So, I was looking through a copy of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, and I found this feature clled "Psionic Sorcery" - the 6th level ability for Aberrant Mind sorcerers. It goes as follows:
Beginning at 6th level, when you cast any of the spells gained from your Psionic Spells feature, you can cast it by expending a spell slot as normal or by spending a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level. If you cast the spell using sorcery points, it requires no components.
Now, my mind immediately leapt to a certain spell - "Imprisonment", because it is ridiculously expensive, but does not consume its components. I though tht if you went with an aberrant Mind/6, Wizard/14, you could cast this spell without spending thousands of gold pieces on components. Furthermore, if you were to convert all of your spell slots to sorcery points, you could gain a superpowered version of "Subtle Spell", at no additional cost to the spellcaster.
Is this feature as powerful as I think it is, and have I missed something important?
You can only avoid using components for a spell given to you by the Psionic Spells feature - the small extra spell list at the beginning of the class. Now it does say you can replace one of those spells when you level up - but the spell you replace it with must be of the same level as the one you're replacing. Because of this you can't use it to cast a spell higher than 5th level without components. The new spell must also be Divination or Enchantment - which Imprisonment isn't (it's Abjuration).
Psionic Sorcery When you cast any spell of 1st level or higher from your Psionic Spells feature, you can cast it by expending a spell slot as normal or by spending a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level. If you cast the spell using sorcery points, it requires no verbal or somatic components, and it requires no material components, unless they are consumed by the spell.
Psionic Spells You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Psionic Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know. Whenever you gain a sorcerer level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. The new spell must be a divination or an enchantment spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
You can only avoid using components for a spell given to you by the Psionic Spells feature - the small extra spell list at the beginning of the class. Now it does say you can replace one of those spells when you level up - but the spell you replace it with must be of the same level as the one you're replacing. Because of this you can't use it to cast a spell higher than 5th level without components. The new spell must also be Divination or Enchantment - which Imprisonment isn't (it's Abjuration).
Psionic Sorcery When you cast any spell of 1st level or higher from your Psionic Spells feature, you can cast it by expending a spell slot as normal or by spending a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level. If you cast the spell using sorcery points, it requires no verbal or somatic components, and it requires no material components, unless they are consumed by the spell.
Psionic Spells You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Psionic Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know. Whenever you gain a sorcerer level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. The new spell must be a divination or an enchantment spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
I still think this is really powerful. Being able to swap out the ones on the list for any Wizard, Sorcerer or Warlock enchantment or divination spell is amazing. This will give you access to Sleep, Hold Person, Charm Person, Dominate Person, etc, which you can cast without Verbal, Somatic or Material components, that is, almost completely unobtrusively. Even the creature affected by the spell might not know what's going on, or for whom they are the target, let alone any bystanders. Frankly, I would switch away from the ones on the Psionic Spell Table as quickly as possible.
Still. Convert all the spell slots to sorcery points and you can cast Psychic Scream 12 times before taking a short rest. Then another 3 times, then twice every short rest thereafter (at 20th level).
Oh, and I guess I could still double that range to get everyone within 180ft of me that I want to attack (since Metamagic can still be used).
Like I said - you can only use that feature to cast the spells given to you by the Psionic Spells feature. If you only take Aberrant Mind Sorcerer to level 6 then you can only use it to cast 3rd level spells at most that are either from the Psionic Spells list or from that list that you've replaced with a Divination/Enchantment spell from Warlock/Wizard/Sorcerer list of the same spell level.
You will never be able to cast 6th level or higher spells using that feature even if you are a 20th level Sorcerer.
That feature is weirdly written, since you can replace the spells it gives with other spells not on the list. As far as ignoring expensive components, though, only three applicable spells have expensive material components (Identify, Legend Lore, and Scrying) and only Legend Lore consumes its components.
Like I said - you can only use that feature to cast the spells given to you by the Psionic Spells feature. If you only take Aberrant Mind Sorcerer to level 6 then you can only use it to cast 3rd level spells at most that are either from the Psionic Spells list or from that list that you've replaced with a Divination/Enchantment spell from Warlock/Wizard/Sorcerer list of the same spell level.
You will never be able to cast 6th level or higher spells using that feature even if you are a 20th level Sorcerer.
You can also only swap out the spells when you gain a sorcerer level (and only a single spell per level), so if you only go to sorc 6, that limits your ability to pick spells from outside those explicitly granted by the Psionic Spells feature.
The main issue has been corrected and clarified but to add on:
The "use Sorcery Points" type of cast with "no components" is only for spells granted through the Psionic Spells feature which includes those in that Psionic Spells table and any you replace them with.
As mentioned, if you replace one of the spells the new spell must be of the same level - it cannot be lower or higher and you're restricted in the School of the spells you can choose but you can take spells from a slightly expanded list (Sorc, Wiz and Warlock).
