Gather Power
Once initiative has been rolled and a battle is underway, a sorcerer can spend a standard action to gather magical power, preparing themselves for casting a double-strength spell with their next standard action. Gathering power is loud and very noticeable.
Sorcerers who want to gather power before initiative has been rolled can go through the motions but won't get any benefit from the act.
When a sorcerer gathers power, it does not count as casting a spell; you can gather power without taking opportunity attacks.
In addition, because you spend your standard action to gather power, you generate a small magical benefit. Like many of your powers, this benefit is chaotic rather than perfectly reliable, so you must make a random check to see what benefit you get. Roll a d6 and consult the appropriate table below.
If you get a benefit that deals damage to enemies, you can choose the type of damage (cold, fire, lightning, or thunder).
Chaotic Benefit, Adventurer Tier (levels 1–4)
| Roll (d6) | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | You gain a +1 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn. |
| 3-4 | Deal damage equal to your level to all nearby staggered enemies. |
| 5-6 | Deal damage equal to your level to one nearby enemy. |
Chaotic Benefit, Champion Tier (levels 5–7)
| Roll (d6) | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | You gain a +1 bonus to AC and Physical Defense until the start of your next turn. |
| 3-4 | Deal damage equal to your level + your Charisma modifier to all nearby staggered enemies. |
| 5-6 | Deal damage equal to your level + your Charisma modifier to one nearby enemy. |
Chaotic Benefit, Epic Tier (levels 8–10)
| Roll (d6) | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | You gain a +1 bonus to all defenses until the start of your next turn. |
| 3-4 | Deal damage equal to your level + twice your Charisma modifier to all nearby staggered enemies. |
| 5-6 | Deal damage equal to your level + twice your Charisma modifier to one nearby enemy. |
After you have gathered power, you can use your next standard action to cast an empowered sorcerer spell. Empowered sorcerer spells deal double the damage of a normal sorcerer spell. This means that you double the damage results of the hit or a miss from the single spell. Non-attack spells generally don't improve when cast empowered; use empowered casting for attacks.
If you do not or are not able to use your next standard action to cast a sorcerer attack spell, you lose the power you've gathered. You can use another standard action to gather power again, but the spell you eventually cast will still only do double damage.
You can spend your move actions and quick actions any way you like after you gather power and before casting your next empowered spell. Yes, once a battle has started it's possible to perform the magical firefight trick of gathering power while hiding to the side of the cave entrance, then jumping into the cave opening on your next turn and blasting with the empowered spell.
Breath weapon spells add an extra wrinkle. Of course you can gather power the first time you cast a breath weapon spell in a battle. Later in the fight it's a question of whether you gathered power the turn before a breath weapon spell roll goes your way. You can be all ready with gathered power but roll too low to use the breath weapon spell, forcing you to cast a different spell with the gathered power.
If you've gathered power for a spell that deals ongoing damage, the ongoing damage is doubled the first time it is dealt, but not on subsequent rounds, if any.
Once per battle, you can choose the chaotic benefit you want instead of rolling for it.
Once per battle when the escalation die is 4+, you can gather power as a quick action.
When you gather power, if the escalation die is 2+, you can roll two chaotic benefits. Unlike most effects, the benefits stack if you roll the same result twice.