The sorcerer as a unique class (with bloodlines - see post #1)

[Kerrick]

It looks like every Sorcerer you've seen in play was a blaster, which isn't the most effective thing you can do in 3.5.

No, it's more that I'm pushing my bias onto it. I've seen a sorcerer played as a necromancer; the DM let the player make a dragon skeleton with a custom spell as a breath weapon (it breathed a cloud of nails) - pretty nasty.

Now compare the Sorcerer that went with blasting spells - Chain Lightning, Cone of Cold, Ice Storm, and Fireball. Okay, yeah - he's ready for a nice set of opponents; there's very little that'll be immune to all three... oh, a high reflex save and Evasion? Sorry, my bad. Ignoring that... what do you mean, he's got Spell Resistence? A GOLEM! ... or even just something with high hit points, really - direct damage is one of the least useful things any arcanist can do.

Okay, I can give you that. I suppose "Blaster mage" isn't completely accurate for what I'm doing with it... check this out - it's the sorcerer we use in our campaigns. Down at the bottom is an alternate spell list - I cut it down a bit, but they still get a fair bit of range - abjurations, evocations, some conjuration and necromancy, and spells that alter or detect magic.

I'd need to see the result to be sure, but in general, overspecialization (which is what you appear to be going for) is a bad thing; you're either owning an encounter or sitting on the sidelines; it gets rather binary.

Yeah... I realized early on when I was considering this concept that the sorcerer could end up seriously underpowered. I definitely don't want it to end up like the warlock - spamming the same ability every round - but I'd like a balance between innate abilities and spells, where he's not relying overmuch on either and they make him an effective member of the group overall.

I also want to get away from the "spontaneous arcane caster" archetype - sorcerers shouldn't be just wizards with innate spellcasting, they should be a unique class with unique abilities. Right now, the only benefit sorcerers have is that they can pour out a lot more spells/day than other casters - spellpower, basically. Apparently someone thought this was too good, so they got hamstrung by slower progression, limited ability to swap spells, and no class abilities (oh yeah, and no ability to quicken spells). I want to fix all that without making them overpowered. So yeah, it'll be interesting to see how it turns out - I might well overshoot the mark and make them too focused, or they could just end up underpowered.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

How I am approaching Sorcerers for Tale of the Twin Suns is giving them sorcerous paths akin to Arcana Unearthed/Evolved Witchery.

The witcheries available in AU/E are Iron, Mind, Sea, Wood, Winter and Wood.

I'm using those plus adding some of my own design; Autumnal, Celestial, Draconic, Fiendish, Summer, Totem (animal), Vernal and Vitae. I renamed two of the witchery paths; Pychic (mind) and Steel (iron).

 

[Jack Simth]

No, it's more that I'm pushing my bias onto it. I've seen a sorcerer played as a necromancer; the DM let the player make a dragon skeleton with a custom spell as a breath weapon (it breathed a cloud of nails) - pretty nasty.

At least you're recognizing that.

Okay, I can give you that. I suppose "Blaster mage" isn't completely accurate for what I'm doing with it... check this out - it's the sorcerer we use in our campaigns. Down at the bottom is an alternate spell list - I cut it down a bit, but they still get a fair bit of range - abjurations, evocations, some conjuration and necromancy, and spells that alter or detect magic.

Fewer high level spells per day for more low-level spells per day... of which few Sorcerers ever use up anyway at that point - slight power decline.

More skill points, plus Use Magic Device - handy, but not where the majority of a spellcaster's power comes from. Most the time, the skillmonkey in the party will have all the useful stuff anyway. Mild boost.

d6 Hit die - mostly only matters at lower levels; at higher levels, if the caster is taking hits, he's pretty much already lost anyway. Besides - the difference between a d4 and a d6 averages 1 hp/level - +/- 2 points of Con will cover it without noticing the difference, really. Mild boost.

Slightly more spells known, but focused on the low-end, where they're less likely to matter. Mild boost.

Actual class features - handy, but for the most part, they don't particularly matter (Eschew Materials is covered by a 5 gp item). For most of them, they're not particularly strong. Only a mild boost there.

Stealth problems - there's no way to cast a spell while staying hidden without risking severe repercussions (skill check) unlike what you can currently do with simple Invisibility and Summoning spells (and which, unless you've done similar cutting to the Wizard, puts the Sorcerer at a rather painful disadvantage). Power drop, medium.

