Sorceress

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Overview & Creation

Golden eyes flashing, a human stretches out her hand and unleashes the dragonfire that burns in her veins. As an inferno rages around her foes, leathery wings spread from her back and she takes to the air.   Long hair whipped by a conjured wind, a half-elf spreads his arms wide and throws his head back. Lifting him momentarily off the ground, a wave of magic surges up in him, through him, and out from him in a mighty blast of lightning.   Crouching behind a stalagmite, a halfling points a finger at a charging troglodyte. A blast of fire springs from her finger to strike the creature. She ducks back behind the rock formation with a grin, unaware that her wild magic has turned her skin bright blue.   Sorcerers carry a magical birthright conferred upon them by an exotic bloodline, some otherworldly influence, or exposure to unknown cosmic forces. One can’t study sorcery as one learns a language, any more than one can learn to live a legendary life. No one chooses sorcery; the power chooses the sorcerer.

 

Raw Magic

Magic is a part of every sorcerer, suffusing body, mind, and spirit with a latent power that waits to be tapped. Some sorcerers wield magic that springs from an ancient bloodline infused with the magic of dragons. Others carry a raw, uncontrolled magic within them, a chaotic storm that manifests in unexpected ways.   The appearance of sorcerous powers is wildly unpredictable. Some draconic bloodlines produce exactly one sorcerer in every generation, but in other lines of descent every individual is a sorcerer. Most of the time, the talents of sorcery appear as apparent flukes. Some sorcerers can’t name the origin of their power, while others trace it to strange events in their own lives. The touch of a demon, the blessing of a dryad at a baby’s birth, or a taste of the water from a mysterious spring might spark the gift of sorcery. So too might the gift of a deity of magic, exposure to the elemental forces of the Inner Planes or the maddening chaos of Limbo, or a glimpse into the inner workings of reality.   Sorcerers have no use for the spellbooks and ancient tomes of magic lore that wizards rely on, nor do they rely on a patron to grant their spells as warlocks do. By learning to harness and channel their own inborn magic, they can discover new and staggering ways to unleash that power.

 

Unexplained Powers

Sorcerers are rare in the world, and it’s unusual to find a sorcerer who is not involved in the adventuring life in some way. People with magical power seething in their veins soon discover that the power doesn’t like to stay quiet. A sorcerer’s magic wants to be wielded, and it has a tendency to spill out in unpredictable ways if it isn’t called on.   Sorcerers often have obscure or quixotic motivations driving them to adventure. Some seek a greater understanding of the magical force that infuses them, or the answer to the mystery of its origin. Others hope to find a way to get rid of it, or to unleash its full potential. Whatever their goals, sorcerers are every bit as useful to an adventuring party as wizards, making up for a comparative lack of breadth in their magical knowledge with enormous flexibility in using the spells they know.

 

Creating a Sorcerer

The most important question to consider when creating your sorcerer is the origin of your power. As a starting character, you’ll choose an origin that ties to a draconic bloodline or the influence of wild magic, but the exact source of your power is up to you to decide. Is it a family curse, passed down to you from distant ancestors? Or did some extraordinary event leave you blessed with inherent magic but perhaps scarred as well?   How do you feel about the magical power coursing through you? Do you embrace it, try to master it, or revel in its unpredictable nature? Is it a blessing or a curse? Did you seek it out, or did it find you? Did you have the option to refuse it, and do you wish you had? What do you intend to do with it? Perhaps you feel like you’ve been given this power for some lofty purpose. Or you might decide that the power gives you the right to do what you want, to take what you want from those who lack such power. Perhaps your power links you to a powerful individual in the world—the fey creature that blessed you at birth, the dragon who put a drop of its blood into your veins, the lich who created you as an experiment, or the deity who chose you to carry this power.

 

QUICK BUILD   You can make a sorcerer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the hermit background. Third, choose the light, prestidigitation, ray of frost, and shocking grasp cantrips, along with the 1st-level spells shield and magic missile.

   
 

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Class Features

As a sorcerer, you gain the following class features.

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Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:  

1. (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
2. (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
3. (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
4. Two daggers

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Spellcasting

An event in your past, or in the life of a parent or ancestor, left an indelible mark on you, infusing you with arcane magic. This font of magic, whatever its origin, fuels your spells. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the sorcerer spell list.  

