Updated the Sorcerous Origin Spells table with double the number of spells per level to match the layout of the Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul subclasses released in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, as well as the types of spells each subclass can swap out with their origin spells as they level up.
Updated my replacement for the Sorcerous Restoration feature, Archmagi, which I renamed as Sorcerer Supreme. I've moved the original content into the spoilers so that you may review and compare it to the updated content.
Sorcerous Origin Spells
Sorcerers, beings literally suffered with magic, know how to cast the fewest number of spells out of all the full-casters and most of the half-casters classes; they only beat the beastmaster and hunter rangers by 4 spells known! This is outrageous!! While I do realize that the design of the sorcerer class is to specialize in only a few spells that they can manipulate with metamagic, this often leads to cookie-cutter builds that only choose the most optimal spells while ignoring the more flavorful spells, effectively shrinking the sorcerer's spell list.
To solve this cookie-cutter problem, I decided to give each sorcerous origin their own list of spells that they learn as they level-up, similar to what some spellcasters (artificers, clerics, paladins, and some druid and ranger subclasses) receive as a class feature. However, to keep true to the original design philosophy, I only gave each subclass five spells instead of the normal ten spells the other full-caster classes get, which still leaves sorcerers with the least known/prepared spells out of all the full-caster classes (excluding warlocks who don't invest in invocations that grant them new spells). These origin spells should allow players some new flexibility when picking-out their sorcerer spells, as well also providing a bit more flavor for each subclass.
TLDR
Because sorcerers get so few spells over their adventuring careers, I decided to give each subclass their own custom list of spells. Hopefully, these extra spells will allow players more freedom when choosing their sorcerer spells, rather than being limited to the most optimal spells.
SORCEROUSORIGIN SPELLS
Each sorcerous origin has a list of spells—its origin spells—that you gain at the sorcerer levels listed in the table below. When you learn an origin spell, it counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of sorcerer spells you know. You can't replace origin spells with other spells.
Whenever you gain a sorcerer level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. To be eligible, the new spell must satisfy the following requirements:
Draconic Bloodline. The new spell must be an evocation or a transmutation spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
Wild Magic. The new spell must be a conjuration or a transmutation spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
Divine Soul. The new spell must be an abjuration or a divination spell from the cleric, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
Shadow Magic. The new spell must be an illusion or a necromancy spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
Storm Sorcery. The new spell must be an evocation or a conjuration spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
Original Sorcerous Origin Spells
SORCEROUSORIGIN SPELLS
Each sorcerous origin has a list of spells—its origin spells—that you gain at the sorcerer levels listed in the table below. When you learn an origin spell, it counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of sorcerer spells you know. You can't replace origin spells with other spells.
Just in case your wondering why I didn't give the Draconic Sorcerer the dragon's breath and elemental bane spells, the reason is that those spells aren't in the Player's Handbook. This design allows anyone who only has access to the Player's Handbook to create a draconic sorcerer with these new origin spells. In addition, the dragon's breath spell is already on the sorcerer's spell list, while the secret chest spell (a normally wizard's exclusive spell) provides the sorcerer with a flavorful utility spell ("I mean, what's more draconic than hoarding your treasure?").
Sorcerer Capstone Replacement
Have you ever taken a look at the sorcerer's capstone and thought, "Four sorcerer points on a short rest? Oh boy! This is so much better than being able to cast spells without slots, calling in a guaranteed divine favor from a god, or casting spells without components while rampaging around as a freaking Mammoth!!" Yeah, me neither. At most, its a pretty bland, underwhelming class feature; at worst, well, it's better than the Bard's capstone.
Capstones should be epic, thematic features that reward players for sticking to their class rather than dabbling into another class for an optimized combo-build (looking at you, sorlocks). So, I've decided to throw-out the Sorcerous Restoration feature and replace it with a new capstone which embodies a mage who has completely unlocked their true potential and mastered the raw magic that suffuses their very being: an Archmagi a Sorcerer Supreme, if you will.
Sorcerer Supreme
At 20 level, you can cast each of your Sorcerous Origin Spells once at their lowest level without expending a spell slot, as well as any additional spells you learned from a sorcerer origin feature. When you do so, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Original Sorcerous Capstone Replacement
ARCHMAGI
At 20th level, you can cast each of your origin spells once at their lowest level without expending a spell slot. Once you cast a spell in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest or until you spend a number of sorcerer points equal to the spell’s level to cast the spell.
So, what do you think of these changes? Would you incorporate them into your own characters? What else would you change about the sorcerer class?
You forgot to give us "Many tables consider this a necessary change to make Sorcerer feel fun and unique to play" as an option to vote on. It's starting to become a more common house rule to give Sorcerers origin spells, especially since the release of the Tasha's subclasses.