Obvious signs of class, that you can't do much about (arcane runes etched into flesh). Anyone sees you, they know you're a Sorcerer, straightaway. Illusion is on the list, so the Sorcerer might be able to throw up Disguise Self ... but a simple Detect Magic will spot that. This character cannot "hide" in a crowd effectively. Not normally something that comes up in game, so a minor power drop only.

Spell list says "Sorry, we don't have record of any such file sorcerer_spells.zip" or "I'm sorry, but we couldn't find what you were looking for." depending on which link I click, so I can't comment on it much... but I notice you don't list Transmutation (which includes the more common and more effective buffs), Conjuration (which includes most of the spells that ignore SR for things where it's a problem, and the spells that allow someone to escape tight spots), and there's no mention of basic utility spells at all (Fly, Knock, Unseen Servant, See Invisibility, Detect Secret Doors, Comprehend Languages, and so on come to mind). I can't check your spell list to be sure, but that's actually a pretty major drop in power, in and of itself. Plus, in making a custom spell list, you've got a much more subtle reduction in power that ends up being pretty major a few years into the edition, relative to other casters - new sources don't add anything (as it's not on the custom list).

A few mild boosts, two mild drops, one medium drop, and one very large drop. I'd need to check your spell list, but unless I want to play a less effective caster for RP reasons, I'd honestly prefer a stock PHB Sorcerer.

Yeah... I realized early on when I was considering this concept that the sorcerer could end up seriously underpowered. I definitely don't want it to end up like the warlock - spamming the same ability every round - but I'd like a balance between innate abilities and spells, where he's not relying overmuch on either and they make him an effective member of the group overall.

I also want to get away from the "spontaneous arcane caster" archetype - sorcerers shouldn't be just wizards with innate spellcasting, they should be a unique class with unique abilities. Right now, the only benefit sorcerers have is that they can pour out a lot more spells/day than other casters - spellpower, basically. Apparently someone thought this was too good, so they got hamstrung by slower progression, limited ability to swap spells, and no class abilities (oh yeah, and no ability to quicken spells). I want to fix all that without making them overpowered. So yeah, it'll be interesting to see how it turns out - I might well overshoot the mark and make them too focused, or they could just end up underpowered.

They've got a slower progression - yeah, they're exactly one class level behind on their spell access from the other Core casters.

They've got no class features - yes, it's annoying, but in the end, that backfired - it just encourages use of PrC's (which, when you find one with full spell progression, becomes strictly better than Sorcerer levels).

Also - a Sorcerer has an advantage that you haven't noticed - per-round options.
With a prepared caster, every spell cast is one less option. The Wizard-6 that prepared Fly, Haste, Web, Glitterdust, Scorching Ray, Shield *3 and Mage Armor*2 has, on the first round of his first encounter, seven spell options (he'll have already burned one Mage Armor, due to the duration). Once he uses an option, it's gone for the day (unless he's got more copies, but that's an illusory gain, as he dropped an option earlier in the day to have multiple copies). The Sorcerer, on the other hand, while he generally has fewer options to begin with, has exactly the same number of options until the Sorcerer is out of his top-tier of spell slots (and curiously, a Sorcerer can actually have more spell options at the start of the first encounter due to the ability to metamagic on the fly). The Wizard loses options linearly - the Sorcerer, only in tiers.

 

[Kerrick]

More skill points, plus Use Magic Device - handy, but not where the majority of a spellcaster's power comes from. Most the time, the skillmonkey in the party will have all the useful stuff anyway. Mild boost.

Common house rule, giving the sorcerer actual Charisma-based skills.

Actual class features - handy, but for the most part, they don't particularly matter (Eschew Materials is covered by a 5 gp item).

You mean it only works for items up to 5 gp? Yeah, not particularly handy, but it covers the majority of spells. Me, I'd like to eliminate a sorcerer's reliance on components entirely.

Stealth problems - there's no way to cast a spell while staying hidden without risking severe repercussions (skill check) unlike what you can currently do with simple Invisibility and Summoning spells (and which, unless you've done similar cutting to the Wizard, puts the Sorcerer at a rather painful disadvantage). Power drop, medium.

