2024 Sorcerer vs. 2014 Sorcerer: What’s New

Tags author-damen-cook Player's Handbook

The Sorcerer in the 2024 Player’s Handbook is a master spellcaster, manipulating magic on a whim and brimming with new arcane power. The class now benefits from additional spells, features that allow you to unleash your inner magic, and a revamped capstone. And you didn’t even have to memorize incantations or dedicate your soul to a higher power to get it!

Let’s take a look at the key changes for the Sorcerer in the new Player's Handbook. If we don’t cover a feature, such as Font of Magic, that means that it remains unchanged.

The 2024 Player’s Handbook is Now Available!

Buy the 2024 Player’s Handbook today and dive into revised rules, enhanced character options, and exciting gameplay innovations.

Get your copy on the D&D Beyond marketplace and seamlessly integrate your new content with D&D Beyond's library of digital tools built to make D&D easier, so you can focus on the fun!

What's New for the 2024 Sorcerer?

CLASS FEATURE

LEVEL

WHAT'S NEW

Spellcasting

1
  • More spells! Sorcerers can prepare more spells now than they could learn before.
  • Can switch one cantrip when you level up.

Innate Sorcery

1
  • Use a Bonus Action to surge in power for 1 minute.
  • While active, your Sorcerer spell save DC increases by +1, and you have Advantage on attack rolls for Sorcery spells.
  • Two uses per Long Rest.

Metamagic

2
  • Now at level 2 instead of level 3.
  • Metamagic selection can now be changed when you level up.
  • Some Metamagic options have been tweaked (see below).
  • Learn more Metamagic options as you level up.

Sorcerer Subclass

3
  • Now at level 3 instead of level 1.
  • Aberrant Mind: Largely unchanged from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, except you cannot trade out your subclass spells.
  • Clockwork Sorcery: Largely unchanged from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, except you cannot trade out your subclass spells.
  • Draconic Sorcery: Buffs and extra spells make this subclass more draconic and robust.
  • Wild Magic Sorcery: Wild Magic Surges are more reliable, and the table has been slightly tweaked.

Sorcerous Restoration

5
  • Regain expended Sorcery Points equal to half your Sorcerer level after a Short Rest once per day.

Sorcery Incarnate

7
  • Regain uses of Innate Sorcery by spending 2 Sorcery Points.
  • While active, Innate Sorcery allows you to use two Metamagic options on every spell.

Epic Boon

19
  • Gain an Epic Boon feat. (Or another feat — but you’ll probably want an Epic Boon feat!)

Arcane Apotheosis

20
  • While active, Innate Sorcery allows you to use one Metamagic option for free each turn.

2024 Sorcerer Class Features Overview

Artist: Evyn FongA Tiefling Sorcerer surrounded by crackling magical energy.

Spellcasting — Level 1

The Sorcerer’s Spellcasting feature grants you more spells and flexibility, and has seen some slight tweaks to nomenclature.

First, everybody "prepares" spells now. But this change is a stylistic one for the Sorcerer. You still edit your spell list when you level up and can only change one spell on your list at a time.

The most significant change to Spellcasting for Sorcerers in the 2024 Player’s Handbook is they can prepare more spells than their 2014 counterparts could learn. In fact, once they reach level 3, Sorcerers now prepare just as many spells as the Druid, Bard, Cleric, and Wizard! (The Wizard, as Mystra’s favorite, pulls ahead of the pack at level 14.)

Lastly, Sorcerers can now change one cantrip when you level up. This is in addition to swapping one spell from your prepared spell list.

Innate Sorcery — Level 1

Magic is in your blood; and some of your enemies may have to learn that the hard way.

With Innate Sorcery, you can use your Bonus Action to surge in magical power for 1 minute. During that time, your spell save DC for Sorcerer spells increases by 1, and you have Advantage on attack rolls for Sorcerer spells. You can use this feature twice per Long Rest.

Metamagic — Level 2

Metamagic, the Sorcerer’s trademark feature, has seen some upgrades: You now get this feature at level 2 instead of level 3, and you learn two additional Metamagic options at level 10 and 17 instead of one. You can also change one Metamagic option when you level up. Additionally, the two optional Metamagic options introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything have now been incorporated into the core class.

Six of the ten Metamagic options were tweaked. If you don’t see a Metamagic option in the list below, it remains unchanged from the 2014 Player’s Handbook.

  • Careful Spell: Now protects your allies from taking half damage on a successful save. Next time your Barbarian is surrounded, throw a Fireball at their feet without fear of harming your friend.
  • Extended Spell: You now also have Advantage on saving throws made to maintain Concentration on spells affected by this Metamagic.
  • Heightened Spell: Costs 2 Sorcery Points instead of 3. Now also affects all subsequent saves a target makes against the heightened spell. (Hello, my old friends: Hold Person and Slow.)
  • Seeking Spell: Costs 1 Sorcery Point instead of 2. You can still use this Metamagic option even if you are using another one on that same spell.
  • Subtle Spell: Now allows you to ignore Material components as well, as long as those Material components do not have a cost specification and are not consumed by the spell.
  • Twinned Spell: This Metamagic option has been reconfigured. Now, Twinned Spell applies to spells that can be upcast to target an additional creature, such as Banishment, increasing the spell’s effective level by 1. It also only costs 1 Sorcery Point. So, for example, if you are level 7, you can’t yet cast Banishment at the 5th level slot necessary to target another creature, but you can cast it at 4th level and spend 1 Sorcery Point to twin it!

Sorcerer Subclass — Level 3

Artist: Evyn FongAn Aberrant Mind Dragonborn Sorcerer channeling their psionic abilities.

