Sorcerer Sub-Class:SandShaper

[CyberThread]

So I tried to adopt the sorcerer class structure to create a sand shaper , sub class. Tell me what you folks think please.

1st , Desert Insight I, Chose one level one spell from any spell list, and add it to your spells known.

Sand Shape: Create an mundane object of up to small size, out of sand.The item is crude and cannot mimic things such as , keys , and is fragile enough that can only be used once as a bludgeon damage style weapon. May be used twice per short or long rest.

6th Desert Insight II, You may add one spell of 3rd level or below from any spell list to your known spells.

Improved Sand Shape: You may now create an item of medium or smaller size, while still of crude quality your item is now strong enough that it will not fall apart from being used as a weapon. Also, you may chose one of the following to be added to you creating list.

Desert Eagle:Create a flying sand bird, that you may move as your action, you may see through this creations eyes while it fly's, using your own skill abilties for spotting and skill rolls. This creation does not have dark vision or low light vision. The creation lasts for 10 mins, if the caster loses a concentration check or willfully no longer controls the creation before it can land, it dissipates in the wind.

Dusk Wolf: A sand wolf, that can carry or get retrieve small things that the caster controls. Same stats as a Wolf. The creation lasts for 10 mins, if the caster loses a concentration check or willfully no longer controls the creation it crumbles into a pile of sand.

Sun Steed :"A sun steed is a courageous mount that can be ridden into battle as though it were a light warhorse. It appears equipped with a saddle, tack, and harness. The creation lasts for 10 mins, if the caster loses a concentration check or willfully no longer controls the creation it crumbles into a pile of sand.

12th Dust Insight III, Chose a 5th level spell from any spell list, and add it to your characters spells known.

Desert Slumber: If you lay in an area of soil that is deep enough to cover your body to everything but your face, your character may regrow severed body parts, mend broken limbs, and restore ruined organs. You may use this ability once per long rest.

Expert Sand Shaper: You gain two extra shaping uses, and may shape up to a large object, of fine qualtiy, and items are treated as if they are cold iron. You gain access to two more forms.

Golden Camel : A golden camel is the animal of choice for bearing burdens. It responds only to your mental commands. Otherwise, it is identical to an ordinary camel. Unlike other creatures created with this ability, a golden camel persists until you willfully let it crumble or it is destroyed. It appears equipped with a saddle, tack, and harness.
Sand Monster: You create an gargantuan sized sand dragon, with fragile status but immunity to ranged attacks. If a melee attack hits it (AC 10) or the creator willfully lets it crumble, the creation covers in a 30 by 30ft square area sand avalanche. Any creation caught within the are is considered Restrained for 4 rounds, with a DC Strength (17) to resist or get out early.

18th Dust Insight IIII, Sorcerer can add one 8th level spell from any spell list too spells known.

Desert Shroud : If your body is covered or buried in the ground, it may come back to life fully healed 1d8 days later. This ability may only be used Once per 60 day period.

[Chaosvii7]

18th Dust Insight IIII, Sorcerer can add one 8th level spell from any spell list too spells known.

The Roman Numeral of 4 is IV, not IIII.

Come on, man. That's like, basic math.

[Edge of Dreams]

For the Desert Insight abilities, consider having them only pull from the Bard, Cleric, Druid, and Wizard spell lists, and maybe Warlock. Paladin and Ranger have a lot of class-specific spells that are very powerful relative to the spell level (Swift Quiver as a 5th level spell, for example) but are balanced by only being available to half-caster classes. There's already been a lot of discussion of Bards abusing their class feature to learn spells from other classes to get Paladin and Ranger-exclusive spells at a much lower class level than Paladin and Ranger themselves actually get the spell.

[CyberThread]

That is some good catching ty.

[1of3]

The Roman Numeral of 4 is IV, not IIII.

Tell that to the Romans. In fact "IIII" is not uncommon in inscriptions.

*classical philologist talking*

[Wulfskadi]

You didn't bold "Sand monster"

Also consider allowing for a more powerful sand creation at first level, all other 1st level sorcerer abilities are much better than this.

[gfishfunk]

I would down all of the Desert Insights: I. grabs a cantrip, II. grabs a level 1 spell, etc.

Grabbing any spell is pretty huge, so tempering that would be great. Its one of the best features of Bard, and magic initiate burns a feat to give a one-use level 1 spell with a couple of cantrips. As a subclass feature, its bonkers.

[wunderkid]

Yeah for me nabbing spells seems to be pushing this subclass into hyper op territory.

Sorcerers have a small spell list to make up for how incredibly potent metamagics are.

Being able to poach any spell and then apply metamagics to it? Seems like you've just made the most powerful caster to me.

[gfishfunk]

Right. On top of lowering spell levels from each, adding in a casting school might be a good idea (only enhancement or whatever), or adding in a class restriction (only from Druid spell list might be good for the Desert flavor).

[MrStabby]

Yeah, Insight and metamagic are a big potential problem. Given sorcs are balanced round limited spells known and limited spells to chose from it is a really huge power bonus.

To get an aspect of a bards characteristic ability 5 levels before they do is a bit nuts.

[JellyPooga]

Desert Insight I, Chose one level one spell from any spell list, and add it to your spells known.

Desert Insight II, You may add one spell of 3rd level or below from any spell list to your known spells.

