Ability Scores
Sorcerers gain a +2 class bonus to Charisma or Constitution, as long as it isn’t the same ability you increase with your +2 racial bonus.
Backgrounds
Possible backgrounds include: tribal shaman, pirate captain, spell-arena gladiator, failed wizard, sahuagin hunter.
Gear
At 1st level, a sorcerer usually has a simple melee weapon, a few changes of clothing, a wand or staff, and other paraphernalia suggested by their backgrounds.
Gold Pieces
Sorcerers may start with either 25 gp or 1d6 x 10 gp.
Armor
|
Armor Type |
Base AC |
Atk Penalty |
|
None |
10 |
— |
|
Light |
10 |
— |
|
Heavy |
11 |
–2 |
|
Shield |
+1 |
-2 |
Melee Weapons
|
|
One-Handed |
Two-Handed |
|
Small |
1d4 dagger |
1d6 staff |
|
Light or Simple |
1d6 shortsword |
1d8 spear |
|
Heavy or Martial |
1d8 (-2 atk) longsword |
1d10 (-2 atk) greatsword* |
Ranged Weapons
|
|
Thrown |
Crossbow |
Bow |
|
Small |
1d4 dagger |
1d4 hand crossbow |
— |
|
Light or Simple |
1d6 javelin |
1d6 (–1 atk) light crossbow* |
1d6 (-2 atk) shortbow* |
|
Heavy or Martial |
— |
1d8 (–3 atk) heavy crossbow* |
1d8 (-4 atk) longbow* |
* A sorcerer needs one free hand to cast spells. As such, they suffer a penalty for using a two-handed weapon. (The penalty applies to spells also.)
Level Progression
|
Sorcerer Level |
Total Hit Points |
Total Feats |
1st level spell |
3rd level spell |
5th level spell |
7th level spell |
9th level spell |
Level-up Ability Bonuses |
Damage Bonus From Ability Score |
|
Level 1 |
(6 + CON mod) x 3 |
1 adventurer |
4 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
ability modifier |
|
Level 2 |
(6 + CON mod) x 4 |
2 adventurer |
5 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
ability modifier |
|
Level 3 |
(6 + CON mod) x 5 |
3 adventurer |
3 |
3 |
— |
— |
— |
|
ability modifier |
|
Level 4 |
(6 + CON mod) x 6 |
4 adventurer
|
— |
6 |
— |
— |
— |
+1 to 3 abilities |
ability modifier |
|
Level 5 |
(6 + CON mod) x 8 |
4 adventurer 1 champion |
— |
3 |
4 |
— |
— |
|
2 x ability modifier |
|
Level 6 |
(6 + CON mod) x 10 |
4 adventurer 2 champion |
— |
— |
7 |
— |
— |
|
2 x ability modifier |
|
Level 7 |
(6 + CON mod) x 12 |
4 adventurer 3 champion |
— |
— |
3 |
5 |
— |
+1 to 3 abilities |
2 x ability modifier |
|
Level 8 |
(6 + CON mod) x 16 |
4 adventurer 3 champion 1 epic |
— |
— |
— |
8 |
— |
|
3 x ability modifier |
|
Level 9 |
(6 + CON mod) x 20 |
4 adventurer 3 champion 2 epic |
— |
— |
— |
3 |
6 |
|
3 x ability modifier |
|
Level 10 |
(6 + CON mod) x 24 |
4 adventurer 3 champion 3 epic |
— |
— |
— |
— |
9 |
+1 to 3 abilities |
3 x ability modifier |
Note: Although not listed on the table, this class gets three talents. It does not gain more at higher levels.
Stats
Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.
|
Ability Bonus |
+2 Charisma or Constitution (different from racial bonus) |
|
Initiative |
Dex mod + Level |
|
Armor Class (light armor) |
10 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level |
|
Physical Defense |
11 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level |
|
Mental Defense |
10 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level |
|
Hit Points |
(6 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart) |
|
Recoveries |
8 |
|
Recovery Dice |
(1d6 x Level) + Con mod |
|
Backgrounds |
8 points, max 5 in any one background |
|
Icon Relationships |
3 points |
|
Talents |
3 |
|
Feats |
1 per Level |
Class Features
All sorcerers share three general class features: Access to Wizardry, Dancing Lights, and Gather Power. Breath weapon, chain, and random energy are keywords used in sorcerer spells
Access to Wizardry
Starting at 3rd level, you can take a wizard spell in place of a sorcerer spell. The wizard spell must be two levels lower than the sorcerer spell.
Breath Weapon
Spells with the breath weapon keyword have a chance to be re-used during battle. Each breath weapon spell lists the chance of re-using it (usually 16+). At the start of each round after you've cast the breath weapon spell, make the re-use roll. Success indicates that you may re-use that spell as a standard action, but for that round only. If you fail the re-use roll, you don't have the option to re-use the spell, but you get another chance at the beginning of the next round.
