To say the dndnext playtest sorcerer was different to what we finally got in the end product would be an understatement. We only got to see it up to 5th level (from what I can find), and it was only the draconic subclass shown, but it had some really unique ideas and features which never made it into the final game.
- 1d8 hit die
- All armour and weapon profs
- Half caster
- Had a willpower pool, which was used to fuel a lot of abilities compared to the modern sorcery points including spellcasting. Essentially what became the DMG spell points variant rule.
- As you spent these will points, you would gain additional class abilities. Spending 3 caused you to grow claws. Spending 10 gave you scaly armour. I assume above level 5 this trend continued.
The idea seemed to be starting as more of a caster, and as you burnt through your powers and got tired, you would move more towards a melee combatant. Compared to what we got this seems like it could have been a really unique mechanic, unlike anything which is currently in game. The only downside is already having a charisma half caster (paladin). But then again we have three charisma full casters (bard, warlock, sorcerer).
where is this listed? I haven't seen it yet, and honestly, from what you are describing I don't like it even a little.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Are you talking about the pre-release version, not something that's presently being worked on?
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Ah, I was afraid that this was something new being worked on. I'm interested in a martial, arcane half-caster. I'm not at all interested in a willpower pool to power my abilities. I'm mostly happy with the sorcerer class in general, although I feel it should have had a re-worked spell list and been called a Psion.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I mean a psion class and the sorcerer are two completely separate things. I like sorcerers elemental theme, so I wouldn't want that changed to psionics.
I love the playtest sorcerers class mechanics, with the becoming more monstrous as you spend points. I admit it doesn't suit the 'classic' idea of the sorcerer well, but I'm sad the mechanics weren't reused for another class.
Sorcerers don't have an elemental theme. You can make an argument that draconic sorcerers do, but looking at the sorcerer spell list, they are all over the place.
The sorcery point system was lifted straight out of the psion, because the sorcerer's original schtick of being a flexible caster was handed out to every spell caster. So, to keep the sorcerer unique, they ripped off metamagic from the psion and welded it on with a pared down wizard spell list. This likely happened because their original vision for the sorcerer, flopped. I like the sorcerer as it is, but I find it mostly redundant with it's bastardized wizard's spell list. The only sorcerer that really calls to me is the divine soul. The others are alright, they are just not inspiring.
A psion /should/ be a sorcerer with a custom spell list to include the mental type spells, such as dissonant whispers from the bard, your standard wizard illusions and charms, plus cleric command type spells. That train was missed a long time ago though.
As for the playtest version, I don't find it interesting at all. I'm not a fan of becoming monstrous. I'm glad that was cut as it doesn't feel very sorcer-y to me. It looks like it was not popular with the playtesters either.
Have you looked at the beast path barbarian? That might have some of the flavor you're looking for. It might fit on some flavor of warlock too, I could see that as a thematic fit.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I mean I'd argue that storm sorcerer is the most thematically elemental class in the game. Basically having a bloodline charged with the power of elemental air.
I'm not happy with how the sorcerer turned out, and I really hate how they glued on metamagic, but thematically it's one of my favourite classes. My favourite class already didn't make it through to 5e, and if sorcerer went too and was replaced by psion I probably wouldn't be playing anymore.
I don't have my old playtest stuff anymore. It seems I deleted it at some point, which is a bit surprising given some of the other crap I have saved.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I actually really love the sound of that; I played a Dragonborn Draconic Sorcerer once with a couple of levels of Barbarian and an allowance from the DM to let Alter Self continue without checks while raging so they could grow bigger claws and go nuts when backed into a corner. A class that actually let me do that sort of thing properly would have been awesome.
I wonder how hard it'd be to do as a sub-class of the current Sorcerer, i.e- the abilities would cost spell slots (or equivalent sorcery points), so the more bestial you go the more you diminish your spell-casting ability? Maybe with some kind of mechanic where you can be forced to go more bestial in certain circumstances (damage, stress etc.)?
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To say the dndnext playtest sorcerer was different to what we finally got in the end product would be an understatement. We only got to see it up to 5th level (from what I can find), and it was only the draconic subclass shown, but it had some really unique ideas and features which never made it into the final game.
- 1d8 hit die
- All armour and weapon profs
- Half caster
- Had a willpower pool, which was used to fuel a lot of abilities compared to the modern sorcery points including spellcasting. Essentially what became the DMG spell points variant rule.
