Sorcerers are a unique class in Dungeons and Dragons 5e, unlike wizards who rely on spellbooks and ancient tomes of magic lore. They do not prepare spells after a long rest and only know a certain number of spells at each level. They can serve as Blaster, Controller, Striker, and Utility Casters, making them one of the easiest faces in the game due to their skill list and dependence on their abilities.
Wizards use Intelligence as a spellcasting modifier, while sorcerers use Charisma. These abilities are associated with different skills, so the difference may or may not apply. Sorcerers do not need spellbooks or prepare spells as they do for wizards. Instead, they “know” a certain number of spells at each level and regain their spell.
Sorcerers are one of the most unique spellcasters in D and D 5e, as their power comes from within themselves. They have a smaller list of available spells compared to Wizards and especially a Cleric, but in exchange, they can readily cast any spell they know at any time. A 1st level wizard allows a sorcerer to bypass spell restrictions on what spells they can learn and cast, as well as access to metamagic.
In conclusion, sorcerers do not prepare spells after a long rest and do not need to prepare them. They can cast any spell they know at any time, assuming they have not yet used up their spells per day. They also have access to metamagic, which unlike in Pathfinder, is something only available to wizards. As ‘innate’ spellcasters, sorcerers do not need to prepare spells but can still utilize their abilities and abilities.
📹 Sorcerers Are Way Too OP in D&D
Sorcerers are OP in D&D. They often get a bad rep for being worst wizards, but really there are the best anti wizards that there is!
Can wizards use unprepared spells?
Wizards are a full spellcasting class in D and D 5e, but they have a unique perk: they don’t need to prepare ritual spells before using them. As long as the ritual spells are already in their spellbook, they can cast them anytime. Ritual casting is only available to a select number of character classes, but it can be incredibly useful when used wisely. A guide to ritual casting in 5th edition D and D explains what it is, which classes can use it, and tips on making the most of your ritual casting abilities.
Do wizards prepare spells?
It is incumbent upon them to prepare their spells for the day, based on their respective levels of spellcasting ability, using the spellbook list.
Who created Avada Kedavra?
The Killing Curse, created in the early Middle Ages by Dark witches and wizards, was used to quickly slay opponents during duels. In 1707, the Wizards’ Council was restructured into the Ministry of Magic, allowing for stricter restrictions on certain types of magic. The three Unforgivable Curses were classified as Unforgivable in 1717, with a life sentence in Azkaban. From then until the First Wizarding War, only the darkest wizards used the Unforgivable Curses.
During the First Wizarding War, Bartemius Crouch Senior legalized the use of the Curses against those suspected of being Death Eaters. The most infamous event surrounding the Killing Curse occurred on 31 October 1981, when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named vanished after murdering Lily and James Potter and attempting to use the Curse on Harry Potter in Godric’s Hollow.
Can a wizard create spells?
Witches and wizards with great understanding and skill in magic were known to invent spells. The exact process for creating spells beyond crafting the wand movement and incantation is unknown, but it is known to be a difficult and dangerous process. The art of creating new spells is highly dangerous and complex, with potential fatal consequences if something goes wrong. An example of this is Pandora Lovegood’s experimentation, which resulted in many vile curses, including a likely Horcrux-making spell.
Can sorcerers prepare spells?
Sorcerers and bards are skilled magicians who cast arcane spells without the need for spellbooks or preparation. Their class level limits their spell casting abilities, with high Charisma scores allowing them to cast extra spells. To cast a spell, they must have a Charisma score of at least 10 and the spell’s level. They must focus their minds on casting their spells daily, taking 8 hours of rest and 15 minutes of concentration. This refreshment helps them regain spell slots from the previous day. Any spells cast within the last 8 hours count against their daily limit, similar to wizards.
Can Wizards learn new spells?
Wizards rely on their spells for survival, acquiring new ones through a process of experimentation and growth. The acquisition of new spells is achieved through a process of experimentation and experience. The browser in use does not support cookies.
Can all wizards do wandless magic?
Wandless magic is the practice of performing magic without a wand, which can be challenging for beginners and can have unpredictable results. Witches and wizards accustomed to using wands can only reliably perform wandless magic if they possess great skill. However, in regions where wands were not used, wandless magic was considered the norm and using one was optional. Wands were used by witches and wizards to channel their magic, making their spells more accurate and potent.
Only the most powerful and disciplined wizards could perform wandless magic reliably. The wand was a European invention, and some cultures did not traditionally rely on such tools for magic. Native Americans had pre-European practices that did not require a wand, and African witches and wizards only adopted the wand in the 20th century.
Can a wizard learn every wizard spell?
A wizard differs from both the “pure” and “trained” extremes in that they may not know all spells on the wizard spell list.
Which class can prepare spells?
The cleric, druid, paladin, ranger, and wizard classes require spell preparation, but can also use spontaneous casting. A character can only prepare spells they know for each class and uses a single slot for each instance. Resting allows certain classes to choose their spells in advance, making them available for casting. Some classes require spell preparation in advance, while others can use spontaneous casting.
