5e Sorcerer: Fixed
D&D vs. Fantasy Sorcerer
When most of us imagine a sorcerer or sorceress we think of somebody meddling with cosmic powers, not somebody with a wand going "pew pew."
The D&D concept of a sorcerer is more of a blaster specialist than the wizard. And the sorcerer isn't even a ritual caster! There is some cognitive dissonance here with the archetype in our mind that leaves players less satisfied.
The D&D sorcerer class is also one of the weaker classes in the game, due to the low number of spells known, though newer subclasses in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything help this.
However, if you feel the sorcerer could do with a bit of a makeover, this is the homebrew for you.
Fixing the 5e Sorcerer
The Chanting Sorcerer
Do you imagine sorcerers with outstretched arms calling cosmic powers that build to a crescendo of cataclysmic proportions?
I do. But this aspect of gathering power is totally missing from the D&D sorcerer.
To fix this, we add two additional metamagic options.
New Metamagic Options
Intensified Spell: When you cast a spell that can be cast at higher levels and which requires concentration, on subsequent turns as an action you can spend one sorcery point (per turn) to increase the level of the spell (including to levels above your current maximum spell level). This can be used with other metamagic options.
Charged Spell: As an action you can spend a sorcery point and hold concentration to create a charge. On a subsequent turn, when you cast a spell of duration instantaneous, you can spend one or more charges to increase the spell one level per charge above the level of the spell slot you use (including to levels above your maximum spell level). This can be used with other metamagic options.
Flavor is free
Players can flavor their intensified spell and charged spell as they please. They could chant or channel energy between their palms. Their eyes could glow. Frost could run out onto the ground, spreading away from their body. Or it could be subtle, such as their hair standing on end, or nearby objects beginning to rattle and shake. Perhaps a beastly howl or draconic cry echoes in the distance, or screams of the dead begin to sound in the minds of anyone nearby. There is no requirement for it to be overt, but no flavor is no fun.
Example use of Intensified Spell for a damage dealing spell
Sorcerer is 3rd level with access to 1st and 2nd level spells.
Turn 1: action to cast flaming sphere at 2nd level, bonus action ram somebody for 2d6 damage (half on save)
Turn 2: action to intensify, spend 1 sorcery point (It is now 3rd level flaming sphere), bonus action ram somebody for 3d6 damage (half on save)
Turn 3: action to intensity, spend 1 sorcery point (It is now 4th level flaming sphere), bonus action ram somebody for 4d6 damage (half on save)
Turn 4: action to cast some other spell like fire bolt or chromatic orb. Keep concentration on 4th level flaming sphere, bonus action ram for 4d6 damage (half on save).
Example use of Intensified spell for a non-damaging spell
Sorcerer is 5th level with access to spells of 3rd level and below.
Turn 1: cast fly at 3rd level on themselves, begin concentration
Turn 2: action to intensify, spend one sorcery point. Fly is now 4th level and the caster can designate another creature to be affected by the fly spell.
Turn 3: action to intensify, spend one sorcery point. Fly is now 5th level and the caster can designate a 3rd creature to be affected by the fly spell.
Example use of Intensified spell on a spell that requires a saving throw
Sorcerer is a 4th level sorcerer with access to spells of 1st and 2nd level.
Turn 1: cast hold person on an enemy humanoid creature such as an orc. Creature makes the save and the spell ends.
Turn 2: cast hold person again, using the final 2nd level spell slot. Creature fails the save this time.
Turn 3: spend an action and a sorcery point to intensify the spell. Caster may select another creature to make a saving throw. Creature succeeds on the save, the spell ends for that creature. It cannot be targeted again.
Turn 4: spend an action and another sorcery point to intensify the spell again. Caster selects a different creature to make a saving throw. Creature fails the save and is held.
Turn 5: both held creatures made their saves at the end of their turns and the spell has ended. Sorcerer flees!
Example use of Charged Spell
Turn 1: A 5th level sorcerer spends their action and a sorcery point for 1 charge (don't need to declare the spell they intend to use) and they begin concentrating. As a bonus action, they convert a 1st level slot into 2 sorcery points.
Turn 2: action to spend a second sorcery point for 1 charge (total 2), continue concentrating
Turn 3: action to spend a second sorcery point for 1 charge (total 3), continue concentrating
Turn 5: action to cast fireball at 3rd level + 3 levels of charge = 6th level; spend 1 sorcery point to do it as a distant spell, dealing 11d6 damage on a failed save to creatures in the area of effect.
If an attack breaks the sorcerer's concentration before the spell is cast, all accumulated charges are lost.
Note, from an action economy standpoint, charged spell makes sense mostly for area affect spells.
Contribution Credits
| Type | Source |
|---|---|
| Art: Sorcerer | Jeff Dbury, pixabay noncomercial license. |
Change Log
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2022.09.07 | Initial feedback. Removed proposal to use Con instead of Cha as spellcasting ability--too many implications to consider and not consistent with innate casting monsters that don't use Con as their casting ability. Use of metamagic is restrictive enough that it is ok to remove limitation on proficiency bonus as maximum spell level intensification/charging. Added note on flavor and examples from reader question. |
| 2022.09.03 | Initial release |
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Broken ability that needs nerfing?
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Contact Dan at adventure@authordanallen.com.