Dust Insight III, Chose a 5th level spell from any spell list, and add it to your characters spells known.

Dust Insight IIII, Sorcerer can add one 8th level spell from any spell list too spells known.

As has been mentioned by others, these definitely need toning down somewhat significantly. Choosing from a thematic, sand/heat based list would limit abuse and be the best option IMO.


Sand Shape: Create an mundane object of up to small size, out of sand.The item is crude and cannot mimic things such as , keys , and is fragile enough that can only be used once as a bludgeon damage style weapon. May be used twice per short or long rest.

Improved Sand Shape: You may now create an item of medium or smaller size, while still of crude quality your item is now strong enough that it will not fall apart from being used as a weapon. Also, you may chose one of the following to be added to you creating list. [snip]

Expert Sand Shaper: You gain two extra shaping uses, and may shape up to a large object, of fine qualtiy, and items are treated as if they are cold iron. You gain access to two more forms.[snip]

Object creation is a ribbon effect, so no problems there. The Animals, however, might better be emulated with the likes of Conjure Animals or Phantom Steed, perhaps, with a sand-themed skin (literally; I'm talking fluff text, not mechanics). Even incorporating the spells that animal forms replicates into an option for Desert Insights might be an idea.


Desert Slumber: If you lay in an area of soil that is deep enough to cover your body to everything but your face, your character may regrow severed body parts, mend broken limbs, and restore ruined organs. You may use this ability once per long rest.

Desert Shroud : If your body is covered or buried in the ground, it may come back to life fully healed 1d8 days later. This ability may only be used Once per 60 day period.

This is where I started getting the impression that you were trying to cram too many ideas into this sub-class. You've already got added spell versatility, you've got a summoning/creation-themed ability and now you're trying to shove self-healing/functional immortality into the deal too?

I think you've got some good ideas here, but I also think that you need to decide what you want this sub-class to really *be*. Is it simply a Sorcerer who can create objects and beasts to do his bidding from nothing but sand? Is it someone who knows the deepest mysteries of the desert, conjuring magics of the djinn and surviving against the harshest extremes the environment can throw at him? Or is sand-shaping a darker art; plumbing the depths of necromantic magic to extend the life of the user via the medium of the dessicating effects of the desert sand? Or is it something else entirely?

[Socratov]

I think that adding spells knwon to the sorcerer list makes it easily one of the most op sorcerer subclasses. You could instead opt for, at lvl 1, adding the land druid's desert signature spells to the classlist of the sorcerer and the same with the desert domain for the clerical spells (if there is such a thing). This opens up new avenues for spell selection, without adding too much power relative to the other subclasses.

For the same reason why I think that Call Lightning should be on the Storm Sorcerer's spell list

As for the sand shaping thing, I like it. I think it's a little bit useless early on, but if you are an elf (and thus proficient with bows) it might be a great idea to make arrows (they are destroyed anyway if you shoot them) or corssbow bolts.

that said, you can go up to small size, so a rock or boulder to hide behind or to throw with a catapult would be nice. and judging a halfling or gnome to be small sized I see rooom for shenanigans for that as well...

I also think that allowing fine detail form lvl 6 on makes good sense. I even propose that instead of uses per day or short rest that you inlcude a daily crafting pool (refreshed on long rest or partially on short rest).

That way you could tie it to level and make the detail and size depend on crafting points.

For example:


At lvl 3 you gain the ability to shape sand. You gain a daily reserve of classlevel+1 Sand Shaping Reserve Points. These might be spend on crafting tings form sand. You can maximally spend an allotment of half your maximum crafting reserve at one creation. See the sandshaping table for the cost in relation to crafting size. At the moment that you gain this ability you can craft crude objects that are brittle like glass. When using this ability the sorcerer is treated as if concentrating on a spell

At lvl 6 your skill in sandshaping increases to the point wehre you can introduce broad details into your shapes as indicated in the sandshaping table. When copying an item you will need to succeed on a DC 15 investigation or perception check. This allows you to replicate a simple key, but not a fine toothed one. Your shapes are now tough enough to withstand blows af if they were made from wood. This skill also allow syou to make enough of an edge to sand shape edged weapons

At lvl 11 your skill at shaping sand improves even further. You can now apply fine details to your shapes as detailed in the sand shaping table. Your shapes are now considered to ge strong as steel and can act as they were a special material as indicated in the sandshaping table. Only one special material may be selected through this ability



Creation aspect
Point cost
gained at


fine
4
11


tiny
2
6


small
1
3


medium
2
3


large
4
6


broad details
+2
6


fine details
+3
11


Treat like cold iron
+2
11


Treat like silver
+2
11





as for the animals, I would make it so that the shapes last for a certain time and don't use the resource system, but instead are usable X times per short or long rest (whichever seems better), and to function similar to conjure animals, or to make it like a ritual that takes 10 minutes and exists for x hours where x is half your sorcerer's classlevels rounded down (the same time a druid can stay in wildshape) and that you can have only one animal helper available maing it so that shaping the next makes the previous crumble. I also like the engulfing ability, please link it to the Sorcerer's spell DC to keep it simple.

This would imo make for a fun and interesting class.

oh, and before I forget, at lvl 6 you don't need sustenance (food/drink) when in a desert environment and are immune to dehydration effects.