The breath weapon power lasts for a single battle only.
You can have only one breath weapon spell active at a time. If you cast a different breath weapon spell when you have an earlier spell active, the new spell cancels the earlier spell. (See the Chromatic Destroyer Heritage talent for the path to multiple breath weapon spells.)
Failing a death save cancels any breath weapon spells you have active.
Failing a death save no longer cancels your breath weapon spells. Keep rolling the entire battle.
Chain
When you attack with a chain spell and get a natural even roll, you can roll another attack against a different enemy within range. Keep on rolling attacks as long as you get even rolls and don't run out of new targets. Each enemy can be targeted only once.
Dancing Lights
All sorcerers can cast the dancing lights spell as a standard action. Unlike the wizard's light cantrip, the sorcerer's dancing lights spell produces a number of varicolored light globes that bloom within 5 to 30 feet of the sorcerer every two to five seconds. The sorcerer has very little control over the exact location or illumination provided by the lights, meaning that they can occasionally be used for dramatic plot purposes.
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.
Random Energy
Some sorcerer spells deal damage of a random type. If it matters for the situation, use a d4 to determine which type of damage the spell deals.
| Roll (d4) | Energy Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cold |
| 2 | Fire |
| 3 | Lightning |
| 4 | Thunder |
Class Talents
About Heritage Talents
Sorcerers possess innate talent for magic that is impulsive and chaotic where wizardry is measured and studied. Most sorcerers have strong magical links to one of the icons.
Arcane Heritage
Although magic is in the blood of every sorcerer, you have a greater understanding of magic than most sorcerers and even some wizards.
You gain a +2 bonus to a background that involves or suggests magical knowledge or talent, up to your normal maximum background point limit.
You can also use one of your sorcerer spell choices to choose any wizard spell of the same level. You get only one such equal-level wizard spell at a time; all others have to be purchased using the 2-level penalty in the Access to Wizardry class feature described above.
Use your Charisma as the attack ability for the wizard spell you choose with your Arcane Heritage talent.
You can cast your wizard spells empowered as if they were sorcerer powers. Generally, empowering wizard spells only helps by doubling the damage.
Blood Link
Choose one of your sorcerous heritage talents. You gain 1 relationship point with the icon associated with that heritage; you choose whether the point is positive, conflicted, or negative. This point can add to your normal relationship points but you can't exceed the normal relationship maximums with it. (Remember that positive relationships with villainous icons are limited to 1 point.)
Gain another relationship point with an icon associated with one of your heritage talents. As above, you must follow the relationship maximums.
Chromatic Destroyer Heritage
You can have multiple breath weapon spells active at the same time. You don't gain extra actions, so if you succeed with multiple breath weapon spells, you'll generally have to choose which one to use.
You gain a +2 attack bonus with empowered breath weapon spells.
Once per day, turn a failed breath weapon re-use roll into a success.
One battle per day, gain resist dragon attack 16+ (all attacks made by dragons; dragon must roll natural 16+ with the attack or it deals only half damage).
Fey Heritage
One battle per day, when you roll initiative, you can choose to invoke your Fey Heritage and gain the racial power of one the elven races in addition to your own racial power. Roll on the table below. If you roll your own race's power, you gain the half-elf's surprising racial power instead.
| Roll (d6) | Racial Power |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Cruel (drow) |
| 3-4 | Highblood teleport (high elf) |
| 5-6 | Elven grace (wood elf) |
You can now invoke your Fey Heritage talent in two battles each day.
You gain a +2 attack bonus against elves and monsters in the elven sphere of influence (including the Drider, Storm Giant, and Medusa).
Once per battle when the escalation die reaches 6+, as a free action, you can gain an elf racial power that you have not already used in this battle.
Infernal Heritage
Once per day, as a quick action when the escalation die is 1+, you can enter a spell frenzy until the end of the battle.
While in a spell frenzy, you roll 2d20 for each of your sorcerer spell attacks. Use the highest die as your attack roll, but track whether the other die hits.
For each die that misses, you take damage equal to double the level of the target of your attack.
You gain resist energy damage 12+ to fire and to one of the following types of energy of your choice: acid, cold, lightning, psychic, thunder.
Increase one of your resistances to 16+.
In addition to your normal use of spell frenzy, you can also enter a spell frenzy as a free action while the escalation die is 5+.
Metallic Protector Heritage
Your rolls to re-use breath weapon spells during a fight gain a +2 bonus.
As a quick action at the start of each battle, you can gain resist energy 12+ to one of the following types of energy of your choice: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison.
When you gather power and your chaotic benefit increases your defenses, you can choose one nearby ally to gain the same defense bonus.
One battle per day, you can choose to gain resist demon attack 16+ instead of resist energy 12+ from your Metallic Protector Heritage talent.