Did Voldemort invent any spells?
Lord Voldemort, a skilled wizard, is known for inventing many spells, including the Horcrux protections and the Unsupported Flight spell. This skill was exclusive to Voldemort in the books, but he taught it to Severus Snape before killing him. Severus Snape, known as the Half-Blood Prince, was known for his Dark aspirations and inventions, such as Sectumsempra, which was used on Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Gilderoy Lockhart, a talented wizard, was once genuinely talented but sought the easy way to success, leading to his overthrow with the Dark Arts job at Hogwarts. Before becoming out of practice with anything other than a Memory Charm, Lockhart attempted to invent a spell, which projected a giant holographic image of the caster’s face into the sky, similar to a big, beaming, and winking Dark Mark.
Inventing spells seemed to be a right of passage for the most skilled wizards in Harry Potter, but Severus Snape was a more prominent figure in the Dark Arts.
Can a wizard cast prepared spells without a spellbook?
The majority of DMSs permit the inscription of magic spell books in a variety of locations, including the human body and the flesh of a family pet.
📹 HOW TO PLAY SORCERER
Man i love shootin’ magic in d&d PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/xptolevel3 TWITTER: https://twitter.com/XPtoLevel3 …
Subtle spell is so slept on. It makes the spell effect just HAPPEN. So you give no indication that you’re casting a spell at all, no verbal or somatic gestures… what im saying is that my DM realized his npcs has no trigger to cast counter-spell, so if i really need something to hit then I use subtle spell.
I’m sorry Jacob but we must play different games. Sorcerer is great, Subtle Spell is the only thing in the world that makes sure when you cast a spell, NOBODY SCREWS WITH IT, namely Counterspell, but there’s other stuff. Being able to just choose to 100% get a spell off is very clutch in fights with other spellcasters, which as a DM, my players encounter regularly, and Counterspell is a staple spell for casters to pick, if they can pick it. I always went 17 Bard 3 Sorc just to get metamagic for Subtle Spell. Because suddenly a Magical Secrets Meteor Swarm just happens. I didn’t cast it. Who cast it? Who knows!? It just shows up! Can you counterspell it? No, what spell? What spell are you trying to counter? There was no spell.
I honestly prefer classes without daily spell prep. Whilst not being that great in a mechanic sense, I think it makes the spells you select say so much more about your character. Also I believe not having to worry about what spells you’ll pick everyday is more helpful for new players who don’t understand the magic system yet.
Man, I feel like you’re really missing the point. Sorcerers are really, REALLY good at being quite a few things: support caster? Now you can twin haste with no downside! Healer (aka divine soul)? Now you can twin healing word! Wanna kill someone in a crowded place? Subtle spell mind spike! Bound and gagged? Subtle spell fireball! The list goes on and on, I really think they are easily the best at being support casters without always hiding in the back.
The thing I love about the level 20 ability is that if you were multiclass into Warlock for three levels you get two level two pact slots which can be converted into four sorcery points and regain those slots on a short rest. This is basically the level 20 ability but with the added bonus of all of the Warlock features like invocations and some patron abilities with complete spell progression because you get level 9 spells at level 17.
How to play sorcerer, in my group. Friends:”Hey could you do the thing?” Me:”… twinned spell, Haste” Friends:” I use my samurai ability to have advantage on all attacks this turn, elven accuracy so I roll three dice and take the highest, sharpshooter, and with haste that’s another round with my multiattacks… is it not dead yet? Action surge… not dead yet? Ok other friend who also has haste, it’s your turn” Other friend: “Alright, now I roll to do more bullshit” Also friends: “Why don’t you do more in fights?”
Sorcerers: Constitution saving throws, so you can actually concentrate on your spells. (It also helps you make your death saving throws, which will probably help with your d6 health pool) Casting spells silently. Casting spells in silence zones. They can’t counterspell you if they don’t see you casting anything. Casting spells while hiding without revealing yourself. Casting spells while tied up and gagged. You’re more slippery than an arcane trickster. You’re a charisma based spell caster who can cast spells without speaking or moving your hands. You can charm, and Charm *at the same time*. They’ve got some really cool things going for them, they just need a little more to push them over the edge.
I cast haste on two team members I cast cure wounds from 30 feat away I cast shocking grasp silently while shaking this guys hand I cast cone of cold with distance to cover 120 feet I cast power word kill on two monsters instead of just one I use my head just a little bit to be the most powerful force on the battle feild.
The warlock and bard are considered weak? Since when?! That’s just a meme, the bard is very versatile, any party would love to have one. The warlock not only gets really cool and unique abilities with their invocations, but they have a huge amount of flexibility when it comes to backstory, and the patron allows for some really cool stuff, that’s powerfull both mechanically and roleplay wise. And I actually really love the sorcerer, though that’s why I won’t try to defend it. Edit: I realize you showed the power of both classes immidiately after I posted this comment.
