Sorcerer Ability Essentials

[Prince Vine]

In an offshoot of a discussion of the mystic, I decided to build a new class to replace the flavor role of the sorcerer in my homebrew world.

The core mechanics are that they spell points but instead of picking spells at certain levels they gain access to something like a domain or discipline that gives 10 or so abilities and one always-on feature (may limit those a touch).

The question is, to help flesh out as many inborn spellcaster roles as necessary, what are the essential domains?

One for each elemental plane seems obvious, light, darkness, healing, charm/mind, magic, maybe dragon, combat (split into weapon and defensive?), animal, plant, healing, divination. What can we come up with?

I think some sources, like celestial or fiend may not need their own but can be expressed by picking up a proper combination eventually, such as a fiend sorcerer grabbing fire and darkness at some point, or alternately light, healing and fire for a divine soul sorcerer.

[ShirAhn]

In an offshoot of a discussion of the mystic, I decided to build a new class to replace the flavor role of the sorcerer in my homebrew world.

The core mechanics are that they spell points but instead of picking spells at certain levels they gain access to something like a domain or discipline that gives 10 or so abilities and one always-on feature (may limit those a touch).

The question is, to help flesh out as many inborn spellcaster roles as necessary, what are the essential domains?

One for each elemental plane seems obvious, light, darkness, healing, charm/mind, magic, maybe dragon, combat (split into weapon and defensive?), animal, plant, healing, divination. What can we come up with?

I think some sources, like celestial or fiend may not need their own but can be expressed by picking up a proper combination eventually, such as a fiend sorcerer grabbing fire and darkness at some point, or alternately light, healing and fire for a divine soul sorcerer.

This might not help you, but maybe it does. Just steal them from Pokemon? It would give a great reference for future updates/abilities.

Types
Normal Fire
Fighting Water
Flying Grass
Poison Electric
Ground Psychic
Rock Ice
Bug Dragon
Ghost Dark
Steel Fairy

[Prince Vine]

It isn't a terrible idea but there are some areas that are too specific, some things lacking entirely, but mostly the feel of inborn magic fountain feels weird for many of them (bug and fighting come to mind immediately). It may give a place to build from if I get stuck.

I am also checking 3e domains.

[Anonymouswizard]

If you own Fantasy AGE their Arcana give a good number of magical themings. I'm AFB, but the ones I remember:

Air
Beast
Death
Divination
Earth
Enchantment
Fire
Healing
Heroic (mainly buffs)
Ice
Illusion
Lightning
Power (spells to do with magic)
Psychic (mind reading and control, as well as countermeasures)
Shadow
Water
Wood

It's certainly not definitive, and some might be too broad for you, but it's a decent start.

[Prince Vine]

Somehow I completely forgot death, might pull that out of darkness and blend darkness with illusion. Or maybe give illusion its own. Not sure if darkness has enough stuff to it.

[mer.c]

Not sure if this is at all like what you're looking for, but what about focusing less on elements (which are cool but may not all carry their weight as full disciplines) and look at something more akin to Wizard school specializations? This may actually be way worse than the elemental+ focus, but I think it may open up a wider range of play without adding as much sheer volume of stuff in the process.

[Bloodcloud]

I'd go for half breed style...

Dragon
Djinn
Vampire
Pure arcana (think becoming a starcraft archon? Like, result of a child conceived by the wish spell)
Celestial
Demon
Primal (I'd check the geomancer 3.5 prestige class)
Lycan
Etc.

[Vogie]

In an offshoot of a discussion of the mystic, I decided to build a new class to replace the flavor role of the sorcerer in my homebrew world.

The core mechanics are that they spell points but instead of picking spells at certain levels they gain access to something like a domain or discipline that gives 10 or so abilities and one always-on feature (may limit those a touch).

The question is, to help flesh out as many inborn spellcaster roles as necessary, what are the essential domains?

One for each elemental plane seems obvious, light, darkness, healing, charm/mind, magic, maybe dragon, combat (split into weapon and defensive?), animal, plant, healing, divination. What can we come up with?

I think some sources, like celestial or fiend may not need their own but can be expressed by picking up a proper combination eventually, such as a fiend sorcerer grabbing fire and darkness at some point, or alternately light, healing and fire for a divine soul sorcerer.

I'd probably use the MTG 5 colors of magic, then allow combinations thereof, like selecting One to two major colors, and one to two minor colors, for a maximum of three.

[Prince Vine]

At the moment I have about 15 potential 'domains' of about 7 abilities each. Each subclass is getting to pick 2 from a smaller list (3-5) to start, with free choices later.

High level stuff is currently mystic arcanum style.

[Dr. Cliché]

I'd go for half breed style...

Dragon
Djinn
Vampire
Pure arcana (think becoming a starcraft archon? Like, result of a child conceived by the wish spell)
Celestial
Demon
Primal (I'd check the geomancer 3.5 prestige class)
Lycan
Etc.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Sorcerers are based on bloodlines, after all.

[Prince Vine]

So...latest update on my musings while at work.

I am for now abandoning the spell point system. I would like to use it but until there is another class that uses it putting it in one class makes interactions between these abilities and regular spells complicated especially with regard to dispelling, counterspelling and multiclassing.

Keeping the discipline idea, giving each one a 0-5 or 0-9 progression with a spell or two at each level which will form the (tenative) entirety of the spell list. I will give a few extra spells known (at least 21 total, maybe more), and the option to swap more spells when a new discipline is gained than just the one per level.

Each discipline will also have an innate ability (or pair, like cold resist and water breathing).

Each bloodline will have a list of disciplines, a character picks access to one at level one and a second from the list at either 3 or 4. There will be further picks (max 4 or 5 probably) that can be any discipline later on.

Each bloodline will also have their own handful of abilities such as wings or breath weapons or a charm or fear effect that will be distributed as normal subclass abilities.

I plan on expanding metamagic options, some will be bloodline or discipline specific (a fix to poison is coming in one) as well as giving another pick or two. I am considering limited or changing the spell slot creation mechanic to encourage more metamagic, but not sure how. I am thinking of making a variant of Subtle Spell, at least to do away with most material components just a feature of their spellcasting, since needing to grab guano and sulfur for your innate power always seemed odd. One semi-unrelated alteration I am playing with is that rather than create a slot you use the points to directly cast the spell.

The end result will theoretically feel a bit more like a warlock, with a very limited spell selection, but more minor class abilities, potentially even more cantrips (I am concerned 2 cantrips per discipline would be too many, but there may be diminishing returns from having more) and more ways to play with their spellcasting on the fly.

I still welcome more input and hope to have a more concrete write-up within a week or so, when I have time to look at spells and numbers while having the time and writing tools to get it down (they frown on class creation during work hours, which is when 3/4 of my theorycrafting happens).