Phoenix Sorcery 2024

Your power draws from the immortal flame that fuels the legendary phoenix. You or your ancestors perhaps rendered a phoenix a great service, or you were born in its presence. Whatever the cause, a shard of the phoenix’s power dwells within you.

That power is a mixed blessing. Like the mythical creature, you can invoke fiery energy and gain the ability to cheat death itself. This power comes at a cost. The fire within you seethes, demanding to be unleashed. You sometimes find yourself absentmindedly feeding fires. You can’t bear to allow a fire to sputter out. You feel most comfortable while holding a lit torch or sitting in front of a campfire.

Phoenix sorcerers can use their powers to pull themselves back from the brink of death, and all too often, their own rash nature or reliance on destructive magic is what puts them there in the first place. Such sorcerers are wanderers by necessity. The volatile nature of their magic makes other folk nervous. If a fire breaks out in town, a phoenix sorcerer had best flee, whether guilty or not. Fire is a dangerous force, and phoenix sorcerers have a reputation (deserved or not) for reckless behavior, confident that the essence of the phoenix can save them.

 

This Subclass was created as a "Remaster" of the old Phoenix Bloodline from Unearthed Arcana. Due to it being left on the cutting room floor (and a good chunk of it probably being put into subclasses like the Celestial Warlock and Wildfire Druid of 5e), I decided to dust off the old Subclass and give it a new coat of paint. This Subclass is meant to not only fix the weird contingencies and odd power scaling that the original had, but to also expand upon its original theme of both fire and staving off death. Spells that were picked as bonus spells were chosen with both Metamagics and Flavor in mind. Would Healing Word be better than Cure Wounds on average? Yeah, probably- but that makes options like Distant, Quicken, or even Heightened Spell Metamagic that much more appealing! I hope those who play this have fun and make awesome characters to embody the power of the Phoenix!

Flame On, Adventurers! (And if there's anything that's broken or not working as intended- please let me know! I'll try to fix it as soon as possible).

Level 3: Mantle of Flame

Your power awakens as a raging tempest of flame and fury, burning all who would dare strike at you while nourishing flames help dampen the blows. Whenever you activate your Innate Sorcery feature, you also gain the following benefits in addition to your regular bonuses from Innate Sorcery:

• You shed bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet.

• You gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to 5 times your Proficiency Bonus

• Any creature that hits you with a Melee Attack takes Fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

Level 3: Phoenixian Spells

When you reach a Sorcerer level specified in the Phoenixian Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Phoenixian Spells

Sorcerer Level	Spells
3	Burning Hands, Cure Wounds, Gentle Repose, Heat Metal, Produce Flame, Spare the Dying
5	Fireball, Revivify
7	Death Ward, Fire Shield
9	Flame Strike, Reincarnate

Level 6: Heart of the Phoenix

Fire has become part of your heart and soul- protecting you from flames, and allowing your fire spells to soothe and restore your wounds. You gain the following benefits:

• You gain Resistance to Fire Damage

• Whenever you deal Fire damage from a spell, you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage rolled.

• Whenever you expend a Spell Slot to cast a spell that deals Fire damage, you regain Hit Points equal to the Spell Slot’s level + your Charisma modifier.

Level 14: Spark of the Phoenix

The fire that burns within you now shines even brighter. In the face of death, it will surge outward to protect you- burning all who would dare cause you harm in a roaring flame.

If you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to draw on the spark of the phoenix. You are instead reduced to 1 hit point, and each creature of your choice within 10 feet of you takes fire damage equal to your Sorcerer Level + your Charisma modifier.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

In addition- your Resistance to Fire damage from Heart of the Phoenix becomes Immunity to Fire damage, and you now regain HP equal to the Spell Slot's Level + your Sorcerer Level after expending a Spell Slot to cast a spell that deals Fire Damage.

Level 18: Phoenixian Form

You finally master the burning flame within you, allowing your powers to soar to the likes of which none have never seen before- by Phoenix or Sorcerer alike. As a Magic Action, you can enter your Phoenixian Form. This transformation last for 1 Hour, until you have the Incapacitated condition, or until you die (whichever occurs first).

While transformed, you gain the following benefits:

• You have a Flying Speed of 60 feet and can hover.

• You have Resistance to all damage that isn't Fire Damage.

• Your spells that deal Fire Damage bypass any form of Resistance, Immunity, or Damage Reduction.

Once you have used this form, you cannot do so again until you finish a Long Rest, or use 4 Sorcery Points as part of the Magic Action to activate it once again.