I am new to DnD (only been playing for under a year). My character is a sorcerer but her sub class was introduced after I started and I am still trying to get my head around what she can and can't do. I have written a backstory that incorporates her starting as a draconic sorcerer (born into it) then dying as a older child, and being exposed to shadowfell and brought back.
But what original features does she still have? For example my character as a sorcerer could read speak and write draconic, does the sub class effect this because that doesn't make sense that she would stop knowing a language. She also had subtle scales.
Also at levelling up there is sorcerer origin feature, so at level 14 as draconic you get dragon wings, as shadowfell you get shadow walk at level 18 draconic you get dread presence of dragon ancester and as shadowfell you get umbrella form. I read somewhere you can still choose original class origin.
If anyone can explain the ins and outs to sub class especially if taken later on /after a while of starting the character, this would be much appreciated as there isn't much explain this and not much on shadowfell
Ok Thanks. Sorcerer is my main class and shadowfell is the subclass so I'm guessing when you say old sub class abilities then the draconic is the subclass? So I can only then pick the shadowfell options at levelling up at level 14 and 18.
Sorcerers take their subclass at level 1. If your DM is allowing you to use Tasha's Cauldron of Everything as a source book in your campaign you can change your subclass when you gain a new a new subclass feature with the DMs approval. However, you lose all of your previous subclass features. You don't get to choose your subclass features, you automatically get them when you reach a certain level.
You can get around losing Draconic if your DM allows you to customize your origin (Tasha's). For that you can replace one language you know with another. So if you grew up speaking Draconic and your character now speaks Halfling for example you could switch out those languages.
You can't have two subclasses. However, there are ways to flavor your character via feats and metamagic to reflect your backstory. For example, choose Transmuted Spell for one of your metamagics and use it to cast the damage type of your original draconic sorcerer. Or you could take Elemental Adept - again choosing the damage type associated with your draconic origin. Your character could still have subtle scales appearance wise for flavor, you just wouldn't have what basically amounts to permanent mage armor.
To give you an example. I was in a campaign where I was planning to be a draconic sorcerer and had an entire backstory written out but ended up changing to Divine Soul. I revised my backstory to make her the descendant of a dragon and a goddess. My subclass was divine but I was able to flavor her in ways that showed the ancestry. In her case, her red hair looked like it was on fire when she was casting fire spells (her ancestor was a red dragon). My skill proficiencies were in persuasion and intimidation and flavored as traits she got from her dragon ancestor.
Work with your DM to see how you can customize your character a bit so you can have the flavor of having once been a draconic sorcerer.
TLDR Talk with your DM, anything is possible. As for the RAW with Tasha's - "With your DM’s approval, you can change your subclass when you would normally gain a new subclass feature. If you decide to make this change, choose another subclass that belongs to your class and replace all your old subclass features with the features of the new subclass that are for your new level and lower"
@ Level 1 you choose Draconic as your subclass/origin, that is your current sub class. It's slightly confusing perhaps because each class gives it a different name (Eg. Sorcerer is 'Origin', wizard is "Arcane tradition", barbarian is "Primal Path") but experienced players refer to them all as 'Sub-classes'.
Other stuff: Shadowfell is a weird place, it really isn't just one thing but a right mixed bag of stuff. There are undead and variants off for sure, shadovar / Shadar-kai, and shadow versions of pretty much anything else you can find in the other planes (Shadow demons, shadow Fey, shadow animals, shadow versions of other cities in the planes, Eg Neverwinter). Some gods live there and not just evils ones, The Raven Queen is more neutral than evil in some campaigns. 'Null' is a draconic god of death from earlier times.
Keep Dragon: As MorriganMacha said, rather than changing your subclass you could represent being touched by the shadow and still be a draconic sorc. You can ret-con this into your backstory or your DM might actually enjoy creating a story-arc for your char to experience this in game, with the shadow emerging within you. Talk to them about it. Mechanical ways to represent this in game include: Feat: Shadow-touched - gives you two spells to add to your list (Invis + 1 other 1st level you choose). If you already have 20 CHA ask your DM if you can swap the +1 for some other shadow thing. Background: Haunted One - gives some nice shadow like touches to your char. No RAW on this, but you can ask DM if you can change it. Necro Damage: I dont know your race or game platform, but Shadow Red Dragons (They are a thing) breathe Necrotic Damage rather than fire. Maybe your DM will let you swap in some Necro spells (Blight is cool), or let you change the damage type on some spells like burning hands/dragon breath to necro, just for you.
Or just swap out all the draconic sorcerer stuff from level one onward and and completely change it to Shadow Sorcerer. You can't have both sub-classes, but you could do the swap and add the above still for full on shadow mode.
Edit: Forgot to say, and again I don't know your stats build and feats, but as there are shadow-fey you could take both the feats Shadow-Touched AND Fey-touched, for +2 CHA and 4 more spells added to your spell list, two of which you can cast without using a spell slot, 1/day.
