Okay, I probably didn't need to spend two weeks thinking about this, but sometimes inspiration takes a little while to come.
For my next crack, I took some mechanical inspiration from the Witch class, though this is obviously an arcane caster rather than a divine one. There will be more bloodlines at some point, but I figured I'd go with what D&D considers its default (Draconic) and what Pathfinder considers its default first. In the meantime I'd like criticism on these, because I'm pretty sure we're still a ways away from a final draft, but at least now it should be playable.
SORCERER
Prime Requisite: CHA
Requirements: None
Hit Dice: 1d4
Maximum Level: 14
Sorcerers are humans born with an instinctive grasp of magic. Many claim descent from powerful wizards, or even from magical beings that assumed human form such as fey, elementals, or dragons. For a sorcerer, magic is not a skill that must be studied and refined, as a mage does, but an instinctive ability as natural and intuitive as breathing. Some societies are fearful of sorcerers, but others hold them in special reverence. Some suggest that the name "sorcerer" was originally applied as a pun, for they are a natural source of magic.
Sorcerers seldom train in the arts of warfare, preferring instead to rely upon their innate gifts to see them through danger. At first level, sorcerers hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws only two points every six levels of experience (i.e., half as fast as fighters). They may only fight with quarterstaffs, clubs, daggers, and darts. They are unable to use shields, fight with two weapons, or wear any kind of armor.
Sorcerers learn and cast arcane spells as mages of two-thirds their class level. The number and levels of spells the sorcerer can use in a single day is summarized on the Sorcerer Spell Progression table. Like a mage, the Sorcerer’s spell selection is limited to the spells in their repertoire. A sorcerer’s repertoire can include a number of spells up to the number and level of spells listed for their level, increased by their Charisma bonus. Unlike other arcane spellcasters, many sorcerers do without a physical spellbook, although changing their repertoire or learning a new spell still incurs similar costs for research and training. A sorcerer can use any magic items usable by mages.
Every sorcerer must bear a bloodline. a magical ancestry which gives them both their affinity for magic and a handful of other special abilities. When a sorcerer is created, select a bloodline for the character from the ones below (or work with your Judge to create a new one), and write down the spells and powers of the bloodline. Regardless, a sorcerer's bloodline grants Each bloodline automatically adds four spells to the Sorcerer's spell list at the spell levels designated below, which they may add to their repertoire in the usual way. If a copy of such a spell is found or placed on a scroll, the scroll will be usable only by casters who would otherwise have the spell on their list.
Each also provides additional abilities at 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 9th levels.
Sorcerer Proficiency List: Alchemy, Battle Magic, Beast Friendship, Black Lore of Zahar, Collegiate Wizardry, Contemplation, Craft, Diplomacy, Elementalism, Elven Bloodline, Engineering, Familiar, Healing, Illusion Resistance, Knowledge, Language, Magical Engineering, Mapping, Mystic Aura, Naturalism, Quiet Magic, Performance, Prestidigitation, Profession, Sensing Power, Transmogrification, Soothsaying, Unflappable Casting
Arcane Sorcerer
Bonus spells:
1st level: Read Magic3rd level: Clairvoyance, Dispel Magic
4th level: Remove Curse*
1st level: An arcane sorcerer is so keenly
attuned to magic that they can instinctively sense spellcasters within 60' and estimate their relative level of power. They can tell when arcane magic has been used in the last 24 hours within the same vicinity, but not tell whether an item is magic unless it has been used in that time. Using this ability takes a turn.
2nd level: The very same instinctive attunement that lets an arcane sorcerer sense magical power makes it easy for them to see how best to overcome it. They gain the
Battle Magic proficiency.
4th level: Through spending an hour in
sorcerous meditation, an arcane sorcerer can regain the ability to cast a spell of a level they had previously expended. The sorcerer may practice sorcerous meditation as often as they wish, but may not regain the same level of spell more than once per day.
9th level: The most powerful arcane sorcerers unlock
latent spell knowledge hidden deep in their ancestral memory, and may add any four spells to their class spell list. The arcane sorcerer can then add these spells to their repertoire following the usual procedure. If the spells are normally divine, then they are identical in every way to their divine counterparts. If a copy of such a spell is found or placed on a scroll, the scroll will be usable only by casters who would otherwise have the spell on their list.
Draconic Sorcerer
Bonus spells:
2nd level: Winged Flight
3rd level: Polymorph Self
4th level: Fear
5th level: Call Dragon
1st level: A draconic sorcerer's first mark of their heritage is often their piercing, dragonlike eyes. The draconic sorcerer gains
infravision out to 30 feet.
2nd level: As the draconic sorcerer becomes more powerful, they become more like a dragon, gaining a handsome
scaly hide. This hide provides them a natural armor class of 1.
4th level: The draconic sorcerer may project a
fearsome aura that awes and frightens those in their presence. They gain a +2 bonus to reaction rolls to impress and intimidate those in their presence. If this bonus results in a total of 12 or more, the subjects act as if charmed in their presence.
9th level: Three times per day, but no more than once per hour, a draconic sorcerer may use the breath attack of their dragon ancestor,
which deals 5d4 damage along either a cone 40 feet long and 20 feet wide at its far end (if fire or cold), a 20-foot diameter cloud (if toxic gas), or a 60-foot line (if lightning or acid). A successful saving throw against Blast/Breath reduces the damage by half. A draconic sorcerer gains a +2 bonus to any saving throws against damage of the same type as their breath weapon.
A draconic sorcerer who attempts draconic apotheosis does so at half cost.
|
Sorcerer level progression
|
Sorcerer Spell progression
|
|
Experience
|
Level
|
Hit Dice
|
Level Title
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
|
0
|
1
|
1d4
|
Prodigy
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
2075
|
2
|
2d4
|
Curiosity
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
4150
|
3
|
3d4
|
Freak
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
8300
|
4
|
4d4
|
Spectacle
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
16,600
|
5
|
5d4
|
Whiz
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
33,200
|
6
|
6d4
|
Wonder
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
65,000
|
7
|
7d4
|
Phenomenon
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
|
130,000
|
8
|
8d4
|
Witchalok
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
|
280,000
|
9
|
9d4
|
Sorcerer
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
|
430,000
|
10
|
9d4+1
|
Sorcerer
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
|
580,000
|
11
|
9d4+2
|
Sorcerer
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
|
730,000
|
12
|
9d4+3
|
Sorcerer
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
|
880,000
|
13
|
9d4+4
|
Sorcerer
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
|
1,030,000
|
14
|
9d4+5
|
Sorcerer
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
