Sorcerer Variant Casting: Playtested?

[Nagog]

Another question for the playground: A sorcerer variant casting style has come up here and again in various Sorcerer-related threads, and I think I understand it to be having the sorcerer gain Sorcery Points instead of spell slots (at a rate of one per level per slot), and can use those to cast spells by expending points equal to the level of the spell. Has anybody tested this? I understand it has both incredible Nova capacity, as well as allows for better stamina for lower level slots throughout the day. If somebody has tested it, what are your thoughts on the change? Would you encourage it as a houserule in other games or was it problematic?


Note: This thread is NOT for discussion on whether or not Sorcerers need a buff, not a discussion on Wizards vs. Sorcerers, and NOT a discussion on the viability of this build vs. another class. This is a thread to discuss the implementation of this system in games that feel they need it, and how it has/would affect gameplay overall.

[Sam113097]

I haven't playtested it myself, but Spell Points are included in the Dungeon Master's Guide as a variant rule, so I assume that the rules included there have been playtested by Wizard of the Coast.



Variant: Spell Points
One way to modify how a class feels is to change how it uses its spells. With this variant system, a character who has the Spellcasting feature uses spell points instead of spell slots to fuel spells. Spell points give a caster more flexibility, at the cost of greater complexity.

In this variant, each spell has a point cost based on its level. The Spell Point Cost table summarizes the cost in spell points of slots from 1st to 9th level. Cantrips don’t require slots and therefore don’t require spell points.

Instead of gaining a number of spell slots to cast your spells from the Spellcasting feature, you gain a pool of spell points instead. You expend a number of spell points to create a spell slot of a given level, and then use that slot to cast a spell. You can’t reduce your spell point total to less than 0, and you regain all spent spell points when you finish a long rest.

Spells of 6th level and higher are particularly taxing to cast. You can use spell points to create one slot of each level of 6th or higher. You can’t create another slot of the same level until you finish a long rest.

The number of spell points you have to spend is based on your level as a spellcaster, as shown in the Spell Points by Level table. Your level also determines the maximum-level spell slot you can create. Even though you might have enough points to create a slot above this maximum, you can’t do so.

It includes charts with spell points per level, etc. as well

[BloodSnake'sCha]

The DMG variant is very similar to the use of font of magic outside of combat in order to have only level 1 and level 5(or max below 5) spell slots.

The only difference is that it is easier to use and gives you more slots as it is more efficient.

[Trickery]

I found a few choice quotes from around the web. Some of these are for Sorcerers specifically, others for all casters (spell point variant). In short, it's a buff to flexibility but doesn't change power, resource usage, or action economy. The result seems to have been what you'd expect: it's more fun to play a Sorcerer, they don't have to track as many resources, and they end up using their spells more freely.


It has made them far more flexible in their casting. The sorcerers are able to act with impunity, casting their powerful spells more often and worrying less about upcasting, while simultaneously getting much more use out of their metamagic.

But do I think it's imbalanced? No, not really. The flexibility of magic does make more sense than the spell slots in a narrative sense, now that true Vancian casting (you prepare each instance of each spell) has gone by the wayside.

In short, it makes spellcasters more powerful by nature of greater flexibility and more access to upcasting, but the amount of resources they have to expend remains roughly the same. The sorcerer still ends up casting booming blade a lot at the end of the day once his points run out.


What happened is that my sorcerer players use their resources more consistently, before they often forgot to convert low-level spell slots to Sorcery Points. It leads to less frustration once the initial set-up is done, and streamlines resource accounting - it became uniform and easier. My players feel empowered and informed. As a GM it is much easier to keep track of the expended resources because you can easily subtract Spell points from one uniform number without keeping track of Spell slot levels.

The amount of options increases and it especially matters when you have a low amount of spell slots of a particular level, that is commonly one additional Cantrip cast if available via Bonus Action. So at my table when using the Variant: Spell Points system my players are slightly stronger, but they also have more fun and feel like the game is less complicated.

I can speculate that the impact on balance would increase if your players multi-class and get impactful bonus action options through class-features such as Cunning Action. This case, however, has not happened at my table and all other bonus actions my players gained through multi-classing were not more impactful than the occasional additional cast of a cantrip.

Incidentally, one of the most common arguments against spell points is that it takes away from Sorcerers. I think it's telling that, when discussing spell points, Sorcerers seem to come up often.


It takes one of the few unique things about sorcerers and gives it to everyone, the sorcerer is already in a difficult spot with a small list of known spells, 0 spells unique to sorcerers and generally being completely overshadowed by the wizard for most things. I personally would not use it because of the effect on the sorcerer class.

[Nagog]

I haven't playtested it myself, but Spell Points are included in the Dungeon Master's Guide as a variant rule, so I assume that the rules included there have been playtested by Wizard of the Coast.



It includes charts with spell points per level, etc. as well

I guess the change people were up in arms about is combining the Spell Points with Sorcery Points for a single pool of power.

[Bobthewizard]

In the last thread on this, the only one I remember talking about having actually played it was TheUser. He thought it was overpowered when he played it. That fits with my thoughts as I look at it. If you want to use spell points for everyone that's fine, although I don't know why we need to buff full casters. If you only give it to one spell casting class, I'm only playing that class. I'd never play a wizard if the DM said sorcerers, and only sorcerers, can use spell points.

[Nagog]

In the last thread on this, the only one I remember talking about having actually played it was TheUser. He thought it was overpowered when he played it. That fits with my thoughts as I look at it. If you want to use spell points for everyone that's fine, although I don't know why we need to buff full casters. If you only give it to one spell casting class, I'm only playing that class. I'd never play a wizard if the DM said sorcerers, and only sorcerers, can use spell points.

I figured the aesthetic of a Sorcerer fit better with the spell point system, considering the preparation/innate magic pool difference, as well as the theme in previous versions being sorcerers are more versatile (hence metamagic), but if the point system unbalances it too much I guess not.

[Trickery]

I figured the aesthetic of a Sorcerer fit better with the spell point system, considering the preparation/innate magic pool difference, as well as the theme in previous versions being sorcerers are more versatile (hence metamagic), but if the point system unbalances it too much I guess not.

Opinions differ. I've only seen one person who tried it in play say that it was too powerful. The most common experience seems to be that the player has more fun and that's about it.

I don't want to get too far into balance, but suffice it to say that there are still plenty of reasons to play other casters whether Sorcerers get this or not. The best kind of balance is the kind where everyone does unique things that are difficult to compare.

[Kane0]

Another question for the playground: A sorcerer variant casting style has come up here and again in various Sorcerer-related threads, and I think I understand it to be having the sorcerer gain Sorcery Points instead of spell slots (at a rate of one per level per slot), and can use those to cast spells by expending points equal to the level of the spell.


That method would be different to the DMG Spell Points alternative rule, so it largely depends on what other changes there are like how many you get per level and how much you recover on a short/long rest.

Edit: It also renders some metamagic a bit wonky, especially the 1 SP cost ones.

[kebusmaximus]

I have playtested the dmg spell point variant on a sorcerer. We ruled that sorcery points were equivalent to spell points, so I had one resource pool to both cast spells and use metamagic.

In short: I had fun, but did not overshadow to party.

The other party members were all full casters, so our adventuring days were somewhat short, but my character seemed to be balanced with everyone else.