The next time I create a character, I was strongly thinking of the Pheonix sorcerer. Looking into it made me realise it had some issues and there's some great threads on the subject in various places:
The Phoenix sorcerer has all of its abilities build off a once per long rest (Mantle of Flame) which means you are awesome once per day
The Phoenix sorcerer also adds a Charisma modifier to all fire damage rolls, something which has been nerfed in other classes and is reported to make it OP at lower levels (e.g. Scorching Ray or Scribes Wizard multiclass magic missile).
It has problems against fire resistant foes.
I think number 3 isn't really necessary to solve (especially as this can be fixed using items and good role play), but the other two sound legit. It got me thinking, how do you solve this in a fun way? Various tweaking proposals are cool, but not very satisfying. I then started to realise that, the whole flavour concept of the Phoenix sorcerer hinges on fire, using it and setting it. So, how can you incentivise player characters to set completely inappropriate fires that will totally go out of control in the most inappropriate moments for maximum RP carnage? Um, well, how about leaning into problem 2. and make it a feature instead, allowing the sorcerer to absolutely gain game breaking buffs as long as they're standing in fire (a lot of fire), and modify their Ignite ability to create and intensify fires so they can start and increase those fires?
On the surface, it looks like the fires it sets should be controllable, but I'm hoping that the feel of playing it is something like: "we were hired to destroy the goblins in the farm", "we did", "not burn it down!" "well, there aren't any goblins in the farm anymore, are there?" "I... I... don't know what to say to you".
I still need to playtest it to see if it actually works as well as I think, but you guys left some great comments in the previous thread, I'd be interested on your thoughts before I do.
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The next time I create a character, I was strongly thinking of the Pheonix sorcerer. Looking into it made me realise it had some issues and there's some great threads on the subject in various places:
https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/5t2wnp/sorcerer_ua_phoenix_sorcery_analysis_thread/
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/unearthed-arcana/13216-phoenix-sorcerer-revamped
If I summarise the issues, then it boils down to:
I think number 3 isn't really necessary to solve (especially as this can be fixed using items and good role play), but the other two sound legit. It got me thinking, how do you solve this in a fun way? Various tweaking proposals are cool, but not very satisfying. I then started to realise that, the whole flavour concept of the Phoenix sorcerer hinges on fire, using it and setting it. So, how can you incentivise player characters to set completely inappropriate fires that will totally go out of control in the most inappropriate moments for maximum RP carnage? Um, well, how about leaning into problem 2. and make it a feature instead, allowing the sorcerer to absolutely gain game breaking buffs as long as they're standing in fire (a lot of fire), and modify their Ignite ability to create and intensify fires so they can start and increase those fires?
And so, this happened: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13NlEjmOd6iVBgLMZ8jRuHX64HdVlLnu78Lc3lRsfZG0/edit?usp=sharing
On the surface, it looks like the fires it sets should be controllable, but I'm hoping that the feel of playing it is something like: "we were hired to destroy the goblins in the farm", "we did", "not burn it down!" "well, there aren't any goblins in the farm anymore, are there?" "I... I... don't know what to say to you".
I still need to playtest it to see if it actually works as well as I think, but you guys left some great comments in the previous thread, I'd be interested on your thoughts before I do.