Sorcerer Questions

[Magenta]

Hello forum!

I'm thinking of making a spellcaster for a DnD 3.5 game. I am looking at the sorcerer class with interest, but I am not completey sure the class fit the character I have in mind. Maybe you can help me by answering a few questions?

Namely:

How does one become a sorcerer? As far as I know you can become one if you are born with the blood of a magical being (such as a dragon). Is there any other way? What kind of beings can have sorcerer descendants? Does the source of the magical ability influence -lore-wise- what kind of spells the sorcerer attains?

How does sorcerers learn spells lore-wise? Does it come to them in an epithany or is it a slow realisation of one's own power? Or in another way entirely?

Can sorcerers research spells? If so, are there any differences rule-wise between a wizard and sorcerer researching spells? If so, how does a sorcerer researching spells differ lore-wise from a wizard doing the same?

Thank you for your help!

[Winds]

Sorcerers are people who sense and can manipulate magic on instinct. This is a trait that's born, not trained. I use the term 'born' seriously-the class fluff in the Player's Handbook indicates that they cast things similar to cantrips by the time they're toddlers.

In-universe, draconic blood is the most accepted theory about how sorcs their power. No one knows for sure. Pathfinder, it should be noted, not only says it's possible for them to get the power in other ways, that version of the class gets alternate features based on what source they had.

As far as what spells they can obtain, they learn or can learn anything a wizard can, usually by experimenting. The fluff also says it might be possible for them to learn variants on divine or bardic style spells as well, though I don't think I've heard of any DM acting on this.

I hope that helps.

[Story]

That's technically not true. There are a few Wizard only spells.

[Twilightwyrm]

Let me start off by saying that this is just the provided fluff, and that the potential alternatives on the Sorcerer's power sources, and manner of learning spells, are many.
Now then, within the main books (core+non-setting supplements), sorcerer's are established to gain their powers from magic inherent in their blood. Draconic blood is common, but fey blood, fiendish blood, celestial blood, just particularly magical blood, and I'm fairly certain aberration blood can all be claimed as power sources (the fey, fiendish, celestial, and I'm fairly certain aberrant bloodlines have feat support).
In terms of how sorcerers gain their spells, any of the possibilities you mention can work. Since the spell casting is based upon charisma, the spells are describes as being more the work of inspiration, or personal power, than study, but what form this manifestation takes is not strictly defined.
A sorcerer can, between levels, do "spell research" of a sort, like a wizard, to develop or learn a specific spell, but it is then added to their finite list of spells known in place of a new one they would gain at the level they take it, not in addition to others in the manner of a wizard. Lore wise, this more often takes the form of contemplation or working towards the correct "inspiration", in the manner that one might write a new poem or novel, and less about uncovering arcane formula. However, alternate methods could entail discussing how the sorcerer's magical ancestor race employ spells with an member of that race (with a dragon, celestial, fiend, etc.), watching the movement of the stars or plants or candlelight (or anything really) for signs or inspiration, self reflection or training to "unlock" new power, discussing how the power works with other sorcerers (this is noted as having limited beneficial effect in comparison to the same activity among wizards), the sorcerer, if reincarnated, "remembering" spells from a previous lifetime, or even as far as spontaneous busts of uncontrolled magic that the sorcerer then refines into actual spells (check with DM). The varieties are pretty much endless.