I attempted to fix lack of options for my Sorcerer’s by having sorcerer’s in my campaign use the optional Magic Points rule from the DMG. Then, on top of that, you get to combine your spell points and your magic points into one pool. Now you have one resource to keep track of as you level, and it gives you way more options. Want to cast more low level spells than anyone in the game? DO IT. Want to burn through all your resources/points and Meta-Magic EVERY SPELL but having far fewer spells? DO IT. Want a healthy mix for variety? DO IT. It lets Sorcerer’s be the long rest daka daka casters I feel they were always meant to be, let’s Warlocks shine on a short rest and through flexibility with invocations, and really really rewards those Wizards who prepared with all their variety of options but more limited castings. It’s uh … It’s worked out pretty darn well so far. Also it makes Wizards shine at higher levels again (cause let’s be honest, 5e nerfed magic from ye olden days) because they now have more high level slots than sorcerer’s (as per the magic point rules limiting castings of level 6-9 spells to once each per long rest). Now I know what you’re thinking. One level 6, 7, 8, and 9 spell per long rest? That’s insane! Yeah? So is being able to belt out over sixty first level spells per long rest if you so choose to use your points that way by that level. Like I said, play testing it in my group so far and its working out quite well.
If sorcerers got subclass spells at spell levels 1st through 5th, they’d be so much better at standing on their own merits. Also increase the range of wild magic surges to 1-2. Uuuuh, and for draconic sorcerers, let them take the UA metamagic that lets you spend 1 sorcery point to change one elemental damage type on a damaging spell to another one (limited to just the damage types from draconic origins, no force, radiant, psychic, etc.)
You can break the one leveled spell per turn thing with two levels of fighter to get action surge. The rule is: if you cast a leveled spell as a bonus action, you can’t cast another leveled spell that turn, but with Action Surge you can cast two leveled spells with two actions and not use your Bonus Action. Or if you really need it, you could Quicken a cantrip and get two leveled spells and one cantrip in one turn.
Sorcerer’s are my favorite class due to how intensely mechanical you can become with combat. If you choose the right spells at the levels, and survive long enough, you literally become a one man army. Unlike the wizard who must prepare spells everyday and have a huge list, the Sorcerer doesn’t need that much effort AND YET you can still rise to the occasion and slaughter whole hordes. Also, especially with the extra subclasses, you do so much damn damage it’s not even funny.
I’d do a couple things to buff the sorcerer: I’d take their level 20 ability and give it to them much earlier, not sure where but a level where they can reliably use it without it being overpowered. I’d also give them a couple extra class features that allow them to use their body as an arcane focus since their magic comes from them and not an outside source, as well as a way to more reliably succeed on saves, like the optional rule for ability checks. I’d also give them the ability to pick more meta magic earlier as well as subclass spells for all subclasses.
10:29 or you could do the big brain thing and use quickened spell to bonus action a concentration spell (one that has bonus effects on an action) and then use your action to activate its bonus effect. Example: Quickened Spell Storm Sphere and use your action to cast a bolt of lightning from it as an action on the same turn.
Wild magic is fun I almost went with Shadow (going all reaper from overwatch) but wild magic can be awesome and hilarious! Dragonic and divine are cool too but however Storm Sorcerors is actually a more melee like sub class. But for storm sorcerors cantrips take booming blade and ask your dm if you can take the homebrew arc bolt spell as cantrips and/or homebrew lightning spells anyway since lightning damage gets no love.
Imagine this: expend a bunch of lower level spell slots, and exchange them for sorcery points which are turned into a super high level spell slot. Them get even more sorcery points, and use metamagic to cast fireball at max damage and give disadvantage on the saving throw, and its cast at a much higher spell slot than you should have. Combine this with the grave domains website divinity to give the enemy vulnerability to the next damage it takes, and you could probably one shot most people.
The best part of font of magic is seeing how many times you can cast a fifth level spell in an encounter before people realize something is up. Also, the spell slots you create from font of magic go away on a long rest, so with the capstone ability you could literally just give yourself a 2 extra fifth level spell slots, take a short rest, and have the equivalent of 2 extra first level spell slots. I’m sure it doesn’t seem like much, but having more resources is always better than having less, even if it’s just 2 extra first level slots.
Divine Soul sorcerer healers are freakin’ amazing. Twin that Healing Word. And if need be, your Revivify. Then chuck a Toll the Dead as an uplifted middle finger to the baddies. High level? Twin that Heal. Want to lay down the pain? I heard you like Blight. Both of you. BOOYAH to your TPK-happy DM. Downside is that the DS sorcerer doesn’t really hit its stride til 4th or 5th level. Til then you’re either a crap healer who can do a bit of blasting or a healbot that can only spam cantrips for damage due to spell selection issues. But hey, it’s a tradeoff.
i have a little list of thing to improve for sorcerers, in the 2 subclasses in the PHB at least Dragon Bloodline : pls give more habilities that relate to your dragon type, there is only one… and make the last hability cost less, its too expensive for what it does Wild Magic : just… let them activate Wild Surge whenever they want…
Logan: “These three classes are widely regarded as the weakest classes in DnD” Ranger: Laughs maniacally, then starts to cry Monks are also are a little weak Also, if many people think that those three are the weakest classes they have never been on r/3d6. Warlocks and sorcerers are necessary for some of dnds most insane builds looking at you sorcadin and hexadin (literally better at smites than paladin). Also, bards can have a amount of spells prepared rivaling the wizard at high levels, especially lore bards.