There's nothing too gamebreaking here. There are not many spells where the lack of material components is some huge benefit. Probably the most expensive would Scrying, going off memory, but by the level you can cast such spells those kind of costs are rather minor, anyway. It' would be different if we're talking something like Raise Dead or something, but we're not. Useful, certainly, but nothing overpowered. Quite frankly, this type of thing should have been introduced much sooner for a Sorc - magic is in their blood/soul/mind and is innate, trying to explain why they need weird materials to use a power they're born with is.... Silly. It's like a perfectly healthy person needing to smear batshit and cherries on their necks to be able to speak. Ridiculous. Anything that removes material component requirements and still be balanced is a much needed blessing. Frankly, it should be a base Sorc feature rather than subclass specific, but hey ho.
And for the Somatic and Verbal they've got Subtle Spell anyway. Frankly, again, it makes sense these "born-with" powers shouldn't need stupid words or gestures. So these focused innate powers being immune to counterspell when casting through raw power (sorc points) isn't OP. It might mean sorc builds will be less reliant on Subtle Spell metamagic, and more free to have the other options. They're still limited as it uses a limited resource, so, again, nothing OP here.
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'Imprisonment' - not a spell a Sorc can access. You mention multiclassing into Wizard for it ("aberrant Mind/6, Wizard/14") but that's a nope. When you select known spells / prepare spells, you make the decisions as an individual class not based on multiclassed levels. So when you add a level of Sorc you would choose your 1 new spell if applicable and 1 spell you can swap out, and you'd do so as a Sorc of that Sorc level (6th in this case, so the highest spell level you can choose is 3rd). If this was you adding into Wizard, you'd get 2 new spells to add to your spellbook for your Wizard level: in this case 14th level, so 7th level or lower. Imprisonment is a 9th level spell for Wizards or Warlocks - you need to have at least 17 levels in one of these classes to get access to it. Even if you did, it would be be considered a Psionic Spell nor can you replace a base Psionic Spell for it.
Still. Convert all the spell slots to sorcery points and you can cast Psychic Scream 12 times before taking a short rest. Then another 3 times, then twice every short rest thereafter (at 20th level).
Oh, and I guess I could still double that range to get everyone within 180ft of me that I want to attack (since Metamagic can still be used).
Uh, no.
Psychic Scream is a 9th level spell. The maximum level for Psionic Spells is 5th level so it will not be possible to use Sorc Points to cast Psychic Scream. You cannot create 9th level slots either. There is literally no way to cast this spell more than once using just class features. You'd need a magic item or Epic Boons to achieve that.If you think you'll get Epic Boons then you're better off getting Wish - multiple wishes per day will drastically open up your arsenal, provide great versaility, near immortality, and more. But that's just a suggestion.
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Still. Convert all the spell slots to sorcery points and you can cast Psychic Scream 12 times before taking a short rest. Then another 3 times, then twice every short rest thereafter (at 20th level).
Oh, and I guess I could still double that range to get everyone within 180ft of me that I want to attack (since Metamagic can still be used).
Uh, no.
Psychic Scream is a 9th level spell. The maximum level for Psionic Spells is 5th level so it will not be possible to use Sorc Points to cast Psychic Scream. You cannot create 9th level slots either. There is literally no way to cast this spell more than once using just class features. You'd need a magic item or Epic Boons to achieve that.If you think you'll get Epic Boons then you're better off getting Wish - multiple wishes per day will drastically open up your arsenal, provide great versaility, near immortality, and more. But that's just a suggestion.
You don't create spell slots, you can cast USING spell slots with this feature, so no lvl limit
Wpuld casting a spell using Psionic Sorcery break an invisibility spell, you're not making noise (Verbal) or moving (Somatic)?
Yes because it ends when you cast a spell. Even if your casting had no components, you are still casting it.
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So, I was looking through a copy of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, and I found this feature clled "Psionic Sorcery" - the 6th level ability for Aberrant Mind sorcerers. It goes as follows:
Beginning at 6th level, when you cast any of the spells gained from your Psionic Spells feature, you can cast it by expending a spell slot as normal or by spending a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level. If you cast the spell using sorcery points, it requires no components.
Now, my mind immediately leapt to a certain spell - "Imprisonment", because it is ridiculously expensive, but does not consume its components. I though tht if you went with an aberrant Mind/6, Wizard/14, you could cast this spell without spending thousands of gold pieces on components. Furthermore, if you were to convert all of your spell slots to sorcery points, you could gain a superpowered version of "Subtle Spell", at no additional cost to the spellcaster.
Is this feature as powerful as I think it is, and have I missed something important?
Chilling kinda vibe.
You can only avoid using components for a spell given to you by the Psionic Spells feature - the small extra spell list at the beginning of the class. Now it does say you can replace one of those spells when you level up - but the spell you replace it with must be of the same level as the one you're replacing. Because of this you can't use it to cast a spell higher than 5th level without components. The new spell must also be Divination or Enchantment - which Imprisonment isn't (it's Abjuration).
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
I still think this is really powerful. Being able to swap out the ones on the list for any Wizard, Sorcerer or Warlock enchantment or divination spell is amazing. This will give you access to Sleep, Hold Person, Charm Person, Dominate Person, etc, which you can cast without Verbal, Somatic or Material components, that is, almost completely unobtrusively. Even the creature affected by the spell might not know what's going on, or for whom they are the target, let alone any bystanders. Frankly, I would switch away from the ones on the Psionic Spell Table as quickly as possible.
