Hi everybody! This is my first time posting in the forums, but I've been meaning to for a while, really.
Now, for the meat of it, I'd like to preface this by saying I don't think WoTC has done a terrible job at balancing the 5e classes. But, seeing what a class is and what it could be are two different things.
Why would I even want to make the Sorcerer overpowered? Eh, I dunno. Seems fun. Let's get into it!
Sorcerers, by their description, seem like they should be de facto the best spellcaster. Rather than sourcing their magic from knowledge of the weave, a pact, a god, etc...there is no middleman. They just are the conduit for their magic.
Translated into game mechanics this gives us Sorcery Points, which can be redeemed for more spell slots or vice versa, and can be used for Metamagics, allowing a Sorcerer to add some extra oomph to their spells. Great! But we can do better.
The trick with making something overpowered is that you don't shore up its weaknesses. I could absolutely give Sorcerers every armor, weapon, and skill proficiency and leave it at that. But that doesn't make it fun. What the Sorcerer was intended to be was a limited spells glass cannon that had the ability to morph their spells to their leisure. So, we beef that up.
One Metamagic everyone loves is Quickened Spell, because it makes an action spell a bonus action. However, per the spellcasting rules, this is severely nerfed when we realize that any spell cast by the Sorcerer as a Quickened Spell now forces the Sorcerer to cast a cantrip instead of a leveled spell. There is one caveat to this rule, however...
Our first change: At 2nd level, the Sorcerer is getting Action Surge. Yeah, yeah, it's unique to the Fighter. Not anymore. Between rests, the Sorcerer can lob one extra leveled spell. Yes, this makes multiclassing into Sorcerer as a Warlock, Paladin, or Bard absolutely ludicrously good. I don't write for D&D, sue me.
Despite their inherently magical nature, there is only one official spell completely unique to the Sorcerer. That spell is Chaos Bolt. Hmm...the only unique spell, and it can do a random damage type, does 2d8+1d6, and can sometimes jump to another enemy? AND it only scales +1d6 per spell level? Could you not just use Chromatic Orb, where you choose the damage type and it scales with d8s? Or, better yet, just take Magic Missile!
Yeah....no. Change #2: Chaos Bolt does 2d8+1d10 damage, and automatically leaps to the second target. Then, it can leap to another, only if you roll the same number on the d8s. It scales with d10s per spell level now.
"But textbook, this seems overpowered!"
.
.
Cough.
....Yeah, read the title again.
Moving on! I don't like the level 20 capstone! No one likes the level 20 capstone!
Change 3! We get Sorcerous Restoration at level 5 instead of level 20. In its place, at level 20, Sorcerers now get the ability to cast two leveled spells per action. Definitely a jump in power! However, Clerics can call god, Fighters get 8 attacks, Druids become god, and Monks.....ehhhh maybe I should do Monks next. Least they could do is let is Fireball twice. Or four times with Action Surge.
Now, it is so wonderful and satisfying when you can pull off a cool use of metamagic. But, there are clear favorites. Let's beef up some of the others!
Change 4: Metamagics.
Careful Spell: The creatures you choose now don't take half damage on a save if they should have. Yes, it's lifted directly from the Evocation subclass of the Wizard, but honestly no one picks that subclass anyways.
Empowered Spell: Scrap the reroll stuff. Instead, you spend 3 Sorcery Points, and get to cast the spell two levels higher than what you were casting it as. Yes, this means you can just cast something at 7th level and for a measly 3 sorcery points, you get to preserve your 9th level spell slot and still get a full powered spell. The Druid can turn into a dragon at the same level. We can deal with it.
Subtle Spell: You forgo all components, unless they have a gold cost. Moreover, if casting the spell would break invisibility on you, it does not.
Ok, I know the name of the game is to make the Sorcerer more OP with what it already gets, but c'mon....15 spells?
Change 5: Origin spells for all Sorcerous Origins. Not only does this shore up the Sorcerer's biggest weakness, it also makes total sense! Each sorcerer type should have free access to different spells that they normally shouldn't. Metamagic is fun, but what would make it more fun is more spells!
Now, for the subclasses.
