MoleMage
2019-06-17, 05:48 PM
I've been working on this for my entry in the current 5e Base Class Contest (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?587919-D-amp-D-5e-Base-Class-Contest-VII-Remix-Mastery), and I was hoping to get feedback on both the class and the magic system built for it (which, once the wrinkles are ironed out, I hope to apply to at least two additional full classes and two subclasses). The class entry is below, and I need two additional posts for the magical effects associated with it (You can also see it on gmbinder if your computer doesn't hate gmbinder by clicking the class name below). Once all that is up, I welcome any feedback on...well...anything I post in this and the next two posts.
TL;DR on the new magic system:
Sorcery (name subject to change) is a way of representing innate magic. Rather than learning discrete spells, sorcerous magic users, such as the Theurge and the yet uncreated Wilder, can attune to conceptual groupings of magical effects, which develop as they take additional levels in the class. Sorceries, as I am currently calling these different magical effects, grant a number of ongoing and activated effects which can be used at-will while they are channeled, and also one or more surges which share a very small resource pool that refreshes on a long rest. Changing a channeled sorcery out for another can be done at any time with no cost associated.
My design goals were A: Create a usable subsystem that can be transferred to multiple classes, B: Create a magic system that feels more thematic to intuitive magic users, and C: return the short-term flexibility offered by sorcerers in 3.X, which was lost when spontaneous casting was. Balance is a separate but also important concern, but I would rather meet these three goals first, and then rebalance once I feel like the fun is there.
The Theurge (https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LfQyd83NqwLGIi6Z1xc)
Variant cleric using my newly designed "sorcery" magic system.
Born of Gods
While Clerics gain their power through long study and worship of their gods, Theurges are born with divine power flowing through their very veins. They can manifest this divine power in a way very similar to traditional magic, but it is developed through practice and personal growth rather than study and prayer. Sometimes, Theurges are literally nascent demi-gods, born to a divine parent and a mortal one, but just as often they are purely mortal beings whose birth was blessed by circumstance or divine will.
Compelled to Act
Theurges are drawn to adventure by their very nature. The power they are born with has a will of its own and it wishes to be used in the progress of whatever Divine Calling the Theurge develops. In many cases, the Theurge's calling is part of some grander divine plan, whether to thwart or advance some unknowable goal of the god who created the Theurge. In others, the Theurge's drive is simply a manifestation of their powers wishing to be used. Sorcerous powers like the theurge's are hard to keep idle, and most theurges become adventurers.
Creating a Theurge
Theurges are born, not trained, though their powers can manifest at any age, from infancy to their last days of life. Most commonly, their powers are revealed in their childhood or shortly after adulthood, and the specifics can change how a theurge grows up. Consider when your theurge manifested their abilities. What sorts of skills (if any) did they master before becoming vessels for godly magic? What formative events happened before and after their awakening? Did their community embrace, celebrate, or revile their gifts? Do they know their godly benefactor? Work with your DM to determine your theurge's place in the world.
Quick Build
You can make a Theurge quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength or Constitution. Second, choose the folk hero background.
In order to multiclass into or out of theurge, you must possess a Wisdom score of at least 13. Characters who multiclass into theurge gain proficiency in light armor, medium armor, and shields, but no other proficiencies granted by the base class.
Table: The Theurge
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Divine Surge
Sorceries Known
Sorceries Channeled
1st
+2
Sorcery, Divine Surge (2 uses), Calling
2d8
1
1
2nd
+2
Calling Feature, Channel Divinity
2d8
2
1
3rd
+2
Godly Visage
3d8
2
1
4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
3d8
2
1
5th
+3
Divine Surge (3 uses)
4d8
3
2
6th
+3
Calling Feature
4d8
3
2
7th
+3
Channel Divinity (2/rest)
5d8
3
2
8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
5d8
4
2
9th
+4
Calling Feature
6d8
4
2
10th
+4
Divine Surge (4 uses)
6d8
4
2
11th
+4
Channel Divinity: Greater Surge
7d8
5
3
12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
7d8
5
3
13th
+5
Swift Channel
7d8
5
3
14th
+5
Calling Feature
8d8
6
3
15th
+5
Divine Surge (5 uses)
8d8
6
3
16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
8d8
6
3
17th
+6
Miracle
9d8
7
4
18th
+6
Calling Feature, Channel Divinity (3/rest)
9d8
7
4
19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
9d8
7
4
20th
+6
Apotheosis
10d8
8
4
Class Features
As a Theurge, you gain the following features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Theurge level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Theurge level after 1st.
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, and shields
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: One set of Artisan's Tools
Saving Throws: Wisdom and Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a mace or (b) a warhammer (if proficient)
(a) scale mail, (b) leather armor, or (c) chain mail (if proficient)
(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a priest's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
A shield and a holy symbol
Sorcery
At 1st level, you gain access to a form of inborn magic known as sorcery. The theurge sorcery list is included at the end of this class, Appendix A gives the rules for sorcerous magic, and Appendix B gives the descriptions of the Theurge sorceries.
You can use a holy symbol as a sorcerous focus for your theurge sorceries.
Sorceries Known
At 1st level, you know two sorceries of your choice from the theurge sorcery list, plus one sorcery based on your Calling. The sorceries known column of the Theurge table shows when you gain more sorceries of your choice from the theurge sorcery list.
Additionally, whenever you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the sorceries you know and replace it with another sorcery from the theurge sorcery list for which you meet the prerequisites.
Sorceries Channeled
The Theurge table shows how many sorceries you can have channeled at a time. You can channel a new sorcery as an action. If you channel a sorcery that would cause you to exceed your maximum, a sorcery of your choice is unchanneled. Once channeled, sorceries last until you end them as a bonus action on your turn or you complete a long rest, whichever comes first.
Sorcerous Ability
Wisdom is your ability for Theurge sorceries, so you use your Wisdom modifier whenever a sorcery refers to your sorcerous ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcery you channel and when making an attack roll with one.
Sorcery Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Sorcery attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Divine Surge
At 1st level, you also gain the ability to unleash the power of a sorcery you are channeling in a burst of energy known as a Divine Surge. Divine Surges call for you to roll a certain number of dice, as noted in table: The Theurge. Refer to the descriptions of each sorcery for details on what its divine surge does.
You can use this ability twice. At certain levels in this class, you gain additional uses of this ability. You can use it an additional time at 5th, 10th, and 15th level. You regain all uses of this ability when you complete a long rest.
Calling
Also at 1st level, you must select a calling. Your calling represents the divine purpose for which you were born or the divine heritage to which you belong. Several possible callings are described at the end of this class. Your choice gives you a special sorcery and features when you pick it and again at levels 2, 6, 9, 14, and 18.
