Calamitous Sorcery

When cataclysms occur, whether magical, artificial or natural, a huge amount of energy is drawn and expended, usually in a devastating and spectacular show of destructive power. On occasion, some of this destructive energy runs awry and gets stored, or trapped, within an individual.

Calamitous sorcerers gain influence over the destructive powers that impacted their origin, and are known to wreak havoc and destruction. Whatever the circumstances of their origin, these sorcerers carry the consequences of this calamitous event with them, having fundamentally shaped who they have become.

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Level 3: Calamitous Magic

You’ve suffered a cataclysmic origin that has left you scarred forever. In its aftermath, you have found yourself in control of the dreadful power of Calamitous Spells. These are any Sorcerer spells of Level 1 or higher that directly deal damage to one or more creatures and have a duration of ‘Instantaneous’.

Free Preparations. Select two Calamitous Spells that are of a level you can prepare. You always have the chosen spells prepared. You also select one additional Calamitous spell when you reach levels 5, 7 and 9 in this class. You can exchange one of your selections for another eligible Calamitous Spell whenever you gain a level in this class.

Calamitous Damage Type. Select one damage type from Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison or Thunder. Whenever you cast a Calamitous Spell, you can change the damage type to your chosen type.

Calamitous Burst. You know the Sorcerous Burst spell, which counts as a Calamitous Spell and doesn’t count against the number of cantrips you know. If you already know this spell, you learn a different Sorcerer cantrip of your choice. When you cast Sorcerous Burst and deal your Calamitous Damage Type, you can roll another d8 if you roll a 7 or 8 on a damage die for the spell.

Level 6: Explosive Spells

When you roll damage for a Calamitous Spell and deal your Calamitous Damage Type, if any of the damage dice roll their maximum value, you can expend 1 Sorcery Point to infuse the spell with the devastation of your calamitous origin. Roll those dice again, and add the new rolls to the damage total. You can roll the dice again if they also roll their maximum value, adding their result to the damage total, and so on.

Rules Note

If you use a feature such as the Tempest Domain Cleric’s ‘Destructive Wrath’ that allows you to automatically take the damage dice’s maximum for a spell, Explosive Spells can’t apply for that casting, since the dice were not actually rolled.

Level 14: Energy Barrier

Whenever you or a creature you can see within 60 feet of you is subjected to an effect that forces it to make a saving throw where it would take half damage on a success, you can use your Reaction to project an energy field to the target, countering the effect with your own dangerous magic. That creature instead takes half damage on a failure and no damage on a success.

You must use this Reaction before the creature rolls for the saving throw.

Level 18: Embodiment of Cataclysm

You gain the harrowing ability to emulate the calamity that acts as the source of your power. While your Innate Sorcery feature is active, you gain the following benefits:

Inescapable Wrath. When you cast a Calamitous spell, you can change its damage type to Force, allowing you to affect otherwise Immune targets with it. You can still use your Explosive Spells feature when you do so.

Overwhelming Destruction. When you cast a Calamitous spell with a spell slot of a higher level than the spell, you can add 1d8 per slot level above the spell’s level to one of the spell’s damage rolls.