D&D (2024) Sorcerers getting Chaos Bolt automatically

[Charlaquin]

That's an interesting perpective.

Basically the idea is, when a sorcerer first gains their magic, they might or might not yet know the source of their power, but either way, it is new to them, and they can’t fully control it (expressed by knowing Chaos Bolt). As they practice (gain levels), they learn greater control over their magic (so maybe you can choose the damage type when you cast Chaos Bolt or something), and the gifts unique to their magical bloodline (subclass abilities) begin to manifest. Maybe Wild Magic remains a subclass for players who want to lean into the random element or want a narrative where their magic was just a random fluke rather than coming from a magical ancestry.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Basically the idea is, when a sorcerer first gains their magic, they might or might not yet know the source of their power, but either way, it is new to them, and they can’t fully control it (expressed by knowing Chaos Bolt).

That really fits the fiction of how magic works in many novels and movies, which D&D currently poorly models (except in D&D novels, obviously).

 

[Charlaquin]

That really fits the fiction of how magic works in many novels and movies, which D&D currently poorly models (except in D&D novels, obviously).

Exactly! I think it’s a great way to refine the sorcerer’s identity. The one thing I could see going wrong with it is, a lot of players really dislike the random aspect of wild magic sorcerers. So i hope they keep this early not-fully-in-control stage mostly narrative, and don’t enforce wild magic on all sorcerers. I think just having Chaos Bolt for free is probably enough mechanical expression to get the “you’re still learning how to control it” idea across, as long as it’s supported in the fluff. Keep wild magic a subclass for the folks who want to go all-in on the font of chaotic energy shtick and let the folks who aren’t into it be well in control by 3rd level when they gain their subclass.

Alternatively, make wild magic fully opt-in. If all sorcerers get it, it should be under the player’s control when it happens. For example, maybe you can roll a wild magic surge to regain some sorcery points a certain number of times per day.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Exactly! I think it’s a great way to refine the sorcerer’s identity. The one thing I could see going wrong with it is, a lot of players really dislike the random aspect of wild magic sorcerers. So i hope they keep this early not-fully-in-control stage mostly narrative, and don’t enforce wild magic on all sorcerers. I think just having Chaos Bolt for free is probably enough mechanical expression to get the “you’re still learning how to control it” idea across, as long as it’s supported in the fluff. Keep wild magic a subclass for the folks who want to go all-in on the font of chaotic energy shtick and let the folks who aren’t into it be well in control by 3rd level when they gain their subclass.

Alternatively, make wild magic fully opt-in. If all sorcerers get it, it should be under the player’s control when it happens. For example, maybe you can roll a wild magic surge to regain some sorcery points a certain number of times per day.

Maybe have wild magic turn off when they get to level three, unless they pick the Wild Mage subclass.

 

[Incenjucar]

Maybe have wild magic turn off when they get to level three, unless they pick the Wild Mage subclass.

This could also work for psionics to represent wild talents through multiclassing.

 

[Gorck]

This thread continues to baffle me. Supposedly (I thought there was a source in the OP, but I no longer see it), all Sorcerers are getting Chaos Bolt. I'm just failing to see how people are leaping from "all Sorcerers are getting Chaos Bolt" to "all Sorcerers will be rolling on the Wild Magic table." I'm just not seeing the connection from Point A to Point B. It seems to me like a lot of people are jumping to conclusions.

I've also seen people equating this to all Warlocks getting Eldritch Blast, but it's a slightly different situation. Eldritch Blast is a Cantrip, while Chaos Bolt is a 1st Level spell. So, either CB will be changed from a spell to a class feature, CB will be dumbed down to cantrip-level potency, or Sorcerers will be limited in casting CB by how spell slot usage. If CB does become a class feature, we don't know whether or not it will resemble the spell that's currently in Xanathar's. They might change it so that the damage will start out as Psychic and then change to reflect the caster's eventual Subclass. Or it might stay as Psychic damage, with the caster rolling only to see if it jumps to another target.

 

[Emberashh]

I'm just not seeing the connection from Point A to Point B

If the new signature spell is reliant on RNG, it follows logically that they're pushing the class as a whole in that direction, which begs the question of what thats going to look like when it comes to Wild Magic.

Hence, the idea that Wild Magic is getting folded into the base class.

It may not happen, but the thing is is that Chaos Bolt isn't an equivalent to Eldritch Blast; CB wasn't already being used as a signature spell in all but name, so if its being treated the same as EB, then it follows that CB is going to be much more central to the mechanics of the class than it used to be, and, as said, as CB relies on RNG, that points to Wild Magic potentially being made core.

 

[Incenjucar]

The actual information we have is that an opportunity cost is being spent on something that does not apply to many existing character concepts. "You get a spell" and "You get this spell" have very different degrees of player agency.

 

[Neonchameleon]

The problem is that the sorcerer doesn't so much have an identity as it has a range. Sorcerers are the every other magic type class. A seventh son of a seventh son? Someone born in the middle of the Century Storm who uses that to channel the storm externally rather than internally? Elsa? It's all the casters - and it works well and does not need Chaos Bolt unless that spell can be tweaked.

 

[Nightfly]

I would rather you ditch sorcerer... warlock is the better class

For real. Warlocks are great in 5e as is. It's sorcerers who feel like "wizards, except not, except pretty much wizards".