- As you spent these will points, you would gain additional class abilities. Spending 3 caused you to grow claws. Spending 10 gave you scaly armour. I assume above level 5 this trend continued.
The idea seemed to be starting as more of a caster, and as you burnt through your powers and got tired, you would move more towards a melee combatant. Compared to what we got this seems like it could have been a really unique mechanic, unlike anything which is currently in game. The only downside is already having a charisma half caster (paladin). But then again we have three charisma full casters (bard, warlock, sorcerer).
where is this listed? I haven't seen it yet, and honestly, from what you are describing I don't like it even a little.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I don't think I'm allowed to post links to the actual document sadly. It's all over the internet though.
This is the first I've heard about this. I'll definitely have to check this out when I have the time.
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I don't see anything all over the internet.
Are you talking about the pre-release version, not something that's presently being worked on?
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Yeah the DnD Next playtest was something which ran in like 2012/2013. It was the testing for 5e.
Lots of classes were different in some small ways, but the sorcerer was a completely different concept altogether.
Ah, I was afraid that this was something new being worked on. I'm interested in a martial, arcane half-caster. I'm not at all interested in a willpower pool to power my abilities. I'm mostly happy with the sorcerer class in general, although I feel it should have had a re-worked spell list and been called a Psion.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I mean a psion class and the sorcerer are two completely separate things. I like sorcerers elemental theme, so I wouldn't want that changed to psionics.
I love the playtest sorcerers class mechanics, with the becoming more monstrous as you spend points. I admit it doesn't suit the 'classic' idea of the sorcerer well, but I'm sad the mechanics weren't reused for another class.
Sorcerers don't have an elemental theme. You can make an argument that draconic sorcerers do, but looking at the sorcerer spell list, they are all over the place.
The sorcery point system was lifted straight out of the psion, because the sorcerer's original schtick of being a flexible caster was handed out to every spell caster. So, to keep the sorcerer unique, they ripped off metamagic from the psion and welded it on with a pared down wizard spell list. This likely happened because their original vision for the sorcerer, flopped. I like the sorcerer as it is, but I find it mostly redundant with it's bastardized wizard's spell list. The only sorcerer that really calls to me is the divine soul. The others are alright, they are just not inspiring.
A psion /should/ be a sorcerer with a custom spell list to include the mental type spells, such as dissonant whispers from the bard, your standard wizard illusions and charms, plus cleric command type spells. That train was missed a long time ago though.
As for the playtest version, I don't find it interesting at all. I'm not a fan of becoming monstrous. I'm glad that was cut as it doesn't feel very sorcer-y to me. It looks like it was not popular with the playtesters either.
Have you looked at the beast path barbarian? That might have some of the flavor you're looking for. It might fit on some flavor of warlock too, I could see that as a thematic fit.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I mean I'd argue that storm sorcerer is the most thematically elemental class in the game. Basically having a bloodline charged with the power of elemental air.
I'm not happy with how the sorcerer turned out, and I really hate how they glued on metamagic, but thematically it's one of my favourite classes. My favourite class already didn't make it through to 5e, and if sorcerer went too and was replaced by psion I probably wouldn't be playing anymore.
I'm only aware of the character progression rules from Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle. This is the first I've heard of a playtest sorcerer.
I don't have my old playtest stuff anymore. It seems I deleted it at some point, which is a bit surprising given some of the other crap I have saved.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I actually really love the sound of that; I played a Dragonborn Draconic Sorcerer once with a couple of levels of Barbarian and an allowance from the DM to let Alter Self continue without checks while raging so they could grow bigger claws and go nuts when backed into a corner. A class that actually let me do that sort of thing properly would have been awesome.
I wonder how hard it'd be to do as a sub-class of the current Sorcerer, i.e- the abilities would cost spell slots (or equivalent sorcery points), so the more bestial you go the more you diminish your spell-casting ability? Maybe with some kind of mechanic where you can be forced to go more bestial in certain circumstances (damage, stress etc.)?
Sounds like it could have been a lot of fun.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
I found a link to the D&D Next Sorcerer:
https://www.brandesstoddard.com/2013/06/dd-next-a-revised-sorcerer/
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That looks like a homebrew adaption of the concept. It gives a general idea of it though.
The playtest one only went to level 5. Then it vanished for the entire playtest until release of 5e.
Would have been better than what we got. What we got was a Wizard subclass that stole everyone else's metamagic to justify itself.
Omg souplex is on dnd beyond! :D
I am totally here for your warlord propaganda!