Just to Browse
2013-11-29, 04:59 AM
Rebalancing the Sorcerer: Why?
We all know the sorcerer is the ugly step-sister to the more glamorous wizard. They get limited spells known, they're knocked back in spell access by 1 level, and they don't even get those awesome wizard bonus feats. By virtue of an enormous potential spell list with lots of broken things to cherry-pick, the sorcerer is still Tier 2, which generally makes it too strong for people to want in most of their games but too weak for anyone who wants to powergame.
Worse than that, the sorcerer's limited spell selection encourages them to just pick good spells (since a spell in utility is a wasted spell in practical application), tends to shoehorn them into using 1 or 2 tricks at a time, and the very little flexibility in changing spells means that you can pick crappy spells and be worse than the fighter or pick up awesome spells and be unto a god.
My goal for the sorcerer is to give it a solid Tier 3 base from which to play, a higher optimization floor, and a lower optimization ceiling. So without further ado...
The Sorcerer
Thanks to Hamste for correcting some horrible, horrible typos.
Thanks to nonsi for correcting multiple technical oversights and balance suggestions.
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/201/5/b/tornado_mage_by_warnick-d57x380.jpg
Credit to WarNick of Deviant Artfor his work Tornado Mage (http://warnick.deviantart.com/art/Tornado-Mage-315632016)
Table 1: The Sorcerer
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
1
+0
+0
+2
+2
Arcane Blast, Arcane Fundamentals
2
—
—
—
—
—
—
2
+1
+0
+3
+3
3
0
—
—
—
—
—
3
+1
+1
+3
+3
Spell Power +1
3
1
—
—
—
—
—
4
+2
+1
+4
+4
3
2
0
—
—
—
—
5
+2
+1
+4
+4
Arcane Principles
3
3
1
—
—
—
—
6
+3
+2
+5
+5
Bonus Feat
3
3
2
—
—
—
—
7
+3
+2
+5
+5
3
3
3
0
—
—
—
8
+4
+2
+6
+6
Arcane Competence
3
3
3
1
—
—
—
9
+4
+3
+6
+6
Spell Power +2
3
3
3
2
—
—
—
10
+5
+3
+7
+7
3
3
3
3
0
—
—
11
+5
+3
+7
+7
Arcane Expertise
3
3
3
3
1
—
—
12
+6/+1
+4
+8
+8
Bonus Feat
3
3
3
3
2
—
—
13
+6/+1
+4
+8
+8
3
3
3
3
3
0
—
14
+7/+2
+4
+9
+9
Arcane Prowess
4
3
3
3
3
1
—
15
+7/+2
+5
+9
+9
Spell Power +3
4
4
3
3
3
2
—
16
+8/+3
+5
+10
+10
4
4
4
3
3
3
0
17
+8/+3
+5
+10
+10
Arcane Mastery
4
4
4
4
3
3
1
18
+9/+4
+5
+11
+11
Bonus Feat
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
19
+9/+4
+6
+11
+11
Spell Power +4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
20
+10/+5
+6
+12
+12
Celerity
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
Alignment: Any. Sorcerers come from all walks of life.
Hit Die: d6
Class Skills:
Class Skills
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the sorcerer.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sorcerers are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor the sorcerer is not proficient with interferes with the sorcerer's arcane gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Armor the sorcerer is not proficient with interferes with the sorcerer's arcane gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Now the sorcerer can spend feats on light, medium, and heavy armor, and walk around in full plate with no arcane spell failure. Considering the level of investment just to get a +3-ish bonus to flat-footed AC, I think every class should pretty much do this.
Spells: A sorcerer casts arcane spells (the same type of spells available to bards and wizards), which are drawn primarily from the sorcerer spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).
To learn or cast a spell, a sorcerer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sorcerer's spell is 10 + the spell level + the sorcerer's Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a sorcerer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Sorcerer. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score (see Table 1—1: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells, PHB 8).
A sorcerer's selection of spells is extremely limited. A sorcerer begins play knowing four 0-level spells (also called cantrips) of your choice. At each new sorcerer level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table 2: Sorcerer Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a sorcerer knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table 2 are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the sorcerer has gained some understanding of by study. For example, a sorcerer with a scroll or spellbook detailing an unusual spell (one not on the sorcerer spell list) could select that spell as one of his new spells for attaining a new level, provided that it is of the right spell level. The sorcerer can't use this method of spell acquisition to learn spells at a faster rate, however. If the sorcerer knows a metamagic feat, he may apply that metamagic feat to a spell he can cast and cast it from the appropriate spell slot with the same casting time as casting the normal spell.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every sorcerer level after that, a sorcerer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the sorcerer "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level sorcerer spell the sorcerer can cast. For instance, upon reaching 4th-level, a sorcerer could trade in a single 0-level spell (two spell levels below the highest-level sorcerer spell he can cast, which is 2nd) for a different 0-level spell. At 7th level, he could trade in a single 0-level or 1st-level spell (since he now can cast 3rd-level sorcerer spells) for a different spell of the same level. A sorcerer may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a sorcerer need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. For example, at 3rd level, the sorcerer Hennet can cast two 1st-level spells per day—two for being 1st level (see Table 1: The Sorcerer), plus one thanks to his Charisma score of 15 (see Table 1— 1: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells, PHB 8). He also knows three 1st-level spells: fireball, obscuring mist, and mage armor (see Table 2: Sorcerer Spells Known). Thus, on any given day, he can cast some combination of the three spells a total of three times. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he'll cast.
