D&D 5E (2024) Wild Magic Sorcerer is Best Sorcerer Subclass

[Dubbios]

Back on the theme...

I'm not sure if we can positively say that wild magic sorcerer is the best sorcerer due the unpredictability; but I can positively said that draconic sorcerer is favoured by the white room minimaxers; and that I feel that even when shadow sorecer feels fine thematically, they are weak overall...

My vote for most powerful is spellfire, and I would pick aberrant over shadow any day everyday.

Clockwork is just boring.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

My vote for most powerful is spellfire

I would be interested to hear why you think that. It didn't strike me as much good.

Clockwork is just boring.

Agreed.

 

[Zardnaar]

Back on the theme...

I'm not sure if we can positively say that wild magic sorcerer is the best sorcerer due the unpredictability; but I can positively said that draconic sorcerer is favoured by the white room minimaxers; and that I feel that even when shadow sorecer feels fine thematically, they are weak overall...

My vote for most powerful is spellfire, and I would pick aberrant over shadow any day everyday.

Clockwork is just boring.

Dragons just good.

All sorcerers except clockwork are considered very good. Casuals rate the dragon Sorcerer higher.

That was near release however.

Base class is tuned really high so even the "weak" ones are still good.

Not sure if a consensus has emerged on shadow sorcerer.

 

[Vael]

I've been playing a Wild Magic Sorcerer for a few levels now (going through Rime of the Frostmaiden, just hit 6th level) and my general take is that the Wild Surges have been fun, but I've yet to really hit a surge that warps the encounter in the parties favor, ie, I've had fun, but not felt super powerful. Twice I've hit the same surge twice in a row, which has lead to some major comedy.

First, I rolled "Randomly become afraid of a creature", rolled fear on the foe we were fighting ... ran screaming from the encounter right into the next (well, the bear ally of the creature we were fighting), blasted the bear, only to roll the same result, be afraid of the bear and run right back into the first part of the battle. Cue the Benny Hill music.

Second time I rolled the same surge twice in a row was blinking out to the Astral Plane ... poor DM had to figure out what I encountered out there. Got a potion out of the deal as I blinked into a wreckage of a spelljammer ship, lol.

In general, though, I find a lot of the time the Wild Surges have been ... helpful but often irrelevant. Like rolling a healing or "if you die, instantly reincarnate" when we have a combat encounter well locked down by our front line and I'm in no particular danger. Or a teleport ability when I really barely need to move.

 

[Ashrym]

I think what makes Wild Magic good is the mechanic driving Magic Surges is granting a lot of Advantage rolls. The randomness of the table mitigates the usefulness of Magic Surges and it's not until 14th level that wild sorcerers have any influence over that. The 18th ability is good though.

I would, however, point out that even a couple of the bad results can be situationally useful.