Channel Divinity
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel divine energy directly from your diety, using that energy to fuel magical effects. You start with two such effects: Turn Undead and an effect determined by your Calling. Some Callings grant you additional effects as you advance in levels, as noted in the Calling description.
When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which effect to create. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again. Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your theurge sorcery save DC.
Beginning at 7th level, you can use your Channel Divinity twice between rests, and beginning at 18th level, you can use it three times between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.
Channel Divinity: Turn Undead
As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring the undead. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.
A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.
Godly Visage
At 3rd level, as an action you can manifest an aura of divine energy representative of your Calling. For example, a Theurge with the Life Calling might cause greenery to erupt from the ground around them, while a Theurge of the Storm Calling might cause electricity to flicker around their hair and fingertips. While this effect lasts, you have advantage on Charisma (Intimidate) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks. You can maintain your visage for up to a minute or end it early as a bonus action. Once you have manifested this visage, you cannot do so again until you have completed a short rest.
Channel Divinity: Greater Surge
At 11th level, when you activate a Divine Surge, you can use one of your uses of Channel Divinity to make it a Greater Surge. After rolling the Surge, you can reroll any number of its dice, but must use the new results. For each die you reroll in this fashion, one creature of your choice gets advantage or disadvantage on its saving throw against the Surge (if any).
Swift Channel
At 13th level, you can channel a new sorcery as a bonus action. You cannot use a Divine Surge in the same turn that you channel a new sorcery in this way.
Miracle
At 17th level, you gain the ability to work true miracles. As an action, you can do one of the following:
Restore hit points to a creature equal to half its hit point maximum.
Negate one damage resistance or damage immunity of a creature you can see within 60 feet of you for one minute.
Bless a weapon you touch, granting it a +3 to its attack and damage rolls for 1 minute. It is also considered to be magical for the duration.
Cause a creature you can see within 60 feet of you to automatically fail its next saving throw before the start of your next turn.
Cause a creature you can see within 60 feet of you to automatically succeed on its next saving throw within 1 minute.
Once you have worked a miracle, you cannot do so again until you have completed a long rest.
Apotheosis
At 20th level, you become a demi-god in all but name. When you complete a short rest and have no Divine Surges remaining, you regain one Divine Surge. Additionally, when you use your Divine Surge ability, you can choose to make it an Apotheosis. Treat every result on your Surge roll lower than 5 as if you had rolled a 5. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you have completed a long rest.
Acies Discover information about the past or present
Aer Create or manipulate wind
Angelus Call on angels for aid
Animus Manipulate minds and hearts
Aqua Create or manipulate water
Artis Manipulate crafted items
Augur Discover information about the future
Caelum Manipulate weather and celestial
Corpus Manipulate physical bodies
Daemonis Conjure or banish demons
Ferrus Improve weapons and armor
Fortis Bolster the strength of creatures
Fortuna Manipulate luck and fate
Lux Create or manipulate light
Magicus Manipulate magical energies
Mortus Manipulate the dead
Obestor Conjure or travel to other planes
Potentia Manipulate force energies
Tutela Protect from harm
Virtus Detect and manipulate alignment
Vitae Restore or bolster health
This section describes the different callings that a Theurge can pursue. Callings are a manifestation of their divine heritage or blessing, and most often align with a domain offered by their godly benefactor or parent.
Calling Sorceries
Each calling offers a choice between sorceries that you gain when you first select it. The chosen sorcery is always known (and does not count against your number of sorceries known). Additionally, you can always trigger Surges for your calling sorcery, even if you do not have it currently channeled.
The calling of knowledge is about learning and understanding. Theurges who pursue this calling gather secrets and knowledge both magical and mundane.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you learn the Acies or the Augur sorcery as your calling sorcery.
Blessings of Knowledge
At 1st level, you know two additional languages of your choice. You also become proficient in one of the following skills: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Your proficiency bonus for that skill is doubled.
Channel Divinity: Knowledge of the Ages
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to tap into a divine well of knowledge. As an action, you choose one skill or tool. For 10 minutes, you have proficiency with your chosen skill or tool.
Channel Divinity: Read Thoughts
At 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to read a creature's thoughts. You can then use your access to a creature's mind to command it.
As an action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature succeeds on its saving throw, you cannot use this feature on it again until you finish a long rest.
If the creature fails its save, you can read its surface thoughts when it is within 60 feet of you. This effect lasts for 1 minute.
During that time, you can use your action to end this effect and cast the suggestion spell on the creature without consuming a spell slot. The target automatically fails its save against the spell.
Potent Sorcery
At 9th level, when you deal damage with a theurge sorcery, you may add your Wisdom modifier to the damage dealt.
Empowered Channeling
At 14th level, you may have an additional sorcery channeled. You cannot use Surges for this additional sorcery.
Improved Divine Surge
At 18th level, you may use one surge from your Augur sorcery without using one of your uses of Divine Surge. Once you have done so, you cannot do so again until you have completed a short or a long rest.
Theurges who pursue the calling of Life focus on healing and protection above all else, and often have personal goals relating to curing the sick and injured or destroying the undead.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you learn the Corpus or the Vitae sorcery as your calling sorcery.
Disciple of Life
At 1st level when you restore hit points with a sorcery, you restore additional hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Bonus Proficiency
Also starting at 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.
Channel Divinity: Preserve Life
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to heal the badly injured. As an action, you present your holy symbol and evoke healing energy that can restore a number of hit points equal to five times your theurge level. Choose any creatures within 30 feet of you, and divide those hit points among them. This feature can restore a creature to no more than half of its hit point maximum. You can't use this feature on an undead or a construct.
Blessed Healer
Starting at 6th level, your sorceries that heal others also heal yourself. When you restore hit points with your Preserve Life ability or through the use of a Divine Surge, you also gain hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Divine Strike
Starting at 9th level, your connection to the gods imbues your weapon attacks with greater power. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage.
Improved Divine Strike
At level 14, your Divine Strike ability increases to 2d8 damage.
Improved Divine Surge
At 18th level, when you use your Divine Surge ability to restore hit points or deal radiant damage, you may roll an additional 2d8 and add them to the total.
Theurges who pursue the calling of Light embrace ideals of rebirth and renewal, truth and justice. Often they take on symbols relating to the sun.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you learn the Ignis or the Lux sorcery as your calling sorcery. Regardless of your choice, the Ignis sorcery is considered a theurge sorcery for you.
Sorcerous Light
When you deal fire or radiant damage with a Divine Surge, you deal additional damage of the other type equal to half your theurge levels (rounded up). Creatures with sunlight sensitivity or a similar feature have disadvantage on their saving throws against your Divine Surges.