Sorcerers now get their subclass at level 3 instead of level 1, just like all the other classes in the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Sorcery were largely unchanged from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, Wild Magic was only slightly altered, and Draconic Sorcery was given a … breath of new life. (Get it? Because dragons breathe—oh, never mind.)

  • Aberrant Mind: Aberrant Mind saw some minor changes. Psionic Spells can no longer be replaced with Divination or Enchantment spells from the Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard spell list. Psionic Sorcery no longer affects Material components that have a specified cost.
  • Clockwork Sorcery: Clockwork Sorcery underwent only two changes from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Clockwork Spells can no longer be replaced with Abjuration or Transmutation spells from the Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard spell list. Restore Balance is now tied to your Charisma modifier instead of your Proficiency Bonus.
  • Draconic Sorcery: This iconic sorcerer subclass has significantly improved, granting you new spells and stronger, more dragon-like features. You gain ten additional spells as you level up, including Command, Fear, Charm Monster, and Legend Lore. Draconic Resilience’s new AC calculation includes your Charisma modifier (10 + DEX + CHA), and the new capstone feature, Dragon Companion, allows you to cast the new Summon Dragon spell once per day without using a spell slot, Material components, or Concentration.
  • Wild Magic Sorcery: Wild Magic surges now trigger on a 20 instead of a 1, and the Wild Magic Surge table has been reorganized, but its effects are all familiar. The Wild Magic Surge table itself has undergone quite the makeover, organizing similar effects into their own mini-rollable tables. (Don’t worry, you can still be transformed into a potted plant!) Casting a spell after using Tides of Chaos now automatically triggers a Wild Magic Surge. Bend Luck costs 1 Sorcery Point instead of 2. The subclass’ new capstone feature, Tamed Surges, allows you to trigger a Wild Magic Surge effect of your choice once per day.

Sorcerous Restoration — Level 5

Once per day, you can regain expended Sorcery Points (equal to half your Sorcerer level, rounded down) on a Short Rest. Now when the party Warlock asks for a Short Rest, you’ll get a little something out of it too!

Consider when to use this feature and how to strategically manage your Sorcery Points. For example, let’s say you are level 10, and you have 8 Sorcery Points remaining. If your party is taking a Short Rest before confronting a boss, you can regain up to 5 using Sorcerous Restoration. Before taking that Short Rest and using this feature, consider using Font of Magic to convert 3 Sorcery Points into a level 2 spell slot. This way, you’ll still be able to face the boss with all 10 of your Sorcery Points, but you’ll also have an extra level 2 slot.

Sorcery Incarnate — Level 7

Innate Sorcery wasn’t even your final form. With Sorcery Incarnate, you can regain a use of Innate Sorcery by spending 2 Sorcery Points. In addition, Innate Sorcery now allows you to use up to two Metamagic options on each spell.

Fighting two powerful foes? Cast a Twinned and Heightened Hold Monster to set your Paladins and Rogues up for Critical Hits. Sticking to long range? Reach for a Quickened and Distant Blindness/Deafness on an enemy 60 feet away, then follow it up with a Fire Bolt.

Epic Boon — Level 19

Time to select an Epic Boon feat, a new type of feat that is reserved for characters of level 19 or higher. Take a look through your twelve options and choose whichever you like best. You can also take a regular feat if that suits your build better. The 2024 Player’s Handbook recommends:

  • Boon of Dimensional Travel: Increase one ability score by 1 (up to a maximum of 30), and immediately after you take the Attack or Magic action, you can teleport up to 30 feet.

Arcane Apotheosis — Level 20

Your Innate Sorcery feature is taken to new heights.

When Innate Sorcery is active, you can use one Metamagic option per turn without expending Sorcery Points. If you’re using multiple Metamagics on a turn, be sure to make the most expensive one free! (In the 2024 Player’s Handbook, Quickened Spell and Heightened Spell cost 2 Sorcery Points each, while the rest of the Metamagic options only cost 1.)

This feature also grants you more strategic flexibility. For example, if you are headed into an important battle low on spell slots, you might normally hesitate to spend Sorcery Points to create new slots because you also want to use Metamagic during the upcoming fight. But if you know that Arcane Apotheosis will allow you to use some Metamagic for free, you have more freedom to use your Sorcery Points to enable you to cast spells.

Fated for Greatness

The 2024 Player's Handbook is now available on the D&D Beyond marketplace, which means it's time to set out on new adventures with fresh or familiar characters!

The 2024 Player’s Handbook better delivers on the vision of the Sorcerer as an arcane powerhouse: someone destined to twist magic to suit your needs, to make it do tricks for your amusement. New Sorcerers who take off on an adventure will be bringing along extra spells, more (and improved) Metamagic options, and the ability to temporarily surge with magical power via Innate Sorcery—so start thinking of clever Metamagic combinations!

We’re delighted to share with you the changes to fifth edition D&D that appear in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. Make sure to keep an eye out on D&D Beyond for more useful guides on using the wealth of new options, rules, and mechanics found in the 2024 Player's Handbook!

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Damen Cook (@damen_joseph) is a lifelong fantasy reader, writer, and gamer. If he woke up tomorrow in Faerûn, he would bolt through the nearest fey crossing and drink from every stream and eat fruit from every tree in the Feywild until he found that sweet, sweet wild magic.

This article was updated on August 13, 2024, to issue corrections or expand coverage for the following features and subclasses:

  • Sorcerer Subclass (Aberrant Mind): Removed inaccuracy surrounding the conditions causing Telepathic Speech to drop.

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