Im working on a new sorcerer subclass thats based not he idea of the imperial bloodline from P2E where the sorcerer gains their magic from an ancestor that had mastered magic, whether that be an archmage, perhaps a chosen of Mystra, or possible someone who was just physically touched by or is innately in-tune with pure weave. As always I want everyones feedback on flavor, balance, etc, both positive and constructive criticisms and critiques and suggestions of how to make the subclass better both from a flavor and balance standpoint. Here is what have so far:
1st-level Weave Touched feature
Magical Resilience
Starting at 1st level, the magic in your blood it weaves itself around you in an invisible protective shroud. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
1st-level Weave Touched feature
Weave Touched Expanded Spells
You learn additional cantrip from the Sorcerer spell list. You also learn 2 additional 1st level spells from the Sorcerer or Wizard spell list. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.. You can not replace these spells at a higher level.
6th-level Weave Touched feature
Arcane Wellspring
At the 6th level, you can now better harness the magic in your bloodline to bolster your magical abilities. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you may choose to regain half of your expended sorcery points(rounded up).
14th-level Weave Touched feature
Channeled Casting
At the 14th level you can channel your innate magic to access a wider range of magical abilities. You can now expended sorcery points to cast a spell of the 1st thru 5th level from any spell list. The spell can only be cast at its initial level. The cost is equal to the sorcery points required to restore a spell slot of that level.
18th-level Weave Touched feature
Chosen of Mystra/maybe just calling it Spellfire?
At the 18th level you have become one of the Chosen of Mystra and have gained the coveted Spellfire:
Magical, heatless, silver fire harmlessly erupts from you and surrounds you until you are incapacitated or until you use an action to quench it. You gain one of the following benefits of your choice, which lasts until the silver fire ends:
You can breathe underwater.
You can survive without food and water.
You sre immune to magic that would ascertain her thoughts, truthfulness, alignment, or creature type.
You gain resistance to cold damage, and you are unharmed by temperatures as low as −50 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the silver fire is present, you have the following additional action options:
Cast the cure wounds spell at the first level as a sorcery spell. After you take this action, roll a d6. On a roll of 1, the silver fire disappears.
Cast the revivify spell without material components. After you take this action, roll a d6. On a roll of 1–2, the silver fire disappears.
Release a 60-foot line of silver fire that is 5 feet wide or a 30-foot cone of silver fire. Objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried take 4d12 fire damage. Each creature in the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d12 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. After you take this action, roll a d6. On a roll of 1–3, the silver fire disappears.
My initial thoughts are that the first time a really interesting, subclass defining ability comes online is at 14th level. Most players will never see that ability.
Being able to cast a spell from any spell list is cool. What's wrong with giving it to the player, exactly as you have written it, at lvl 6? Maybe limit it to once per short rest but other than that it seems fine. The player will have 6 sorcery points so can only create a 4th level spell slot anyway which means they can blow it all on one 4th lvl spell or do something lower and still have points for metamagic etc.
The Chosen of Mystra/Spellfire ability sort of feels like it comes out of nowhere. It doesn't feel like it builds on any of the previous abilities given by the subclass and some of the abilities seem "divine" rather than "arcane" if that makes sense? Why can I breathe underwater because my ancestor was a powerful mage? Why do I get a couple of cleric spells?
The thing that popped into my head was the idea that you're a sorcerer right? You have this wellspring of innate magical energy inside you that comes spilling out of you with this magical fire. So how about part of the ability lets you recharge the other spellcasters in your party? Instead of the cure wounds or revivify you spend sorcery points and restore spell slots to willing creatures? Maybe with a touch, maybe at a distance using the fire?
You could also think about using exhaustion as a limiting factor on the use of Spellfire? So use it as much as you want but the big flashy abilities are going to end it 50% of the time and then you suffer a level of exhaustion, oh, what's that? You're in trouble again 30 mins later and you really need that Spellfire? Ok, well, use it again but it might end earlier than you want and then there's another level of exhaustion. Maybe the 1st use each day is free, but each use after that gives the exhaustion. Lots of ways you could go.