Knew I was missing something here. No-one in their right mind would create something as powerful as how I read it at first. Even so...
Enchantment wizard/Aberrant mind here I come!
(Because I see no reason to continue in this class after that feature - wizards are still way more fun.)
Chilling kinda vibe.
Still. Convert all the spell slots to sorcery points and you can cast Psychic Scream 12 times before taking a short rest. Then another 3 times, then twice every short rest thereafter (at 20th level).
Oh, and I guess I could still double that range to get everyone within 180ft of me that I want to attack (since Metamagic can still be used).
Chilling kinda vibe.
Like I said - you can only use that feature to cast the spells given to you by the Psionic Spells feature. If you only take Aberrant Mind Sorcerer to level 6 then you can only use it to cast 3rd level spells at most that are either from the Psionic Spells list or from that list that you've replaced with a Divination/Enchantment spell from Warlock/Wizard/Sorcerer list of the same spell level.
You will never be able to cast 6th level or higher spells using that feature even if you are a 20th level Sorcerer.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
That feature is weirdly written, since you can replace the spells it gives with other spells not on the list. As far as ignoring expensive components, though, only three applicable spells have expensive material components (Identify, Legend Lore, and Scrying) and only Legend Lore consumes its components.
You can also only swap out the spells when you gain a sorcerer level (and only a single spell per level), so if you only go to sorc 6, that limits your ability to pick spells from outside those explicitly granted by the Psionic Spells feature.
Honestly, by the time you get to level 20, you ought to have some powerful tricks up your sleeve.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
So many things wrong in this thread. O.O
The main issue has been corrected and clarified but to add on:
The "use Sorcery Points" type of cast with "no components" is only for spells granted through the Psionic Spells feature which includes those in that Psionic Spells table and any you replace them with.
As mentioned, if you replace one of the spells the new spell must be of the same level - it cannot be lower or higher and you're restricted in the School of the spells you can choose but you can take spells from a slightly expanded list (Sorc, Wiz and Warlock).
There's nothing too gamebreaking here. There are not many spells where the lack of material components is some huge benefit. Probably the most expensive would Scrying, going off memory, but by the level you can cast such spells those kind of costs are rather minor, anyway. It' would be different if we're talking something like Raise Dead or something, but we're not. Useful, certainly, but nothing overpowered. Quite frankly, this type of thing should have been introduced much sooner for a Sorc - magic is in their blood/soul/mind and is innate, trying to explain why they need weird materials to use a power they're born with is.... Silly. It's like a perfectly healthy person needing to smear batshit and cherries on their necks to be able to speak. Ridiculous. Anything that removes material component requirements and still be balanced is a much needed blessing. Frankly, it should be a base Sorc feature rather than subclass specific, but hey ho.
And for the Somatic and Verbal they've got Subtle Spell anyway. Frankly, again, it makes sense these "born-with" powers shouldn't need stupid words or gestures. So these focused innate powers being immune to counterspell when casting through raw power (sorc points) isn't OP. It might mean sorc builds will be less reliant on Subtle Spell metamagic, and more free to have the other options. They're still limited as it uses a limited resource, so, again, nothing OP here.
-
'Imprisonment' - not a spell a Sorc can access. You mention multiclassing into Wizard for it ("aberrant Mind/6, Wizard/14") but that's a nope. When you select known spells / prepare spells, you make the decisions as an individual class not based on multiclassed levels. So when you add a level of Sorc you would choose your 1 new spell if applicable and 1 spell you can swap out, and you'd do so as a Sorc of that Sorc level (6th in this case, so the highest spell level you can choose is 3rd). If this was you adding into Wizard, you'd get 2 new spells to add to your spellbook for your Wizard level: in this case 14th level, so 7th level or lower. Imprisonment is a 9th level spell for Wizards or Warlocks - you need to have at least 17 levels in one of these classes to get access to it. Even if you did, it would be be considered a Psionic Spell nor can you replace a base Psionic Spell for it.
Uh, no.
Psychic Scream is a 9th level spell. The maximum level for Psionic Spells is 5th level so it will not be possible to use Sorc Points to cast Psychic Scream. You cannot create 9th level slots either. There is literally no way to cast this spell more than once using just class features. You'd need a magic item or Epic Boons to achieve that.If you think you'll get Epic Boons then you're better off getting Wish - multiple wishes per day will drastically open up your arsenal, provide great versaility, near immortality, and more. But that's just a suggestion.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
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You don't create spell slots, you can cast USING spell slots with this feature, so no lvl limit
Read my reply #2.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
Hm, true, i guess you can't go higher then 5 due to the limited spells, not a spellslot system.
Still, a way better ratio then if you had to make spellslots
Would casting a spell using Psionic Sorcery break an invisibility spell, you're not making noise (Verbal) or moving (Somatic)?
Yes because it ends when you cast a spell. Even if your casting had no components, you are still casting it.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.