Sorcerer fixed: an easy and elegant solution

[Blas_de_Lezo]

I'm running SKT as DM and I'm introducing this in my campaign. My players aren't OP experts, they just want to play and have fun, and I've already had one player complaining about the sorcerer. So I made this adjustment. It's not oriented to made OP sorcerers, but to make them more, well, sorcerish and giving them a bit more of versatility within their sorcery bloodlines. Comments will be appreciated.

Justification for this fixs:
Sorcerers extract their magic form themselves, so I thought it would be nice to give them exactly that, their own body as their source of power. Also, we all know sorcerers have few spell known. And we also know that in the UA articles, they gave up giving sorcerers more spell known because, when leveling up, they would end up having more spell prepared than wizards (not counting rituals) and it doesn't sound appropiate. That's why I've given them a handful of spells that are not extremely OP, but could give them a bit more of versatility flavored within their own bloodline without breaking the game. One of this spells is always going to be Detect Magic, as it seem weird to me that sorcerers who naturally wield magic couldn't just detect it.


Sorcerer adjustment:

Spellcasting Focus. You can use your own body as a spellcasting focus for your sorcerer Spells.

Metamagic. You gain another metamagic option at 7th level (in addition to the ones at 10th and 17th level).

Origin spells. Each sorcerous origin has a list of spells that you gain at the sorcerer levels noted in the list description. This spells count as sorcerer spells for you but don’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

Draconic Bloodline
1st Detect Magic
3rd Locate Object
5th Elemental Weapon
7th Leomund's Tiny Chest
9th Dominate Person

Wild Magic
1st Detect Magic
3rd Crown of Madness
5th Blink
7th Confusion
9th Reincarnate


The spell selection is flavoured-based, avoiding extremely OP spells. As I said, all sorcerous bloodlines start with Detect Magic as it seems natural that all sorcerers can detect the presence of magic as they are infused with it. The draconic bloodline list reflects the traits of a dragon: powerful creatures who dominate, hoard treasure and breath elements. The wild magic list reflects the main feature of wild magic: randomness. All listed spells have a certain degree of chaotic results.

Please feel free to comment. If you like this fix, I have also spell lists for the UA sorcerers.

[Specter]

Well, nothing's broken, so you're on the right path.
- If you're giving a new metamagic option at level 7, might as well give them another at level 13.
- The main problem with sorcerer's known spells is after level 10, where they learn one spell every two levels (unacceptable). So unless you focus on those levels, the class will still be lackluster in this department.

[coredump]

They don't need more known spells, they need s lot more metamagic. A lot more. At least double what they have now.
They only have a few known spells, but let them cast them many different ways.

[Innocent_bystan]

In my next campaign, I'm going to 'fix' sorcerer's by using the spell point variant. Just for sorcerers.
Yes, you have limited spells known, but enjoy unsurpassed flexibility in using them. That should solve at least some issues.

[Spiritchaser]

In my next campaign, I'm going to 'fix' sorcerer's by using the spell point variant. Just for sorcerers.
Yes, you have limited spells known, but enjoy unsurpassed flexibility in using them. That should solve at least some issues.

Out of curiosity are you planning on merging spell points and sorcery points, or maintaining two separate pools? If the former, then this would be quite potent.

[Easy_Lee]

The two most obvious problems with Sorcerers in comparison to other full casters are:

Very limited spells known
No ritual casting

At a minimum, I'd give them ritual casting and a number of spells known closer to what other casters have.
"But they have metamagic, isn't that worth something? - Yes it is, but so are Druid Wildshaping, Bardic Inspiration, and Cleric Channel Divinity.

If you want Sorcerers to feel like the spontaneous spell casters of old, converting all of their spell slots into an equal number of sorcery points and having them cast spells directly from sorcery points is a great start.

[TheUser]

I think you'd be better off giving them +1 additional spells known at each tier of play instead of a bunch of fluff spells that aren't very useful.

So at level 1 it's 3 spells known instead of 2 (then the standard +1 spell per level after)
@ level 5 it's 8 Spells known instead of 6
@ level 11 it's 15 Spells known instead of 12
and @ level 17 it's 19 spells known instead of 15
I have tried this and it really relieves a lot of the pressure without making them too overpowered.

It doesn't catapult them into broken levels of spells known and provides just enough bonus spells to help out beginners.

EDIT: I also think this is even easier and far more elegant :P

[Zman]

I give them +Cha Mod spells know and let them regen 2 sorcery points on a short res, probabaly should be 4... but that doesn't work well with the starting allotment. Maybe regen Cha Mod SC to the maximum.

