[Pathfinder] Human Alternate Favored Class Rules for Sorcerer

[UserClone]

Instead of a measly skill point or hit point, a human sorcerer can now, thanks to a variant in the Advanced Player's Guide, gain a bonus Spell Known at every Sorcerer level! The only restriction is that this new spell known must be at least 1 spell level lower than the highest-level spell the Sorcerer knows how to cast.


I ask you, Playground, is this BORKed? Or...is it just a really good reason to play a Sorcerer? I mean, could this make the Sorcerer a T1 class, or at least 1.5? Or is it much less than I am making it out to be?

Honestly, I want to play a Human sorcerer right now. At the very least, I can no longer see myself playing as anything but a Human if I want to be a sorcerer (other than a Kobold, of course).

[Mojo_Rat]

thing is a skill point or a hp isnt measly. its amazing.. i pretty much have primarily chosen hp for almost all of my characters. that said the sorcerer thing is strong but several of the other classes get something similar.

its just been the sorcerer one people have fixated on so strongly.

[UserClone]

I think the crux of the issue is that the only other way to gain extra spells known that most people are aware of (knowstones) is Dragon Magazine material, which many folks are loath to use for fear of imbalance; after all Dragon is known to be hit-or-miss.

But APG material is implicitly allowed until banned, as it is a core book in the PF line. So this fundamentally alters the balance slightly in the Sorcerer's favor. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. Ionno, seems like more people would be either up in arms over it, or embracing it with mad love...

[Starbuck_II]

Instead of a measly skill point or hit point, a human sorcerer can now, thanks to a variant in the Advanced Player's Guide, gain a bonus Spell Known at every Sorcerer level! The only restriction is that this new spell known must be at least 1 spell level lower than the highest-level spell the Sorcerer knows how to cast.


I ask you, Playground, is this BORKed? Or...is it just a really good reason to play a Sorcerer? I mean, could this make the Sorcerer a T1 class, or at least 1.5? Or is it much less than I am making it out to be?

Honestly, I want to play a Human sorcerer right now. At the very least, I can no longer see myself playing as anything but a Human if I want to be a sorcerer (other than a Kobold, of course).

Best thing you can choose each level.
At level 1, you only get a cantrip so I'd still do hps till level 3. At level 4, I would then add an extra 1st level since that is worth losing a hp.
And keep doing spells from then on.

[Nero24200]

Yet it's quite...out there.

The HP bonus is, at best, worth the equivilent of a Toughness feat. An extra spell per level? Worth alot more. I can see just about every player playing a sorcerer to select human now, since they give up too much if they choose another race.

[true_shinken]

I think the crux of the issue is that the only other way to gain extra spells known that most people are aware of (knowstones) is Dragon Magazine material, which many folks are loath to use for fear of imbalance; after all Dragon is known to be hit-or-miss.

Drakehelms. Runestaves. Dips in fiend-blooded, sandshaper or wyrm wizard.
There are probably plenty of other ways I forgot. Getting extra spells known is not really an issue.

[UserClone]

That MOST people know of. Nice list, though. Good call.

[Tyndmyr]

It is...immensely powerful. Far superior to a hp or sp. It would heavily influence my choice of starting race for sorc(and human was already pretty well liked).

So...human or dragonwrought kobold. That's pretty much it.

[UserClone]

Those are pretty much the only choices, from an optimization perspective.

[Player3]

It is precisely like getting an extra feat every level (Extra Spell). That's about 2 extra spells per spell level (except 9th) over their 20 level career. Might not be enough to make it fully T1, but definitely a lot more room for utility. Although with the bloodline spells, this gives them more spells per spell level than spells per day.

[UserClone]

And that's BEFORE considering things like Mother Cyst, Runestaves, and Knowstones.

[Grommen]

A simple thing that might create hell. Hyrm....I like. Personaly I hate sorcs for the very reason that they don't ever have enough spells. This might fix it though. I'll have to look into it.

[nyarlathotep]

I think the crux of the issue is that the only other way to gain extra spells known that most people are aware of (knowstones) is Dragon Magazine material, which many folks are loath to use for fear of imbalance; after all Dragon is known to be hit-or-miss.

But APG material is implicitly allowed until banned, as it is a core book in the PF line. So this fundamentally alters the balance slightly in the Sorcerer's favor. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. Ionno, seems like more people would be either up in arms over it, or embracing it with mad love...

Actually there is an extra spell feat in pathfinder already it provides two spells of less that top level of casting or 1 spell of top level.

[Hawriel]

Its a good racial ability for humans. My group allows bonus spells for high stats for all classes so playing a sorc isnt that problematic any way. Honestly never had a problem with the sorcs limited spells. It's not that different from wizards back in 2nd ed.


The human gets another one thats just as good. Fighters may add +1 to the CMD to defend against two combat menuvers. I made an 8th level fighter for a one shot campain. I ended up with +3 CMD for grapple and disarm. +2 for trip. Very usfull.

[Benly]

The human bonus for sorcerers (and oracles) is considerably stronger if, like in some of the Pathfinder campaigns I've been in, only Pathfinder material is automatically allowed and pre-Pathfinder 3.5 material requires special DM permission. Within Pathfinder core materials, there is now no convincing mechanical reason to make your sorcerer or oracle nonhuman.

(There's also a nice little perk for the witch version of this feature, in that spells gained through this bonus are automatically re-added to future familiars instead of having to be replaced manually.)