A sorcerer, sometimes known as a sorceress if female, is a wielder of arcane magic bound only by their own strength of personality. Unlike most other arcanists, particularly the wizards they are often compared with, sorcerers have innate magical ability and are noted for their lack of study in obtaining such power. And while a wizard focuses on isolating their foes and diminishing their ability to fight, a sorcerer prefers to unleash his or her full power, without restraint, blasting their enemies into oblivion. Scions of innately magical bloodlines, the chosen of deities, the spawn of monsters, pawns of fate and destiny, or simply flukes of fickle magic, sorcerers look within themselves for arcane prowess and draw forth might few mortals can imagine.
Culture[]
Sorcerers are arcane artists, casting spells as a poet might write poetry, innately, rather than through regimented study. How they come by this power is not commonly known, though it is speculated that sorcerers' very flesh is, in some way, touched by arcane power. Many sorcerers claim to be the descendants of dragons, a claim that is neither wholly false nor wholly true. It is evident that many sorcerers do indeed draw upon ancient dragon blood but others appear to draw their power from other sources. Regardless of the origin in question, most sorcerers view their magic through a lens of emotion rather than logic, and they are not prone to specialization in the same way many wizards are. As a result, most sorcerers do not get along very well with wizards and are usually, at best, competitive with the studied mages, with wizards viewing sorcerers as inept bunglers and sorcerers viewing wizards as obstinate and unnecessarily secretive prudes. However, many who are neither fail to see a difference between the two in practice. For similar reasons to their uneasy relationship with wizards, sorcerers do not typically get along with monks or paladins, though they often enjoy the company of druids or rogues.
Regardless of the origin of a sorcerer's power, most discover their power some time during puberty, where it begins to manifest in unpredictable and often disturbing manners, such as haunting lights or mysterious sounds. In time, most sorcerers realize they are the source of the disturbance and react accordingly, either for good or ill. Fortunate sorcerers might come under the tutelage of a more experienced arcanist but more often sorcerers are left to fend for themselves, friends and family shying away from them and their uncommon abilities. As a result, few sorcerers feel any brotherhood of any kind, and have little urge to work with one another. Most sorcerers do, however, share a common bond in their worship of gods associated with magic, including, in the past, any of the Mystras. However, sorcerers are drawn to the worship of many gods, favoring none in particular and a sorcerer is as likely to worship Lathander as Selûne.
As a result of their uneasy upbringing, the ease with which power flows to them, and other factors, most sorcerers are free spirits who flinch against authority and tradition. Most seek out an adventurer's life in order to expand their own power and test its limits. Some do this in order to help others, using their power to protect the weak. Others seek to simply prove themselves, obtaining a place of respect within society. Other sorcerer have crueler ends in mind, however, intent on using their power as a means to subjugate or instill fear in those whom they consider inferior.
Sorcerers are often human or half-elven in origin, in part because of humanity's diversity and adaptability. However, there is nothing particular about humans that makes them well-suited for a sorcerer's talents, and individuals of any race can manifest sorcerers. Kobold sorcerers are particularly common, likely due to their draconic origins, of which kobolds are extremely proud. Arcanists from other uncivilized races are also more likely to be sorcerers than wizards, since they lack the proper infrastructure and culture for the intellectual pursuit of arcane power. Gold dwarves, wild elves, and lightfoot halflings often also demonstrate a natural talent for sorcery.
Sorcerers are found throughout all of the world, though some realms have a greater tolerance for their talents than others. For instance, Aglarond, particularly during the rule of the Simbul in the Era of Upheaval held a great amount of respect for sorcerers. Similarly, many sorcerers can be found now throughout Calimshan, the Dragon Coast, the Great Dale, the High Forest, the Lake of Steam, the Nelanther Isles, the Shaar, Silverymoon, Tethyr, and the Western Heartlands, as well as formerly in Mulhorand.
Abilities[]
Sorcerers are best in a support role, though they often put themselves at risk as a part of their job. While in combat, sorcerers are typically heavy hitters, dealing lots of damage, though many sorcerers also appreciate the utility of long-ranged, hindering spells that exchange raw power for a greater number of enemies injured or other effects. To aid them in casting these spells, sorcerers make use of daggers and staffs as implements, which empower their spells and make them more potent. And while wizards rely on their ability to learn and memorize for the purpose of spellcasting, sorcerers more typically rely on their willpower and emotional presence to focus and empower their abilities.
Because a sorcerer's power is inherent most of their abilities are dependent on their precise ancestry. Many sorcerers are descended from dragons, at least distantly, and draconic blood, with its arcane infusions, makes a potent source of power for many sorcerers, many of whom learn to tap this power in order to make themselves stronger, more resilient, or elementally gifted. Others sorcerers tap into the power of wild magic, giving them an added versatility in their powers at the cost of predictability. Because this power comes naturally, sorcerers have an opportunity to pick up training in most simplistic weapons, giving them a slight edge over wizards in non-magical combat, though still behind other arcanists. Like wizards, the vast majority of sorcerers lack training in the use of any armor.