Wild Magic
I'll be the first to say that Wild Magic is a lot of fun, but because of certain portrayals in D&D campaigns that aren't even in 5e (ahem, Sips), people seem to think that the 5e Wild Magic Sorcerer's "Wild Magic Surge" feature doesn't let the user cast the spell, and instead does the Wild Magic effect. I'd change the language to reflect that.
Tides of Chaos also no longer has any ambiguous language, and you will be rolling on the Wild Magic table the first time you cast a spell after using this feature.
Bend Luck scales up. It'll turn to a d6 at level 8, a d8 at level 10, and a d10 at level 12. No that isn't evenly spread across all levels.
Spell Bombardment is fine, but it's just so snooze. No, instead, you spend 8 sorcery points and get to just maximize the damage on a spell. Full stop. Eat your heart out, Evocation Wizard.
Draconic Bloodline
Elemental Affinity: Snooze. No, you just get to add that to every spell. Add your Charisma modifier to every spell, and it does whatever associated damage. You also just have resistance to that damage type. Read it and weep.
Dragon Wings: BIG SNOOZE. Ugh god why do we have to care about a thirty foot flying speed at level fourteen??? Buy a flying broomstick it's not that hard. No, instead you get a flying speed of 60 feet, and now you get a breath attack. Once per short rest, you can use your dragon's breath attack.
Draconic Presence: I can use an action to use up 5 sorcery points and do this. But a level ago I learned Meteor Swarm, which seems like a better use of the action economy. No, instead, Draconic Presence should come alongside another feature, and should cost way less. Maybe three sorcery points? For another feature, I'll say that you get immunity to your damage type.
Shadow Magic
Eyes of the Dark: Now you can just see through magical and nonmagical darkness. I don't know why it wasn't like that in the first place.
Hound of Ill Omen: 3 sorcery points??? Should be more bang for your buck. Instead, it's Hounds of Ill Omen, and you summon two. They still have to target the same creature though. It just seems cooler to send two dogs rather than one, I dunno.
Shadow Walk: Logistically kind of a nightmare. I'd instead make this feature so that you can teleport from darkness, but where you teleport to doesn't have to be in darkness.
Umbral Form: Actually I like this one. It actually feels ghosty and interesting. I'd give it a flying speed of 60 feet, though.
That's all I've got for now, let me know if anyone wants the other subclasses!
Actually, these are a lot of fun to make, so I'm gonna do the other subclasses.
Divine Soul
Divine Magic: ???? Just replace this with Origin Spells???? Why does this keep happening.
Favored by the Gods: Honestly this seems really standard and like it should be used a lot despite the fact that no one uses it and it's a really unremarkable feature. I think the 2d4 thing is a little silly and should probably just be a complete reroll.
Empowered Healing: I still don't like the idea of rerolling dice in a spell. What, you might get 4 more HP healed out of it? Really mediocre. Instead, you spend 1 Sorcery Point to double the healing.
Otherworldly Wings: What is with these 14th level features just giving a bad flying speed? What if I picked Aaracokra? Am I just out of luck? Again, I think a 60 feet flying speed is necessary, and this feature seems really out of tune with the rest of the subclass. It's all about healing and then, boom, wings. Along with the wings, I'd like to add that when you use Empowered Healing, you get to end one condition on the target. Does this turn Cure Wounds into a Greater Restoration spell? Yeah kinda.
Storm Sorcery
Wind Speaker: I dunno. This is kind of a dumb feature anyways.
Tempestuous Magic: I actually think this one is cool as is.
Heart of the Storm: I love this feature all the way up until it says half your sorcerer level. Why not roll a die? Instead, it does 1d12 damage, and increases to 2d12 at 10th level, and 3d12 at 14th.
Storm Guide: Token feature again? I dunno what to do with this one either.
Storm's Fury: I don't like that this relies on the sorc to get hit. If the sorc gets hit, its gonna die. Instead, it should just be that when a melee attack targets the sorc. Then it's OP.
Wind Soul: Yaaaaaaay a 60 ft flying speed with extra immunities attached! I don't want to ruin this one.
Aberrant Mind:
Psionic Spells: Oh now we get Origin Spells? We couldn't do that before?
Telepathic Speech: Pretty straightforward. Not OP but I can't change much.