Channel Divinity: Radiance of the Dawn
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to harness sunlight, banishing darkness and dealing radiant damage to your foes.
As an action, you present your holy symbol, and any magical darkness within 30 feet of you is dispelled. Additionally, each hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes radiant damage equal to 2d10 + your theurge level on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that has total cover from you is not affected.
Dazzling Radiance
At 6th level, your Sorcerous Light ability improves. When you use your Sorcerous Light feature, affected creatures which fail their saves are also *blinded* until the start of their next turn. If the triggering Surge does not normally require a save, creatures may make a Constitution save to avoid this feature.
Potent Sorcery
At 9th level, when you deal damage with a theurge sorcery, you may add your Wisdom modifier to the damage dealt.
Empowered Channeling
At 14th level, you may have an additional sorcery channeled. You cannot use Surges for this additional sorcery.
Improved Divine Surge
At 18th level, you may use any Surge ability which deals fire or radiant damage without consuming one of your uses of Divine Surge. If you do so, you treat your Surge Dice as 3d8 and any healing granted by the Surge is instead treated as temporary hit points.
Theurges who pursue the calling of Nature revere natural places, creatures, and plants. They may choose to hunt evil monstrosities that damage natural places or bless harvests of those whose ideals align with their own.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you may learn the Florus sorcery or the Faunus sorcery as your calling sorcery. Regardless of your choice, both the Florus and Faunus sorceries count as Theurge sorceries for you.
Acolyte of Nature
At 1st level, you learn one druid cantrip of your choice, using your sorcery ability as your spellcasting ability for that cantrip.
Bonus Proficiencies
Also at 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor and your choice of Animal Handling, Nature, or Survival.
Channel Divinity: Charm Animals and Plants
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to charm animals and plants.
As an action, you present your holy symbol and invoke the name of your deity. Each beast or plant creature that can see you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw it is charmed by you for 1 minute or until it takes damage. While it is charmed by you, it is friendly to you and other creatures you designate.
Dampen Elements
Starting at 6th level, when you or a creature within 30 feet of you takes acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to grant resistance to the creature against that source of damage.
Divine Strike
Starting at 9th level, your connection to the gods imbues your weapon attacks with greater power. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 cold, fire, or lightning damage (your choice).
Improved Divine Strike
At level 14, your Divine Strike ability increases to 2d8 damage.
Improved Divine Surge
At 18th level, your Divine Surges improve. Whenever a beast, plant, or elemental makes a save against one of your Divine Surge abilities, you can choose to grant them advantage or disadvantage. If you grant advantage and the target would already have advantage, they instead automatically succeed on their save.
Theurges who pursue the calling of the Tempest are agents of power. Though often born to dieties of the storm or weather, they can also represent vengeance, justice, or even simple raw energy.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you may select the Fulgar or the Tonitrus sorcery to be your calling sorcery. Regardless of your choice, both the Fulgar and the Tonitrus sorceries count as Theurge sorceries for you.
Bonus Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor.
Wrath of the Storm
Also at 1st level, you can thunderously rebuke attackers. When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to cause the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 2d8 lightning damage or thunder damage (your choice) on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful save.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Channel Divinity: Destructive Wave
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to wield the power of the storm with unchecked ferocity.
When you roll lightning or thunder damage, you can use your Channel Divinity to deal maximum damage, instead of rolling.
Thunderbolt Strike
At 6th level, when you deal lightning damage to a Large or smaller creature, you can also push it up to 10 feet away from you.
Divine Strike
At 9th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage.
Improved Divine Strike
At 14th level, your Divine Strike ability increases to 2d8 damage.
Stormborn
At 18th level, your Divine Surges improve. While you are channeling the Tonitrus or Fulgar sorceries, you additionally have a fly speed equal to your current walking speed, as long as you are outdoors.
Gods of trickery create theurges seemingly on a whim. More than any other calling, the trickery calling tends to have no obvious purpose, but often they cause great change simply by being in a region.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you learn the Animus or the Praestigis sorcery as your calling sorcery. Regardless of your choice, the Praestigis sorcery is a calling sorcery for you.
Blessing of the Trickster
Starting when you choose this calling at 1st level, you can use your action to touch a willing creature other than yourself to give it advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. This blessing lasts for 1 hour or until you use this feature again.
Channel Divinity: Invoke Duplicity
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to create an illusory duplicate of yourself.
As an action, you create a perfect illusion of yourself that lasts for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The illusion appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within 320 feet of you. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 30 feet to a space you can see, but it must remain within 120 feet of you. For the duration, you can use sorceries as though you were in the illusion's space, but you must use your own senses. Additionally, when both you and your illusion are within 5 feet of a creature that can see the illusion, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature.
Channel Divinity: Cloak of Shadows
Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to vanish. As an action, you become invisible until the end of your next turn. You become visible if you attack, cast a spell, or use an activated ability of a sorcery (channeling a new sorcery does not end your invisibility by itself).
Divine Strike
At 9th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with poison. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 poison damage.
Improved Divine Strike
At 14th level, your Divine Strike ability increases to 2d8 damage.
Improved Duplicity
At 18th level, you can create up to four duplicates of yourself when you use Invoke Duplicity. You can move any number of duplicates with the same bonus action.
The calling of War is varied. To some, it is a calling of destruction and cruelty brought to enemies. To others, it is a calling of courage and loyalty to allies and friends. Regardless, theurges who pursue this calling exceed with weapons and armor more than any other calling.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you learn the Ferrus or the Fortis sorcery as your calling sorcery.
Bonus Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor.
Born of War
From 1st level, your divine heritage gives you inspiration while you are engaged in battle. When you use the Attack action, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Channel Divinity: Guided Strike
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to strike with supernatural accuracy. When you make an attack roll, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.
Channel Divinity: War God's Blessing
At 6th level, when a creature within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, you can use your reaction to grant that creature a +10 bonus to the roll, using your Channel Divinity. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.
Divine Strike
At 9th level, your weapons are infused with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 damage of the same type as the weapon.
Improved Divine Strike
At 14th level, your Divine Strike ability increases to 2d8 damage.
Improved Calling Sorcery
At 18th level, your calling sorcery improves. You are always considered to have your chosen sorcery channeled, and you can share its ongoing benefits with allies within 10 feet of you. The allies gain only the first level benefits granted by your chosen sorcery.
05/25: Godly vigor removed (All sorceries will have improved usage at 5th level instead). Sorcery list updated (Removed: Ignis, Terra. Added: Aer, Daemonis, Fortis). Callings now all grant a choice from two sorceries instead of some granting one and some granting a choice. Any available choices are added to the theurge list even if unpicked. Acies sorcery written.