So you might notice an enormous mechanical difference at this point. The sorcerer casts spells at the bard progression. Crazy, I know, but let me reason this out to you:
First, 10 levels of spells is a lot of granularity at every other level, even at Tier 3. It's useful for some classes, but not necessary. If you write a unique spell list to cover the basic utility requirements (so remove curse isn't coming in too late), there isn't so much of a problem here.
Second, 10 levels of spells means a lot of class features that players can't get. Players like class features, and separating class features from spells means more chances for feat chains or prestige classes that allows PCs to focus on one aspect or the other while still retaining some goodies.
Most importantly, reducing the magnitude of spellcasting on the sorcerer allows me to add required features like the arcane utility trees and arcane blasts, so every sorcerer is still somewhat useful, even if they're blindly firing crap everywhere.
Level
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
1st
4
—
—
—
—
—
—
2nd
5
21
—
—
—
—
—
3rd
6
3
—
—
—
—
—
4th
6
3
21
—
—
—
—
5th
6
4
3
—
—
—
—
6th
6
4
3
—
—
—
—
7th
6
4
4
21
—
—
—
8th
6
4
4
3
—
—
—
9th
6
4
4
3
—
—
—
10th
6
4
4
4
21
—
—
11th
6
4
4
4
3
—
—
12th
6
4
4
4
3
—
—
13th
6
4
4
4
4
21
—
14th
6
4
4
4
4
3
—
15th
6
4
4
4
4
3
—
16th
6
5
4
4
4
4
21
17th
6
5
5
4
4
4
3
18th
6
5
5
5
4
4
3
19th
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
20th
6
5
5
5
5
5
4
1Provided the sorcerer has a high enough Charisma score to have a bonus spell of this level.
Arcane Blast (Sp): The fallback ability of each sorcerer is arcane blast. A sorcerer attacks his foes with raw power, using focused magical energy to deal elemental damage.
An arcane blast is a ranged touch attack as a standard action with a range increment of 30 feet. It affects a single target, allowing no saving throw. An arcane blast deals 1d6 points of damage per 2 sorcerer levels (round up) of fire, electricity, cold, or acid damage and has the appropriate [Fire], [Electricity], [Cold], or [Acid] descriptor respectively, chosen when this class feature is obtained. At levels 7 and 13, the sorcerer can choose another of the above damage types and make his arcane blasts any chosen type. An arcane blast is the equivalent of a spell of the highest level a sorcerer can cast.
An arcane blast is not subject to spell resistance. An arcane blast deals damage to objects as appropriate to its energy type. Arcane blasts cannot be affected by feats that affect spell-like abilities. Using an arcane blast requires movement of arms, which is identical to the somatic components of a spell for purposes of usability.
This is the sorcerer's basic ability, much like the warlock's eldritch blast (in fact, I stole a bunch of text from it). However, it shoots energy damage and its scaling isn't wonky.
This should be the starting point for arcane blasters, and gives even the worst of sorcerers something somewhat useful to do.
Arcane Fundamentals (Sp): At level 1, and every level thereafter, sorcerers learn a spell-like ability or set of abilities called arcane fundamentals. All spell-like abilities accessed through arcane fundamentals take 1 minute or the casting time in the spell description (whichever is longer) to use.
Arcane fundamentals have somatic and verbal components just as though they were spells, and can be disrupted just as a spell can be during casting. A sorcerer is entitled to a Concentration check to successfully use an arcane fundamental if he is hit by an attack while using it, just as a spellcaster would be. Arcane fundamentals cannot be cast defensively. A sorcerer's caster level with his arcane fundamentals is equal to his sorcerer level.
Arcane fundamentals are treated as 1st-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes. Metamagic feats may be applied to arcane fundamentals, but the total spell slot the arcane fundamental would use cannot be higher than the highest-level spell the sorcerer can cast.
Unlike spells, the sorcerer cannot un-learn fundamentals when he gains news ones. They may be retrained as per class features, if your DM follows those rules (see PHB2).
Multiple of the same spell-like ability from arcane fundamentals cannot be used simultaneously, but different spell-like abilities may be used in tandem even if they are from the same list entry and all arcane fundamentals can be dispelled at-will as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity if the sorcerer is within the range of the spell. For example, at 1st-level, the sorcerer Hennet chooses the dancing lights / light / continual flame entry. By spending 1 minute, he may cast light on any object. He cannot cast light again until the duration of the first has ended or he has dismissed it (which he can do as he pleases), but he can cast dancing lights or continual flame
The arcane fundamentals a sorcerer may learn are listed below. Each list entry contains 1 or more spells which may all be used. He gains access to stronger and more versatile abilities as he grows in power:
• Create Food and Water
• Dancing Lights / Light / Continual Flame [1]
• Darkvision / Rouse / Alarm
• Detect Alignment [2]
• Detect Magic / Read Magic
• Detect Poison / Detect Disease [3]
• Disguise Self
• Endure Elements
• Floating Disk / Secret Chest [1]
• Ghost Sound / Message / Ventriloquism
• Identify / Arcane Mark / Erase
• Instant Summons [1]
• Mage Hand / Open / Close / Hold Portal
• Prestidigitation
• Unseen Servant
[1] The expensive components required for these spells only cost 5gp.
