Base Class: Sorcerer
Not every student of a great academy is a wizard who learns magic from nothing. An Elemental Academy Scholar enters the academy with power already alive within them—an elemental force rooted in their soul. The academy does not grant this power, but teaches the sorcerer how to recognize, discipline, and command it. Their primary element reflects their inner nature, responding to instinct and emotion as much as conscious will. Through rigorous training, they learn to refine what was once wild and shapeless into something controlled and reliable.
This inner origin allows them to reshape spells into the image of their element. Rather than assembling magic through memorized formulae, they impose their elemental essence onto the spell, altering its nature to match their own. In doing so, the spell’s original characteristics may be lost, replaced by a purer manifestation of the sorcerer’s identity. Their strength lies not in learning new magic from scratch, but in mastering the elemental power that has always been part of them.
Despite their innate gift, Elemental Academy Scholars are still products of a prestigious academic tradition. Their training includes magical theory, analysis, and disciplined study, sharpening their intellect alongside their elemental control. Many develop keen analytical minds, able to understand arcane structures, identify magical patterns, and apply their knowledge with precision. This combination of natural power and cultivated intelligence sets them apart, allowing them to approach magic not only as an instinct, but as a field of study they truly comprehend.
Level 1: Primary Element
At 1st level, you choose a primary element that determines your specialization within the academy. The damage type associated with your chosen element is used for features you gain later.
Earth
You will have earth as your primary element. You can change damage type of cantrip or spell you cast into earth (bludgeoning) damage, and you will gain earth damage resistance and bludgeoning damage resistance in later levels.
Fire
You will have fire as your primary element. You can change damage type of cantrip or spell you cast into fire damage, and you will gain fire damage resistance in later levels.
Flora
You will have flora as your primary element. You can change damage type of cantrip or spell you cast into flora (poison) damage, and you will gain flora damage resistance and poison damage resistance in later levels.
Ice
You will have ice as your primary element. You can change damage type of cantrip or spell you cast into cold damage, and you will gain cold damage resistance and in later levels.
Lightning
You will have lightning as your primary element. You can change damage type of cantrip or spell you cast into lightning damage, and you will gain lightning damage resistance in later levels.
Water
You will have water as your primary element. You can change damage type of cantrip or spell you cast into water (acid) damage, and you will gain water damage resistance and acid damage resistance in later levels.
Wind
You will have wind as your primary element. You can change damage type of cantrip or spell you cast into wind (slashing) damage, and you will gain wind damage resistance and slashing damage resistance in later levels.
Level 1: Scholar Peers
You live and socialize with various species of peers. Choose one species from the list which became your close peers and you learned their language.
Common
You peers are mostly humans. You communicate with your peers in common language. You are able to speak, read, and write in common language.
Draconic
You peers are mostly draconics. You communicate with your peers in draconic language. You are able to speak, read, and write in draconic language.
Dwarvish
You peers are mostly dwarves. You communicate with your peers in dwarvish language. You are able to speak, read, and write in dwarvish language.
Elvish
You peers are mostly elves. You communicate with your peers in elvish language. You are able to speak, read, and write in elvish language.
Gnomish
You peers are mostly gnomes. You communicate with your peers in gnomish language. You are able to speak, read, and write in gnomish language.
Halfling
You peers are mostly halflings. You communicate with your peers in halfling language. You are able to speak, read, and write in halfling language.
Scholarly Rapport
When you make an Intelligence check while interacting with a creature that has the Sage background, your proficiency bonus is doubled for that check if it applies.
Level 1: Elemental Overriding
NERF
Before sorcerer level 14, once you choose a primary element, you cannot apply secondary effects (such as pushing, slowing, poisoning, or similar rider effects—unless the DM rules otherwise) from cantrips or spells that deal damage of a type other than your primary element.
Example: if you choose water as your primary element and cast "fire bolt", the fire damage still applies, but no burning effect is triggered.
This nerf does not apply to non-damaging cantrips or spells, such as "slow", "sleep", "fear", etc.
Level 6: Elemental Conversion
When you cast a cantrip or a spell that deals damage, you can use a bonus action to change its damage type to match your primary element. When you do so, the spell loses any original secondary effects. You can roll 1d20 to determine wether the selected cantrip or spell do the secondary effect of your primary element. If the dice die + your spellcasting ability modifier equals 10 or more, the selected cantrip or spell do the secondary effect of your primary element everytime the spell hit and the target failed on a saving throw against your spell save DC.
- Fire — Burning: The target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. The target or a creature within 5 feet of it can use an action to extinguish the flames.
- Wind — Disoriented: The target’s speed becomes 0 until the end of its next turn.
- Water — Soaked: The target has disadvantage on its next attack roll, and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
- Earth — Prone: The target is knocked prone. A prone creature’s only movement option is to crawl, unless it stands up and thereby ends the condition. The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls. An attack roll against the creature has advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the attack roll has disadvantage.
- Lightning — Shocked: The target can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.
- Ice — Chilled: The target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet, and it has disadvantage on its next Strength or Dexterity saving throw until the end of its next turn.
- Flora — Entangled or Tainted (choose one). Entangled: The target is entangled (escape DC = your spell save DC). An entangled creature’s speed becomes 0. The condition ends if the creature succeeds on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against that DC. Tainted: The target takes 1d4 poison damage at the start of each of its turns for 3 turns, or until the target consumes antitoxin or is healed by any healing spell.
This change only affect 1 particular cantrip or spell and lasts for 5 turns. You can use this feature on a different cantrip or spell while a previous spell is still affected by this feature.
Level 6: Elemental Empowerment
Starting at 6th level, by spending one sorcery point at the beginning of a combat encounter, when you cast a spell that deals damage of your chosen element, you can add your spellcasting ability modifier to any damage roll of the spell.
Elemental Retaliation
Starting at 14th level, when you are hit by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to deal your primary element damage to the attacker. The damage equals your sorcerer level.
The attacker must also make a Strength saving throw against your sorcerer spell save DC. On a failed save, the attacker is pushed in a straight line up to 20 feet away from you.
Scholarly Ascension
At 18th level, you gain a flying speed of 60 feet.
As an action, you can choose up to a number of creatures within 30 feet of you equal to 3 + your spellcasting ability modifier. Each chosen creature gains a flying speed of 30 feet for 1 hour. While this effect lasts, your flying speed is reduced to 30 feet. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
You can also choose whether to use Charisma modifier or Intelligence modifier for this feature once you finish long rest. This choice lasts until you finish your next long rest.
Level 6: Scholarly Precision
Your academic training allows your intellect to guide your elemental power with careful accuracy.
Starting at 6th level, when you cast a sorcerer spell, you can add half your Intelligence modifier (rounded down) to the spell attack roll in addition to your original spellcasting ability modifier.
You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all uses after a long rest.