The 6th and 10th level abilities could be swapped, I just felt like that might front load the subclass a bit much. As for Spellfire its thematic within the Forgotten Realms lore. Its something gifted to the Chosen of Mystra, the Goddess of Magic. Laeral Silverhand, who has NPC stats from Dragon Heist has it in 5E, I actually copy and pasted her Spellfire and just changed the pronouns to first person instead of 3rd because.
Im working on a new sorcerer subclass thats based not he idea of the imperial bloodline from P2E where the sorcerer gains their magic from an ancestor that had mastered magic, whether that be an archmage, perhaps a chosen of Mystra, or possible someone who was just physically touched by or is innately in-tune with pure weave. As always I want everyones feedback on flavor, balance, etc, both positive and constructive criticisms and critiques and suggestions of how to make the subclass better both from a flavor and balance standpoint. Here is what have so far:
1st-level Weave Touched feature
Magical Resilience
Starting at 1st level, the magic in your blood it weaves itself around you in an invisible protective shroud. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
1st-level Weave Touched feature
Weave Touched Expanded Spells
You learn additional cantrip from the Sorcerer spell list. You also learn 2 additional 1st level spells from the Sorcerer or Wizard spell list. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.. You can not replace these spells at a higher level.
6th-level Weave Touched feature
Arcane Wellspring
At the 6th level, you can now better harness the magic in your bloodline to bolster your magical abilities. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you may choose to regain half of your expended sorcery points(rounded up).
14th-level Weave Touched feature
Channeled Casting
At the 14th level you can channel your innate magic to access a wider range of magical abilities. You can now expended sorcery points to cast a spell of the 1st thru 5th level from any spell list. The spell can only be cast at its initial level. The cost is equal to the sorcery points required to restore a spell slot of that level.
18th-level Weave Touched feature
Chosen of Mystra/maybe just calling it Spellfire?
At the 18th level you have become one of the Chosen of Mystra and have gained the coveted Spellfire:
Magical, heatless, silver fire harmlessly erupts from you and surrounds you until you are incapacitated or until you use an action to quench it. You gain one of the following benefits of your choice, which lasts until the silver fire ends:
While the silver fire is present, you have the following additional action options:
My initial thoughts are that the first time a really interesting, subclass defining ability comes online is at 14th level. Most players will never see that ability.
Being able to cast a spell from any spell list is cool. What's wrong with giving it to the player, exactly as you have written it, at lvl 6? Maybe limit it to once per short rest but other than that it seems fine. The player will have 6 sorcery points so can only create a 4th level spell slot anyway which means they can blow it all on one 4th lvl spell or do something lower and still have points for metamagic etc.
The Chosen of Mystra/Spellfire ability sort of feels like it comes out of nowhere. It doesn't feel like it builds on any of the previous abilities given by the subclass and some of the abilities seem "divine" rather than "arcane" if that makes sense? Why can I breathe underwater because my ancestor was a powerful mage? Why do I get a couple of cleric spells?
The thing that popped into my head was the idea that you're a sorcerer right? You have this wellspring of innate magical energy inside you that comes spilling out of you with this magical fire. So how about part of the ability lets you recharge the other spellcasters in your party? Instead of the cure wounds or revivify you spend sorcery points and restore spell slots to willing creatures? Maybe with a touch, maybe at a distance using the fire?
You could also think about using exhaustion as a limiting factor on the use of Spellfire? So use it as much as you want but the big flashy abilities are going to end it 50% of the time and then you suffer a level of exhaustion, oh, what's that? You're in trouble again 30 mins later and you really need that Spellfire? Ok, well, use it again but it might end earlier than you want and then there's another level of exhaustion. Maybe the 1st use each day is free, but each use after that gives the exhaustion. Lots of ways you could go.
Anyway, that's just my thoughts.
The 6th and 10th level abilities could be swapped, I just felt like that might front load the subclass a bit much. As for Spellfire its thematic within the Forgotten Realms lore. Its something gifted to the Chosen of Mystra, the Goddess of Magic. Laeral Silverhand, who has NPC stats from Dragon Heist has it in 5E, I actually copy and pasted her Spellfire and just changed the pronouns to first person instead of 3rd because.
Anyone else? thoughts?