Hi
I am new to DnD (only been playing for under a year). My character is a sorcerer but her sub class was introduced after I started and I am still trying to get my head around what she can and can't do. I have written a backstory that incorporates her starting as a draconic sorcerer (born into it) then dying as a older child, and being exposed to shadowfell and brought back.
But what original features does she still have? For example my character as a sorcerer could read speak and write draconic, does the sub class effect this because that doesn't make sense that she would stop knowing a language. She also had subtle scales.
Also at levelling up there is sorcerer origin feature, so at level 14 as draconic you get dragon wings, as shadowfell you get shadow walk at level 18 draconic you get dread presence of dragon ancester and as shadowfell you get umbrella form. I read somewhere you can still choose original class origin.
If anyone can explain the ins and outs to sub class especially if taken later on /after a while of starting the character, this would be much appreciated as there isn't much explain this and not much on shadowfell
You can't keep old subclass abilities if you change to shadow sorcerer.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
Ok Thanks. Sorcerer is my main class and shadowfell is the subclass so I'm guessing when you say old sub class abilities then the draconic is the subclass? So I can only then pick the shadowfell options at levelling up at level 14 and 18.
Sorcerers take their subclass at level 1. If your DM is allowing you to use Tasha's Cauldron of Everything as a source book in your campaign you can change your subclass when you gain a new a new subclass feature with the DMs approval. However, you lose all of your previous subclass features. You don't get to choose your subclass features, you automatically get them when you reach a certain level.
You can get around losing Draconic if your DM allows you to customize your origin (Tasha's). For that you can replace one language you know with another. So if you grew up speaking Draconic and your character now speaks Halfling for example you could switch out those languages.
You can't have two subclasses. However, there are ways to flavor your character via feats and metamagic to reflect your backstory. For example, choose Transmuted Spell for one of your metamagics and use it to cast the damage type of your original draconic sorcerer. Or you could take Elemental Adept - again choosing the damage type associated with your draconic origin. Your character could still have subtle scales appearance wise for flavor, you just wouldn't have what basically amounts to permanent mage armor.
To give you an example. I was in a campaign where I was planning to be a draconic sorcerer and had an entire backstory written out but ended up changing to Divine Soul. I revised my backstory to make her the descendant of a dragon and a goddess. My subclass was divine but I was able to flavor her in ways that showed the ancestry. In her case, her red hair looked like it was on fire when she was casting fire spells (her ancestor was a red dragon). My skill proficiencies were in persuasion and intimidation and flavored as traits she got from her dragon ancestor.
Work with your DM to see how you can customize your character a bit so you can have the flavor of having once been a draconic sorcerer.
TLDR
Talk with your DM, anything is possible. As for the RAW with Tasha's -
"With your DM’s approval, you can change your subclass when you would normally gain a new subclass feature. If you decide to make this change, choose another subclass that belongs to your class and replace all your old subclass features with the features of the new subclass that are for your new level and lower"
@ Level 1 you choose Draconic as your subclass/origin, that is your current sub class. It's slightly confusing perhaps because each class gives it a different name (Eg. Sorcerer is 'Origin', wizard is "Arcane tradition", barbarian is "Primal Path") but experienced players refer to them all as 'Sub-classes'.
Other stuff:
Shadowfell is a weird place, it really isn't just one thing but a right mixed bag of stuff. There are undead and variants off for sure, shadovar / Shadar-kai, and shadow versions of pretty much anything else you can find in the other planes (Shadow demons, shadow Fey, shadow animals, shadow versions of other cities in the planes, Eg Neverwinter). Some gods live there and not just evils ones, The Raven Queen is more neutral than evil in some campaigns. 'Null' is a draconic god of death from earlier times.
Keep Dragon:
As MorriganMacha said, rather than changing your subclass you could represent being touched by the shadow and still be a draconic sorc. You can ret-con this into your backstory or your DM might actually enjoy creating a story-arc for your char to experience this in game, with the shadow emerging within you. Talk to them about it. Mechanical ways to represent this in game include:
Feat: Shadow-touched - gives you two spells to add to your list (Invis + 1 other 1st level you choose). If you already have 20 CHA ask your DM if you can swap the +1 for some other shadow thing.
Background: Haunted One - gives some nice shadow like touches to your char. No RAW on this, but you can ask DM if you can change it.
Necro Damage: I dont know your race or game platform, but Shadow Red Dragons (They are a thing) breathe Necrotic Damage rather than fire. Maybe your DM will let you swap in some Necro spells (Blight is cool), or let you change the damage type on some spells like burning hands/dragon breath to necro, just for you.
Or just swap out all the draconic sorcerer stuff from level one onward and and completely change it to Shadow Sorcerer. You can't have both sub-classes, but you could do the swap and add the above still for full on shadow mode.
Edit: Forgot to say, and again I don't know your stats build and feats, but as there are shadow-fey you could take both the feats Shadow-Touched AND Fey-touched, for +2 CHA and 4 more spells added to your spell list, two of which you can cast without using a spell slot, 1/day.