Wizards do have the same problem, but we (our group) never really considered it a "problem" - our world is high magic, high power, so mages aren't generally going to be casting from stealth unless they're invisible. I'll mention it to my friend, though - that was his idea.

Spell list says "Sorry, we don't have record of any such file sorcerer_spells.zip" or "I'm sorry, but we couldn't find what you were looking for."

Oops. Typed the link wrong on the page - it's been fixed.

Plus, in making a custom spell list, you've got a much more subtle reduction in power that ends up being pretty major a few years into the edition, relative to other casters - new sources don't add anything (as it's not on the custom list).

True, but we've got a list of 900 or so custom spells that we use, and it says (in the doc) that you can add more spells from other sources. There are literally thousands of spells out there, and someone who uses a custom sorcerer isn't likely to be constrained by the PHB only.

Also - a Sorcerer has an advantage that you haven't noticed - per-round options.

That basically falls under spellpower - like you said, a sorcerer can pour out the same spell over and over in a round, whereas the wizard is limited by his choices.


I've got the alpha version of the fiendish heritage done, and base sorcerer's class abilities; I just have to work on the spell progression and spells for the heritage. I'll probably have it posted tomorrow.

 

[Jack Simth]

Common house rule, giving the sorcerer actual Charisma-based skills.

Yes, but when it comes down to it, it's only a very minor boost - I was going through and noting the differences from the Core Sorcerer and assigning ad-hock values to them. This is, for the most part, a fairly low-value advantage.

You mean it only works for items up to 5 gp? Yeah, not particularly handy, but it covers the majority of spells. Me, I'd like to eliminate a sorcerer's reliance on components entirely.

Not what I meant. A Spell Components Pouch is a core item that costs 5 gold pieces. As long as you have one, you're assumed to have any inexpensive material or focus component for any spell you need to cast. The only practical difference between using a spell component pouch and using Eschew Materials is grappling situations - where the only spells you'll usually want to cast (Dimensino Door, Teleport, et cetera) don't require components anyway. It costs 5 gp to duplicate 90% or so of that class feature. It's a power boost to have it, but it's not a very big one (although the removal of expensive components later on is a little larger, most expensive components are cheap when you reach the level they're needed, and most Sorcerers avoid those spells anyway). Again, a minor boost.

Wizards do have the same problem, but we (our group) never really considered it a "problem" - our world is high magic, high power, so mages aren't generally going to be casting from stealth unless they're invisible. I'll mention it to my friend, though - that was his idea.

Per your house-rules, it's really hard to cast stealthily while invisible - you glow, and no magic can mask it - it's a pair of skill checks or soak damage. The flying spellcasting platform (not that your Sorcerers get Fly....) can be fairly easily spotted in a battle; a readied action to attack when the pretty light show arrives will get the caster. While this is mostly a good thing, it's still a reduction in character power for the caster.

Oops. Typed the link wrong on the page - it's been fixed.

True, but we've got a list of 900 or so custom spells that we use, and it says (in the doc) that you can add more spells from other sources. There are literally thousands of spells out there, and someone who uses a custom sorcerer isn't likely to be constrained by the PHB only.

You've removed a lot of fairly staple spells. Just looking at Core....

Summon Monster of all varieties is missing (but oddly, the Planar Binding line remains, even though Gate has been removed... not that you can use the Planar Binding line, as the required Magic Circle isn't on his list). These are some of the more flexible of spells - it covers scouting, battle, and some utility (including, eventually, healing).

Most divinations are gone. The only way for this Sorcerer to see around a corner is to walk around it. Likewise, he can't find someone if they're not right there.

Many Low-level save or suck spells are missing - Sleep, Web, Glitterdust, and Slow, most notably. Sure, they're on the top tier of spells at their level... but this seriously cuts down on the in-game offensive potential of the class.

All Polymorph spells are gone. Granted, they're the most broken spells in the game, so this isn't really a bad thing, but at the same time, it's still a pretty severe power reduction - especially as you haven't removed it from the Wizard.

Many of the basic buff spells are gone - the entire animal attribute line, Haste, and Enlarge Person are notably missing. If this Sorcerer is facing off against something with strong SR, the player might as well take a nap - he can't really help his allies, might as well tell the DM to have his character retreat to somewhere safe while the player goes and does something else.