05/29: Angelus Sorcery written. Sorceries adjusted (power increases are now tied to sorcery dice rather than level, to fix potential multiclassing problems)
05/30: Animus and Aqua sorceries written.
06/05: Augur, Caelum, Corpus, and Daemonis sorceries written. Multiclassing rules moved to first post.
06/13: Ferrus, Fortis, and Fortuna posted. Sorceries now split into two posts due to character limit. Number of sorceries known reduced (now 1-8 instead of 2-11) and number of sorceries channeled reduced (now 1-4 instead of 1-6). Multiclassing rules also updated to account for the new sorceries channeled limitations.
06/17: Lux sorcery added.
06/18: Magicus sorcery added.
06/20: Mortus sorcery added.
06/25: Obestor Sorcery added
06/26: Tutela, Virtus, Faunus, and Flora sorceries added.
Sorcery Rules
A sorcery is similar to a spell in many aspects, and they share certain rules. In essence, if a spell is a limited, specific shaping of magical energies, a sorcery is a broadly usable connection to magical energies. Unlike spells, sorceries can generally be used indefinitely, until the user decides to connect to a different sorcery.
Other than that, sorceries are as varied as spells. They can heal, harm, build, destroy, conjure, protect, and even restore life to the dead.
Sorcery Level and Spell Level
Unlike spells, sorceries do not have a level. However, if an effect would target spells of a certain level, you may treat a sorcery as a spell with a level equal to half the number of surge dice the channeler possesses, rounded down.
Known and Channeled Sorceries
Before a sorcerer or theurge can use a sorcery, they must first learn it. Sorcerous classes learn different sorceries as they progress in level, and opportunities to change their choices outside of that progression are rare.
Using a Sorcery
When a character uses any sorcery, the same basic rules are followed, regardless of the character's class or the sorcery's effects.
Range, Duration, and Areas of Effect
Sorceries use the same rules for these characteristcs as spells. Refer to the spellcasting rules for more information.
Components
Sorceries may grant additional actions which have verbal, somatic, or focus components. This will be noted in the sorcery's entry as (V), (S), or (F) following the action's name. Sorceries with focus components must use a sorcerous focus appropriate to the class that granted the sorcery. Component pouches have no benefit for sorcerous classes.
Level
Some sorceries grant benefits that have a level requirement. Unless otherwise noted, this level requirement is equal to your level in the class which grants the sorcery.
Activation Time
Activated portions and surges of sorceries typically take a single action to use, but some require a bonus action, reaction, or additional time to use. Refer to the individual sorceries for more information.
Saving Throws
Many sorceries grant abilities which specify that a target can make a saving throw to avoid some or all of its effects. The sorcery specifies the ability that the target uses for the save and what happens on a success or failure.
The DC to resist one of your sorceries is equal to 8 + your sorcerous ability modifier + your proficiency bonus + any special modifiers.
Attack Rolls
Some sorceries require the caster to make an attack roll to determine whether an effect hits the intended target. Your attack bonus with a sorcerous attack equals your sorcerous ability modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Most sorceries that require attack rolls involve ranged attacks. Remember that you have disadvantage on a ranged attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature that can see you and that isn’t incapacitated.
Channeled
A sorcererous character can only maintain a connection to a certain number of sorceries at a time. This is known as channeling a sorcery. Many sorceries give an ongoing benefit while they are channeled, which requires no action on the part of the channeler to maintain. Others may grant additional actions. Unless otherwise noted, channeling a sorcery or gaining its ongoing benefits does not have verbal or somatic components; the sorcerous character simply focuses briefly and the magic becomes a part of them.
Surges
While most of the common effects of sorcery can be used indefinitely, sorcerous characters also have access to a limited resource of magical energy, known as a surge. A surge is a more potent effect which is draining to use. Finishing a long rest restores any expended surges.
Unless otherwise noted, a surge may only be activated for a sorcery which is currently being channeled. Refer to the individual descriptions of each sorcery for more details on what its surge or surges do.
Combining Magical Effects
The effects of different sorceries add together while their durations overlap. The effects of the same sorcery used multiple times don’t combine, however. Instead, the most potent effect—such as the highest bonus—from those uses applies while their durations overlap.
For example, if two theurges use the Fortuna sorcery's Lucky Dodge ability on the same target, that character gains the benefit only once; he or she doesn't get to roll two bonus dice.
Multiclassing is possible with sorcerous classes in much the same way as normal classes. Use the standard multiclassing rules for experience points, hit points and hit dice, proficiency bonus, proficiencies, and class features such as Channel Divinity, Extra Attack, and Unarmored Defense. There are specific rules for multiclassing in multiple sorcerous classes, as noted before:
Sorcery
Your capacity for sorcery depends partly on your combined levels in all your sorcerous classes and partly on your individual levels in those classes. Once you have the sorcery feature from more than one class, use the rules below. If you multiclass but have the Sorcery feature from only one class, you follow the rules as described in that class.
Sorceries Known and Channeled You determine what sorceries you know for each class individally, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a Cultist 4/Theurge 3, for example, you know two Cultist sorceries based on your levels in the cultist class. As a 3rd level theurge, you also know 2 theurge sorceries (not counting your Calling sorcery).
Each sorcery you know is associated with one of your classes, and you use the sorcerous ability of that class when you channel the sorcery or use one of its surges. Similarly, a sorcerous focus, such as a holy symbol, can only be used for the sorceries from the class which provided the feature.
The number of sorceries which you can channel at a time is determined by adding together all your levels in theurge and wilder, half your levels (rounded down) in cultist, or one third your levels (rounded down) in primal soul barbarian or exorcist monk and consulting the sorceries channeled portion of the Multiclass Sorcerer table.
Surges You determine the potency of your available surges by adding together all your levels in theurge and wilder, half your levels (rounded down) in cultist, or one third your levels (rounded down) in primal soul barbarian or exorcist monk. Use this total to determine your surge dice by consulting the Multiclass Sorcerer table.
You determine the number of surges individually for each class. Sorcerous classes which you multiclass into after the first grant one fewer surge use than normal (to a minimum of 1). Surges may only be used for sorceries associated with the class which granted them, and class features may apply to specific types of surge as well. For example, a 3rd level theurge/2nd level wilder would have 2 uses of Divine Surge for their theurge sorceries and one use of Arcane Surge (the wilder's base 2 uses, minus one for being the second sorcerous class). Regardless of which type of surge was used, the surge dice would be 4d8.
Lvl.
