Sorcerer

Mysterious. Powerful. Sorcerers are the inheritors of magical bloodlines, called the Bloodborn.
 
These uncommon folk are born with arcane energies in their blood, their very person. The source varies by bloodline.
 
For some, maybe one of their ancestors is djinn or an elemental. Others may be the descendant of an ancestor who made a pact with infernal or demonic creatures from the abyss. Some rare sorcerers are simply a pawn of the Fates, having been born where the barrier between the Prime Material Plane is so thin that elemental or other types of magic merged with them at birth.
 
No matter the source, the result is the same. Sorcerers, the Bloodborn, draw their arcane powers not from rote learning or ancient languages, but from within themselves. Using their own will to shape the magic as they need. As they grow and develop, they learn to use their will to harness these energies to perform magnificent accomplishments.
 

Uncanny Arcane Willworkers

 
However, sorcerers are not wizards. It's a common mistake, since to most folk a spell is just a spell. But the difference is like night and day. For wizards, magic and the arcane are a lifelong study of magic and its inner workings. For a Bloodborn? a Sorcerer?
 
Magic is life, and life is magic.
 
Because of this, a sorcerer, no matter what their bloodline, may "shift their nature" only twice in their life. This means that they may reselect, without having to roll to learn, a completely new spell list. However! Remember! They may only perform this twice, ever.
 
I've heard rumors that some sorcerers can "unlearn" one spell for another as they become more experienced. It turns out that isn't true. Whenever a sorcerer tries, they instead "shift their nature" and "unlearn" what they learned. Then spent the next day being dreadfully ill!

I'm rather glad I'm a practicing skald.
— Stefanos Vel-Barboza, Seskyalii skald alchemist
 

A Note on the Nature of the Bloodborn

 
Sorcerers excel at casting. In fact, they never need physical spell components. As they become more experienced, their ability to combine their spells in new and interesting ways makes them a dangerous opponent or a highly versatile ally.
 
In addition, the powers from their own bloodline grant them additional abilities. Those abilities are like spells but can be performed repeatedly as often as the sorcerer wants, as those powers are simply an extension of the sorcerer's willpower through magic.
 

Game Mechanics Note!

To play a sorcerer, a player must choose a bloodline. This could be a stormborn, a stoneborn, fireborn, deathborn, and so on! It is because that bloodline determines the spell list and powers that a sorcerer may choose from. However! Once a bloodline has been selected for a character, it cannot be changed.
 

Class Skills

 

The sorcerer, no matter what the bloodline, has the following professional, or class, skills.

 
  • Appraise (Int)
  • Bluff (Cha)
  • Craft (Int)
  • Fly (Dex)
  • Intimidate (Cha)
  • Knowledge (arcana) (Int)
  • Profession (Wis)
  • Spellcraft (Int)
  • Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Points at each Level 2 + Int modifier.

   

Class Features

  Open to see Base Attack Bonus and Save Bonus Per Level

Sorcerer Base Attack Bonus and Save Bonus Per Level


LevelBase Attack
Bonus
Fort
Save
Ref
Save
Will
Save
1st+0+0+0+2
2nd+1+0+0+3
3rd+1+1+1+3
4th+2+1+1+4
5th+2+1+1+4
6th+3+2+2+5
7th+3+2+2+5
8th+4+2+2+6
9th+4+3+3+6
10th+5+3+3+7
11th+5+3+3+7
12th+6/+1+4+4+8
13th+6/+1+4+4+8
14th+7/+2+4+4+9
15th+7/+2+5+5+9
16th+8/+3+5+5+10
17th+8/+3+5+5+10
18th+9/+4+6+6+11
19th+9/+4+6+6+11
20th+10/+5+6+6+12
  Open to see the Sorcerer Features Per Level

Sorcerer Features and Abilities Per Level


LevelSpecial Features
1stBloodline power, cantrips, eschew materials
2nd
3rdBloodline power, bloodline spell
4th
5thBloodline spell, Will-working
6th
7thBloodline feat, bloodline spell
8th
9thBloodline power, bloodline spell
10th
11thBloodline spell, Greater Will-working
12th
13thBloodline feat, bloodline spell
14th
15thBloodline power, bloodline spell
16th
17thBloodline spell
18th
19thBloodline feat, bloodline spell
20thBloodline power
   

Class Feature Details

 
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Sorcerers are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a sorcerer's gestures, which can cause her spells with somatic components to fail (see Arcane Spells and Armor).
 
Spells
A sorcerer casts arcane spells they select from the spell list for their bloodline. These spells may just spontaneously appear as they adventure and gain in experience. The sorcerer may also try to learn them through intense study.
 
To learn a spell, a sorcerer must spend 1 hour of uninterrupted meditation to learn the new spell. Again, this spell must be on the list of their approved bloodline spells.
 