[2] As detect evil, but for good, evil, law, or chaos. Choose one of these when casting the spell.
[3] As detect poison but instead detects diseases in the subject. You may not use Craft (Alchemy) to determine the disease type, but may use Heal.
This is lacking finesse, but it does what I want it to do. Every other Arcane X line has utility spells appropriate to the sorcerer's level, so now you have to have some out-of-combat use along with your in-combat use instead of making Stormwind cry himself to sleep.
Spell Power: At 3rd level, the sorcerer gets a +1 bonus to save DCs of spells he casts and a +1 bonus to caster level.
At 9th, 15th, and 19th levels, these bonuses all increase by 1.
This exists to keep the sorcerer's saves level-appropriate, to give some boosts to blasting, and to discourage multi-classing. If your spell slots are few and far between, and class features later in the progression boost all of them, you're inclined to stick around (I hope) and not prestige out immediately like with the original sorcerer.
Arcane Principles (Sp): At level 5, the sorcerer gains access to a new set of spell-like abilities that he may choose from instead of arcane fundamentals. Spell-like abilities from arcane principles are subject to the same rules as arcane fundamentals, but are treated as 2nd-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes.
• Animate Rope / Rope Trick
• Arcane Lock / Hold Portal / Knock
• Detect Creature Type (choose upon casting)
• Detect Disease [1] / Contagion
• Dream / Nightmare
• Feather Fall [2] / Jump
• Master’s Touch (II) / Share Talents (II)
• Obscure Object / Misdirection / Magic Aura
• Seeming
• Whispering Wind
(II) These spells are available in the Player's Handbook II
[1] As detect poison but instead detects diseases in the subject. You may not use Craft (Alchemy) to determine the disease type, but may use Heal. If you have the Detect Poison / Detect Disease arcane fundamental, you automatically know the kind of disease without a heal or wisdom check.
[2] The casting time of this is the casting time of the normal spell, instead of 1 minute.
Bonus Feat: At level 6, and every 6 levels thereafter, the sorcerer gains a bonus feat. This must be an item creation feat, a metamagic feat, or a feat that requires arcane casting or an arcane caster level. The sorcerer must meet all prerequisites of this feat.
I had some dead levels, and sorcerers could all use to be a little different. Note that you can get arcane casting feats too, which should hopefully open up the expanded spell list feats I'm planning to write below, plus cool stuff like Obtain Familiar.
Arcane Competence (Sp): At level 8, the sorcerer gains access to a new set of spell-like abilities that he may choose from instead of arcane fundamentals. Spell-like abilities from arcane competence are subject to the same rules as arcane fundamentals, but are treated as 3rd-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes.
• Arcane Eye / Prying Eyes
• Arcane Sight
• Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
• Comprehend Languages / Tongues
• Crown of Clarity (II) / Crown of Veils (II)
• Locate Object/ Locate Creature
• Nondetection
• Phantom Steed
• Remove Curse
• Rope Trick
• Secret Page / Illusory Script / Sepia Snake Sigil
• Sending
• Shrink Item
• Tiny Hut / Mage’s Faithful Hound
• Water Breathing
(II) These spells are available in the Player's Handbook II
Arcane Expertise (Sp): At level 11, the sorcerer gains access to a new set of spell-like abilities that he may choose from instead of arcane fundamentals. Spell-like abilities from arcane expertise are subject to the same rules as arcane fundamentals, but are treated as 4th-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes.
• Break Enchantment
• Dimensional Anchor / Dismissal
• Guards and Wards
• Illusory Wall
• Legend Lore
• Lesser Geas
• Minor Creation
• Scrying / Detect Scrying
• Secure Shelter
• Stone Shape / Move Earth / Control Water
• Toxic Weapon (II) / Increase Virulence (II)
• Veil
(II) These spells are available in the Player's Handbook II
Arcane Prowess (Sp): At level 14, the sorcerer gains access to a new set of spell-like abilities that he may choose from instead of arcane fundamentals. Spell-like abilities from arcane prowess are subject to the same rules as arcane fundamentals, but are treated as 5th-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes.
• Contact Other Plane
• Fabricate
• False Vision
• Greater Arcane Sight
• Mage’s Private Sanctum
• Phase Door
• Vision
Arcane Mastery (Sp): At level 17, the sorcerer gains access to a new set of spell-like abilities that he may choose from instead of arcane fundamentals. Spell-like abilities from arcane mastery are subject to the same rules as arcane fundamentals, but are treated as 6th-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes.
• Discern Location
• Gate (travel only)
• Greater Prying Eyes
• Mage’s Magnificent Mansion
• Major Creation
• Mind Blank
• Screen
• Sympathy / Antipathy
• Trap the Soul
Celerity (Sp): At level 20, the sorcerer's magic allows him to borrow a slice of time from the future. As an immediate action that can interrupt a creature's turn, he can take a standard action to cast a spell, as though he had readied an action. After taking this action, he must take 1 less standard action next round.