IMO Sorcerer subclasses should be a much bigger part of the character and have more class features. Like, the source of your magic abilities should play a huge part in what your magic abilities are. And the “wild magic” aspect should in some way be incorporated into the base class. Oh and you should be able to regain sorcery points over a short rest somehow, like spend hit dice to regain SP.
You’re very right about multi-classing. I’m playing a Swords Bard with a dip into Dragon Sorcerer. I get to Extra Attack from College of Swords, Flourish on one of those hits (all of which have proven very useful) and the bonus action a Quickened Spell on top of all of that. That spell can be as conservative as Green Flame Blade for some extra damage or as aggressive as Bestow Curse. I’ve also gotten to twin bard spells like Heroism and Crown of Madness for battlefield control. Sorcerer lets you be an action economy powerhouse.
“man I really need to learn how to control this” ~you’ve just given me inspiration!~ level one sorcerer child. (like 10) one day I just sneezed and leveled my entire home…. No one really could teach me how to properly control it, and I saw the looks people gave me. Like I was a walking fireball target. (make em a wild mage)
Honestly I feel you didnt give twin spel enough credit. I mean think about it single target spell That means at a certain level you can twin spell Blight, Disentegrate, or Finger of death! That will kill about anything you have to fight! Also if not that, twin spelling chromatic orb at a low level is still 3d8, which is insane Over all good article!
Made a Storm Sorcerer that took one level dips in Bard and Hexblade. Very fun and varied. Booming Blade action, quicken Dissonant whispers, opportunity attack and creature stuck after they stop moving for a turn. Quickened Armor of Agathys followed by cantrip attack. Twin Dissonant whispers, twinned healing word (revived two downed party members same round to turn the tables) and still got to throw a fire bolt. So I would echo the assertion that these CHA classes are made for multi-classing. You can really come up with some wicked combos for every turn. Twinning haste/great invisibility/polymorph, subtle counterspells… Egads!
The sorcerers ability to exchange spell slots for sorcery points and vice versa is incredibly cool, because then you can exchange high level spell slots for more lower level spell slots, or multiple lower level spell slot for a higher level spell slots. You could even get a 3rd level spell slot at level 3. That’s awesome. Plus, it’s a BONUS action, so you could make all sorts of cool plans. It’s very flexible. However, I do agree that the sorcerer isn’t that powerful, which is why I actually made a revised version that gives you am extra spell every other level, two spells for each level up to 5 based on your subclass, and the ability to “prepare” metamagic every long rest.
10:50 Yes thats the one reason why Sorcerers are even more awesome as a character in a campaign like Waterdeep: Dragon Heist or such stuff. I had an Sorcerer with Subtle Spell and Detect Thoughts, Suggestion, Enemies Abound, and other fun stuff.. If I play a sorcerer again at higher classes, I will multiclass with Warlock, Eldritch Spear, Spell Sniper, Distant Spell – then I hide somewhere and shot an Eldritch Blast out of some window 1,200 feet.. if it is not in direct eyesight, I command my pact of the chain familiar to fly to an angle where I can see him. until he finds out from where it came (maybe first expecting my familiar, an if he is able to hit him from the distances, there is still me, spamming long range eldritch blasts in his direction)
I love sorcerers they’re great simple casters with no surprises so you know exactly what you can do all the time but still a little flex on how you do it. It’s like being a magic toolbox rather than a disorganized magic workshop, yes you don’t have all the tools of a big workshop but you have all the basics and with a little elbow greese you can do anything, as opposed to a big workshop with all the tools but you always seem to forget where something is or what something dose or how many of a thing you actually need, etc.
“I twin cast haste.” or “I twin cast greater invisibility” or even the dreaded “I twin cast polymorph”, and you just went from B tier to XXX tier in 4/5 words. Because that combat’s about to be made into a pseudo-rape film. Sorcerer’s the best class in 5e because it breaks encounters like no other class can and has the scaling of a full caster so at higher levels they’re just actually disgusting. Be a draconic sorcerer (fire). Grab elemental adept (fire) at some point. Twin cast greater invis on yourself and the rogue, or one of the front-liners. Then spam Scorching Ray and laugh as you do more damage than you know what to do with, at advantage. Meanwhile you face nearly no repercussions for doing this. Divine soul sorcerer on the other hand just makes clerics look stupid 9 times out of 10. Especially at higher levels.
