Sorcerers in your game

[Bloodstone Press]

I don't have sorcerers in my homebrew, so I don't worry about it.

That would be a big disadvantage for sorcerers. Familiars are easily ten times better than the feat.

Basically, I agree.

 

[JoeBlank]

I agree that giving sorcerers the feat for free gives them a little extra flavor and is not unbalancing.

In my campaign, I allow sorcerers the option of swapping the familiar ability for eschew materials. While I certainly agree that the familiar is more powerful, a few of my players dislike familiars so I thought I would give them the option.

 

[FickleGM]

First, I have been running Sorcerers by the book and my wife takes Eschew Material Components with her first feat.

Second, I can see trading the Familiar for a little something, although I believe that the something should be more. I think that I like the idea of no material or verbal components (using experience for materials that have a gp cost). Somatic components would then be required for all spells (regardless of the spell description).

Since I do not use Psionics, making this change would fill that void. I may actually try this, but I must give it more thought...

 

[JoeBlank]

Thought about it a few minutes, and I remembered that my original idea was to just make Summon Familiar a feat, take it away as an automatic ability for sorcerers and wizards and give them both a bonus feat at 1st level. So if they want a familiar, no net loss or gain, but if they want something different they have the option.

And of course if a sorc or wiz would rather wait until 3d level, or later, to call a familiar then they have the option of taking some other useful feat until then.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I use Monte Cook's alternate sorcerer. To answer your question: no.

 

[shilsen]

I've given sorcerers that feat for free since about a week after the feat first came out. It's never been anything big in a game, probably never making any impact at all, but it's purely for flavor. In that regard it's pretty nifty.

Same here. I personally like to take the feat when playing a sorcerer or a wizard too.

 

[Dragonhelm]

I think if I were to play a sorcerer outside of Dragonlance, I'd pick a bloodline feat from Dragon. I love the flavor of them.

 

[Psion]

Hey all,

In your campaign, do sorcerers need material components to cast spells?

Yes. Not that it would hurt my feelings if they had eschew materials. Just not convinced its necessary.

 

[AelyaShade]

Eschew Materials is my sorceror(ess)'s best friend. I take it immediately at rolling the character.

 

[Synthetik Fish]

I just wouldn't play sorceres in general

Their additional spells are hardly any suffice for their narrow (very narrow indeed) spell selection, not to even mention that they are a level behind wizards in gaining new spell levels. I suppose if you are playing in a big party, and already have a wizard, that a sorcerer used as artillery with fireballs and such would be fair enough... but when do you really play with 8+ people parties? Sorcerers are even more restricted than psions (which, in my opinion, were severly weakened in 3.5, in a bad way)

With all this said, yeah, give sorcers eschew materials. Hell, give them 3rd level spells at the same level as Wizards, and then they'd be playible. Wizards get a bonus feat at every 5th level, starting at 1st... sorcers don't get any at all... and are playing at a complete dis-adcantage from wizards in every aspect except one (their number of spells per day. And at higher levels, any decent wizard would figure out how to have enough spells for the day.)