Sorcerer Spell List
0th: Disrupt Creature [1], Flare, Immediate Shield [2], Magic Missile, Mending, Resistance, Stand (II), Touch of Fatigue
1st: Acid Arrow, Bigby’s Striking Fist (II), Bigby’s Tripping Hand (II), Blight, Burning Rage (II), Chill Touch, Cloud of Knives (II), Dispelling Touch (II), Expeditious Retreat, Fireball, Hover*, Jump, Kelgore’s Fire Bolt (II), Lightning Bolt, Mage Armor, Obscuring Mist, Polar Ray, Ray of Enfeeblement, See Invisibility, Shield, Spider Climb, Stay the Hand (II), Touch of Idiocy, True Strike, Whelming Blast (II)
2nd: Alter Self, Animalistic Power (II) Bear's Endurance, Bigby’s Warding Hand (II), Blinding Color Surge (II), Blindness/Deafness, Bright Worms (II), Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Chain Lightning, Channeled Pyroburst, Cone of Cold, Crown of Protection (II), Crushing Despair, Curse of Arrow Attraction (II), Darkness, Daylight, Daze Monster, Dimension Hop (II), Dispel Magic, Eagle's Splendor, Electric Vengeance (II), Energy Vulnerability (II), Enlarge/Reduce Person, Explosive Rune Field (II), Flame Arrow, Fog Cloud, Fox's Cunning, Glitterdust, Grease, Greater Magic Weapon, Greater Magic Vestment, Gust of Wind, Halt (II), Heroism, Inevitable Defeat (II), Invisibility, Levitate, Mass Whelm (II), Mirror Image, Owl's Wisdom, Protection from Arrows, Pulse of Hate (II), Ray of Exhaustion, Resist Energy, Scorching Ray, Seeking Ray (II), Sleet Storm, Sonic Shield (II), Summon Swarm, Telekinesis [3], Telepathic Bond, Vampiric Touch, Vertigo (II), Web
3rd: Alter Fortune (II), Bestow Curse, Bigby’s Disrupting Hand (II), Bleakness (II), Blur, Charm Monster, Crushing Grip (II), Delayed Blast Fireball, Dimension Step (II), Doom Scarabs (II), Explosive Runes, Eyebite, Gaseous Form, Greater Electric Vengeance (II), Hesitate (II), Ice Storm, Legion of Sentinels (II), Magic Circle [4], Mass Bear's Endurance, Mass Bull's Strength, Mass Cat's Grace, Mass Eagle's Splendor, Mass Enlarge/Reduce Person, Mass Fox's Cunning, Mass Owl's Wisdom, Mind Fog, Phantasmal Killer, Phantom battle (II), Plague (II), Prismatic Mist (II), Protection from Energy, Radiance (II), Ray of the Python (II), Regroup (II), Shout, Slow, Stifle Spell (II), Stinking Cloud, Telekinesis (as normal), Thunder Field (II), Trollshape (II), Vertigo Field (II), Wall of Fire, Waves of Fatigue
4th: Black Tentacles, Call of Stone (II), Chasing Perfection (II), Cloudkill, Condemnation (II), Dance of Blades (II), Dimension Door, Dimension Shuffle (II), Disintegrate, Enervation, Fear, Feeblemind, Field of Resistance (II), Fire Shield, Globe of Invulnerability IV, Greater Dispel Magic, Greater Heroism, Haste, Hideous Laughter, Hold Monster, Improved Invisibility, Interposing Hand, Mana Flux (II), Mass Invisibility, Ray of Exhaustion, Resilient Sphere, Statue, Stoneskin, Swift Etherealness (II), Wall of Ice, Wall of Stone
5th: Antimagic Field, Chain Dispel (II), Circle of Death, Forceful Hand, Freezing Sphere, Friend to Foe (II), Incite Riot (II), Mirage Arcana, Mislead, Overhwhelm (II), Repulsion, Solid Fog, Sunburst, True Seeing, Wall of Force
6th: Acid fog, Baleful Polymorph, Contingency, Detonate (II), Dominate Monster, Flesh to Stone / Stone to Flesh, Grasping Hand, Greater Shout, Greater Teleport, Mass Improved Invisibility, Wall of Iron
*A new spell detailed below
(II) These spells are available in the Player's Handbook II
[1] As disrupt undead except the damage is untyped and only damages a certain creature type (you choose upon casting).
[2] As shield, but with a casting time of 1 immediate action, and a duration of 1 round.
[3] You may not use the Combat Maneuver aspect of this spell when casting it at this level.
[4] As magic circle against good/evil/chaos/law, but you choose which alignment upon casting.
I did a huge re-leveling attempt here, because a lot of spells are under- (grease) and over- (90% of evocations) leveled, or just totally inappropriate as a spell (sleep).
There might be some big balance discrepancies here as my tired eyes skip important and/or broken spells. My goal was to give all the different archetypes of iconic sorcerer some space.
I may split up the spell lists based on book for easier reading and access. So far I'm only using PHBII because if I'm going to pick 1 splatbook to have at the table for everyone, it's PHBII.
New Spell: Hover
Transmutation
Level: Duskblade 1, Sorcerer 1
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The subject stays elevated about 6 inches above the ground, remaining in the same space but not touching he floor of any space they occupy. They can move at normal speed, but cannot run or charge. Using a hover spell requires only as much concentration as walking, so the subject can attack or cast spells normally. While hovering, they cannot benefit from bonuses for flanking, higher ground, or prone opponents. At any point, the subject can willingly dismiss the spell from themselves.
A hovering creature can move over dangerous floors or surfaces that could ordinarily not support his weight without straining them (such as a rickety bridge, or a pool of lava) but moving out such that there is no surface beneath them causes falling as normal. A creature that falls far enough to take falling damage loses all benefits of hover before they reach the ground, and take falling damage as appropriate as the magic rips apart under so much force.