With all due respect Jakeypoo, I feel like you’re being kind of hard on Sorcerers, and being kind of hyperbolic to try and stress things that really aren’t that big of issues. Looking at Warlocks Vs Sorcerers for example, a lot of the spells that are At will are spells you wouldn’t really want to spam cast, they’re niche utility abilities that you can use freely, or spells that you generally cast ahead of time, which makes a lot of sense for locks to get for free. Telling a warlock to invest 33% of their spell slots into mage armor is kind of insane. Maybe if you’re playing purely for damage then a sorcerer could seem kind of flat, but playing a utility caster, and being able to twin cast haste or Phantasmal force and buff or suppress twice as many people at once is incredibly powerful and fun to play with, also giving disadvantage to the saving throw of a spell is incredibly, incredibly powerful given a situation. Slamming a heightened banishment on something really scary just to all but ensure it’s gone from the fight can have a massive impact on the outcome of things, and I’ve never felt as if the Metamagic becomes linear once you figure out which combos you want to use on which spells, because it’s still an incredibly fluid system, and the best combo’s change based off the level of the spell at times as well. For example, twin casting Banishment can be really strong, but at 5th level it already targets two people, so using a distant cast to grab two important people who are separated, heightened to try and ensure you lock them down, or Extend the spell to keep them out of the fight for twice as long.
Sorcerers have style, and Metamagic is much more powerful than you give it credit. Wanna turn two enemies into silky hens? Cast Twinned spell Polymorph. Wanna be ultra protected against a flurry of arrows coming at you? Cast Blade Ward and False Life/Mage Armor/Protection From Energy with Quickened Spell so you can set up your defense quickly. Wanna steal a guys wallet while playing poker with them? Dip into arcane trickster rogue and subtle spell mage hand. Not to mention a heightened banishment/polymorph/fireball/disintegrate/friends/charm person is really great to have in pivotal moments. You yourself said the game is based on advantage and disadvantage, so wouldn’t it make sense to grab an ability that imposes half that system on enemies, especially with awesome spells like these? Overall, I can see where your coming from, but I have to disagree. Sorcerers are great in my opinion and have a lot more potential to bend spells to their whim with some planning, forethought, and creativity. The level 20 ability is a bit underwhelming though, but if this series has shown me anything, it’s that most of the level 20 abilities are disappointing.
I would grant the optional “spell points” rule exclusively to sorcerers (and maybe warlocks) and allow sorcery points and spell points to be used interchangeably. It adds a great deal of flexibility to spellcasting that fits the flavor of the sorcerer perfecly and gives it something to properly set it apart from other casters.
played dragonic bloodline (red dragon so fire magic)all the way to level 20. I love the idea, but oh my god does it suck in mechanics. We were facing devils with fire resistance/immunity when xanathar’s came out and i was so excited to see the elemental bane. “oh man” I thought, “a spell that overcomes elemental resistances? I won’t be useless in the campaign anymore!”. except guess what? THE ELEMENTAL CASTING CLASS CAN’T LEARN THE MAIN SPELL TO OVERCOME ELEMENTAL RESISTANCE.
Let’s see… Shadow Sorcerer, At first level has dark vision of 120 feet, nice. At 3rd level an cast darkness that doesn’t effect you, very interesting. 14th level you can..teleport to any..place that has dim light..or darkness..that YOU CAN SEE…up to 120 FEET…*AS A BONUS ACTION!?!* Imagines RoguexShadowSorcerer combo as wicked smile forms on face. DEATH TO ALL WHO STAND BEFORE ME. But, seriously, shadow sorcerer +rogue or +shadow monk is really broken. Become the ultimate Assassin that you always wanted to be.
Eldritch spear then take spell sniper and then do distant spell which get to a range of 1,200 feet now imagine that with repelling blast agonizing blast and at max level so you are shooting 4 eldritch blasts that do extra damage each equal to your charisma bonus and each knocks them back 10 feet this is what you call the eldritch sniper
I had two front-liners when I played a Sorc in Ravenloft, and they were the consistent recipients of my Haste spell. Alternatively, if the cavern was tight enough, I’d use web. Alternatively again, if they were susceptible to mind manipulation I had Hypnotic Pattern. Basically I would cast “the” spell for the combat, put down my lawn chair behind cover, and wait. SORCERER!
The spellcasring is like buffet(cleric, paladin, etc.)vs restaurant (sorcerer, warlock, bard) The buffet: you go up to the food and pick whatever you want, and once youre done you can just get some other stuff, maybe change some food that you didnt like. Restaurant: you get a meal but you can only order once per day. Sorcerer:you can only order happy meals, and its allways the bad toy. Thank you for coming to my ted talk
there are only 3 things I fear as a wild mage sorcerer, fireball centered on self, the age alter accident, and the 49-50 choice which is you can’t speak for the next minute. Whenever you try, pink bubbles float out of your mouth. means any vocational spells will either have to be done with subtle spellcasting or you can’t cast any vocal spells till that runs out. cause while casting fireball on self is hilarious and sad to see that ain’t NEARLY as scary as changing into a 1 year old or dying because you literally can’t speak your spells.