[SharkForce]

I give them +Cha Mod spells know and let them regen 2 sorcery points on a short res, probabaly should be 4... but that doesn't work well with the starting allotment. Maybe regen Cha Mod SC to the maximum.

you could also have it improve with level, they get 1 more each time they gain a new metamagic or something.

[djreynolds]

What I do with meta magic, is the sorcerer has access to them all.

But at 3rd level can only use 2 (but the sorcerer knows all of them) and on a short/long rest can switch it out.

So in the morning he/she uses quickened and twinned, but in the afternoon after a short rest changes them to subtle and heightened

At 10th level, you now have 3.

This way the player can enjoy all the uses

But I like your idea. Also for Draconic, I would say gold/red dragon has access to certain fire spells, same blue/copper (AFB) has lightning spells like tempest cleric does

[sky red hunter]

I'm running SKT as DM and I'm introducing this in my campaign. My players aren't OP experts, they just want to play and have fun, and I've already had one player complaining about the sorcerer. So I made this adjustment. It's not oriented to made OP sorcerers, but to make them more, well, sorcerish and giving them a bit more of versatility within their sorcery bloodlines. Comments will be appreciated.

Justification for this fixs:
Sorcerers extract their magic form themselves, so I thought it would be nice to give them exactly that, their own body as their source of power. Also, we all know sorcerers have few spell known. And we also know that in the UA articles, they gave up giving sorcerers more spell known because, when leveling up, they would end up having more spell prepared than wizards (not counting rituals) and it doesn't sound appropiate. That's why I've given them a handful of spells that are not extremely OP, but could give them a bit more of versatility flavored within their own bloodline without breaking the game. One of this spells is always going to be Detect Magic, as it seem weird to me that sorcerers who naturally wield magic couldn't just detect it.


Sorcerer adjustment:

Spellcasting Focus. You can use your own body as a spellcasting focus for your sorcerer Spells.

Metamagic. You gain another metamagic option at 7th level (in addition to the ones at 10th and 17th level).

Origin spells. Each sorcerous origin has a list of spells that you gain at the sorcerer levels noted in the list description. This spells count as sorcerer spells for you but don’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

Draconic Bloodline
1st Detect Magic
3rd Locate Object
5th Elemental Weapon
7th Leomund's Tiny Chest
9th Dominate Person

Wild Magic
1st Detect Magic
3rd Crown of Madness
5th Blink
7th Confusion
9th Reincarnate


The spell selection is flavoured-based, avoiding extremely OP spells. As I said, all sorcerous bloodlines start with Detect Magic as it seems natural that all sorcerers can detect the presence of magic as they are infused with it. The draconic bloodline list reflects the traits of a dragon: powerful creatures who dominate, hoard treasure and breath elements. The wild magic list reflects the main feature of wild magic: randomness. All listed spells have a certain degree of chaotic results.

Please feel free to comment. If you like this fix, I have also spell lists for the UA sorcerers.

I've always said sorcerer needs a fix, this isn't a bad start.

I like the fluff of the spell choices you made. detect magic issue is indeed ridiculous alright.

I always felt that the lore mastery ua wizard was what a sorcerer needed to be...

When you cast a spell with a spell slot and the spell deals acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, radiant, or thunder damage, you can substitute that damage type with one other type from that list (you can change only one damage type per casting of a spell). You replace one energy type for another by altering the spell’s formula as you cast it.
When you cast a spell with a spell slot and the spell requires a saving throw, you can change the saving throw from one ability score to another of your choice. Once you change a saving throw in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

This alone would fix the sorcerer, nothing else, no extra spells, no short rest recovery. I'd be happy to have them have this.

Alchemical Casting
At 6th level, you learn to augment spells in a variety of ways. When you cast a spell with a spell slot, you can expend one additional spell slot to augment its effects for this casting, mixing the raw stuff of magic into your spell to amplify it. The effect depends on the spell slot you expend.
An additional 1st-level spell slot can increase the spell’s raw force. If you roll damage for the spell when you cast it, increase the damage against every target by 2d10 force damage. If the spell can deal damage on more than one turn, it deals this extra force damage only on the turn you cast the spell.
An additional 2nd-level spell slot can increase the spell’s range. If the spell’s range is at least 30 feet, it becomes 1 mile.
An additional 3rd-level spell slot can increase the spell’s potency. Increase the spell’s save DC by 2.

This belongs to being of pure magic, magic runs through their veins, this is pure sorcerer material.