Arcane focus
A wing feather from any bird.
We all know the sorcerer is the ugly step-sister to the more glamorous wizard. They get limited spells known, they're knocked back in spell access by 1 level, and they don't even get those awesome wizard bonus feats. By virtue of an enormous potential spell list with lots of broken things to cherry-pick, the sorcerer is still Tier 2, which generally makes it too strong for people to want in most of their games but too weak for anyone who wants to powergame.
Worse than that, the sorcerer's limited spell selection encourages them to just pick good spells (since a spell in utility is a wasted spell in practical application), tends to shoehorn them into using 1 or 2 tricks at a time, and the very little flexibility in changing spells means that you can pick crappy spells and be worse than the fighter or pick up awesome spells and be unto a god.
My goal for the sorcerer is to give it a solid Tier 3 base from which to play, a higher optimization floor, and a lower optimization ceiling. So without further ado...
The Sorcerer
Thanks to Hamste for correcting some horrible, horrible typos.
Thanks to nonsi for correcting multiple technical oversights and balance suggestions.
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/201/5/b/tornado_mage_by_warnick-d57x380.jpg
Credit to WarNick of Deviant Artfor his work Tornado Mage (http://warnick.deviantart.com/art/Tornado-Mage-315632016)
Table 1: The Sorcerer
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
1
+0
+0
+2
+2
Arcane Blast, Arcane Fundamentals
2
—
—
—
—
—
—
2
+1
+0
+3
+3
3
0
—
—
—
—
—
3
+1
+1
+3
+3
Spell Power +1
3
1
—
—
—
—
—
4
+2
+1
+4
+4
3
2
0
—
—
—
—
5
+2
+1
+4
+4
Arcane Principles
3
3
1
—
—
—
—
6
+3
+2
+5
+5
Bonus Feat
3
3
2
—
—
—
—
7
+3
+2
+5
+5
3
3
3
0
—
—
—
8
+4
+2
+6
+6
Arcane Competence
3
3
3
1
—
—
—
9
+4
+3
+6
+6
Spell Power +2
3
3
3
2
—
—
—
10
+5
+3
+7
+7
3
3
3
3
0
—
—
11
+5
+3
+7
+7
Arcane Expertise
3
3
3
3
1
—
—
12
+6/+1
+4
+8
+8
Bonus Feat
3
3
3
3
2
—
—
13
+6/+1
+4
+8
+8
3
3
3
3
3
0
—
14
+7/+2
+4
+9
+9
Arcane Prowess
4
3
3
3
3
1
—
15
+7/+2
+5
+9
+9
Spell Power +3
4
4
3
3
3
2
—
16
+8/+3
+5
+10
+10
4
4
4
3
3
3
0
17
+8/+3
+5
+10
+10
Arcane Mastery
4
4
4
4
3
3
1
18
+9/+4
+5
+11
+11
Bonus Feat
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
19
+9/+4
+6
+11
+11
Spell Power +4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
20
+10/+5
+6
+12
+12
Celerity
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
Alignment: Any. Sorcerers come from all walks of life.
Hit Die: d6
Class Skills:
Class Skills
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the sorcerer.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sorcerers are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor the sorcerer is not proficient with interferes with the sorcerer's arcane gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Armor the sorcerer is not proficient with interferes with the sorcerer's arcane gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Now the sorcerer can spend feats on light, medium, and heavy armor, and walk around in full plate with no arcane spell failure. Considering the level of investment just to get a +3-ish bonus to flat-footed AC, I think every class should pretty much do this.
Spells: A sorcerer casts arcane spells (the same type of spells available to bards and wizards), which are drawn primarily from the sorcerer spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).
To learn or cast a spell, a sorcerer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sorcerer's spell is 10 + the spell level + the sorcerer's Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a sorcerer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Sorcerer. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score (see Table 1—1: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells, PHB 8).
A sorcerer's selection of spells is extremely limited. A sorcerer begins play knowing four 0-level spells (also called cantrips) of your choice. At each new sorcerer level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table 2: Sorcerer Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a sorcerer knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table 2 are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the sorcerer has gained some understanding of by study. For example, a sorcerer with a scroll or spellbook detailing an unusual spell (one not on the sorcerer spell list) could select that spell as one of his new spells for attaining a new level, provided that it is of the right spell level. The sorcerer can't use this method of spell acquisition to learn spells at a faster rate, however. If the sorcerer knows a metamagic feat, he may apply that metamagic feat to a spell he can cast and cast it from the appropriate spell slot with the same casting time as casting the normal spell.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every sorcerer level after that, a sorcerer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the sorcerer "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level sorcerer spell the sorcerer can cast. For instance, upon reaching 4th-level, a sorcerer could trade in a single 0-level spell (two spell levels below the highest-level sorcerer spell he can cast, which is 2nd) for a different 0-level spell. At 7th level, he could trade in a single 0-level or 1st-level spell (since he now can cast 3rd-level sorcerer spells) for a different spell of the same level. A sorcerer may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a sorcerer need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. For example, at 3rd level, the sorcerer Hennet can cast two 1st-level spells per day—two for being 1st level (see Table 1: The Sorcerer), plus one thanks to his Charisma score of 15 (see Table 1— 1: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells, PHB 8). He also knows three 1st-level spells: fireball, obscuring mist, and mage armor (see Table 2: Sorcerer Spells Known). Thus, on any given day, he can cast some combination of the three spells a total of three times. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he'll cast.