The last campaign I played in, I was a Draconic Sorcerer/Bard multiclass. I also had a tendency to roll high with him. Holy fuck did my DM hate me. Ran around in normal clothes with a base AC of 15 due to his scales, and an AC of 17 when he had my rapier out (thank you duelist); making him nigh impervious. He was basically a tank of a mage, still capable of nuking enemies with my spells, and quite the acrobat. Aside from his mediocre melee damage, he was extremely self-sustaining; and he wasn’t even minmaxed. He was cocky, yes, but honestly seemed to have a right to be considering he was able to deal instantly kill a boss in the first round thanks to the enemy’s weakness to lightning (Draconic bloodline was that of a blue dragon, and so I focused on lightning) and a nat 20. DM decided it was only fair to quadruple my damage, which sent it all the way up to 196 iirc. DM flipped his shit and promptly started my character arc with enemies specifically meant to stop my character before he ascended into godhood through sheer arrogance. Once metamagic came into play, he was unstoppable. Had it not been for my work schedule conflicting with the game, I would’ve given our DM a hemorrhoid. Sorcerers are fucking wild.
I have homebrewed sorcerers in several ways for my players. 1) my sorcerers get to choose the spell point variant if they want 2) I’ve made Feats for them that allow them to change their spell’s damage and give them more sorcery points 3) I gave each sub class spells known that that they no matter what have. Like domain spells for clerics 4) I am currently playing around with letting sorcerers get some of their sorcery points back at a short rest… it needs work but it could single handily fix the sorcerer if it does well.
Coming from a wizard puritan from d&d 3.5/pathfinder, If there’s one class that I’ve had more fun going all in with in 5e it’s a shadow sorcerer. Even after playing warlock and wizard. Since they moved metamagic to sorc only, I gave it a try and its waaaay better in 5e. Subtle is one of those hilarious metamagics that just pay dividends in combat and social encounters. However, I spend a lot of time doing clever things outside of spell casting since he’s built like a smart guy as well. I just don’t feel spammy. At the end the day, I still think you have a great point really. Sorcerer on the tin is kind of limiting as is, and so is warlock. Which is why they get treated as dip classes. You have to really make it your own to have fun. Btw, subtle sleep is a funny signature move.
I once played a high elf princess who ran away from home to be a musician (bard). I made her parents and her sorcerers so she had 1lvl of sorcerer. This made it way easier in combats because she had damage type cantrips and made up for the crapy bard 20lvl ability.(I’ll take 4 cantrips and 2 sorcerer spells over 1 bardic inspiration any day)
I feel like the bard is underrated. The very first character I created was a triton bard and it is currently level 13. Although it has very little hit points compared to the rest of my party, the spells it gets at high levels and the other abilities it gets really make up for however weak it initially is. The bard has grown on me and, along with the fighter, all the customization you can do with it makes it my favorite class in d&d 5e.
Ok I haven’t seen anyone else say this: Careful spell doesn’t stop your friends from taking damage, they just auto succeed their save. This means that you spend a sorcery point to give your friends half damage instead of full. Even then there’s no way of knowing if they would’ve just succeeded anyway.
My sorcerer just died last session unexpectedly. This is now a little sad. Wish I’d seen it before. Her name was Acantha. She was a shadow sorcerer. I’m bringing her back though through possession of my new barbarian character. My new character is two characters Acantha part time and this barbarian part time. It’s fun plus she’s a little overpowered because she’s still as strong as a barbarian. My party already has overpowered weapons so it kind of balances out. My DM is cool with it.
Subtle spell and counter spell: cannot be countered… No subtle spell can be counted. Twin spell knock while handcuffed (still loud, but you pop the cuffs on the barbarian). Hightened spell the hold person/monster so you are guaranteed a round of beat downs. Distance spell magic missile to not miss the guy getting away.
i know a bit old on the article, but sorcerer i am having a blast with (no pun intended) Currently using a dragon sorcerer who got the power from their father slaying a brass dragon, devouring its heart and “passing” the magic along after returning home. It is really funny when you find out via the sorcery point system a wee lvl 5 sorcerer can cast 4 fireballs in a row, FB>make 3rd slot, FB, burn 2nd slot for points, FB, burn 2nd slot for points, burn 1st slot for points and THEN cast FB. ???, Profit.
Immagine you’re a level 20 draconic bloodline sorcerer fighting the BBEG. You got your wings and whatnot, but then decide “ya know what? I think I’m gonna become a dragon” so you cast TRUE POLYMORPH and become an ancient brass dragon. You hear another dragon loudly announce “THAT’S MY BOY!” as the BBEG now has to face two ancient brass dragons. Have fun using that breath weapon and multiattack.
@ level 8, Sorcerers should either; A- Have +1 extra spells to each level, as long as they are (ritual tag) spells. B- Cast any ritual 1/day with the ritual tag of any class as a sorcerer-spell, as long as they meet the other requirements for the spell. I believe that would help with their theme, for RP-ing and their very limited spell-slots, selection issues. Something close to (schools) but remain within the confines of its themes.