Sorceror's Familiar
You have a familiar much like a wizard's familiar, but more changeable. Unlike the wizard, you don't choose two abilities for your familiar. Instead you choose one permanent ability that suits your familiar's nature; the only limitation is that you can't choose tough as the permanent ability. Each time you get a full heal-up, randomly determine two other abilities your familiar will possess until your next full heal-up.
Your familiar gains another randomly changing ability.
Once per level, if your familiar is close to you, it can cast one of your spells as a free action on your initiative count, even if you have already expended the spell. The spell functions as if you had cast it.
Your familiar gains another randomly changing ability.
Sorceror's Familiar (Rules)
Your sorceror's familiar is a tiny or small animal or creature that aids you and provides companionship. It also provides opportunities for improvisation between you and the GM.
Your familiar is as intelligent as a normal person. It can communicate with you and will stay close you unless you've chosen abilities that let it roam. Your familiar is on your side but it's not perfectly in your control.
If your familiar dies, it can come back to you the next time you get a full heal-up. (The method or story used is between you and the GM.) Alternatively, you can get a new familiar.
familiars are useless in combat, except as indicated by their abilities. Ordinarily they aren't damaged by enemy attacks and spells unless the story calls for it.
Familiar Abilities
Choose one of the following permanent abilities for your familiar.
Agile
You gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity skill checks.
Alert, Maybe Even Insightful
You gain a +2 bonus to Wisdom skill checks.
Counter-bite
Each battle, if your familiar is close to you, it bites the first enemy that hits you with a melee attack after that attack, dealing 1d4 damage per level (no attack roll) to that enemy.
Flight
Your familiar flies as well as a hawk. It doesn't fly that often and usually sticks with you, but it can do so when its other abilities allow.
Mimic
One battle per day, you gain the use of the racial power (without feats) of one nearby ally.
Poisonous
Once per battle, when you hit an enemy engaged with you, you can add 5 ongoing poison damage per tier to the damage roll.
Scout
Once per day, your familiar can separate itself from you and make a reconnaissance run of an area or location. Roll an easy skill check for the environment to get your familiar to scout unseen.
Tough
You gain a +1 save bonus. Tough counts as two familiar abilities.
Talkative
Your familiar can talk like a person (but the GM speaks for the familiar more than you do).
Spell Fist
Your style of sorcery emphasizes close-range fighting. There are two advantages and one possible drawback to your style.
You gain a +2 bonus to AC.
You can use ranged spells while engaged with enemies without taking opportunity attacks.
You use your Constitution modifier instead of your Charisma modifier to determine the damage you add to all your sorcerer spells.
When you miss with a sorcerer spell against an enemy you are engaged with, add your Charisma modifier to the damage you deal. At 5th level, add double your Charisma modifier; at 8th level, triple it.
Once per battle, you can include one enemy engaged with you as an additional target of any attack spell you cast that targets other enemies.
Once per day when you cast an empowered spell, each enemy engaged with you becomes an additional target of that spell if it's not already targeted by the spell.
Undead Remnant Heritage
You have resist negative energy 12+ and gain a +1 attack bonus against undead. You can also include negative energy damage on your personal random energy damage type table, swapping out an energy type you don't want to access randomly.
Decrease your total recoveries by 1; you gain a +2 bonus to death saves.
Your resist negative energy power improves to 16+, and the attack bonus against undead increases to +2.
If you put out one of your eyes and cut off one of your hands, you gain a +1 bonus to all attacks.
1st Level Spells
Breath of the White
For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start of each of your turns. On a 16+, you can use breath of the white dragon that turn if you wish.
Burning Hands
When you miss with burning hands, you deal fire damage to the target equal to each damage die that rolled its maximum possible result.
When you roll a natural 18+ with a burning hands attack roll, you can choose another nearby target for the spell. The new target doesn't have to be part of the original group.
You can now target each enemy engaged with you with your burning hands spell in addition to any other targets.
Chaos Bolt
The first time you use chaos bolt each battle, determine a random energy type. The spell deals that type of damage each time you use it that battle.
You don't take the –2 penalty for attacking a far away enemy with the spell.
If you are a champion-tier sorcerer, roll any chaotic benefit gained with this spell on the epic chaotic benefits table. If you are an epic-tier sorcerer, choose the epic chaotic benefit you want instead of rolling.
Lightning Fork
Once per battle, you can reroll one of your lightning fork attacks rolls.
If you miss all targets with lightning fork, you don't expend it.
The recharge roll for lightning fork is now 11+.
Each time you make a natural even attack roll, you can attack a different target with the spell.
Resist Energy
Until the end of the battle, the target gains resist damage 12+ to the following energy type of your choice: cold, fire, lightning, thunder.
You can target an additional creature with the spell.
Scorching Ray
You can now use the spell against a far away target, but with a –2 attack penalty.