Surge Dice
Sorceries Channeled
1
2d8
1
2
2d8
2
3
3d8
2
4
3d8
2
5
4d8
3
6
4d8
3
7
5d8
3
8
5d8
3
9
6d8
3
10
6d8
4
11
7d8
4
12
7d8
4
13
7d8
4
14
8d8
4
15
8d8
4
16
8d8
4
17
9d8
5
18
9d8
5
19
9d8
5
20
10d8
6
TL;DR on the new magic system:
Sorcery (name subject to change) is a way of representing innate magic. Rather than learning discrete spells, sorcerous magic users, such as the Theurge and the yet uncreated Wilder, can attune to conceptual groupings of magical effects, which develop as they take additional levels in the class. Sorceries, as I am currently calling these different magical effects, grant a number of ongoing and activated effects which can be used at-will while they are channeled, and also one or more surges which share a very small resource pool that refreshes on a long rest. Changing a channeled sorcery out for another can be done at any time with no cost associated.
My design goals were A: Create a usable subsystem that can be transferred to multiple classes, B: Create a magic system that feels more thematic to intuitive magic users, and C: return the short-term flexibility offered by sorcerers in 3.X, which was lost when spontaneous casting was. Balance is a separate but also important concern, but I would rather meet these three goals first, and then rebalance once I feel like the fun is there.
The Theurge (https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LfQyd83NqwLGIi6Z1xc)
Variant cleric using my newly designed "sorcery" magic system.
Born of Gods
While Clerics gain their power through long study and worship of their gods, Theurges are born with divine power flowing through their very veins. They can manifest this divine power in a way very similar to traditional magic, but it is developed through practice and personal growth rather than study and prayer. Sometimes, Theurges are literally nascent demi-gods, born to a divine parent and a mortal one, but just as often they are purely mortal beings whose birth was blessed by circumstance or divine will.
Compelled to Act
Theurges are drawn to adventure by their very nature. The power they are born with has a will of its own and it wishes to be used in the progress of whatever Divine Calling the Theurge develops. In many cases, the Theurge's calling is part of some grander divine plan, whether to thwart or advance some unknowable goal of the god who created the Theurge. In others, the Theurge's drive is simply a manifestation of their powers wishing to be used. Sorcerous powers like the theurge's are hard to keep idle, and most theurges become adventurers.
Creating a Theurge
Theurges are born, not trained, though their powers can manifest at any age, from infancy to their last days of life. Most commonly, their powers are revealed in their childhood or shortly after adulthood, and the specifics can change how a theurge grows up. Consider when your theurge manifested their abilities. What sorts of skills (if any) did they master before becoming vessels for godly magic? What formative events happened before and after their awakening? Did their community embrace, celebrate, or revile their gifts? Do they know their godly benefactor? Work with your DM to determine your theurge's place in the world.
Quick Build
You can make a Theurge quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength or Constitution. Second, choose the folk hero background.
In order to multiclass into or out of theurge, you must possess a Wisdom score of at least 13. Characters who multiclass into theurge gain proficiency in light armor, medium armor, and shields, but no other proficiencies granted by the base class.
Table: The Theurge
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Divine Surge
Sorceries Known
Sorceries Channeled
1st
+2
Sorcery, Divine Surge (2 uses), Calling
2d8
1
1
2nd
+2
Calling Feature, Channel Divinity
2d8
2
1
3rd
+2
Godly Visage
3d8
2
1
4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
3d8
2
1
5th
+3
Divine Surge (3 uses)
4d8
3
2
6th
+3
Calling Feature
4d8
3
2
7th
+3
Channel Divinity (2/rest)
5d8
3
2
8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
5d8
4
2
9th
+4
Calling Feature
6d8
4
2
10th
+4
Divine Surge (4 uses)
6d8
4
2
11th
+4
Channel Divinity: Greater Surge
7d8
5
3
12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
7d8
5
3
13th
+5
Swift Channel
7d8
5
3
14th
+5
Calling Feature
8d8
6
3
15th
+5
Divine Surge (5 uses)
8d8
6
3
16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
8d8
6
3
17th
+6
Miracle
9d8
7
4
18th
+6
Calling Feature, Channel Divinity (3/rest)
9d8
7
4
19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
9d8
7
4
20th
+6
Apotheosis
10d8
8
4
Class Features
As a Theurge, you gain the following features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Theurge level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Theurge level after 1st.
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, and shields
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: One set of Artisan's Tools
Saving Throws: Wisdom and Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a mace or (b) a warhammer (if proficient)
(a) scale mail, (b) leather armor, or (c) chain mail (if proficient)
(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a priest's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
A shield and a holy symbol
Sorcery
At 1st level, you gain access to a form of inborn magic known as sorcery. The theurge sorcery list is included at the end of this class, Appendix A gives the rules for sorcerous magic, and Appendix B gives the descriptions of the Theurge sorceries.
You can use a holy symbol as a sorcerous focus for your theurge sorceries.
Sorceries Known
At 1st level, you know two sorceries of your choice from the theurge sorcery list, plus one sorcery based on your Calling. The sorceries known column of the Theurge table shows when you gain more sorceries of your choice from the theurge sorcery list.
Additionally, whenever you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the sorceries you know and replace it with another sorcery from the theurge sorcery list for which you meet the prerequisites.
Sorceries Channeled
The Theurge table shows how many sorceries you can have channeled at a time. You can channel a new sorcery as an action. If you channel a sorcery that would cause you to exceed your maximum, a sorcery of your choice is unchanneled. Once channeled, sorceries last until you end them as a bonus action on your turn or you complete a long rest, whichever comes first.
Sorcerous Ability
Wisdom is your ability for Theurge sorceries, so you use your Wisdom modifier whenever a sorcery refers to your sorcerous ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcery you channel and when making an attack roll with one.
Sorcery Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Sorcery attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Divine Surge
At 1st level, you also gain the ability to unleash the power of a sorcery you are channeling in a burst of energy known as a Divine Surge. Divine Surges call for you to roll a certain number of dice, as noted in table: The Theurge. Refer to the descriptions of each sorcery for details on what its divine surge does.
You can use this ability twice. At certain levels in this class, you gain additional uses of this ability. You can use it an additional time at 5th, 10th, and 15th level. You regain all uses of this ability when you complete a long rest.
Calling
Also at 1st level, you must select a calling. Your calling represents the divine purpose for which you were born or the divine heritage to which you belong. Several possible callings are described at the end of this class. Your choice gives you a special sorcery and features when you pick it and again at levels 2, 6, 9, 14, and 18.
Channel Divinity
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel divine energy directly from your diety, using that energy to fuel magical effects. You start with two such effects: Turn Undead and an effect determined by your Calling. Some Callings grant you additional effects as you advance in levels, as noted in the Calling description.
When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which effect to create. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again. Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your theurge sorcery save DC.