Sorcerors are also really good at having more uses of damage sponge polymorph than anyone else. Even that underwhelming 20th-level capstone helps with this. Gestalt draconic bloodline with barbarian on a hill drawf and you become like a really poorly designed article game boss that takes forever to whittle down the health bar of.
I think sorcerers should have way more origins. I have homebrewed a few my self, being Infernal bloodline (Magic Inherited from an abyssal or Infernal ancestor. Best for tiefling), Fey Influence (Magic sparked by being trapped in the feywild and/or magically enhanced by an archfey), and Elemental catalyst (being able to control one of the four elements by way of being exposed to the elemental plane)
Level 6 draconic sorcerer level 1 hexblade with 18 cha. Cast hex and hexblades curse on your first turn, then on the second use quickened spell on a level 3 scorching ray and cast firebolt. 13d6+2d10+28 damage against a single target. Sorcerer isn’t bad if you dab a little in warlock stuff, you’re welcome
Combine Sorcerer with 5 levels of any class with extra attack and you have yourself a monster character. Take quickened spell and go to work. i.e 5 Sorcerer 5 Paladin. “I cast Fireball with quickened spell! Now that was my bonus action. For my action, I will attack twice and smite both times!” Divine Soul Sorcerer and Paladin is the most broken duo class choice in my opinion. But even take Fighter/Battlemaster. Replace smite with maneuvers, or Colossus Slayer with Ranger/Hunter. Heck, even take 1 level in Warlock for Eldritch Blast or Magic Initiate as a feat for it. Eldritch Blast is the magic equivalent of extra attack anyway, except it scales by total level and not Warlock level.
I know practically no one who thinks bard is the weakest class. If anything it is one of the strongest. Warlock yeah, it’s pretty weak in play because no one wants to short rest. Sorcerer is a great class though, it’s spellcasting itself is just stronger due to metamagic. They may get less spells but they can change them to their will. In my book the full arcane casters go wizard, bard, sorcerer, warlock. The weakest class is the monk, they just don’t do anything particularly well except movement.
I apologize for the late comment but i only just discovered this and feel I need to express how much you undersold the potential of the Metamagic… Here is how just 1 level 2 spell becomes game breaking with Meta Magic. A lv. 5 party went too far into a lair and piss off an ancient Dragon. Subtle Spell Suggestion: Count your gold. Encounter over just like that a TPK totally evaded. An annoying teammate ignoring your pleas for help Subtle Spell Suggestion: Charge the enemy. Either no more annoying teammate or no more bad guy. DM’s beware Sorcerers are the most dangerous casters in the hands of creative players.
I love Sorcerer. My Character is a LvL 5 Dragonborn Shadow Sorcerer, so I get many Spells from my Subclass, also I have a really high Charisma.. funfact, I have the most psycic spells in my group. Although, I love to go without fighting, cause of my high charisma and the background “scared by trials”. I dont really need to fight, I can outspeak the most.
Also as mentioned by others you can twin cast buff spells, did you know this includes invisibility, though do think sorcerer could be a bit cooler with more unique spells something not many people mention if anything class suffers from this aspect more then any other, as other main casters tend to have a few unique spells, or other ability such as the bard the only other class with almost no unique spells,
I once DMed a one shot for some friends. One player was a wild magic sorcerer. They got to the final boss room, and were faced by a group of evil scientists trying to open a portal to a plane of pure desolation and destruction, filled with all manner of voracious and terrifying creatures. They stealthily snuck their way past the guards and were inside the portal room. The rogue began sneak attacking the scientists to try and stop them from opening the portal but it was too late. The head scientist, standing on a platform in the center, pulled the lever as soon as he saw the commotion, and hopped inside a large battle mech. Boss fight! In one turn, the sorcerer stood up from where she was hiding, cast a lightning bolt, and triggered her wild magic. I don’t remember exactly what she rolled on the wild magic table, but it killed all the scientists in the room and downed the boss all in one turn.
As if it hadn’t already been said a million times, Jacob’s hardstyle sleeping on the old metamagic. Actually game changing in a multitude of circumstances. I opt for Sorcerer over Bard for party face because of subtle spell and Sorcerer over pretty much everything for support because of twinned spell. It’s a whole thing ❤
So the counterarguments for Jacobs thing is always 1 or 2 things. Either “Me sorc. do a lot of damage” or “But Subtle Spell”. I play a Sorc. myself but even I can admit that they’re too limited in options. Your sorc. doing 30+ damage by expending several limited resources while a rogue does AS MUCH damage, while being stealthy and not endanger teamates in combat without expending a spell slot or sorc. points – Both of which you only get back on long rests – is not a compelling argument for sorcerers being good. You are a more consistent wizard with less options, spell slots, access to spells and an inability to prepare spells but has access to crutches that are either situationally better than traditional spellcasting or are solutions to problems a competent spellcaster would either not be in or would have prepared a solution for, but due to the lack of spells a sorc. can have at any given time, they NEED that limited resources to even be viable. Even then, when you unlock that limited resource you can hardly use it, and when you get the option to fully use it, you can only use about 2 of the options. Subtle spell and twinned spell. Those are the only 2 consistently mentioned, maybe alongside hastened spell, but you’re a sorc, you don’t have about a single decent action speed cantrip to cast alongside that bonus action fireball. But heres the uses for those two that I have seen constantly: Subtle Spell – I can cast things in silence. (How frequently are you going to be in a silence bubble though?