A few sorcerers, though not all, take on familiars or magical companions who can be summoned to service. Like the familiars of wizards, sorcerer familiars can cast spells that their master is capable of using, as well as having the capacity to communicate with them on a very basic level.
- Spellcasting: A sorcerer is born with the innate gift of spellcasting, which he learns to control over his life. Because a sorcerer does not study magic, he is unable to grasp more than a tiny amount of the vast arcane power that the cosmos has to offer, but with that tiny amount, he is a master almost instantly.
A sorcerer's ability to manipulate the world comes from his life energy and the force of his personality, and therefore is not drained by constant use. A sorcerer is able to cast an amazingly large number of spells per day, and as he masters higher level spells, his lower level ones take no toll on his body at all.
- Lineage Magic.
A sorcerer has the limited ability to cast spells in the way of his ancestors. At first level of sorceror and each access to a new spell level. You may Choose a spell you have learned. You can now cast this spell as a spell-like ability once per day. You mus maintain knowledge of this spell if you lose if from your spells known list you lose the spelllike ability forever. If the innate spell has an XP component, you pay the XP cost each time you use the spell-like ability. If the innate spell has a focus, you must have the focus to use the spell-like ability. If the innate spell has a costly material component more than 10 gold pieces (see spell description) it is inelligible for birthright arcana. Any permanent item created via use of this power is immediately recognizeable a magical constructed "thing" even to the untrained eye.
- Brithright Arcana.
It is your gift to make magic your own. A sorceror gains a special version the spell thematics feat for free: Benefit: Due to the unusual appearance of your spells, the DC of any Spellcraft check made to identify a spell you have cast increases by +4. In addition, you may designate one spell you know per spell level as a Birthright spell and cast it at +1 caster level and +1 Dc. As you gain access to new spell levels, you can designate new Birthright spells; you don't this occurs automatically choose upon gaining a new spell level. Nearly any theme is possible, so long as you can describe a visual link for unification. For example, your theme might be "lightning," " spheres," or " screaming skulls."If you choose spheres as your theme, your magic missiles might take the form of glowing spheres of light, and your summoned monsters might emerge from mysterious rainbow-colored globes. If your theme is "lightning," your haste spell might manifest as a bright green spark that leaps from ally to ally. You can't use this feat to make your spell manifestations invisible, nor does your Birthright Arcana change the type of damage a spell deals, regardless of its appearance.
- Arcane Resistance (Su): Starting at 7th level, a sorcerer may, as an immediate action, consume a spell slot and grant himself an arcane bonus on all saving throws equal to the level of the spell slot he consumed until the beginning of his turn.
An arcane bonus is a special kind of bonus. It stacks with all other bonuses to a character's saving throws, but it does not stack with any bonus provided by an arcane spell that is currently active (even if the bonus provided by that spell is untyped)
For example, Arcane Resistance would stack with a +5 cloak of resistance, but not with the bonus to the sorcerer's Fortitude saves granted by the sorcerer's active transmutation spell.
- Improved familiar
A level 9 Sorcerer gains the improved familiar feat for free.
Bloodlines[]
- Main article: Sorcerer bloodlines
Each sorcerer has a source of magic somewhere in her heritage that grants her spells, bonus feats, an additional class skill, and other special abilities. This source can represent a blood relation or an extreme event involving a creature somewhere in the family's past. For example, a sorcerer might have a dragon as a distant relative or her grandfather might have signed a terrible contract with a devil. Regardless of the source, this influence manifests in a number of ways as the sorcerer gains levels. A sorcerer must pick one bloodline upon taking her first level of sorcerer. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.
- At 3rd level, and every two levels thereafter, a sorcerer learns an additional spell, derived from her bloodline. These spells are in addition to the number of spells given on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known. These spells cannot be exchanged for different spells at higher levels.
- At 7th level, and every six levels thereafter, a sorcerer receives one bonus feat, chosen from a list specific to each bloodline. The sorcerer must meet the prerequisites for these bonus feats.
Sorcerer origins[]
Sorcerers come from a variety of backgrounds. While sorcerers of draconic ancestry are probably among the best known, sorcerers from other origins exist as well. These origins greatly determine the abilities and characteristics of a sorcerer and most sorcerers specialize to some degree in the abilities granted by their powers' origin. Sorcerers generally come from one of the origins described below.
Dragon sorcerer[]
The archetypical sorcerer is, of course, the dragon sorcerer. Granted magical power by some innate connection to dragons, either through blood ties or magical infusion, dragon sorcerers are both emotionally and, quite often, physically powerful, awe-inspiring in their might as they add their physical strength to the power of their spells and to plow their way through enemy attacks, reducing the harm done to them. Resilient, dragon sorcerers are difficult to kill, becoming even more so as they channel their pain into a powerful rage. Additionally, dragon sorcerers are blessed with both an affinity for and an immunity to one of the elemental energies used by most dragons in their breath weapons, such as acid or fire. With the proper training, dragon sorcerers can further unleash their heritage by becoming dragonsoul heirs.