All of the extra maneuverability spells are gone - no Fly, no Spider Climb, no Expedite Retreat. While he can maybe get up a wall with Levitate, that and walking along the ground are the limit of his maneuvering. If he faces a chasm, he has to go around. He doesn't even have Animate Rope.

All of the resting spells are gone - no Alarm, no Rope Trick, no Tiny Hut, no Secure Shelter, no Magnificent Mansion. Your Sorcerer has to sleep in the open.

The sum of all this is that you've seriously crimped his options - while not doing something similar to the Wizard, which is a stronger class to begin with. This is a really hefty cut in power for the Sorcerer. Or to put it another way, on your Wizard write-up, you list "No adventuring party is complete without one" - and it's quite correct - your Sorcerer can't keep up.

That basically falls under spellpower - like you said, a sorcerer can pour out the same spell over and over in a round, whereas the wizard is limited by his choices.

Only sort of. While it generally leads to spell-spamming, that's not what it inherently is.

I've got the alpha version of the fiendish heritage done, and base sorcerer's class abilities; I just have to work on the spell progression and spells for the heritage. I'll probably have it posted tomorrow.

I'm sure I'll have a look at it.

 

[Kerrick]

Not what I meant. A Spell Components Pouch is a core item that costs 5 gold pieces. As long as you have one, you're assumed to have any inexpensive material or focus component for any spell you need to cast.

Oh. I don't recall ever hearing that (not that I doubt you, just making a note). Our group doesn't really bother with components, though, unless they're something really odd or specific.

Per your house-rules, it's really hard to cast stealthily while invisible - you glow, and no magic can mask it - it's a pair of skill checks or soak damage.

Yeah... not sure why we had the damage part on there - another of my friend's wonky ideas, I guess. I was going to keep magefire for the new sorcerer but drop that part, but I decided after reading this to ditch it entirely - it unfairly marks out mages, whereas no other spellcaster has a neon saying, "Here! Shoot me!" Especially in Shtar - if you see someone casting, you either run, or shoot him.

You've removed a lot of fairly staple spells. Just looking at Core....

Yeah, I'll admit... I wasn't looking over the list very closely when I did that.

The sum of all this is that you've seriously crimped his options - while not doing something similar to the Wizard, which is a stronger class to begin with.

I think the hardest part of coming up with a custom list for them is that they have no archetype. Clerics are mortal representatives of their gods; rogues are stealthy pilfering types good with locks and traps; fighters are, well, fighters; wizards are arcane spellcasters; sorcerers are.... spontaneous arcane spellcasters. :\ There's not much a sorcerer can do that a wizard can't do better, and giving them the exact same spell list only emphasizes this. Finding thematic spells is easy, but determing what else they would reasonably be able to cast (and would make them an effective class), without stepping all over someone else's spell list, is difficult.

Anyway, here's a rough first version. Unfortunately, last night's game got cancelled, so I couldn't see how it worked in play. I left out most of the class intro text - I'll do that when everything else is done. The spell progression needs some work, I think, and I've only gotten the first three (well, four if you count 0-level) levels of spells done for the fiendish bloodline, because that's all I had time to do yesterday and that's all that was needed at the time. For some reason, it ended up with a lot of touch spells at L1, but I couldn't justify giving them magic missile just because every mage takes it. And yeah, I know there are only three major powers listed, even though the table has four - I forgot about the fourth one. I'm planning on doing an aura of power, which, along with the energy bolt, will be common to all sorcerers (just the implementation will vary) - it'll be semi-defensive in nature. The other two abilities will vary according to bloodline.

 

[Jack Simth]

Oh. I don't recall ever hearing that (not that I doubt you, just making a note). Our group doesn't really bother with components, though, unless they're something really odd or specific.

Which would explain why you've never heard about it; your group doesn't pay that much attention to such details. Here - It Made The SRD.

Yeah... not sure why we had the damage part on there - another of my friend's wonky ideas, I guess. I was going to keep magefire for the new sorcerer but drop that part, but I decided after reading this to ditch it entirely - it unfairly marks out mages, whereas no other spellcaster has a neon saying, "Here! Shoot me!" Especially in Shtar - if you see someone casting, you either run, or shoot him.


Yeah, I'll admit... I wasn't looking over the list very closely when I did that.