Psionic Sorcery: I want some boosts to enchantment magic by this point. It's silly that there's no actual power ups in this subclass. If a spell is cast like this, the targeted creature should make a save or be stunned for a turn.
Psychic Defenses: Not too bad. I'd also stipulate that magic effects cannot put the sorc to sleep, either.
Revelation in Flesh: This still doesn't really....do anything...when it comes to combat. I'm trying to make a crazy OP sorc, so let's fix that. Simultaneously, while Revelation in Flesh is active, any time the Sorcerer deals psychic damage, you can choose to teleport anywhere within 10 feet of that target.
Warping Implosion: Change the damage type to psychic damage. That's all. It's a good feature.
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Hi everybody! This is my first time posting in the forums, but I've been meaning to for a while, really.
Now, for the meat of it, I'd like to preface this by saying I don't think WoTC has done a terrible job at balancing the 5e classes. But, seeing what a class is and what it could be are two different things.
Why would I even want to make the Sorcerer overpowered? Eh, I dunno. Seems fun. Let's get into it!
Sorcerers, by their description, seem like they should be de facto the best spellcaster. Rather than sourcing their magic from knowledge of the weave, a pact, a god, etc...there is no middleman. They just are the conduit for their magic.
Translated into game mechanics this gives us Sorcery Points, which can be redeemed for more spell slots or vice versa, and can be used for Metamagics, allowing a Sorcerer to add some extra oomph to their spells. Great! But we can do better.
The trick with making something overpowered is that you don't shore up its weaknesses. I could absolutely give Sorcerers every armor, weapon, and skill proficiency and leave it at that. But that doesn't make it fun. What the Sorcerer was intended to be was a limited spells glass cannon that had the ability to morph their spells to their leisure. So, we beef that up.
One Metamagic everyone loves is Quickened Spell, because it makes an action spell a bonus action. However, per the spellcasting rules, this is severely nerfed when we realize that any spell cast by the Sorcerer as a Quickened Spell now forces the Sorcerer to cast a cantrip instead of a leveled spell. There is one caveat to this rule, however...
Our first change: At 2nd level, the Sorcerer is getting Action Surge. Yeah, yeah, it's unique to the Fighter. Not anymore. Between rests, the Sorcerer can lob one extra leveled spell. Yes, this makes multiclassing into Sorcerer as a Warlock, Paladin, or Bard absolutely ludicrously good. I don't write for D&D, sue me.
Despite their inherently magical nature, there is only one official spell completely unique to the Sorcerer. That spell is Chaos Bolt. Hmm...the only unique spell, and it can do a random damage type, does 2d8+1d6, and can sometimes jump to another enemy? AND it only scales +1d6 per spell level? Could you not just use Chromatic Orb, where you choose the damage type and it scales with d8s? Or, better yet, just take Magic Missile!
Yeah....no. Change #2: Chaos Bolt does 2d8+1d10 damage, and automatically leaps to the second target. Then, it can leap to another, only if you roll the same number on the d8s. It scales with d10s per spell level now.
"But textbook, this seems overpowered!"
.
.
Cough.
....Yeah, read the title again.
Moving on! I don't like the level 20 capstone! No one likes the level 20 capstone!
Change 3! We get Sorcerous Restoration at level 5 instead of level 20. In its place, at level 20, Sorcerers now get the ability to cast two leveled spells per action. Definitely a jump in power! However, Clerics can call god, Fighters get 8 attacks, Druids become god, and Monks.....ehhhh maybe I should do Monks next. Least they could do is let is Fireball twice. Or four times with Action Surge.
Now, it is so wonderful and satisfying when you can pull off a cool use of metamagic. But, there are clear favorites. Let's beef up some of the others!
Change 4: Metamagics.
Ok, I know the name of the game is to make the Sorcerer more OP with what it already gets, but c'mon....15 spells?
Change 5: Origin spells for all Sorcerous Origins. Not only does this shore up the Sorcerer's biggest weakness, it also makes total sense! Each sorcerer type should have free access to different spells that they normally shouldn't. Metamagic is fun, but what would make it more fun is more spells!
Now, for the subclasses.
That's all I've got for now, let me know if anyone wants the other subclasses!
Actually, these are a lot of fun to make, so I'm gonna do the other subclasses.