Same level casting?

[Jokasti]

How much would the game change if sorcerers got access to spells at the same rate as wizards, or faster? Seems to me wizards have a lot more flexibility, so sorcerers should get more raw power, quicker. If anything wizards should cast lower than sorcerers, seeing as how they have to spend time to research spells and such, as opposed to just finding you can cast something new.
I don't know, just something that popped into my head.

[panaikhan]

Sorcerers generally cast more spells per level, and can choose what they want on the fly. They also tend to be self-taught (in my experience).

Wizards need an edge, or no-one would play them.

[Cog]

Sorcerers are already tier 2. They're not really hurting for a boost. If anything, I'd delay the prepped casters by a level so spell access=half level, to match most other DC-based abilities in the game

[Aharon]

That would proabably work out ok. Wizard is considered the stronger class because it has actual class features (bonus metamagic feats) in addition to spells.

Changing the casting progressions would make the sorcderer be on par.

That is, if you only care about those two classes in a vacuum. Both are stronger than many of the other core classes.

[FMArthur]

I'd be pretty easily convinced to bump 'em up by one if I was also allowing the prepared casters in the same game. There's a lot of unevenness just for feats and prestige class requirements that get created by being a level behind in spells, which is part of the problem this causes for spontaneous casters in the first place. I gotta say that the wait time for 2nd level spells is pretty loathesome on spont casters as well in a campaign that starts at 1st level. So I'd rather bump Sorcerors up by one than bring Wizards down by one. I'd also like to give them bonus feats, or even fold them into one class as a means of simplification.

[Earthwalker]

Alot can depend on how generous the world is for wizards getting more spells. Usualy a wizard can usualy get a copy of any spell he wants in the game. This is a considerable advantage over the sorcorer.

With this I would also bump the spell progression up for Sorcorers.

[Jokasti]

I'd be pretty easily convinced to bump 'em up by one if I was also allowing the prepared casters in the same game. There's a lot of unevenness just for feats and prestige class requirements that get created by being a level behind in spells, which is part of the problem this causes for spontaneous casters in the first place. I gotta say that the wait time for 2nd level spells is pretty loathesome on spont casters as well in a campaign that starts at 1st level. So I'd rather bump Sorcerors up by one than bring Wizards down by one. I'd also like to give them bonus feats, or even fold them into one class as a means of simplification.

Something like a ranger, choose how you cast?

[Ernir]

How much would the game change if sorcerers got access to spells at the same rate as wizards, or faster?

Sorcerers get more powerful.

If the balance point of your game is to make Wizards useful, then this is a good idea. If the balance point of your game is to make Monks useful, I doubt it will make a huge difference anyway.

In either extreme case, I doubt you're going to break anything to smithereens.

Wizards need an edge, or no-one would play them.
Uncapped spell list access is usually considered their most valuable edge over the Sorcerer.

It is also usually considered to make them a more powerful class overall than the Sorcerer is.

[Tyndmyr]

Wizards need an edge, or no-one would play them.

This made me chuckle.

Sorcs would be just fine progressing as rapidly as wizards. Already, the volume issue is mostly negated by specializing.

[Greenish]

Something like a ranger, choose how you cast?Rangers don't get to choose between prepared and spontaneous.

[dextercorvia]

How much would the game change if sorcerers got access to spells at the same rate as wizards, or faster? Seems to me wizards have a lot more flexibility, so sorcerers should get more raw power, quicker. If anything wizards should cast lower than sorcerers, seeing as how they have to spend time to research spells and such, as opposed to just finding you can cast something new.
I don't know, just something that popped into my head.

Kobold Sorcerers already get this at the cost of a few GP, a Feat, and 3hp. I would just make the ritual available to all Sorcerers.

[Greenish]

Kobold Sorcerers already get this at the cost of a few GP, a Feat, and 3hp. I would just make the ritual available to all Sorcerers.But that only comes online at level 6 the soonest, while the lowest levels are the pain. A bit late for many PrCs, too.

[Edit]: And I don't see sorcerers needing feat tax, when they already miss feats compared to wizards. They should, at the very least, get Eschew Materials as a bonus feat.

[UserClone]

Rangers don't get to choose between prepared and spontaneous.

Ah, but druids do, thanks to Unearthed Arcana/SRD. Not to mention Spirit Shaman...

[Jokasti]

Rangers don't get to choose between prepared and spontaneous.

I meant rangers choosing between TWF and Ranged, not how they cast.

[FMArthur]

But yes, that is what I meant. Not to eliminate anything at all, but to collect them for their similarity and give them the option to be spontaneous or prepared.

[dextercorvia]

But that only comes online at level 6 the soonest, while the lowest levels are the pain. A bit late for many PrCs, too.

[Edit]: And I don't see sorcerers needing feat tax, when they already miss feats compared to wizards. They should, at the very least, get Eschew Materials as a bonus feat.

To be fair, that feat gets them additional castings of the SLA they get for the first ritual. It isn't a complete waste.

However, I am a big fan of Eschew Materials for free.

[Psyren]

If anything wizards should cast lower than sorcerers, seeing as how they have to spend time to research spells and such, as opposed to just finding you can cast something new.

I disagree here. You could argue parity between the two, but not that sorcerers can learn faster than wizards. That's like telling your body to hurry up and get puberty over with - it's not a process you can control, even if you fully understand it, which many sorcerers don't.

Meanwhile Wizards can just finish Magical Theory 101 and move on to Arcane Implementation 214.

[Varil]

But on the flip side, learning isn't something you can rush either. If you try and "hurry up" teaching yourself something(or even learning it from someone else) you might be able to squeak by when the test comes around, but you'll have trouble remembering details later.

Besides, who says a Sorcerer can't coax more power out of themselves more quickly if they put effort in? I see as more of an innate spark...some potential Sorcerers ignore it and it stays a spark forever, manifesting as the occasional unconscious cantrip. Some Sorcerers feed the spark, letting it burn and grow, until it becomes an inferno.

[Vangor]

We already do this by removing the 2nd level on the spells known table and shifting everything. Level 20 becomes a duplicate of 19. For the spells per day, either give 1 spell slot or 0, requiring Cha bonus spells to cast in the same way as a bard, at the appropriate new level. The sorcerer will basically cast one spell once or twice per day, the same as a wizard.