I think the hardest part of coming up with a custom list for them is that they have no archetype. Clerics are mortal representatives of their gods; rogues are stealthy pilfering types good with locks and traps; fighters are, well, fighters; wizards are arcane spellcasters; sorcerers are.... spontaneous arcane spellcasters. :\ There's not much a sorcerer can do that a wizard can't do better, and giving them the exact same spell list only emphasizes this. Finding thematic spells is easy, but determing what else they would reasonably be able to cast (and would make them an effective class), without stepping all over someone else's spell list, is difficult.

How about this:

The Sorcerer can learn any spell in the game, no matter what class list it is on, but a spell isn't considered to be on the Sorcerer's Class List until it's on his known list.

This does a couple of things at once. It gets them away from the book learning (can't use scrolls/wands/staves without a UMD check, unless the Sorcerer knows the spell anyway; the Sorcerer isn't trained in their use - a power downgrade). It makes their spellcasting different from a Wizard's (A Sorcerer can now cast Cure Light Wounds, or even Heal - a power upgrade). It frees up the player to make the Sorcerer what they think it should be (Blaster, Combat Control, enchanter, healer - whatever the player thinks would be fun to play).

Anyway, here's a rough first version. Unfortunately, last night's game got cancelled, so I couldn't see how it worked in play. I left out most of the class intro text - I'll do that when everything else is done. The spell progression needs some work, I think, and I've only gotten the first three (well, four if you count 0-level) levels of spells done for the fiendish bloodline, because that's all I had time to do yesterday and that's all that was needed at the time. For some reason, it ended up with a lot of touch spells at L1, but I couldn't justify giving them magic missile just because every mage takes it. And yeah, I know there are only three major powers listed, even though the table has four - I forgot about the fourth one. I'm planning on doing an aura of power, which, along with the energy bolt, will be common to all sorcerers (just the implementation will vary) - it'll be semi-defensive in nature. The other two abilities will vary according to bloodline.

Let's see...

You've cut down on high-level spells per day even more, but boosted spell access a little (odd levels, rather than even - same as the other Primary Casters); slight decline overall, here, except where PrC's are involved, or the story arc is set for odd levels.

The temporary learning makes a Wizard/Sorcerer duo very, very attractive - Wizard casts it once, Sorcerer learns it for the day and casts it a few extra times. Only really works either: a) Outside combat (where the Sorcerer can take 10), or b) at higher levels where the Sorcerer simply can't fail the skill check with max ranks. With no limit listed that it has to be on the Sorcerer's class list to learn in this manner, or what he can learn it from, this is a boost - the exact strength of which will vary significantly based on the current story arc.

The ability for researched spells to bypass spells known limits is also going to be a variable boost - again, it'll depend on the campaign (available wealth and time, mostly, if you're using standard spell research rules). Otherwise, most comments are the same as for your "standard" homebrewed Sorcerer.

Fiendish Bloodline....
Hellfire: So... if I cast Magic Weapon (or it's Greater counterpart) on my light Crossbow, I've got almost exactly the same thing, minus most of the drawbacks (big difference being that the light crossbow isn't a touch attack).
Dark Speech save DC is too high. It shouldn't be 10 + class level + Charisma Modifier (that's too high - practically irresistible at later levels), it should be 10 + 1/2 Class Level + Charisma Modifier (standard for most Su abilities).

 

[Kerrick]

How about this:

The Sorcerer can learn any spell in the game, no matter what class list it is on, but a spell isn't considered to be on the Sorcerer's Class List until it's on his known list.

Hmm. It would certainly fit with their archetype of "spellcaster with an innate ability to channel magic"... I thought that having the ability to learn any spell, regardless of source, might be a bit powerful, but it's balanced by their limited spells/day. The only real downside I can think of is that the player could be overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices - there are over 600 spells in the PHB alone. It would certainly make my job loads easier, though, and cut down on the amount of space this thing takes up - instead of making spell lists for every single bloodline, I could cover it all with a couple lines of text.

What do you think about adding the restriction that they can only learn spells by watching someone else cast it? I.e., they can't learn spells from scrolls or spellbooks (it supports the idea that sorcerers can't use scrolls without a UMD check), but they can still cast spells from scrolls. We use it as a house rule, but our campaign world is high-magic - it's not hard to find another spellcaster to cast a spell for you. It probably wouldn't work very well in a low-magic world for obvious reasons, and may or may not in moderate magic.