As listed under the bloodlines, a sorcerer must have a Charisma score greater than or equal to 10 + the spell level of the spell they wish to learn. If the spell falls outside of this, the attempt to learn simply fails.
 
Unless otherwise stated in the spell, the Difficulty Class vs a sorcerer's spell is 10 + spell level + the sorcerer's Charisma modifier.
 
If a sorcerer tries to learn a spell that is not on their list, such as a stormborn attempting to learn magic missile, the attempt to learn the spell fails.
 
However, if a sorcerer attempts a spell that is opposed to their arcane type, such as a stormborn attempting a fireborn spell, the results are deadly! At the moment the spell is attempted, the sorcerer must roll a Save vs Fortitude ( DC is 10 + the spell level + the sorcerer's Charisma modifier ). If they fail, they suffer damage equal to the spell level + the sorcerer's current level!
 
Like any other spellcaster, a sorcerer has a certain amount of spell points they may expend per day for arcane magic. This is listed in "Sorcerer Base Spell Points Per Level".
 
If a sorcerer has a high Charisma score, that Charisma score bonus times the sorcerer's level is added to their spell points per day total. For example, if a sorcerer is 6th level, they have 25 spell points per day.
 
But! If that same sorcerer has a Charisma of 19, then they have a +4 modifier. Which means they have 6 x 4 or 24 additional spell points for a total of 49 spell points per day!
       
Bloodline Power
Similar to spells, a sorcerer's bloodline power is the raw manifestation of their connection to their bloodline. Starting at 1st level, then again at 3rd, 9th, 15th, and 20th level, a sorcerer may select one power from their list of 'Bloodline Powers'. They do not cost spell points to cast, but each power has its own limitation as to how many times a day they may use that power.
 
Bloodline Spell
Starting at 3rd level, the sorcerer automatically gains a spell from the list of special spells that are closely associated with their bloodline. These are bonus spells that the sorcerer does not have to try and study. They are spells that automatically manifest on their own.
 
However, if the sorcerer attempts to "shift their nature" they may not remove or change these particular spells.
 
Bloodline Feat
These are special feats that a sorcerer may select that come from their bloodline. They may select a bonus feat from only that list for their bloodline.
 
Cantrips
Sorcerers, like any arcane practitioner, learn and use any number of cantrips. These are spells cost a 1/3rd of a spell point and are specific to their bloodline.
 
Eschew Materials
A sorcerer does not need physical spell components to cast any of their spells.
 
Will-Working
During the course of their meditation and study of their bloodline, a sorcerer may attempt to 'mold' a spell temporarily. This is not learning a new spell but molding or merging two together for a specific effect.
 
As a standard action, a sorcerer may take two known spells and attempt to combine them into a single spell. To do this, the sorcerer must declare which two spells out of their list they are going to temporarily merge. Then they roll their Save vs Will with the DC being 10 + the highest level of the two spells.
 
If the sorcerer succeeds, this temporary spell is cast with the effects of both original spells combined! The spell point cost of this combined spell is the combined cost for both spells. So if the sorcerer was combining a 1st level spell and a 3rd level spell, the cost would be 4 spell points.
 
The casting time of the combined spell, no matter which two were mixed together, is 1 standard action.
 
Duration of this new combined spell will be the shorter of the two combined spells. This is because once mixed, when the magic of the shorter duration spell is gone, the magic of the will working dissolves.
 
Range is a bit different. Range will be the longer of the two combined spells, as more magic is required for the distance, carrying along the elements of the spell with the shorter range.
 
If the sorcerer fails the roll, they take 1d6 + their level in arcane energy damage.
 
Greater Will-Working
This is as 'Will-working' above with the exception that the spell point cost changes. With Greater Will-Working, the sorcerer only pays a spell point cost equal to the more expensive spell.
 
Type
Arcane
Alignment
Any
Hit Die
d6
Starting Wealth
2d6 x 10 gp
(average 70 gp)
Charisma
To learn new spells, a sorcerer must have a Charisma score greater than or equal to 10 + the spell level of the spell they wish to learn. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sorcerer's spell is 10 + the spell level + the sorcerer's Charisma modifier.

Sorcerer Base Spell Points Per Level

Here would be the base spell points a sorcerer gets per level.


LevelSpell Points
13
24
35
412
514
625
730
845
952
1071
1180
12103
13114
14141
15154
16185
17200
18235
19252
20270
 

Game Mechanics Note!

It's worth noting that over the course of their career, a sorcerer will have the thinnest collection of spells of the spellcasting professions.
 
However, this is made up for the fact those spells are quite powerful and that the sorcerer is able to use Will-Working to make temporary, and unique, spells in theme for their bloodline! Not to mention more power to put into them!

Author's Note: This is a homebrew Sorcerer class that is heavily inspired by Pathfinder 1e Sorcerer class. It was heavily altered to provide a 'thematic' version of a 'stormborn sorcerer' that would fit the story of the Elohey world.



Cover image: by CB Ash

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