Sorcerer: Interaction between learning new spells on level up and flexible casting

[Crucius]

Hey all!

So a little hidden tech in the Flexible Casting feature of the sorcerer is that you can make 4th level spell slots one level before you are supposed to, and 5th level spell slots two levels before you are supposed to. While not very good on its own, I was wondering how it interacts with the level up and learning a new spell:


The Spells Known column of the Sorcerer table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the sorcerer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the sorcerer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Let's say you level up from level 7 to 8, in the middle of the day. You have spent 7 sorcery points to make a fifth level spell slot. You HAVE that spell slot when you level up, thus you can choose a 5th level spell before you really should be able to know it?

I know this is super not RAI or that no DM is going to let it fly, but I was wondering if, as written, it checks out?

Literally a shower thought. So proud.

[tieren]

Depends on when your table levels up, most DMs do it at the end of a long rest, in which case the slot would vanish and you wouldn't have it at the time.

[Dalebert]

Depends on when your table levels up, most DMs do it at the end of a long rest, in which case the slot would vanish and you wouldn't have it at the time.

This was my thought as well, except I thought it was RAW. If a DM is letting you level without even long resting, I think that's a house rule. The slot is gone when you level.

[tieren]

This was my thought as well, except I thought it was RAW. If a DM is letting you level without even long resting, I think that's a house rule. The slot is gone when you level.

I looked it up on stack exchange, there doesn't seem to be a RAW required time to level up, AL rules say to do it at the end of a long rest or at the end of a chapter/adventure.

My guess is most do it at the end of a long rest, but I had one who just liked to "ding" level up whenever it was earned.

[Crucius]

Depends on when your table levels up, most DMs do it at the end of a long rest, in which case the slot would vanish and you wouldn't have it at the time.

Yes. After a long rest is most often done, it eliminates some nasty questions about whether your new hp is added or not, same goes for new spell slots. But in this hypothetical situation it is done right after an important boss fight for example.

[Innocent_bystan]

I know this is super not RAI or that no DM is going to let it fly, but I was wondering if, as written, it checks out?


I'd counter this with: "The rules say you need spell slots, as in multiple" Which would make the whole thing a bit more impractical, but not impossible.

But other than that: good find! I wonder if there are any spells that can particularly benefit being cast from a 4th-level slot at level 6 or a 5th-level slot at level 7?

[Lube]

In short, It's RAW.

[Man_Over_Game]

While it might sound odd, there's a chance that spell slots provided by Flexible Casting might not be intended to be considered "Sorcerer Spell Slots", in the same way that caster multiclassing results in "generic" spell slots that aren't allocated towards any singular class (and aren't considered part of the formula for determining the possible list of learnable spells).

I guess, the point I'm trying to make is that there is such a thing as "generic" spell slots that aren't used for determining what spells you can learn, and it's probably safe to assume that Flexible Casting creates these instead of "natural" Sorcerer spell slots.