Sorcerer (class)

"Practice and study are for amateurs. True power is a birthright." - Hennet, scion of Tiamat

''Golden eyes flashing, a human stretches out her hand and unleashes the dragonfire that burns in her veins. As an inferno rages around her foes, leathery wings spread from her back and she takes to the air.''

''Long hair whipped by a conjured wind, a half-elf spreads his arms wide and throws his head back. Lifting him momentarily off the ground, a wave of magic surges up in him, through him, and out from him in a mighty blast of lightning.''

''Crouching behind a stalagmite, a halfling points a finger at a charging troglodyte. A blast of fire springs from her finger to strike the creature. She ducks back behind the rock formation with a grin, unaware that her wild magic has turned her skin bright blue.''

Sorcerers carry a magical birthright conferred upon them by an exotic bloodline, some otherworldly influence, or exposure to unknown cosmic forces. One can’t study sorcery as one learns a language, any more than one can learn to live a legendary life. No one chooses sorcery; the power chooses the sorcerer.

Class Description
When it comes to drawing forth their abilities in times of need, sorcerers have it easy compared to other characters. Their power not only rests within them, but it likely takes some effort to keep it at bay. Every sorcerer is born to the role, or stumbles into it through cosmic chance. Unlike other characters, who must actively learn, embrace, and pursue their talents, sorcerers have their power thrust upon them.

Because the idea of an innately magical being traveling among them does not sit well with many folk, sorcerers tend to breed mistrust and suspicion in others they come across. Nonetheless, many sorcerers succeed in overcoming that prejudice through deeds that benefit their less magically gifted contemporaries.

Sorcerers are often defined by the events surrounding the manifestation of their power. For those who receive it as an expected birthright, its appearance is a cause for celebration. Other sorcerers are treated as outcasts, banished from their homes after the sudden, terrifying arrival of their abilities.

Raw Magic

Magic is a part of every sorcerer, suffusing body, mind, and spirit with a latent power that waits to be tapped. Some sorcerers wield magic that springs from an ancient bloodline infused with the magic of dragons. Others carry a raw, uncontrolled magic within them, a chaotic storm that manifests in unexpected ways.

The appearance of sorcerous powers is wildly unpredictable. Some draconic bloodlines produce exactly one sorcerer in every generation, but in other lines of descent every individual is a sorcerer. Most of the time, the talents of sorcery appear as apparent flukes. Some sorcerers can’t name the origin of their power, while others trace it to strange events in their own lives. The touch of a demon, the blessing of a dryad at a baby’s birth, or a taste of the water from a mysterious spring might spark the gift of sorcery. So too might the gift of a deity of magic, exposure to the elemental forces of the Inner Planes or the maddening chaos of Limbo, or a glimpse into the inner workings of reality.

Sorcerers have no use for the spellbooks and ancient tomes of magic lore that wizards rely on, nor do they rely on a patron to grant their spells as warlocks do. By learning to harness and channel their own inborn magic, they can discover new and staggering ways to unleash that power.

Unexplained Powers

Sorcerers are rare in the world, and it’s unusual to find a sorcerer who is not involved in the adventuring life in some way. People with magical power seething in their veins soon discover that the power doesn’t like to stay quiet. A sorcerer’s magic wants to be wielded, and it has a tendency to spill out in unpredictable ways if it isn’t called on.

Sorcerers often have obscure or quixotic motivations driving them to adventure. Some seek a greater understanding of the magical force that infuses them, or the answer to the mystery of its origin. Others hope to find a way to get rid of it, or to unleash its full potential. Whatever their goals, sorcerers are every bit as useful to an adventuring party as wizards, making up for a comparative lack of breadth in their magical knowledge with enormous flexibility in using the spells they know.

Creating a Sorcerer
The most important question to consider when creating your sorcerer is the origin of your power. As a starting character, you’ll choose an origin that ties to a draconic bloodline or the influence of wild magic, but the exact source of your power is up to you to decide. Is it a family curse, passed down to you from distant ancestors? Or did some extraordinary event leave you blessed with inherent magic but perhaps scarred as well?

How do you feel about the magical power coursing through you? Do you embrace it, try to master it, or revel in its unpredictable nature? Is it a blessing or a curse? Did you seek it out, or did it find you? Did you have the option to refuse it, and do you wish you had? What do you intend to do with it? Perhaps you feel like you’ve been given this power for some lofty purpose. Or you might decide that the power gives you the right to do what you want, to take what you want from those who lack such power. Perhaps your power links you to a powerful individual in the world - the fey creature that blessed you at birth, the dragon who put a drop of its blood into your veins, the lich who created you as an experiment, or the deity who chose you to carry this power.

Playing a sorcerer character can be as rewarding as it is challenging. The sections below offer suggestions on how to flesh out and personalize your persona.

Arcane Origin

Some sorcerers understand where their power came from, based on how their abilities manifested. Others can only speculate, since their powers came to them in a way that suggests no particular cause.

