A question about spells

[Desteplo]

"The heck with dragon sorcery! It's like they were built specifically for fire...they don't even get acid spells!! Why? Because Melf was a wizard?! Psh..." mini pseudo rant over:

So I looked at the lore master UA and it brought up the question. What if at learning a spell a caster could choose what element their spell used (element, not damage type. So no force necrotic or radiant) but once they choose it they need to stick with that element.

It does and doesn't step on lvl2 lore master wizard because they can change per casting of a spell at will. While a character learns a spell like melting hands and freezing ray (with hopeful better names) and is stuck with that spell until they can learn another.

It presents magic as a living thing, as a science, as an art.. what do you think?

[DivisibleByZero]

Which part of Dragon Sorcerer's ability to choose their element via choosing their draconic ancestry makes you think it was built only for fire?

[Desteplo]

Which part of Dragon Sorcerer's ability to choose their element via choosing their draconic ancestry makes you think it was built only for fire?

The spell list. Mostly talking about phb (and as a mini false rant) but aside from prismatic orb, frost spells don't show up until lvl 4, poison until lvl 4, no acid, lightning Is at 1/3/6, etc. Fire is the only consistent option.
Want play an acid dragon sorcerer? How? Multiclassing wizard? (Being snarky at developers of dnd and in an ironic way. I love dnd)

[DivisibleByZero]

The best and most frequent use of their ability to add mod to damage comes from cantrips. Cantrips have all of the elements covered.

[Joe the Rat]

A version of a spell that uses a different element is essentially making a new spell. You can research new spells, per DM approval already.

And don't worry about stepping on the Lore wizard. It's stomping all over everyone else.

[Desteplo]

The best and most frequent use of their ability to add mod to damage comes from cantrips. Cantrips have all of the elements covered.

That's not the point though. A player wants to make "Elsa" they can't until lvl 7

A player wants to make a dragon sorcerer that coughs poison, he seeps poison through his veins. All he has is poison spray until cloudkill at lvl 7

My point is there is no finesse with the spell list. So (my actual question) what do people think about letting someone choose an element for a spell when learning the spell.

[blurneko]

This is a non-issue. Just talk with your DM. Most DMs are happy to refluff spells to be a different element.
Ice Fireball? Glacial Blast
Acid Scorching Ray? Corrosive Beam
Lightning Cloud of Daggers? Electric Field

It won't work with everything and it is per DM discretion but I have never found this to be a problem.

[Desteplo]

A version of a spell that uses a different element is essentially making a new spell. You can research new spells, per DM approval already.

And don't worry about stepping on the Lore wizard. It's stomping all over everyone else.

Well thank you very much. My thirst for spell justice has been satisfied.

[Desteplo]

This is a non-issue. Just talk with your DM. Most DMs are happy to refluff spells to be a different element.
Ice Fireball? Glacial Blast
Acid Scorching Ray? Corrosive Beam
Lightning Cloud of Daggers? Electric Field

It won't work with everything and it is per DM discretion but I have never found this to be a problem.

Thank you. I wasn't sure if it WOULD be a problem.

[Dhuraal]

Another option would be to allow the sorcerer to change the spell's element on the fly by spending a sorcery point

[Addaran]

I don't see a problem with a sorcerer learning "melting hands" instead of burning hands. I'm all for it.

Only problem might be with spells that have riders. But as a general rule, if you change fire to something else, there wouldn't be problems.