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Variant Sorcerer |  |
I’ve been playing around with this idea for a couple of days. Basically, while I like the idea of the sorcerer class in D&D, I’m not a huge fan of the implementation. Wizards succeeded in creating a class that it simultaneously very similar to the wizard, but less effective. So, I decided to try to create a variant of the sorcerer which is, I hope, better balanced with the wizard and distinct in a mechanical sense. Feel free to post your opinions in the forum.
SORCERER
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The sorcerer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession ( Wis ), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
| Table: The Sorcerer | |||||||||||||||
| ——————–Spells per Day—————— | |||||||||||||||
|
Level |
Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Special |
0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|
1st |
+0 |
+0 |
+0 |
+2 |
Spellweaving |
4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Power of the Will | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +2 | +5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +2 | +6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +3 | +6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +3 | +7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | |
| 11th | +8/+3 | +3 | +3 | +7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Imitate Spell | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | |
| 14th | +10/+5 | +4 | +4 | +9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | |
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | — | |
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | |
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | |
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +11 | Arcane Blood | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | |
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | |
| Table: Sorcerer Spells Known | ||||||||||
| —————- Spells Known —————– | ||||||||||
| Level | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
| 1st | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 12th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 14th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 15th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 16th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 17th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 18th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 20th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the sorcerer.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sorcerers are proficient with all simple weapons, plus one martial weapon of choice. Sorcerers are proficient with light armor. A sorcerer can cast sorcerer spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a sorcerer wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass sorcerer still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.
Spells: A sorcerer casts arcane spells which are drawn primarily from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).
To learn or cast a spell, a sorcerer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sorcerer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the sorcerer’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a sorcerer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Sorcerer. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
A sorcerer’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A sorcerer begins play knowing three 0-level spells and one 1st-level spell of your choice. At each new sorcerer level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a sorcerer knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the sorcerer has gained some understanding of by study. The sorcerer can’t use this method of spell acquisition to learn spells at a faster rate, however.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered sorcerer level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a sorcerer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the sorcerer “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level sorcerer spell the sorcerer can cast. A sorcerer may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a sorcerer need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast.
Spellweaving: A sorcerer can weave and unravel spell slots as a free action. When a sorcerer weaves slots, he sacrifices three spell slots of the same level in order to gain one spell slot one level higher. When a sorcerer unravels slots, he sacrifices one spell slot in order to gain two spell slots on level lower. Spell slots can be woven together as often as the sorcerer wishes, with the exception that he can never weave spell slots into a slot higher than one he would normally have access to. Once a spell slot is unraveled, however, the slots created cannot be further unraveled. This is a supernatural ability.
Power of the Will: Sorcerers of at least 6 th level have the ability to cast spells through sheer force of will alone. By doubling a spell’s casting time, the sorcerer can eliminate a single component (verbal, somatic, material, or focus) from that spell. Casting times can be doubled multiple times, each time negating one spell component. Note that costly material components and experience point costs cannot be eliminated in this way.
Imitate Spell: Any time the sorcerer uses Spellcraft to successfully identify a spell cast, he may attempt to imitate the spell and cast it, even if it is not one of his known spells. Imitating a spell requires the sorcerer to spend a spell slot of at least the same level as the spell being imitated. In addition, the sorcerer must succeed on a Bluff check (DC 25 + spell level, +4 if the spell is divine). If the sorcerer fails this Bluff check, he still loses the spell slot. However, if he succeeds, he may cast the spell as if he knew it on his next turn. Once the sorcerer identifies a cast spell, he must decide to imitate it on his next turn; waiting longer causes the sorcerer to forfeit imitation of the spell.
Arcane Blood: A sorcerer of 18 th level sees very little distinction between his physical self and his arcane powers. By sacrificing a spell slot, the sorcerer can heal 1d6 hit points per spell level (1 hit point for a 0-level spell). Similarly, the sorcerer can gain a spell slot by ‘burning’ a number of hit points equal to six times the spell’s level (1 point for a 0-level spell). Use of this supernatural ability is a standard action.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:29 am
I’ve always had the same qualm with the sorcerer, and I like many of your alterations to the class. I’ll definitely be using much of this in my next campaign.