Does your character know the source of your magical power? Does it tie back to some distant relative, a cosmic event, or blind chance? If your sorcerer doesn't know where their power arose from, your DM can use this table (or select an origin) and reveal it to you when the information plays a role in the campaign. Reaction

When a new sorcerer enters the world, either at birth or later when one's power becomes evident, the consequences of that event depend greatly on how its witnesses react to what they have seen. When your sorcerer's powers appeared, how did the world around you respond? Were other people supportive, fearful, or somewhere in between? Supernatural Mark

A sorcerer at rest is almost indistinguishable from a normal person; it's only when their magic flies forth that sorcerers reveal their true nature. Even so, many sorcerers have a subtle but telling physical trait that sets them apart from other folk. If your sorcerer has a supernatural mark, it might be one that's easily concealed, or it could be a source of pride that you keep on constant display. Sign of Sorcery

As the world well knows, some sorcerers are better than others at controlling their spellcasting. Sometimes a wild display of magic gone awry emanates from a sorcerer who casts a spell. But even when one's magic goes off as planned, the act of casting is often accompanied by a telltale sign that makes it clear where that magical energy came from.

When your sorcerer character casts a spell, does the effort reveal itself in a sign of sorcery? Is this sign tied to your origin or some other aspect of who you are, or is it a seemingly random phenomenon? Quick Build

You can make a sorcerer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the hermit background. Third, choose the Light, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost, and Shocking Grasp cantrips, along with the 1st-level spells Shield and Magic Missile.

Class Features
Class Features by Level Table: The following table shows the Sorcerer class features by level, including the number of spell slots per spell level. As a sorcerer, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points


 * Hit Dice: 1d6 per sorcerer level
 * Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
 * Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per sorcerer level after 1st.

Proficiencies


 * Armour: None
 * Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
 * Tools: None
 * Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
 * Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Religion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:


 * a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or b) any simple weapon
 * a) a component pouch or b) an arcane focus
 * a) a dungeoneer's pack or b) an explorer's pack
 * Two daggers

Spellcasting

An event in your past, or in the life of a parent or ancestor, left an indelible mark on you, infusing you with arcane magic. This font of magic, whatever its origin, fuels your spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the sorcerer spell list.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn additional sorcerer cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Sorcerer table.

Spell Slots

The Sorcerer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your sorcerer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these sorcerer spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell burning hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast burning hands using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the sorcerer spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Sorcerer table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the sorcerer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the sorcerer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to project your will into the world. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.


 * Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
 * Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus (see the Adventuring Gear section) as a spellcasting focus for your sorcerer spells.

Sorcerous Origin

Choose a sorcerous origin, which describes the source of your innate magical power: Divine Soul, Draconic Bloodline, Shadow Magic, Storm Sorcery, or Wild Magic, all of which are detailed at the end of this section.

Your choice grants you features when you choose it at 1st level and again at 6th, 14th, and 18th level.

Font of Magic

At 2nd level, you tap into a deep wellspring of magic within yourself. This wellspring is represented by sorcery points, which allow you to create a variety of magical effects.


 * Sorcery Points: You have 2 sorcery points, and you gain more as you reach higher levels, as shown in the Sorcery Points column of the Sorcerer table. You can never have more sorcery points than shown on the table for your level. You regain all spent sorcery points when you finish a long rest.
 * Flexible Casting: You can use your sorcery points to gain additional spell slots, or sacrifice spell slots to gain additional sorcery points. You learn other ways to use your sorcery points as you reach higher levels.
 * Creating Spell Slots. You can transform unexpended sorcery points into one spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. The Creating Spell Slots table below shows the cost of creating a spell slot of a given level. You can create spell slots no higher in level than 5th. Any spell slot you create with this feature vanishes when you finish a long rest.
 * Converting a Spell Slot to Sorcery Points: As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of sorcery points equal to the slot's level.

Metamagic

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to twist your spells to suit your needs. You gain two of the following Metamagic options of your choice. You gain another one at 10th and 17th level.

You can use only one Metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless otherwise noted.


 * Careful Spell: When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do so, you spend 1 sorcery point and choose a number of those creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
 * Distant Spell: When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double the range of the spell. When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 sorcery point to make the range of the spell 30 feet.
 * Empowered Spell: When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls. You can use Empowered Spell even if you have already used a different Metamagic option during the casting of the spell.
 * Extended Spell: When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.
 * Heightened Spell: When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 sorcery points to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.
 * Quickened Spell: When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.
 * Subtle Spell: When you cast a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to cast it without any somatic or verbal components.
 * Twinned Spell: When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn’t have a range of self, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 sorcery point if the spell is a cantrip). To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level. For example, magic missile and scorching ray aren’t eligible, but ray of frost and chromatic orb are.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you may select a feat.

Sorcerous Restoration

At 20th level, you regain 4 expended sorcery points whenever you finish a short rest.

Sorcerous Origins
Different sorcerers claim different origins for their innate magic, and many variations exist. Some of the more common leanings include the Divine Soul, those who have been gifted with the magic from the celestial realms; the Draconic Bloodline, whose heritage includes an entity of draconic origin or power; the Shadow Magic weaver, whose powers draw from the Shadowfell; the Storm Sorcerer, a master manipulator of the chaotic storm elements; and the Wild Magic caster, whose magic draws from the chaotic realm of Pandemonium, resulting in bizarre and random side effects. Each of these origins is detailed below.