So you might notice an enormous mechanical difference at this point. The sorcerer casts spells at the bard progression. Crazy, I know, but let me reason this out to you:
First, 10 levels of spells is a lot of granularity at every other level, even at Tier 3. It's useful for some classes, but not necessary. If you write a unique spell list to cover the basic utility requirements (so remove curse isn't coming in too late), there isn't so much of a problem here.
Second, 10 levels of spells means a lot of class features that players can't get. Players like class features, and separating class features from spells means more chances for feat chains or prestige classes that allows PCs to focus on one aspect or the other while still retaining some goodies.
Most importantly, reducing the magnitude of spellcasting on the sorcerer allows me to add required features like the arcane utility trees and arcane blasts, so every sorcerer is still somewhat useful, even if they're blindly firing crap everywhere.
Level
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
1st
4
—
—
—
—
—
—
2nd
5
21
—
—
—
—
—
3rd
6
3
—
—
—
—
—
4th
6
3
21
—
—
—
—
5th
6
4
3
—
—
—
—
6th
6
4
3
—
—
—
—
7th
6
4
4
21
—
—
—
8th
6
4
4
3
—
—
—
9th
6
4
4
3
—
—
—
10th
6
4
4
4
21
—
—
11th
6
4
4
4
3
—
—
12th
6
4
4
4
3
—
—
13th
6
4
4
4
4
21
—
14th
6
4
4
4
4
3
—
15th
6
4
4
4
4
3
—
16th
6
5
4
4
4
4
21
17th
6
5
5
4
4
4
3
18th
6
5
5
5
4
4
3
19th
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
20th
6
5
5
5
5
5
4
1Provided the sorcerer has a high enough Charisma score to have a bonus spell of this level.
Arcane Blast (Sp): The fallback ability of each sorcerer is arcane blast. A sorcerer attacks his foes with raw power, using focused magical energy to deal elemental damage.
An arcane blast is a ranged touch attack as a standard action with a range increment of 30 feet. It affects a single target, allowing no saving throw. An arcane blast deals 1d6 points of damage per 2 sorcerer levels (round up) of fire, electricity, cold, or acid damage and has the appropriate [Fire], [Electricity], [Cold], or [Acid] descriptor respectively, chosen when this class feature is obtained. At levels 7 and 13, the sorcerer can choose another of the above damage types and make his arcane blasts any chosen type. An arcane blast is the equivalent of a spell of the highest level a sorcerer can cast.
An arcane blast is not subject to spell resistance. An arcane blast deals damage to objects as appropriate to its energy type. Arcane blasts cannot be affected by feats that affect spell-like abilities. Using an arcane blast requires movement of arms, which is identical to the somatic components of a spell for purposes of usability.
This is the sorcerer's basic ability, much like the warlock's eldritch blast (in fact, I stole a bunch of text from it). However, it shoots energy damage and its scaling isn't wonky.
This should be the starting point for arcane blasters, and gives even the worst of sorcerers something somewhat useful to do.
Arcane Fundamentals (Sp): At level 1, and every level thereafter, sorcerers learn a spell-like ability or set of abilities called arcane fundamentals. All spell-like abilities accessed through arcane fundamentals take 1 minute or the casting time in the spell description (whichever is longer) to use.
Arcane fundamentals have somatic and verbal components just as though they were spells, and can be disrupted just as a spell can be during casting. A sorcerer is entitled to a Concentration check to successfully use an arcane fundamental if he is hit by an attack while using it, just as a spellcaster would be. Arcane fundamentals cannot be cast defensively. A sorcerer's caster level with his arcane fundamentals is equal to his sorcerer level.
Arcane fundamentals are treated as 1st-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes. Metamagic feats may be applied to arcane fundamentals, but the total spell slot the arcane fundamental would use cannot be higher than the highest-level spell the sorcerer can cast.
Unlike spells, the sorcerer cannot un-learn fundamentals when he gains news ones. They may be retrained as per class features, if your DM follows those rules (see PHB2).
Multiple of the same spell-like ability from arcane fundamentals cannot be used simultaneously, but different spell-like abilities may be used in tandem even if they are from the same list entry and all arcane fundamentals can be dispelled at-will as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity if the sorcerer is within the range of the spell. For example, at 1st-level, the sorcerer Hennet chooses the dancing lights / light / continual flame entry. By spending 1 minute, he may cast light on any object. He cannot cast light again until the duration of the first has ended or he has dismissed it (which he can do as he pleases), but he can cast dancing lights or continual flame
The arcane fundamentals a sorcerer may learn are listed below. Each list entry contains 1 or more spells which may all be used. He gains access to stronger and more versatile abilities as he grows in power:
• Create Food and Water
• Dancing Lights / Light / Continual Flame [1]
• Darkvision / Rouse / Alarm
• Detect Alignment [2]
• Detect Magic / Read Magic
• Detect Poison / Detect Disease [3]
• Disguise Self
• Endure Elements
• Floating Disk / Secret Chest [1]
• Ghost Sound / Message / Ventriloquism
• Identify / Arcane Mark / Erase
• Instant Summons [1]
• Mage Hand / Open / Close / Hold Portal
• Prestidigitation
• Unseen Servant
[1] The expensive components required for these spells only cost 5gp.
[2] As detect evil, but for good, evil, law, or chaos. Choose one of these when casting the spell.