Master of Magic
At 14th level, your knowledge of magic allows you to duplicate almost any spell. As a bonus action, you can call to mind the ability to cast one spell of your choice from any class’s spell list. The spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, you mustn’t have it prepared, and you follow the normal rules for casting it, including expending a spell slot. If the spell isn’t a wizard spell, it counts as a wizard spell when you cast it. The ability to cast the spell vanishes from your mind when you cast it or when the current turn ends.
You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

This is what every sorcerer dreams of, that one time where the raw power of magic that powers your very being manifests in a way you yourself aren't aware of, almost like primal magic, or primal casting.....

[TheUser]

In my next campaign, I'm going to 'fix' sorcerer's by using the spell point variant. Just for sorcerers.
Yes, you have limited spells known, but enjoy unsurpassed flexibility in using them. That should solve at least some issues.

I've played the spellpoint variant as somethjng exclusive to sorcerers and it catapults them into OP territory. The very fact that Font of Magic has conversion entropy is testament to how WotC intended to give sorcerers flexible casting without breaking sorcerers. By removing that tax on them it eliminates their one and only shortcoming (small amount of spells known) from being a limiting factor at all.

[BurgerBeast]

For the OP: I agree that this is a great start.

For all: Possibly a naive question:

What would be wrong with giving them a different spells per day table, as they had in 3.5? (Instead of short rest recovery, just give long rest recovery but more spells per day - or is this straight-up worse?)

It would present problems for multi-classed spellcasters, but not necessarily insurmountable problems.

[Innocent_bystan]

I've played the spellpoint variant as somethjng exclusive to sorcerers and it catapults them into OP territory. The very fact that Font of Magic has conversion entropy is testament to how WotC intended to give sorcerers flexible casting without breaking sorcerers. By removing that tax on them it eliminates their one and only shortcoming (small amount of spells known) from being a limiting factor at all.

Did you bundle Sorcery points and spell points into one pool?
Was there any aspect of the fix that stood out as overpowering?

Thanks in advance for the info.

[Zman]

you could also have it improve with level, they get 1 more each time they gain a new metamagic or something.

Yeah, I don't want to make something fiddly though. I was thinking you SPs equal to your Cha mod or the amount listed in the SP column, and regain Cha mod SPs on a short rest. It really reinforces how Cha dependent Sorcerers are though...

[DanyBallon]

What I do with meta magic, is the sorcerer has access to them all.

But at 3rd level can only use 2 (but the sorcerer knows all of them) and on a short/long rest can switch it out.

So in the morning he/she uses quickened and twinned, but in the afternoon after a short rest changes them to subtle and heightened

At 10th level, you now have 3.

This way the player can enjoy all the uses

But I like your idea. Also for Draconic, I would say gold/red dragon has access to certain fire spells, same blue/copper (AFB) has lightning spells like tempest cleric does

I like the idea of giving them access to all metamagic all at once, but give them limited use per rest. I wouldn't have them to choose which one on rest though. Let them choose on the fly which one is the more appropriate for the situation. This would give them a much needed flexibility and be in line with their fluff as creature with innate magical abilities.

[Theodoxus]

I like the idea of giving them access to all metamagic all at once, but give them limited use per rest. I wouldn't have them to choose which one on rest though. Let them choose on the fly which one is the more appropriate for the situation. This would give them a much needed flexibility and be in line with their fluff as creature with innate magical abilities.

I've postulated in the past that 5E Sorcs should have been built on the chassis of 3.5 Erudite psions. You get the same spell slots (or spell points, if you prefer) as listed now, and the same number of spells "known" as listed now, but each day you start with a clean slate. As you cast a spell, it becomes locked into your spells known for the day - you can cast it as many times as you have slots (or points) for, but it's stuck until you take a long rest.

Once you've cast as many different spells as you have spells known for, you can't cast any new spells - just your current loadout, until you long rest.

In my estimation, this would justify the crappy spell list sorcerers have.

[TheUser]

I've postulated in the past that 5E Sorcs should have been built on the chassis of 3.5 Erudite psions. You get the same spell slots (or spell points, if you prefer) as listed now, and the same number of spells "known" as listed now, but each day you start with a clean slate. As you cast a spell, it becomes locked into your spells known for the day - you can cast it as many times as you have slots (or points) for, but it's stuck until you take a long rest.

Once you've cast as many different spells as you have spells known for, you can't cast any new spells - just your current loadout, until you long rest.

In my estimation, this would justify the crappy spell list sorcerers have.

Indeed I've had the same thought but it would only be with 1 slot per tier and it would be in addition to spells known

[Byke]

Indeed I've had the same thought but it would only be with 1 slot per tier and it would be in addition to spells known

Agreed...either would be a excellent quality of life change for Sorcerer and would go a long way to making Sorcerer a friendlier class to new players.