it better (Psion-Telepath for example, or Bards), but even with our example Force & Earth sorcerer, Earth would mostly be a controllerish spell-seed. Air could be even more controllerish, with Wind-walls, gusts of wind, tornados and so on. Earth could be more defenderish, along with Ice. Fire would obviously be strikerish. So a lot of options.
As you can see, I say Sorcerers should be defined by what kind of magic they have inside them. So let's talk about ability scores again... What if Constitution is actually useful for certain kinds of magic and not others? After all we said magic comes natural to them like peeing. We don't pee better if we have better Constitution!
But if we poured ice instead of urine, then I guess we would like A LOT of Con to do it..! Exactly... I say different spell-seeds tied to different Ability scores. Here's how I see it:Strength: Force and Water (yes, water! Maybe it includes Acid)
Dexterity: Fire and Air (maybe it includes Lightning)
Constitution: Ice and Earth
If we include more general magic, then I'd also make
Wisdom: Illusion and Necromancy?
Charisma: Enchantment and Transmutation?
No Intelligence. Because magic needing Intelligence is magic needing to be studied, and that's Wizard, not Sorcerer!
So, a classic character with two good ability scores could choose from at least 4 different spell seeds, and could have only 2 at a time. Our example had Force and Earth: it means Strength and Constitution. It means his other options would be Water and Ice. Maybe he wants to become a full defender, so he swaps Force for Ice. or he wants to become a full controller, so he changes Earth for Water.
Assuming they wanted to stay close to tradition and keep Charisma as primary (and make me unhappy by doing so
), they could still have the equivalent of riders key off like this. In that case, you'd be even more restricted, because you'd need 3 good scores to be able to choose from 4 spell seeds, assuming Charisma is not used to not step on other classes toes with Charm and Transmutation. Maybe Charisma could be tied to a catch-all spell-seed for non elemental magic.Anyway, I think I gave you a good idea of how could the Sorcerer really be different and appeal to a big player base. You'd have little variability but incredible flexibility. There could be rules for mixing your two spell-seeds and create wonderful effects. There could be rules to allow creativity to an extent and invent spells that are not covered by the Forms available to you. Our Force & Earth Sorcerer could grant a mass fly by making a floating earthmote for example, or could propel spikes of rock in the air as missiles, impaling enemies or pinning them.
I really hope they'll come up with similar solutions for the Sorcerer, but I'm nearly sure they won't... I think too many fans would feel this concept as too alien, too "not core" for the game. Well, D&D Next will be modular... So who knows!
What do you think about this kind of Sorcerer? PEACH!
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