Beginning at 7th level, you can use your Channel Divinity twice between rests, and beginning at 18th level, you can use it three times between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.
Channel Divinity: Turn Undead
As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring the undead. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.
A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.
Godly Visage
At 3rd level, as an action you can manifest an aura of divine energy representative of your Calling. For example, a Theurge with the Life Calling might cause greenery to erupt from the ground around them, while a Theurge of the Storm Calling might cause electricity to flicker around their hair and fingertips. While this effect lasts, you have advantage on Charisma (Intimidate) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks. You can maintain your visage for up to a minute or end it early as a bonus action. Once you have manifested this visage, you cannot do so again until you have completed a short rest.
Channel Divinity: Greater Surge
At 11th level, when you activate a Divine Surge, you can use one of your uses of Channel Divinity to make it a Greater Surge. After rolling the Surge, you can reroll any number of its dice, but must use the new results. For each die you reroll in this fashion, one creature of your choice gets advantage or disadvantage on its saving throw against the Surge (if any).
Swift Channel
At 13th level, you can channel a new sorcery as a bonus action. You cannot use a Divine Surge in the same turn that you channel a new sorcery in this way.
Miracle
At 17th level, you gain the ability to work true miracles. As an action, you can do one of the following:
Restore hit points to a creature equal to half its hit point maximum.
Negate one damage resistance or damage immunity of a creature you can see within 60 feet of you for one minute.
Bless a weapon you touch, granting it a +3 to its attack and damage rolls for 1 minute. It is also considered to be magical for the duration.
Cause a creature you can see within 60 feet of you to automatically fail its next saving throw before the start of your next turn.
Cause a creature you can see within 60 feet of you to automatically succeed on its next saving throw within 1 minute.
Once you have worked a miracle, you cannot do so again until you have completed a long rest.
Apotheosis
At 20th level, you become a demi-god in all but name. When you complete a short rest and have no Divine Surges remaining, you regain one Divine Surge. Additionally, when you use your Divine Surge ability, you can choose to make it an Apotheosis. Treat every result on your Surge roll lower than 5 as if you had rolled a 5. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you have completed a long rest.
Acies Discover information about the past or present
Aer Create or manipulate wind
Angelus Call on angels for aid
Animus Manipulate minds and hearts
Aqua Create or manipulate water
Artis Manipulate crafted items
Augur Discover information about the future
Caelum Manipulate weather and celestial
Corpus Manipulate physical bodies
Daemonis Conjure or banish demons
Ferrus Improve weapons and armor
Fortis Bolster the strength of creatures
Fortuna Manipulate luck and fate
Lux Create or manipulate light
Magicus Manipulate magical energies
Mortus Manipulate the dead
Obestor Conjure or travel to other planes
Potentia Manipulate force energies
Tutela Protect from harm
Virtus Detect and manipulate alignment
Vitae Restore or bolster health
This section describes the different callings that a Theurge can pursue. Callings are a manifestation of their divine heritage or blessing, and most often align with a domain offered by their godly benefactor or parent.
Calling Sorceries
Each calling offers a choice between sorceries that you gain when you first select it. The chosen sorcery is always known (and does not count against your number of sorceries known). Additionally, you can always trigger Surges for your calling sorcery, even if you do not have it currently channeled.
The calling of knowledge is about learning and understanding. Theurges who pursue this calling gather secrets and knowledge both magical and mundane.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you learn the Acies or the Augur sorcery as your calling sorcery.
Blessings of Knowledge
At 1st level, you know two additional languages of your choice. You also become proficient in one of the following skills: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Your proficiency bonus for that skill is doubled.
Channel Divinity: Knowledge of the Ages
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to tap into a divine well of knowledge. As an action, you choose one skill or tool. For 10 minutes, you have proficiency with your chosen skill or tool.
Channel Divinity: Read Thoughts
At 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to read a creature's thoughts. You can then use your access to a creature's mind to command it.
As an action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature succeeds on its saving throw, you cannot use this feature on it again until you finish a long rest.
If the creature fails its save, you can read its surface thoughts when it is within 60 feet of you. This effect lasts for 1 minute.
During that time, you can use your action to end this effect and cast the suggestion spell on the creature without consuming a spell slot. The target automatically fails its save against the spell.
Potent Sorcery
At 9th level, when you deal damage with a theurge sorcery, you may add your Wisdom modifier to the damage dealt.
Empowered Channeling
At 14th level, you may have an additional sorcery channeled. You cannot use Surges for this additional sorcery.
Improved Divine Surge
At 18th level, you may use one surge from your Augur sorcery without using one of your uses of Divine Surge. Once you have done so, you cannot do so again until you have completed a short or a long rest.
Theurges who pursue the calling of Life focus on healing and protection above all else, and often have personal goals relating to curing the sick and injured or destroying the undead.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you learn the Corpus or the Vitae sorcery as your calling sorcery.
Disciple of Life
At 1st level when you restore hit points with a sorcery, you restore additional hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Bonus Proficiency
Also starting at 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.
Channel Divinity: Preserve Life
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to heal the badly injured. As an action, you present your holy symbol and evoke healing energy that can restore a number of hit points equal to five times your theurge level. Choose any creatures within 30 feet of you, and divide those hit points among them. This feature can restore a creature to no more than half of its hit point maximum. You can't use this feature on an undead or a construct.
Blessed Healer
Starting at 6th level, your sorceries that heal others also heal yourself. When you restore hit points with your Preserve Life ability or through the use of a Divine Surge, you also gain hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Divine Strike
Starting at 9th level, your connection to the gods imbues your weapon attacks with greater power. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage.
Improved Divine Strike
At level 14, your Divine Strike ability increases to 2d8 damage.
Improved Divine Surge
At 18th level, when you use your Divine Surge ability to restore hit points or deal radiant damage, you may roll an additional 2d8 and add them to the total.
Theurges who pursue the calling of Light embrace ideals of rebirth and renewal, truth and justice. Often they take on symbols relating to the sun.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you learn the Ignis or the Lux sorcery as your calling sorcery. Regardless of your choice, the Ignis sorcery is considered a theurge sorcery for you.
Sorcerous Light
When you deal fire or radiant damage with a Divine Surge, you deal additional damage of the other type equal to half your theurge levels (rounded up). Creatures with sunlight sensitivity or a similar feature have disadvantage on their saving throws against your Divine Surges.
Channel Divinity: Radiance of the Dawn
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to harness sunlight, banishing darkness and dealing radiant damage to your foes.
As an action, you present your holy symbol, and any magical darkness within 30 feet of you is dispelled. Additionally, each hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes radiant damage equal to 2d10 + your theurge level on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that has total cover from you is not affected.
