Homebrew spell points - or a sorcerer that ONLY uses sorcery points?

[Eric Diaz]

I'm looking for an "easier to play" spell-casting class or method. I'm not the greatest fan of slots.

However, the alternative rules for spell points in the DMG are barely an improvement over spell slots. It gives spellcasters more flexibility with no cost, so makes them even more powerful, a boost they do not need IMO.

I guess what I'm looking for are alternatives for spell points or some kind of homebrew sorcerer that ONLY uses sorcery points - or anything similar.

[I know sorcery points only take you to level 5 spells, but I don't mind 6th level spells or more, these are easier to manage - you've basically got one casting per day and that's it until level 19th (an I don't usually play through levels 15+ anyway).]

[Maat Mons]

Personally, I think caster who aren't allowed to change their spells every day could be given the extra flexibility of spell points, and still be less flexible than casters who are allowed to change their spells every day.

Right now, a 20th-level Wizard can prepare 25 spells, and a 20th-level Tasha's Sorcerer can know 25 spells. But the Sorcerer is stuck with the same 25 spells forever, while the Wizard gets to customize his 25 spells to whatever he's going to be doing on a given day.

But only switching some of the classes to spell points would require some major adjustments to how multiclassing spellcasters works.



A complaint I have about spell points and sorcery points is that the numbers could stand to be simpler. I'd just make the spell point cost equal to the level of the spell slot, or maybe equal to the level of the spell slot +1. Then just adjust the number of spell/sorcery points available to match.

I kind of dislike the "+1" option, because it encourages people to always put as many spell points as they can into things. Time constraints already encourage that same thing, especially in battle. Not having the "+1" means that a bunch of 1st-level spell effects can be slower but more energy efficient than a single high-level spell effect.



But, if the spellcasting system is needlessly complex, and casters are too powerful, maybe you shouldn't let the fact that casters are too powerful stop you from addressing the fact that the spellcasting system is needlessly complex. Instead, go ahead and make casting work like you think it should, and then address the extra versatility you just gave casters by scaling them back in some other regard.

Maybe give everyone spell points, and then reduce the number of spells prepared each day by Clerics, Druids, and Wizards. A little reduced versatility to cancel out the increased versatility. And it would help address the inherent unfairness of some casters getting to reinvent themselves every day with no drawback, while other casters are stuck with the same abilities until they level up, with no special benefit.

[Eric Diaz]

Thank you! I really like your ideas, especially trading the extra flexibility of spell points for not being allowed to change their spells every day.

The opportunity/action cost is another thing I hadn't considered.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I got you covered. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591960-Sorcerer-Revision-(spell-points-and-origin-spells))