D&D (2024) Spellfire Sorceror what did you score it Green/Yellow/Red?

[pukunui]

Oh ok so the Spellfire stuff is just a little extra add-on. I wondered why she would ever use that aoe cone of flame when she must have a bunch of other, better options

Yeah, it's an add-on. But the point is she's got like all of the spellfire options. The supernatural gifts I mentioned above only give you like one of those bullet points at a time more or less. There are few that she doesn't have (and a few things she has that weren't in the supernatural gift options).

But currently that feature of Laeral's stat block is the only official 5e version of spellfire.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Oh ok so the Spellfire stuff is just a little extra add-on. I wondered why she would ever use that aoe cone of flame when she must have a bunch of other, better options

Laeral a chosen of Mystra & Archwizard as well as a Spellfire weirder, but Spellfire is a separate ability from all the rest, you don't need to be chosen of mystra or a Archmage to weild it.

In 4e Spellfire was actually a separate class related to Spellscars in fact.

They've tried to model it in various ways across editions, but I think Sorcerer subclass is the best so far.

Here is the lore qoute from the UA.

"Your innate power stems from the source of magic itself: the Weave. This connection manifests as a rare ability known as spellfire, and you surge with radiant bursts of this raw magic. Your talent with spellfire allows you to heal allies, sear enemies, and absorb powerful spells. Wielders of spellfire tend to be adventurous souls with penchants for wandering.

Many travel between cosmopolitan settlements, such as those along the Sword Coast, and wield their magic in service of the common good. Others prioritize the realization of their own strange powers by roaming equally strange lands, from the magic-blasted wastes of the Anauroch Desert to the god-touched wilds of the Old Empires. Wherever they go in the Realms, spellfire Sorcerers are often courted by factions with interests in the arcane arts, such as the Harpers and the Cult of the Dragon. "

 

[Parmandur]

I think it was being considered for inclusion in the SCAG but didn't make the cut.

In 2014, they still seemed to have been planning small player focused supplements to go with each Campaign book, so could have been intended for an Out of The Abyss Adventurers Guide?

 

[pukunui]

They've tried to model it in various ways across editions, but I think Sorcerer subclass is the best so far.

If they're going to have spellfire as a subclass, then sorcerer is arguably the best one, yes. However, I would also like the option - whether it's through feats or supernatural gifts - for non-spellcasters to be able to wield spellfire. Shandril, the OG spellfire wielder, was just a barmaid. She had no magical ability other than spellfire.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

And the original story - an ordinary person who suddenly develops weird magic, is the standard sorcerer origin story, before they were part of the game.

And she wasn’t particularly intelligent, educated or wise. Charismatic? Not unreasonable.

 

[pukunui]

In 2014, they still seemed to have been planning small player focused supplements to go with each Campaign book, so could have been intended for an Out of The Abyss Adventurers Guide?

Nah, I'm pretty sure the Spellfire doc was part of the SCAG playtest packet. There were a bunch of things that got cut from that book, including more subclasses and mechanics for things like wizards' arcane marks.

There was also a ton of stuff that got cut from the Elemental Evil Player's Companion, including a slew of elemental-themed subclasses.

They were just playing it super-conservative back then.

And the original story - an ordinary person who suddenly develops weird magic, is the standard sorcerer origin story, before they were part of the game.

And she wasn’t particularly intelligent, educated or wise. Charismatic? Not unreasonable.

My point is - she couldn't do any other kind of magic. Shooting out blasts of blue-white fire was all she could do. (I'm aware she appears in later books with more powerful abilities, but again, they are specific to spellfire. She's never seen casting, say, a fireball or an acid arrow, that I remember.)

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Nah, I'm pretty sure the Spellfire doc was part of the SCAG playtest packet. There were a bunch of things that got cut from that book, including more subclasses and mechanics for things like wizards' arcane marks.

There was also a ton of stuff that got cut from the Elemental Evil Player's Companion, including a slew of elemental-themed subclasses.

They were just playing it super-conservative back then.

It's unfortunate too because we lost out on some seriously fun stuff like Stone & Sea Sorcerers.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

My point is - she couldn't do any other kind of magic. Shooting out blasts of blue-white fire was all she could do

Lack of practice (aka low level).

And if it's not her class, she would be able to do other kinds of magic (or have equivalent abilities), since she would get it through her class.

 

[pukunui]

It's unfortunate too because we lost out on some seriously fun stuff like Stone & Sea Sorcerers.

The SCAG playtest included things like a Beauty cleric domain (for Sune clerics!), while the Elemental Evil playtest included stuff like Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Justice cleric domains, a Circle of the Hierophants elemental druid subclass, a whole slew of new disciplines for the Way of the Four Elements monk, an Oath of Vigilance paladin subclass, an elemental sorcerer subclass, a genie lord warlock patron, and four elemental wizard school subclasses (aeromancy, geomancy, hydromancy, and pyromancy). The justice cleric had spells called denunciation and castigation which got dropped too. A later playtest doc had Sea and Sky cleric domains, the fighter-ish Circle of the Wardens druid subclass. There was also a cool Lawkeeper background.

There was also a whole lot of FR lore stuff for each class that they just completely abandoned, which stinks.

Lack of practice (aka low level).

Maybe. Just reading up on her abilities, and she is taught how to use her spellfire by people like Lady Alustriel Silverhand, and she still only ever does a few specific spellfire-ish things. She isn't a sorcerer who can cast a wide range of spells and do some spellfire-ish stuff on the side. Yeah, sure, I suppose you could describe a spellfire sorcerer's spells as them channeling spellfire - but they shouldn't need any components to cast them then. Because they're not casting spells - they're channeling the raw magic of the Weave.

Also, I just learned that silver fire is different to spellfire. The former is only granted by Mystra to her Chosen, whereas the latter is something anyone can manifest seemingly at random.

 

[Corinnguard]

The SCAG playtest included things like a Beauty cleric domain (for Sune clerics!), while the Elemental Evil playtest included stuff like Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Justice cleric domains, a Circle of the Hierophants elemental druid subclass, a whole slew of new disciplines for the Way of the Four Elements monk, an Oath of Vigilance paladin subclass, an elemental sorcerer subclass, a genie lord warlock patron, and four elemental wizard school subclasses (aeromancy, geomancy, hydromancy, and pyromancy). The justice cleric had spells called denunciation and castigation which got dropped too. A later playtest doc had Sea and Sky cleric domains, the fighter-ish Circle of the Wardens druid subclass. There was also a cool Lawkeeper background.

Is this playtest material still available somewhere on the net?