Dazzling Radiance
At 6th level, your Sorcerous Light ability improves. When you use your Sorcerous Light feature, affected creatures which fail their saves are also *blinded* until the start of their next turn. If the triggering Surge does not normally require a save, creatures may make a Constitution save to avoid this feature.
Potent Sorcery
At 9th level, when you deal damage with a theurge sorcery, you may add your Wisdom modifier to the damage dealt.
Empowered Channeling
At 14th level, you may have an additional sorcery channeled. You cannot use Surges for this additional sorcery.
Improved Divine Surge
At 18th level, you may use any Surge ability which deals fire or radiant damage without consuming one of your uses of Divine Surge. If you do so, you treat your Surge Dice as 3d8 and any healing granted by the Surge is instead treated as temporary hit points.
Theurges who pursue the calling of Nature revere natural places, creatures, and plants. They may choose to hunt evil monstrosities that damage natural places or bless harvests of those whose ideals align with their own.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you may learn the Florus sorcery or the Faunus sorcery as your calling sorcery. Regardless of your choice, both the Florus and Faunus sorceries count as Theurge sorceries for you.
Acolyte of Nature
At 1st level, you learn one druid cantrip of your choice, using your sorcery ability as your spellcasting ability for that cantrip.
Bonus Proficiencies
Also at 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor and your choice of Animal Handling, Nature, or Survival.
Channel Divinity: Charm Animals and Plants
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to charm animals and plants.
As an action, you present your holy symbol and invoke the name of your deity. Each beast or plant creature that can see you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw it is charmed by you for 1 minute or until it takes damage. While it is charmed by you, it is friendly to you and other creatures you designate.
Dampen Elements
Starting at 6th level, when you or a creature within 30 feet of you takes acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to grant resistance to the creature against that source of damage.
Divine Strike
Starting at 9th level, your connection to the gods imbues your weapon attacks with greater power. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 cold, fire, or lightning damage (your choice).
Improved Divine Strike
At level 14, your Divine Strike ability increases to 2d8 damage.
Improved Divine Surge
At 18th level, your Divine Surges improve. Whenever a beast, plant, or elemental makes a save against one of your Divine Surge abilities, you can choose to grant them advantage or disadvantage. If you grant advantage and the target would already have advantage, they instead automatically succeed on their save.
Theurges who pursue the calling of the Tempest are agents of power. Though often born to dieties of the storm or weather, they can also represent vengeance, justice, or even simple raw energy.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you may select the Fulgar or the Tonitrus sorcery to be your calling sorcery. Regardless of your choice, both the Fulgar and the Tonitrus sorceries count as Theurge sorceries for you.
Bonus Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor.
Wrath of the Storm
Also at 1st level, you can thunderously rebuke attackers. When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to cause the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 2d8 lightning damage or thunder damage (your choice) on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful save.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Channel Divinity: Destructive Wave
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to wield the power of the storm with unchecked ferocity.
When you roll lightning or thunder damage, you can use your Channel Divinity to deal maximum damage, instead of rolling.
Thunderbolt Strike
At 6th level, when you deal lightning damage to a Large or smaller creature, you can also push it up to 10 feet away from you.
Divine Strike
At 9th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage.
Improved Divine Strike
At 14th level, your Divine Strike ability increases to 2d8 damage.
Stormborn
At 18th level, your Divine Surges improve. While you are channeling the Tonitrus or Fulgar sorceries, you additionally have a fly speed equal to your current walking speed, as long as you are outdoors.
Gods of trickery create theurges seemingly on a whim. More than any other calling, the trickery calling tends to have no obvious purpose, but often they cause great change simply by being in a region.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you learn the Animus or the Praestigis sorcery as your calling sorcery. Regardless of your choice, the Praestigis sorcery is a calling sorcery for you.
Blessing of the Trickster
Starting when you choose this calling at 1st level, you can use your action to touch a willing creature other than yourself to give it advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. This blessing lasts for 1 hour or until you use this feature again.
Channel Divinity: Invoke Duplicity
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to create an illusory duplicate of yourself.
As an action, you create a perfect illusion of yourself that lasts for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The illusion appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within 320 feet of you. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 30 feet to a space you can see, but it must remain within 120 feet of you. For the duration, you can use sorceries as though you were in the illusion's space, but you must use your own senses. Additionally, when both you and your illusion are within 5 feet of a creature that can see the illusion, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature.
Channel Divinity: Cloak of Shadows
Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to vanish. As an action, you become invisible until the end of your next turn. You become visible if you attack, cast a spell, or use an activated ability of a sorcery (channeling a new sorcery does not end your invisibility by itself).
Divine Strike
At 9th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with poison. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 poison damage.
Improved Divine Strike
At 14th level, your Divine Strike ability increases to 2d8 damage.
Improved Duplicity
At 18th level, you can create up to four duplicates of yourself when you use Invoke Duplicity. You can move any number of duplicates with the same bonus action.
The calling of War is varied. To some, it is a calling of destruction and cruelty brought to enemies. To others, it is a calling of courage and loyalty to allies and friends. Regardless, theurges who pursue this calling exceed with weapons and armor more than any other calling.
Calling Sorcery
When you first select this calling at 1st level, you learn the Ferrus or the Fortis sorcery as your calling sorcery.
Bonus Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor.
Born of War
From 1st level, your divine heritage gives you inspiration while you are engaged in battle. When you use the Attack action, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Channel Divinity: Guided Strike
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to strike with supernatural accuracy. When you make an attack roll, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.
Channel Divinity: War God's Blessing
At 6th level, when a creature within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, you can use your reaction to grant that creature a +10 bonus to the roll, using your Channel Divinity. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.
Divine Strike
At 9th level, your weapons are infused with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 damage of the same type as the weapon.
Improved Divine Strike
At 14th level, your Divine Strike ability increases to 2d8 damage.
Improved Calling Sorcery
At 18th level, your calling sorcery improves. You are always considered to have your chosen sorcery channeled, and you can share its ongoing benefits with allies within 10 feet of you. The allies gain only the first level benefits granted by your chosen sorcery.
05/25: Godly vigor removed (All sorceries will have improved usage at 5th level instead). Sorcery list updated (Removed: Ignis, Terra. Added: Aer, Daemonis, Fortis). Callings now all grant a choice from two sorceries instead of some granting one and some granting a choice. Any available choices are added to the theurge list even if unpicked. Acies sorcery written.
05/29: Angelus Sorcery written. Sorceries adjusted (power increases are now tied to sorcery dice rather than level, to fix potential multiclassing problems)
05/30: Animus and Aqua sorceries written.
