Roxxy
2012-05-31, 09:38 PM
I've converted over to gradient spellcasting. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243842) I've already come up with ways to keep this under control and keep martial characters relavent. My one issue is that it makes Sorcerers and Wizards cast very similarly to each other. I want them to feel very different in the way they cast spells. The suggestion of merging the two classes has been made, but I like the Sorcerer's flavor and the way Pathfinder added a lot of things to it. So, I'm considering some changes.
First off, my gradient Sorcerer uses the spell progression listed in in the Core Rulebook as far as number of spells goes. It has only Instinctive and Practiced experience levels, not Experimental. It starts out with 0 level spells as Instinctive, and 1st level becomes instinctive at 11th level, 2nd at 13th, 3rd at 15th, and 4th at 17th (No class may have anything higher than 4th level spells as Instinctive. Wizards gain Instinctive spell levels at the same levels as Sorcerers do).
Here's where things change. Sorcerers may never learn any spell higher than 6th level. Period. They posses spell slots for 7 to 9 level spells, but they have to use metamagic to use them. In exchange for this serious blow, they don't increase casting time when applying metamagic, and they don't have to purchase a metamagic feat to use it. At first level, they can use any metamagic feat that does not have another metamagic feat as a prerequisite, so long as they meet any other prerequisites of the metamagic feat. At 3rd level, they may use a metamagic feat that has another metamagic feat as a prerequisite, so long as they are able to use the requisite feat or feats.
Sorcerers do not actually HAVE these metamagic feats, they are just allowed to use them as if they did. This ability only applies to spells gained for Sorcerer levels, so you cannot just dip a level of Sorcerer for the metamagic and then switch to another class. A Sorcerer of at least third level may use it's metamagic access to qualify for pretige classes that require metamagic feats.
I allow a lot of supplemental and third party materiel in my games, so there are a LOT of metamagic feats available, so being able to use most of them whenever you want gives you a lot of versatility. Under this idea, it seems to me that, while Wizards would retain their customary versatility in sheer amount of spells available, Sorcerers would have their own form of versatility. While they would only have a few spells, they would have a massive amount of ways to modify those spells, making them flexible in their own way. Sure, you only know a few spells. You can modify them on the fly in scores of different ways, however. I don't think that's something to scoff at.
Does this sound as good an idea to you guys as it does to me?
First off, my gradient Sorcerer uses the spell progression listed in in the Core Rulebook as far as number of spells goes. It has only Instinctive and Practiced experience levels, not Experimental. It starts out with 0 level spells as Instinctive, and 1st level becomes instinctive at 11th level, 2nd at 13th, 3rd at 15th, and 4th at 17th (No class may have anything higher than 4th level spells as Instinctive. Wizards gain Instinctive spell levels at the same levels as Sorcerers do).
Here's where things change. Sorcerers may never learn any spell higher than 6th level. Period. They posses spell slots for 7 to 9 level spells, but they have to use metamagic to use them. In exchange for this serious blow, they don't increase casting time when applying metamagic, and they don't have to purchase a metamagic feat to use it. At first level, they can use any metamagic feat that does not have another metamagic feat as a prerequisite, so long as they meet any other prerequisites of the metamagic feat. At 3rd level, they may use a metamagic feat that has another metamagic feat as a prerequisite, so long as they are able to use the requisite feat or feats.
Sorcerers do not actually HAVE these metamagic feats, they are just allowed to use them as if they did. This ability only applies to spells gained for Sorcerer levels, so you cannot just dip a level of Sorcerer for the metamagic and then switch to another class. A Sorcerer of at least third level may use it's metamagic access to qualify for pretige classes that require metamagic feats.
I allow a lot of supplemental and third party materiel in my games, so there are a LOT of metamagic feats available, so being able to use most of them whenever you want gives you a lot of versatility. Under this idea, it seems to me that, while Wizards would retain their customary versatility in sheer amount of spells available, Sorcerers would have their own form of versatility. While they would only have a few spells, they would have a massive amount of ways to modify those spells, making them flexible in their own way. Sure, you only know a few spells. You can modify them on the fly in scores of different ways, however. I don't think that's something to scoff at.
Does this sound as good an idea to you guys as it does to me?