[3] As detect poison but instead detects diseases in the subject. You may not use Craft (Alchemy) to determine the disease type, but may use Heal.
This is lacking finesse, but it does what I want it to do. Every other Arcane X line has utility spells appropriate to the sorcerer's level, so now you have to have some out-of-combat use along with your in-combat use instead of making Stormwind cry himself to sleep.
Spell Power: At 3rd level, the sorcerer gets a +1 bonus to save DCs of spells he casts and a +1 bonus to caster level.
At 9th, 15th, and 19th levels, these bonuses all increase by 1.
This exists to keep the sorcerer's saves level-appropriate, to give some boosts to blasting, and to discourage multi-classing. If your spell slots are few and far between, and class features later in the progression boost all of them, you're inclined to stick around (I hope) and not prestige out immediately like with the original sorcerer.
Arcane Principles (Sp): At level 5, the sorcerer gains access to a new set of spell-like abilities that he may choose from instead of arcane fundamentals. Spell-like abilities from arcane principles are subject to the same rules as arcane fundamentals, but are treated as 2nd-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes.
• Animate Rope / Rope Trick
• Arcane Lock / Hold Portal / Knock
• Detect Creature Type (choose upon casting)
• Detect Disease [1] / Contagion
• Dream / Nightmare
• Feather Fall [2] / Jump
• Master’s Touch (II) / Share Talents (II)
• Obscure Object / Misdirection / Magic Aura
• Seeming
• Whispering Wind
(II) These spells are available in the Player's Handbook II
[1] As detect poison but instead detects diseases in the subject. You may not use Craft (Alchemy) to determine the disease type, but may use Heal. If you have the Detect Poison / Detect Disease arcane fundamental, you automatically know the kind of disease without a heal or wisdom check.
[2] The casting time of this is the casting time of the normal spell, instead of 1 minute.
Bonus Feat: At level 6, and every 6 levels thereafter, the sorcerer gains a bonus feat. This must be an item creation feat, a metamagic feat, or a feat that requires arcane casting or an arcane caster level. The sorcerer must meet all prerequisites of this feat.
I had some dead levels, and sorcerers could all use to be a little different. Note that you can get arcane casting feats too, which should hopefully open up the expanded spell list feats I'm planning to write below, plus cool stuff like Obtain Familiar.
Arcane Competence (Sp): At level 8, the sorcerer gains access to a new set of spell-like abilities that he may choose from instead of arcane fundamentals. Spell-like abilities from arcane competence are subject to the same rules as arcane fundamentals, but are treated as 3rd-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes.
• Arcane Eye / Prying Eyes
• Arcane Sight
• Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
• Comprehend Languages / Tongues
• Crown of Clarity (II) / Crown of Veils (II)
• Locate Object/ Locate Creature
• Nondetection
• Phantom Steed
• Remove Curse
• Rope Trick
• Secret Page / Illusory Script / Sepia Snake Sigil
• Sending
• Shrink Item
• Tiny Hut / Mage’s Faithful Hound
• Water Breathing
(II) These spells are available in the Player's Handbook II
Arcane Expertise (Sp): At level 11, the sorcerer gains access to a new set of spell-like abilities that he may choose from instead of arcane fundamentals. Spell-like abilities from arcane expertise are subject to the same rules as arcane fundamentals, but are treated as 4th-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes.
• Break Enchantment
• Dimensional Anchor / Dismissal
• Guards and Wards
• Illusory Wall
• Legend Lore
• Lesser Geas
• Minor Creation
• Scrying / Detect Scrying
• Secure Shelter
• Stone Shape / Move Earth / Control Water
• Toxic Weapon (II) / Increase Virulence (II)
• Veil
(II) These spells are available in the Player's Handbook II
Arcane Prowess (Sp): At level 14, the sorcerer gains access to a new set of spell-like abilities that he may choose from instead of arcane fundamentals. Spell-like abilities from arcane prowess are subject to the same rules as arcane fundamentals, but are treated as 5th-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes.
• Contact Other Plane
• Fabricate
• False Vision
• Greater Arcane Sight
• Mage’s Private Sanctum
• Phase Door
• Vision
Arcane Mastery (Sp): At level 17, the sorcerer gains access to a new set of spell-like abilities that he may choose from instead of arcane fundamentals. Spell-like abilities from arcane mastery are subject to the same rules as arcane fundamentals, but are treated as 6th-level spells on the sorcerer's spell list for all other purposes.
• Discern Location
• Gate (travel only)
• Greater Prying Eyes
• Mage’s Magnificent Mansion
• Major Creation
• Mind Blank
• Screen
• Sympathy / Antipathy
• Trap the Soul
Celerity (Sp): At level 20, the sorcerer's magic allows him to borrow a slice of time from the future. As an immediate action that can interrupt a creature's turn, he can take a standard action to cast a spell, as though he had readied an action. After taking this action, he must take 1 less standard action next round.