06/05: Augur, Caelum, Corpus, and Daemonis sorceries written. Multiclassing rules moved to first post.
06/13: Ferrus, Fortis, and Fortuna posted. Sorceries now split into two posts due to character limit. Number of sorceries known reduced (now 1-8 instead of 2-11) and number of sorceries channeled reduced (now 1-4 instead of 1-6). Multiclassing rules also updated to account for the new sorceries channeled limitations.
06/17: Lux sorcery added.
06/18: Magicus sorcery added.
06/20: Mortus sorcery added.
06/25: Obestor Sorcery added
06/26: Tutela, Virtus, Faunus, and Flora sorceries added.
Sorcery Rules
A sorcery is similar to a spell in many aspects, and they share certain rules. In essence, if a spell is a limited, specific shaping of magical energies, a sorcery is a broadly usable connection to magical energies. Unlike spells, sorceries can generally be used indefinitely, until the user decides to connect to a different sorcery.
Other than that, sorceries are as varied as spells. They can heal, harm, build, destroy, conjure, protect, and even restore life to the dead.
Sorcery Level and Spell Level
Unlike spells, sorceries do not have a level. However, if an effect would target spells of a certain level, you may treat a sorcery as a spell with a level equal to half the number of surge dice the channeler possesses, rounded down.
Known and Channeled Sorceries
Before a sorcerer or theurge can use a sorcery, they must first learn it. Sorcerous classes learn different sorceries as they progress in level, and opportunities to change their choices outside of that progression are rare.
Using a Sorcery
When a character uses any sorcery, the same basic rules are followed, regardless of the character's class or the sorcery's effects.
Range, Duration, and Areas of Effect
Sorceries use the same rules for these characteristcs as spells. Refer to the spellcasting rules for more information.
Components
Sorceries may grant additional actions which have verbal, somatic, or focus components. This will be noted in the sorcery's entry as (V), (S), or (F) following the action's name. Sorceries with focus components must use a sorcerous focus appropriate to the class that granted the sorcery. Component pouches have no benefit for sorcerous classes.
Level
Some sorceries grant benefits that have a level requirement. Unless otherwise noted, this level requirement is equal to your level in the class which grants the sorcery.
Activation Time
Activated portions and surges of sorceries typically take a single action to use, but some require a bonus action, reaction, or additional time to use. Refer to the individual sorceries for more information.
Saving Throws
Many sorceries grant abilities which specify that a target can make a saving throw to avoid some or all of its effects. The sorcery specifies the ability that the target uses for the save and what happens on a success or failure.
The DC to resist one of your sorceries is equal to 8 + your sorcerous ability modifier + your proficiency bonus + any special modifiers.
Attack Rolls
Some sorceries require the caster to make an attack roll to determine whether an effect hits the intended target. Your attack bonus with a sorcerous attack equals your sorcerous ability modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Most sorceries that require attack rolls involve ranged attacks. Remember that you have disadvantage on a ranged attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature that can see you and that isn’t incapacitated.
Channeled
A sorcererous character can only maintain a connection to a certain number of sorceries at a time. This is known as channeling a sorcery. Many sorceries give an ongoing benefit while they are channeled, which requires no action on the part of the channeler to maintain. Others may grant additional actions. Unless otherwise noted, channeling a sorcery or gaining its ongoing benefits does not have verbal or somatic components; the sorcerous character simply focuses briefly and the magic becomes a part of them.
Surges
While most of the common effects of sorcery can be used indefinitely, sorcerous characters also have access to a limited resource of magical energy, known as a surge. A surge is a more potent effect which is draining to use. Finishing a long rest restores any expended surges.
Unless otherwise noted, a surge may only be activated for a sorcery which is currently being channeled. Refer to the individual descriptions of each sorcery for more details on what its surge or surges do.
Combining Magical Effects
The effects of different sorceries add together while their durations overlap. The effects of the same sorcery used multiple times don’t combine, however. Instead, the most potent effect—such as the highest bonus—from those uses applies while their durations overlap.
For example, if two theurges use the Fortuna sorcery's Lucky Dodge ability on the same target, that character gains the benefit only once; he or she doesn't get to roll two bonus dice.
Multiclassing is possible with sorcerous classes in much the same way as normal classes. Use the standard multiclassing rules for experience points, hit points and hit dice, proficiency bonus, proficiencies, and class features such as Channel Divinity, Extra Attack, and Unarmored Defense. There are specific rules for multiclassing in multiple sorcerous classes, as noted before:
Sorcery
Your capacity for sorcery depends partly on your combined levels in all your sorcerous classes and partly on your individual levels in those classes. Once you have the sorcery feature from more than one class, use the rules below. If you multiclass but have the Sorcery feature from only one class, you follow the rules as described in that class.
Sorceries Known and Channeled You determine what sorceries you know for each class individally, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a Cultist 4/Theurge 3, for example, you know two Cultist sorceries based on your levels in the cultist class. As a 3rd level theurge, you also know 2 theurge sorceries (not counting your Calling sorcery).
Each sorcery you know is associated with one of your classes, and you use the sorcerous ability of that class when you channel the sorcery or use one of its surges. Similarly, a sorcerous focus, such as a holy symbol, can only be used for the sorceries from the class which provided the feature.
The number of sorceries which you can channel at a time is determined by adding together all your levels in theurge and wilder, half your levels (rounded down) in cultist, or one third your levels (rounded down) in primal soul barbarian or exorcist monk and consulting the sorceries channeled portion of the Multiclass Sorcerer table.
Surges You determine the potency of your available surges by adding together all your levels in theurge and wilder, half your levels (rounded down) in cultist, or one third your levels (rounded down) in primal soul barbarian or exorcist monk. Use this total to determine your surge dice by consulting the Multiclass Sorcerer table.
You determine the number of surges individually for each class. Sorcerous classes which you multiclass into after the first grant one fewer surge use than normal (to a minimum of 1). Surges may only be used for sorceries associated with the class which granted them, and class features may apply to specific types of surge as well. For example, a 3rd level theurge/2nd level wilder would have 2 uses of Divine Surge for their theurge sorceries and one use of Arcane Surge (the wilder's base 2 uses, minus one for being the second sorcerous class). Regardless of which type of surge was used, the surge dice would be 4d8.
Lvl.
Surge Dice
Sorceries Channeled
1
2d8
1
2
2d8
2
3
3d8
2
4
3d8
2
5
4d8
3
6
4d8
3
7
5d8
3
8
5d8
3
9
6d8
3
10
6d8
4
11
7d8
4
12
7d8
4
13
7d8
4
14
8d8
4
15
8d8
4
16
8d8
4
17
9d8
5
18
9d8
5
19
9d8
5
20
10d8
6