my buff for sorcerers, and all spells known casters for that matter, is the UA feature that should have 100% been in tashas, but appearently they thought sorcerers didn’t need as much a buff as wizards needed. Fucking WoC. Anyways the Optional feat i am talking about is. Spell Versatility. “Whenever you finish a long rest, you can replace one spell you learned from this Spellcasting feature with another spell from the (Class) spell list. The new spell must be the same level as the spell you replace.” Not too overpowered, and you still have to strategize a bit what kinds of spells you choose when leveling up, since you can only exchange one per long rest and only of the same level as the one you replace. I IMPLORE every DM to use this rule AT LEAST ON SORCERERS. Because else, you will probably have noone play a sorcerer at your table, even tho i love the class in concept and metamagic is really cool. Spells known casters are a remnant of older editions, and are garbage only because they want to keep the tradition. If you think Sorcerers still suck with this extra class feature or you don’t want to give it to them for some reason, you could just give them more spells known by giving them their spells known number + charisma MOD as their actual spells known number. like at first level you would get 2 + CHA MOD, so probably 5 spells you could choose from, which makes them at least viable. Even One DnD is giving them more spells.
I Cast Scorching ray with Quickened spell and then Twinned Firebolt so I can attack 5 different enemies who are all like, 60 feet away from each other, or you know, nuke a boss and kill a trash mob all in one go. I can alter my spells so NO ONE KNOWS who casted it, causing a distraction so our party can progress. I can extend Create bonfire up to 24 hours and toss someone chained up inside and smile as since they are restrained they automatically fail all their saving throws and take upward of over 500kfire damage. Sorc is for those who don’t NEED at will spells to make them worth taking. Kappa
I am also in the opinion that the sorcerer is a great multiclass option. Me personally, I begin with leveling up my wood elf oc (Varis Naïlo) to 3rd lvl draconic sorcerer for the natural AC of 13, draconic language, expertise in charisma based ability checks against dragons (which can potentially allow you to frighten dragons), proficiency in constitution saving throws and for metamagic I choose subtile spell (for spying) and empowered spell (for firebolt, untill I get eldritch blast), both with low cost. I then put the rest of the level ups into celestial warlock (the class I actually wanted to play as all along). I can convert my warlock spell slots to sorcery points before every short rest, allowing me to consistently have 3 points at my disposal.
are you seriously neglecting twinning a spell? that shit is dope. same with quickened spell. that shit turns combat into a spell-slingling hell of a time. that and if you multiclass warlock, you can destroy those slots to create more sorcery points and then you can short rest to get them back instantly.
Hey man et. al, I’m gearing up for my first campaign. Been loving your articles… very funny and looks like you guys have a blast making them. Felt compelled to leave a comment because the last few have been making me laugh in a way that I thought not possible today. And then you pop up with “Hey, xpSauce.” Fucking brilliant. I know this article is a year old but I’ve seen some recent ones and you still got it going on. Keep up the great work!
You are not right about bonus action spells. That rule is for spells with casting time bonus action in description. And that rule is general. Sorcerer uses spell with casting time one action as bonus action. He has exceptional ruling and has no limits on casting second one. I saw some tweet from developers some time ago. It said sorcerer can cast two spells per round with that metamagic.
Multiclassing with sorcerer: can smite basically at will, can have the insane spell list of an artillerist without the puny number of slots, and can be absolutely game breaking with coffeelock Soloclassing sorcerer: “Oh the enemy is immune to fire damage? Guess literally all of my combat spells are completely useless now.”
Sorcerer is the best class, because fireball. “But Jay, the wizard can do that too!” Well yes, but does the wizard have a fuck ton of sorcery points that they refuse to use on metamagic and instead use to create new spell slots to cast fireball a dozen more times essentially solo killing the adult red dragon you threw at your party because you needed to give them a challenge but the Paladin with an AC of 19 refused to take damage and your dragon couldnt roll a number higher than an 8 to save its life, allowing the sorcerer to be completely protected? I didnt think so.
Sorc sounds really cool and fun! I have played very little (basically a fighter for a short campaign but it was Starcraft based and abilities were replaced with grenades, pretty much) and a Paladin for 2 sessions, but Sorc sounds perfect to try out being a mage. All the spells Warlock and Wizard get really intimidate me (f* Mystic, lmao), and getting to modify spells’ effects on the fly sounds a lot more fun to me anyway! 😀