Sorcerer Spell List
0th: Disrupt Creature [1], Flare, Immediate Shield [2], Magic Missile, Mending, Resistance, Stand (II), Touch of Fatigue
1st: Acid Arrow, Bigby’s Striking Fist (II), Bigby’s Tripping Hand (II), Blight, Burning Rage (II), Chill Touch, Cloud of Knives (II), Dispelling Touch (II), Expeditious Retreat, Fireball, Hover*, Jump, Kelgore’s Fire Bolt (II), Lightning Bolt, Mage Armor, Obscuring Mist, Polar Ray, Ray of Enfeeblement, See Invisibility, Shield, Spider Climb, Stay the Hand (II), Touch of Idiocy, True Strike, Whelming Blast (II)
2nd: Alter Self, Animalistic Power (II) Bear's Endurance, Bigby’s Warding Hand (II), Blinding Color Surge (II), Blindness/Deafness, Bright Worms (II), Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Chain Lightning, Channeled Pyroburst, Cone of Cold, Crown of Protection (II), Crushing Despair, Curse of Arrow Attraction (II), Darkness, Daylight, Daze Monster, Dimension Hop (II), Dispel Magic, Eagle's Splendor, Electric Vengeance (II), Energy Vulnerability (II), Enlarge/Reduce Person, Explosive Rune Field (II), Flame Arrow, Fog Cloud, Fox's Cunning, Glitterdust, Grease, Greater Magic Weapon, Greater Magic Vestment, Gust of Wind, Halt (II), Heroism, Inevitable Defeat (II), Invisibility, Levitate, Mass Whelm (II), Mirror Image, Owl's Wisdom, Protection from Arrows, Pulse of Hate (II), Ray of Exhaustion, Resist Energy, Scorching Ray, Seeking Ray (II), Sleet Storm, Sonic Shield (II), Summon Swarm, Telekinesis [3], Telepathic Bond, Vampiric Touch, Vertigo (II), Web
3rd: Alter Fortune (II), Bestow Curse, Bigby’s Disrupting Hand (II), Bleakness (II), Blur, Charm Monster, Crushing Grip (II), Delayed Blast Fireball, Dimension Step (II), Doom Scarabs (II), Explosive Runes, Eyebite, Gaseous Form, Greater Electric Vengeance (II), Hesitate (II), Ice Storm, Legion of Sentinels (II), Magic Circle [4], Mass Bear's Endurance, Mass Bull's Strength, Mass Cat's Grace, Mass Eagle's Splendor, Mass Enlarge/Reduce Person, Mass Fox's Cunning, Mass Owl's Wisdom, Mind Fog, Phantasmal Killer, Phantom battle (II), Plague (II), Prismatic Mist (II), Protection from Energy, Radiance (II), Ray of the Python (II), Regroup (II), Shout, Slow, Stifle Spell (II), Stinking Cloud, Telekinesis (as normal), Thunder Field (II), Trollshape (II), Vertigo Field (II), Wall of Fire, Waves of Fatigue
4th: Black Tentacles, Call of Stone (II), Chasing Perfection (II), Cloudkill, Condemnation (II), Dance of Blades (II), Dimension Door, Dimension Shuffle (II), Disintegrate, Enervation, Fear, Feeblemind, Field of Resistance (II), Fire Shield, Globe of Invulnerability IV, Greater Dispel Magic, Greater Heroism, Haste, Hideous Laughter, Hold Monster, Improved Invisibility, Interposing Hand, Mana Flux (II), Mass Invisibility, Ray of Exhaustion, Resilient Sphere, Statue, Stoneskin, Swift Etherealness (II), Wall of Ice, Wall of Stone
5th: Antimagic Field, Chain Dispel (II), Circle of Death, Forceful Hand, Freezing Sphere, Friend to Foe (II), Incite Riot (II), Mirage Arcana, Mislead, Overhwhelm (II), Repulsion, Solid Fog, Sunburst, True Seeing, Wall of Force
6th: Acid fog, Baleful Polymorph, Contingency, Detonate (II), Dominate Monster, Flesh to Stone / Stone to Flesh, Grasping Hand, Greater Shout, Greater Teleport, Mass Improved Invisibility, Wall of Iron
*A new spell detailed below
(II) These spells are available in the Player's Handbook II
[1] As disrupt undead except the damage is untyped and only damages a certain creature type (you choose upon casting).
[2] As shield, but with a casting time of 1 immediate action, and a duration of 1 round.
[3] You may not use the Combat Maneuver aspect of this spell when casting it at this level.
[4] As magic circle against good/evil/chaos/law, but you choose which alignment upon casting.
I did a huge re-leveling attempt here, because a lot of spells are under- (grease) and over- (90% of evocations) leveled, or just totally inappropriate as a spell (sleep).
There might be some big balance discrepancies here as my tired eyes skip important and/or broken spells. My goal was to give all the different archetypes of iconic sorcerer some space.
I may split up the spell lists based on book for easier reading and access. So far I'm only using PHBII because if I'm going to pick 1 splatbook to have at the table for everyone, it's PHBII.
New Spell: Hover
Transmutation
Level: Duskblade 1, Sorcerer 1
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The subject stays elevated about 6 inches above the ground, remaining in the same space but not touching he floor of any space they occupy. They can move at normal speed, but cannot run or charge. Using a hover spell requires only as much concentration as walking, so the subject can attack or cast spells normally. While hovering, they cannot benefit from bonuses for flanking, higher ground, or prone opponents. At any point, the subject can willingly dismiss the spell from themselves.
A hovering creature can move over dangerous floors or surfaces that could ordinarily not support his weight without straining them (such as a rickety bridge, or a pool of lava) but moving out such that there is no surface beneath them causes falling as normal. A creature that falls far enough to take falling damage loses all benefits of hover before they reach the ground, and take falling damage as appropriate as the magic rips apart under so much force.
Arcane focus
A wing feather from any bird.