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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next New Sorcerer ability to change spell damage types



kosh49
2022-08-14, 10:02 AM
There are several sorcerer subclasses where there are thematic or mechanical reasons to favor spells that do specific damage types. While fire spells are plentiful, other damage types are not as widely used, which could make it feel very limiting to play a Storm sorcerer or a White Dragon sorcerer. This problem can be somewhat offset with the Transmuted Spell metamagic from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, but that would force the character to select that as one of their 4 possible metamagic options and would also lead to them constantly sorcery points to “fix” the damage types for their various spells. The DM could add a bunch of homebrew spells of the desired damage types to fix this spell, but it occurred to me that an alternative (or possibly additional supplement) was to lean into the “sorcerers can warp spells” motif by giving sorcerers a limited ability to make spell versions that replicate existing spells with a permanently altered damage type.


Reformulated Spells – Each sorcerer has one or more thematic damage types. Starting at 1st level, when you learn a new spell you can pick a sorcerer spell that does damage and create a new spell that counts as a sorcerer spell for you. The new spell does the same amount of damage as the original spell but has one of the damage types done by the spell changed to one of your thematic damage types. Any attack rolls or saving throws required by the spell are unchanged. If the spell has any non-damaging effects the DM determines if they need to be changed and if so how they would change (a fireball doing lightning or radiant damage could reasonably still set things on fire, one doing cold damage might make things brittle and vulnerable to breaking instead). The reformulated spell is only useable by you, and it is a separate spell from the original. If you want to be able to use both the original spell and the reformulated spell you would need to learn both spells, which would count as 2 separate spells known for you. You can create a maximum of one reformulated spell. This increases to a maximum of 2 reformulated spells at 5th level, 3 at 11th level, and 4 at 17th level.


Aberrant Mind: Your thematic damage type is psychic damage.

Clockwork Soul: When you select this origin choose one damage type from bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. That damage type is your thematic damage type. You can not change this selection.

Divine Soul: If your affinity is good your thematic damage type is radiant damage. If your affinity is evil your thematic damage type is necrotic damage. If you have any other affinity, choose necrotic or radiant damage when you select this origin. The damage type you selected is your thematic damage type. You can not change this selection.

Draconic Bloodline: Your thematic damage type is the damage type for your draconic ancestor on the Draconic Ancestry table.

Shadow Sorcerer: Your thematic damage type is necrotic damage.

Storm Sorcerer: Your thematic damage types are lightning and thunder damage. Each time you reformulate a spell you

Wild Magic Sorcerer: Your thematic damage types are acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, psychic, poison, and thunder damage. Each time you reformulate a spell you can pick which one of these damage types to use for that spell. Each of your reformulated spells must use a different damage type.