You've cut down on high-level spells per day even more, but boosted spell access a little (odd levels, rather than even - same as the other Primary Casters); slight decline overall, here, except where PrC's are involved, or the story arc is set for odd levels.

They get more spells known in the mid-levels (5-7) at higher caster level. The spells per day was a mistake - I'd meant to go back to the original progression and just have it be every odd level instead of even levels.

The temporary learning makes a Wizard/Sorcerer duo very, very attractive - Wizard casts it once, Sorcerer learns it for the day and casts it a few extra times.

You mean the PC "identifies" a spell that he casts, and then gets it in his memory? That sounds kind of wonky, and someone trying that would be obviously attempting an exploit. I suppose you could interpret it that way... Also, the intent was that the spell wouldn't be accessible - I failed to mention that. :/ I think I'll just replace it with:

"If he successfully identifies the spell, he can choose to replace an existing spell he knows with the new spell. It doesn't become available for casting until he rests, however."

This does beg the question: What happens if a sorcerer takes levels in another spellcasting class? I would say that he wouldn't be able to identify his own spells, simply because the sorcerer's method of ID requires viewing the weaves of magic, and that's a little hard to do while you're casting, but... if you have the spell in memory (say, a cleric or wizard), it could be argued that you could transfer (or "translate") that knowledge over to the sorcerer side without having to ID it.

Hellfire: So... if I cast Magic Weapon (or it's Greater counterpart) on my light Crossbow, I've got almost exactly the same thing, minus most of the drawbacks (big difference being that the light crossbow isn't a touch attack).

Mm. The hellfire bolt does scale, but you've got a point - MW lasts a lot longer and is more useful. There aren't any drawbacks, really, except that you can't hold it for more than 3 rounds... but why would you want to? You could just let the energy drain away (I just thought of that - I'll have to add it) if you find you don't need to use it.
It's intended as a supplemental attack, really, not like the warlock's eldritch blast where you spam it every round. Maybe up the base damage to 2d6, or increase the bonus damage to +1/2 levels?

Dark Speech save DC is too high. It shouldn't be 10 + class level + Charisma Modifier (that's too high - practically irresistible at later levels), it should be 10 + 1/2 Class Level + Charisma Modifier (standard for most Su abilities).

Bah, I couldn't remember if base class abilities were 10 + class level or 10 + 1/2 level - I couldn't find any examples to check.

Edit: I was looking over the sorcerer, and I noticed the Metamagic Mastery entry was unfinished, probably because I had changed the original intent of the ability. Here's what I came up with:

Metamagic Mastery (Ex): Through training and experience, the sorcerer can apply greater control to the flow of magical power when using his abilities. When using metamagic feats, he takes only 1 hit point of damage per adjusted spell level, instead of 2.

I'm kind of surprised you didn't comment on the metamagic = damage thing.

 

[KingOfChaos]

Holy crap, been a long time since I have seen that name. Heya Kerrick.

 

[Jack Simth]

Hmm. It would certainly fit with their archetype of "spellcaster with an innate ability to channel magic"... I thought that having the ability to learn any spell, regardless of source, might be a bit powerful, but it's balanced by their limited spells/day.

Spells Known, but that's a minor nitpick; most full spellcasters have the potential to know every spell on their class list. The Sorcerer can cast any spell he knows whenever, but he's got a sharply limited spells known list. Think of it as a trade off - trades being able to potentially cast anything for being able to cast anything known at any time.

The only real downside I can think of is that the player could be overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices - there are over 600 spells in the PHB alone.

Yes, and Sor/Wiz spells account for around 300 or so. It's not particularly more difficult than it is for the PHB Sorcerer.

It would certainly make my job loads easier, though, and cut down on the amount of space this thing takes up - instead of making spell lists for every single bloodline, I could cover it all with a couple lines of text.

Plus, you're not stifling the player's creativity. Lets them make up their own bloodline if they want.

What do you think about adding the restriction that they can only learn spells by watching someone else cast it? I.e., they can't learn spells from scrolls or spellbooks (it supports the idea that sorcerers can't use scrolls without a UMD check), but they can still cast spells from scrolls. We use it as a house rule, but our campaign world is high-magic - it's not hard to find another spellcaster to cast a spell for you. It probably wouldn't work very well in a low-magic world for obvious reasons, and may or may not in moderate magic.

