Why aren't all sorcerers subtle?

[arrowed]

A wizard casts a spell by performing a complex magical ritual, involving materials, symbols and sounds. A cleric casts a spell by praying. A bard casts a spell with song and dance. A druid beseeches nature itself with actions and words to cast a spell. A sorcerer draws upon their own inherent power that developed naturally... but still needs to say words and waggle fingers. Why?
I ask this with respect to fluff, I understand it would probably unbalance the game if all sorcerers could cast spells while tied up and gagged, and the d&d system tries it's best to be every possible flavour of fantasy in one... but it bugs me because I can't rationalise it to myself. Thanks in advance for your opinions. :smallsmile:

[NecroDancer]

I see it as that everyone has a spark of magic in them, some need to study to unlock it(wizard of bard) some need to channel it through devotion(cleric, Druid, warlock) and some can channel it without work(sorcerer), however the magic is obtained it still functions the same for everyone, but sorcerers have a deeper connection to their magic and can choose to focus on increasing its power, making it a quicker, or making it harder to detect.

[clash]

Fluffwise I like to think of it as a measure of control. They have all these strange powers and need a physical way to focus them so they don't just fire off magic missles every time there temper flares. (I rule that Wildmagic surges are inherently subtle) So while the wizard is doing the swish and flick and saying predetermined words, the sorcerer might just be using a method they made up to focus on only firing that spell when they want to. So it might be pointing at someone and saying "bang" to fire off a magic missile. Its a way of relating these strange and awesome powers to something their mind can comprehend in order to gain a measure of control. The cost of that control however is not being able to summon the power without doing the action and speaking the words.

[BW022]

A wizard casts a spell by performing a complex magical ritual, involving materials, symbols and sounds. A cleric casts a spell by praying. A bard casts a spell with song and dance. A druid beseeches nature itself with actions and words to cast a spell. A sorcerer draws upon their own inherent power that developed naturally... but still needs to say words and waggle fingers. Why?
I ask this with respect to fluff, I understand it would probably unbalance the game if all sorcerers could cast spells while tied up and gagged, and the d&d system tries it's best to be every possible flavour of fantasy in one... but it bugs me because I can't rationalise it to myself. Thanks in advance for your opinions. :smallsmile:

You are confusing the source of the power with how it is activated. All casters have a source of power (a god, nature, innate, patron, etc.). However, they still have to select, activate, focus, and direct that power via specific sequences of sounds/words, motions, and/or components. The power of the spell may come from within, but you still have to motions to direct the power, sounds to select and focus it, and components to channel that power.

The source of the power for my house could be a coal plant, hydro-electric dam, solar panel, nuclear plant, etc. However, I still need wires to get the power to my home, a switch to activate it, and specific appliances to turn it into light, heat, sound, etc. The source of magical power is like the power plant, the sounds, motions, and components are like the wires, switches, and appliances which turn that power into useful effects.

[Joe the Rat]

What you are looking at between the various sources is how you get your spells - the words and waggling that shape the weave to create effects. Wizards do academic study. Clerics beseech higher powers. Warlocks get notes passed to them under the desk. Sorcerers just have a natural knack. They can feel out the shapes of things, and figure out how to do it on their own, with no greater understanding or input than their own sense of how to do it. This is also why they get metamagic: their understanding of spells is so natural, or intuitive, that they can tweak things on the fly.

I like to compare magic to music here. A Wizard reads the sheet music and practices to learn a piece. He probably has a bit of music theory and composition. A sorcerer is untrained, but can play by ear and improv a jazz solo in the middle.
Clerics call upon their iTunes accounts.

[JeenLeen]

The fluff in the PHB section on magic states two things that I think are pertinent:
1) all magic operates via the Weave, regardless of how one accesses it (divine patron for clerics, know-how for wizards, etc.)
2) it is not the words one says as part of a somatic component that matter, but rather the intonation and rhythm (or something like that--paraphrasing from memory)

Both of these go along with the idea that to activate a magic spell, certain things are needed, at least for certain spells: the somatic, verbal, and material components. Some trained casters can replace material components with a focus, but the somatic and verbal 'vibrations' are still required to activate a spell. Just like it's as true for clerics as it is for wizards, it's true for sorcerers.