Shadow is already a pretty good subclass, I think these added spells really make them super strong, not game breaking but pass without a trace and phantasmal killer are a pretty big deal. The only one I would say that is too strong is divine soul, it was already the best sorcerer subclass before AM and clockwork, and now they basically have the best cleric spells. I would suggest removing spirit guardians cause that is a bit much.
Personally, I'm having fun with the Wild Magic homebrew subclass our DM agreed to, where I gain a spell as a known spell if forced to cast it as part of a surge.
Provides extra incentive to have more surges, and you really want to lean in if you're gonna actually play this subclass as allowed.
Already have Fireball from backstory, and rolled Fly for part of the 10-effect incident that started with said Fireball. Then gained Fog Cloud a couple weeks ago.
Can't wait to turn into a sheep :D
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Edited on 1/18/21
Sorcerous Origin Spells
Sorcerers, beings literally suffered with magic, know how to cast the fewest number of spells out of all the full-casters and most of the half-casters classes; they only beat the beastmaster and hunter rangers by 4 spells known! This is outrageous!! While I do realize that the design of the sorcerer class is to specialize in only a few spells that they can manipulate with metamagic, this often leads to cookie-cutter builds that only choose the most optimal spells while ignoring the more flavorful spells, effectively shrinking the sorcerer's spell list.
To solve this cookie-cutter problem, I decided to give each sorcerous origin their own list of spells that they learn as they level-up, similar to what some spellcasters (artificers, clerics, paladins, and some druid and ranger subclasses) receive as a class feature. However, to keep true to the original design philosophy, I only gave each subclass five spells instead of the normal ten spells the other full-caster classes get, which still leaves sorcerers with the least known/prepared spells out of all the full-caster classes (excluding warlocks who don't invest in invocations that grant them new spells). These origin spells should allow players some new flexibility when picking-out their sorcerer spells, as well also providing a bit more flavor for each subclass.
TLDR
Because sorcerers get so few spells over their adventuring careers, I decided to give each subclass their own custom list of spells. Hopefully, these extra spells will allow players more freedom when choosing their sorcerer spells, rather than being limited to the most optimal spells.
Original Sorcerous Origin Spells
Just in case your wondering why I didn't give the Draconic Sorcerer the dragon's breath and elemental bane spells, the reason is that those spells aren't in the Player's Handbook. This design allows anyone who only has access to the Player's Handbook to create a draconic sorcerer with these new origin spells. In addition, the dragon's breath spell is already on the sorcerer's spell list, while the secret chest spell (a normally wizard's exclusive spell) provides the sorcerer with a flavorful utility spell ("I mean, what's more draconic than hoarding your treasure?").
Sorcerer Capstone Replacement
Have you ever taken a look at the sorcerer's capstone and thought, "Four sorcerer points on a short rest? Oh boy! This is so much better than being able to cast spells without slots, calling in a guaranteed divine favor from a god, or casting spells without components while rampaging around as a freaking Mammoth!!" Yeah, me neither. At most, its a pretty bland, underwhelming class feature; at worst, well, it's better than the Bard's capstone.
Capstones should be epic, thematic features that reward players for sticking to their class rather than dabbling into another class for an optimized combo-build (looking at you, sorlocks). So, I've decided to throw-out the Sorcerous Restoration feature and replace it with a new capstone which embodies a mage who has completely unlocked their true potential and mastered the raw magic that suffuses their very being:
an Archmagia Sorcerer Supreme, if you will.Original Sorcerous Capstone Replacement
So, what do you think of these changes? Would you incorporate them into your own characters? What else would you change about the sorcerer class?
You forgot to give us "Many tables consider this a necessary change to make Sorcerer feel fun and unique to play" as an option to vote on. It's starting to become a more common house rule to give Sorcerers origin spells, especially since the release of the Tasha's subclasses.
Shadow is already a pretty good subclass, I think these added spells really make them super strong, not game breaking but pass without a trace and phantasmal killer are a pretty big deal. The only one I would say that is too strong is divine soul, it was already the best sorcerer subclass before AM and clockwork, and now they basically have the best cleric spells. I would suggest removing spirit guardians cause that is a bit much.
Personally, I'm having fun with the Wild Magic homebrew subclass our DM agreed to, where I gain a spell as a known spell if forced to cast it as part of a surge.
Provides extra incentive to have more surges, and you really want to lean in if you're gonna actually play this subclass as allowed.
Already have Fireball from backstory, and rolled Fly for part of the 10-effect incident that started with said Fireball. Then gained Fog Cloud a couple weeks ago.
Can't wait to turn into a sheep :D