Each time you cast the spell, you can have the attack deal random energy damage instead of fire damage. Replace the fire entry on the random energy table with your choice of negative energy or acid.
You don't take the –2 penalty for attacking a far away enemy with the spell.
3rd Level Spells
Breath of the Green
For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start of each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use breath of the green that turn if you wish.
Chaos Pulse
Dragon's Leap
You can fly at the rate you normally move until the end of your turn. (So if you don't land or find someplace to hang from, you'll fall.)
For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start of each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use dragon's leap this turn if you wish. (Yeah, we know it's not actually a breath weapon, but it works as part of the draconic sorcerer package.)
Echoing Thunder
The spell's aftershock damage is now also doubled when echoing thunder is empowered.
5th Level Spells
Breath of the Black
Double the spell's ongoing damage on a miss.
For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start of each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use breath of the black that turn if you wish.
The Elven Shadows
Once you cast this spell in a battle, you can cast it at-will for the rest of that battle.
Once per battle, the teleport from a hit with the elven shadows can be to a far away location you can see.
Three Dooms
Each time you make a natural even attack roll, you can attack a different target with the spell.
Unearthly Glamour
You gain a +5 bonus to all Charisma skill checks for the next five minutes. If you fail a Charisma skill check during this time, however, anyone you were attempting to convince or influence with the check is freaked out or disgusted by the supernatural glamour attached to you and has extremely negative reactions to you.
7th Level Spells
Breath of the Blue
You can now target a far away enemy with the spell (no attack penalty).
For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start of each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use breath of the blue this turn if you wish.
Stolen Faces
You steal the once-per-battle racial powers of your allies this battle, but you don't get the advantage of your allies' feats or items that improve those powers.
Each ally you steal a racial power from can roll an easy save (6+). Success means they get to use their power also this battle. Failure means they can't; you took it fully.
You can't steal racial powers you already possess.
Touch of Evil
If you are fighting one or more demons, roll an easy save (6+) at the start of each of your turns. Failure means that you are confused that turn.
You gain a random demon-style power for the rest of the battle, similar to the abilities demons possess but not identical.
Roll a d8 to see which power you gain:
| Roll (d8) | Power | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Resist energy 16+ | When an attack that deals energy damage targets you, the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage. |
| 2 | Infernal battery | Until the end of the battle, you can use a quick action once each round to make recharge rolls for your expended recharge spells. Each time you do so, you take damage equal to half the natural result of your recharge roll. |
| 3 | Backlash | The first time you are staggered this battle, the enemy who staggered you becomes confused (save ends). |
| 4 | Spell frenzy | You enter a spell frenzy (see Infernal Heritage talent). If you were already in a spell frenzy, you now roll 3d20 for each attack and take damage equal to triple the target's level for each roll that misses. |
| 5 | Fear aura | Enemies engaged with you that have fewer hit points than double your current hit points are dazed. They cannot use the escalation die. |
| 6 | Teleport 1d3 + 1 times this battle | As a move action, you can teleport anywhere you can see nearby. |
| 7 | Demonic speed | You can take an extra standard action each turn that the escalation die is even. You lose 2d10 hit points each time you use the extra action. |
| 8 | Eye of the demon | Choose any two features you want. For the rest of this day, all your icon relationships disappear and are replaced by an identical number of conflicted points with a villainous icon (preferably one that is demonic). |
9th Level Spells
Breath of the Void
For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start of each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use breath of the void this turn if you wish.
Calling the Blood
Randomly select an icon (preferably a sorcerous one). You gain some surprising or bizarre magical effect associated with the power of that icon to assist you. The effect is entirely up to the GM, though the immediate impact of the spell should always be favorable for you. The long-term consequences of randomly invoking the power of an icon that may be an enemy might not be favorable for you, and should be played for narrative interest by the GM, particularly if the impact of the spell was huge for you. Since this is a daily spell, sizeable impact is fine, but don't award any extra effect for empowered casting, especially since the spell can be cast effectively out of combat.
Randomly choose twice, then choose the single result you prefer.
Silver Flame
Roll your relationship dice that you have with a sorcerous heroic icon.
For each 6 you roll, you gain one 7th level or lower spell from any spellcasting class that you can cast this battle. For each 5 you roll, you gain one 5th level or lower spell from any spellcasting class that you can cast this battle.
If the escalation die is 5+, you can swap the escalation die for one or your rolls. If you get no successes, you regain the spell after this battle.
You can acquire one of the new spells the same round you cast this spell. Then select and acquire any other gained spells at the start of your next turn.
You can use your Charisma as the ability score that provides the acquired spells' attack bonuses and damage bonuses (if any). Other ability score references remain unchanged.
As you might expect, each 5 you roll also invokes an icon-related complication or obligation in the tradition of rolling 5s on relationship checks.