I can see that a sorcerer gets metamagic that enables them to override the somatic/verbal components as a strong indication that their magic is so internalized. The fact that they can, with great focus and exertion (i.e., using the consumable resource that is sorcery points), bypass this fundamental metaphysical requirement is rather impressive.

(I realize this agrees with much that was said by previous posters, but I wanted to bring in the PHB fluff since the OP is focusing on sorcerer fluff.)

[TheUser]

I came to this thread thinking it was someone who was asking why anyone would bother taking any other metamagic apart from subtle spell so I could hop on the bandwagon and agree with them :')

Just had this metamagic save me from an Otyugh grapple last night (gg subtle misty step).

[IShouldntBehere]

Imagine for the same reason I can't spit without opening my mouth.

[Dalebert]

OP, I meet you halfway by saying that the words and gestures of a sorcerer are unique to them. It's whatever is inspiring for them. There's no hard mechanic for identifying a spell as its cast. That's always up to DM call. A DM can say you do it automatically if the spell is known to you, or if it's on your spell list, or he can allow an arcana check, or he could allow a religion check for divine spells, etc. So my call on that is you have a chance of identifying wizard spells but not sorcerer spells. Their fire spells might be triggered by calling upon the name of the dragon that they keep meeting in their dreams. Their hypnotic pattern spell might be the silly words they heard an auctioneer spouting once. It's whatever is inspiring to them.

This applies the mechanics of requiring verbal, somatic, or material components, while keeping the fluff of a sorcerer intact. That's why I like it. And if they practice, they can learn to work magic without any of that, i.e. subtle spell.

[arrowed]

Thanks everyone! This all helps. It's also fun to see all the different metaphors people have.

[famousringo]

I don't mind the idea that a sorcerer might intuitively know the right gestures and incantations to warp the reality around them, I just wish they didn't rely on material components.

"This bat poop. My spider sense tells me I should hold on to it. It may be useful in the future. And also this spider. And also this morning's belly button lint."

Imagine a sorcerer who stays at home and doesn't go adventuring. They would look like a filthy, deranged hoarder.

[clash]

I don't mind the idea that a sorcerer might intuitively know the right gestures and incantations to warp the reality around them, I just wish they didn't rely on material components.

"This bat poop. My spider sense tells me I should hold on to it. It may be useful in the future. And also this spider. And also this morning's belly button lint."

Imagine a sorcerer who stays at home and doesn't go adventuring. They would look like a filthy, deranged hoarder.

Just use an arcane focus. It seems more in line with sorcerer spellcasting.

[Dalebert]

Imagine a sorcerer who stays at home and doesn't go adventuring. They would look like a filthy, deranged hoarder.

So in other words, like a wizard.

[EvilAnagram]

I came to this thread thinking it was someone who was asking why anyone would bother taking any other metamagic apart from subtle spell so I could hop on the bandwagon and agree with them :')

Just had this metamagic save me from an Otyugh grapple last night (gg subtle misty step).
Unless the Otyugh had also silenced you in some way, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to Misty Step while grappled without Subtle Spell.

[Magic Myrmidon]

I do really wish sorcerers had eschew materials in 5e. It sucks that they still need a stick or something to focus their "inherent" power. Sure, at least they don't need bat poop, but I would prefer being able to throw out my hand to shoot lightning without having to carry a fragile orb in my pocket.

[gfishfunk]

A wizard casts a spell by performing a complex magical ritual, involving materials, symbols and sounds. A cleric casts a spell by praying. A bard casts a spell with song and dance. A druid beseeches nature itself with actions and words to cast a spell. A sorcerer draws upon their own inherent power that developed naturally... but still needs to say words and waggle fingers. Why?
I ask this with respect to fluff, I understand it would probably unbalance the game if all sorcerers could cast spells while tied up and gagged, and the d&d system tries it's best to be every possible flavour of fantasy in one... but it bugs me because I can't rationalise it to myself. Thanks in advance for your opinions. :smallsmile:

I have abolished the need for material components (except for spells that destroy the components) to reflect the innate nature of sorcerer spellcasting. Otherwise, Verbal / Somantic is still required to focus the power.