If anyone cares about the thought process behind the change, it's here:
The thread in IMHO about sources got me thinking about what sources of magic I think are actually in the various incarnations of 3.x, and I can't really identify any. You can say there's an arcane, divine, and self (psionic, martial, whatever) source, but these aren't particularly solid. They've got the exact same effects on different lists, powered by supposedly different sources, which dilutes any sort of reason for having different sources to begin with.
So, by fiat, there's one source, and different classes access it through different means. Clerics let their gods funnel it to them, druids work with nature to providing it for them, wizards do some obscure crazy shit to make it work, and bards do it with music. They're all using a different lense to see the source of magic, work it in different ways, and so get slightly different effects out of it. Not the sorcerer though. The sorcerer (or sourcerer, if I wanted to steal from Pratchet) actually taps the source directly, naturally, and so can potentially generate any magical effect imaginable. They're just learning how to do it as they go along, because there isn't a guide or training for the path they walk.
Ok, thematic changes. None. Sorcerers have been flavored as the natural casters of the world. They're billed as the lazy mage, the class that just spontaneously learns unstable new things and spends their adolescence learning to control their new powers. And we never hear about this bit of flavor again. They're given no class abilities that actually follow the written flavor. Tweaking them so that they actually carried some of that flavor would be nice, and could increase their overall utility in a different way. Which is what I think this does.
So, by fiat, there's one source, and different classes access it through different means. Clerics let their gods funnel it to them, druids work with nature to providing it for them, wizards do some obscure crazy shit to make it work, and bards do it with music. They're all using a different lense to see the source of magic, work it in different ways, and so get slightly different effects out of it. Not the sorcerer though. The sorcerer (or sourcerer, if I wanted to steal from Pratchet) actually taps the source directly, naturally, and so can potentially generate any magical effect imaginable. They're just learning how to do it as they go along, because there isn't a guide or training for the path they walk.
Ok, thematic changes. None. Sorcerers have been flavored as the natural casters of the world. They're billed as the lazy mage, the class that just spontaneously learns unstable new things and spends their adolescence learning to control their new powers. And we never hear about this bit of flavor again. They're given no class abilities that actually follow the written flavor. Tweaking them so that they actually carried some of that flavor would be nice, and could increase their overall utility in a different way. Which is what I think this does.
Skills: add UMD. Maybe others.
Skill points per level: 4 + int. They don't spend all day with their noses in books like a wizard, they have time to learn other shit.
Bonus Feat: at 1st level, sorcerers can choose Item Master or Magical Apptitude (Tome skill feats, use something appropriate if you're not using those) as a bonus feat. They get this bonus feat in place of a familiar. Additionally, all sorcerers gain Eschew Materials as a bonus feat.
Spells known: A sorcerer knows every spell on his class list, but they do not use the Sorcerer class list in core or any other class list. Each sorcerer builds their own spell list, starting at level 1 by selecting a number of spells as shown on their spells known table. They may select these spells from any spell list they want, or select a custom or created spell that is allowed by the DM. These reflect the powers that a sorcerer has already developed and mastered. It does not reflect the powers they are still developing.
A sorcerer also selects the spells that they will learn when they gain a level. These spells are not added to their class lists yet, but they do have access to them, as described in the spells per day section. Each time a sorcerer gains a level, these spells are officially added to their class list and they select the spells that they will master at next level.
A sorcerer can unlearn a spell anytime they gain a new level. They may replace the lost spell with any spell of the same level. New spells learned this way are not mastered, and suffer the same casting limitations as any other spell that they are still mastering.
Spell casting: A sorcerer can cast any spell on his class list using any spell slot of the same, or higher level. If they wish to modify a spell with a metamagic feat, the spell does not require an increased casting time but does use a higher level slot.
A sorcerer can attempt to cast the spells that they are currently mastering, but success with these spells is not guaranteed. The sorcerer must succeed on a DC 11+(spell level x 2) caster level check, or the spell behaves other than it is supposed to upon completion. Sorcerers know when their spells are not controlled properly, and can choose to dismiss the effect before it finishes, or roll on a hypothetical table to see how the spell is altered (50% bad, 50% beneficial, similar to some of the old 2E wild mage stuff).
Spells per day: At odd levels other than 1 and 19, a sorcerer will begin mastering a new spell level and not have spell slots to power it with. So we need to add a 2* to those levels. These slots can only be used to power
What I think this does:
- Boosts spells known at all levels, but maybe not by enough. Does this in a way that returns some of the base flavor, without reference to any dragon blood bullshit.
- Gives them new spell levels at the same levels as wizards are learning them. They're only 50/50 likely to get them off in the regular way, and they're inherently unstable (but potentially awesome).
- Both helps them and screws them on spell lists. They can cherry pick whatever spells they want from anywhere in the game or make up any effect they want (and that the DM will approve), but they really really need UMD to get back any sort of broader utility. I don't know if they're getting more than they're giving up on this one....
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I suppose I deserve that for asking the way I did. Let's rephrase and try it again...