Hmm.... so we require this class to rely on NPC's, where every other spellcasting class in the game can learn their spells without NPC's? That kinda removes the "self taught" archetype, doesn't it? Just limit gaining new spells known to when the character levels, and don't worry about the requirements. If you're using the "training" campaign variant, everyone needs someone. If you're not, nobody does. It's generally a good idea to put most people on roughly equal footing for that sort of thing.

They get more spells known in the mid-levels (5-7) at higher caster level. The spells per day was a mistake - I'd meant to go back to the original progression and just have it be every odd level instead of even levels.

Ah.

You mean the PC "identifies" a spell that he casts, and then gets it in his memory? That sounds kind of wonky, and someone trying that would be obviously attempting an exploit. I suppose you could interpret it that way... Also, the intent was that the spell wouldn't be accessible - I failed to mention that. :/ I think I'll just replace it with:

"If he successfully identifies the spell, he can choose to replace an existing spell he knows with the new spell. It doesn't become available for casting until he rests, however."

Okay, and now if there's a Wizard in the party (or the Sorcerer picks up a Cohort), too, over the course of a week, the Sorcerer can completely swap out his spells known at his top three tiers of spells. He's having his cake, and eating it, too (much like a UA spell-points Wizard, although not quite as much).

This does beg the question: What happens if a sorcerer takes levels in another spellcasting class? I would say that he wouldn't be able to identify his own spells, simply because the sorcerer's method of ID requires viewing the weaves of magic, and that's a little hard to do while you're casting, but... if you have the spell in memory (say, a cleric or wizard), it could be argued that you could transfer (or "translate") that knowledge over to the sorcerer side without having to ID it.

Was referring to another character in the party, not a multiclass character. Multiclassing with multiple primary spellcasting classes isn't something an optimizer does.

Mm. The hellfire bolt does scale, but you've got a point - MW lasts a lot longer and is more useful. There aren't any drawbacks, really, except that you can't hold it for more than 3 rounds... but why would you want to? You could just let the energy drain away (I just thought of that - I'll have to add it) if you find you don't need to use it.
It's intended as a supplemental attack, really, not like the warlock's eldritch blast where you spam it every round. Maybe up the base damage to 2d6, or increase the bonus damage to +1/2 levels?

Quite honestly, for something you can only do once per round as a full-round action, even 2d6+Class Level isn't broken (except, perhaps, at 1st or 2nd level). Just make it scale exactly like the Warlock's Eldritch Blast ability, or just give them a free reserve feat (which scales based on highest available applicable spell) and Heighten Spell. Doesn't really matter, because except for endurance runs, or out of combat applications (e.g., burning down a door when there's no rush) it's not going to see much use (although that Polymorph reserve feat is sweet for a Gish - character level temp HP with a swift action really helps against hordes of mooks, and extends endurance in slugfests against single opponents).

Bah, I couldn't remember if base class abilities were 10 + class level or 10 + 1/2 level - I couldn't find any examples to check.

It varies. 5 level PrC's pretty much always give 10+Class Level + Ability modifier; 10 level PrC's sometimes do class level, sometimes 1/2 class level, occasionally 1/2 character level (but this is less common); basically everything else is 10 + 1/2 class level + ability mod (primary exception being Bardic Music, which sets the DC based on a skill check).

Edit: I was looking over the sorcerer, and I noticed the Metamagic Mastery entry was unfinished, probably because I had changed the original intent of the ability. Here's what I came up with:

Metamagic Mastery (Ex): Through training and experience, the sorcerer can apply greater control to the flow of magical power when using his abilities. When using metamagic feats, he takes only 1 hit point of damage per adjusted spell level, instead of 2.

I'm kind of surprised you didn't comment on the metamagic = damage thing.

I skip caffeine on Saturdays; I was tired. Now that you mention it, though, is this intended as a replacement for spell level costs, or in addition to? If it's a replacement, it makes some sense (Sorcerer zaps out an Empowered Fireball at 6th level, but soaks 12 points of damage in the process); if it's in addition to, it's probably a bad idea (why, exactly, should the Sorcerer pay through the nose for something everyone else gets for free?).