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn additional sorcerer cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Sorcerer table.  

Spell Slots

The Sorcerer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your sorcerer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these sorcerer spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.   For example, if you know the 1st-level spell burning hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast burning hands using either slot.  

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the sorcerer spell list.   The Spells Known column of the Sorcerer table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.   Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the sorcerer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the sorcerer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.  

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to project your will into the world. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.   Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier   Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier  

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus (see the Adventuring Gear section) as a spellcasting focus for your sorcerer spells.  

Font of Magic

At 2nd level, you tap into a deep wellspring of magic within yourself. This wellspring is represented by sorcery points, which allow you to create a variety of magical effects.  

Sorcery Points

You have 2 sorcery points, and you gain more as you reach higher levels, as shown in the Sorcery Points column of the Sorcerer table. You can never have more sorcery points than shown on the table for your level. You regain all spent sorcery points when you finish a long rest.  

Flexible Casting

You can use your sorcery points to gain additional spell slots, or sacrifice spell slots to gain additional sorcery points. You learn other ways to use your sorcery points as you reach higher levels.  

Creating Spell Slots

. You can transform unexpended sorcery points into one spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. The Creating Spell Slots table shows the cost of creating a spell slot of a given level. You can create spell slots no higher in level than 5th.   Any spell slot you create with this feature vanishes when you finish a long rest.   Creating Spell Slots     Converting a Spell Slot to Sorcery Points. As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of sorcery points equal to the slot’s level.  

Metamagic

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to twist your spells to suit your needs. You gain two of the following Metamagic options of your choice. You gain another one at 10th and 17th level.   You can use only one Metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless otherwise noted.  

Careful Spell

When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do so, you spend 1 sorcery point and choose a number of those creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.  

Distant Spell

When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double the range of the spell.   When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 sorcery point to make the range of the spell 30 feet.  

Empowered Spell

When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls.   You can use Empowered Spell even if you have already used a different Metamagic option during the casting of the spell.  

Extended Spell

When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.  

Heightened Spell

When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 sorcery points to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.  

Quickened Spell

When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.  

Subtle Spell

When you cast a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to cast it without any somatic or verbal components.  

Twinned Spell

When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn’t have a range of self, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 sorcery point if the spell is a cantrip).   To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level. For example, magic missile and scorching ray aren’t eligible, but ray of frost and chromatic orb are.  

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.   Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.  

Sorcerous Restoration

At 20th level, you regain 4 expended sorcery points whenever you finish a short rest.

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Subclass Options

Sorcerous Origins

  Different sorcerers claim different origins for their innate magic. Although many variations exist, most of these origins fall into two categories: a draconic bloodline and wild magic. Choose the draconic bloodline below or one from another source.  

Draconic Bloodline

Your innate magic comes from draconic magic that was mingled with your blood or that of your ancestors. Most often, sorcerers with this origin trace their descent back to a mighty sorcerer of ancient times who made a bargain with a dragon or who might even have claimed a dragon parent. Some of these bloodlines are well established in the world, but most are obscure. Any given sorcerer could be the first of a new bloodline, as a result of a pact or some other exceptional circumstance.  

Dragon Ancestor

At 1st level, you choose one type of dragon as your ancestor. The damage type associated with each dragon is used by features you gain later.     You can speak, read, and write Draconic. Additionally, whenever you make a Charisma check when interacting with dragons, your proficiency bonus is doubled if it applies to the check.  

Draconic Resilience

As magic flows through your body, it causes physical traits of your dragon ancestors to emerge. At 1st level, your hit point maximum increases by 1 and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.   Additionally, parts of your skin are covered by a thin sheen of dragon-like scales. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.  

Elemental Affinity

Starting at 6th level, when you cast a spell that deals damage of the type associated with your draconic ancestry, you can add your Charisma modifier to one damage roll of that spell. At the same time, you can spend 1 sorcery point to gain resistance to that damage type for 1 hour.  

Dragon Wings

At 14th level, you gain the ability to sprout a pair of dragon wings from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your current speed. You can create these wings as a bonus action on your turn. They last until you dismiss them as a bonus action on your turn.   You can’t manifest your wings while wearing armor unless the armor is made to accommodate them, and clothing not made to accommodate your wings might be destroyed when you manifest them.  

Draconic Presence

Beginning at 18th level, you can channel the dread presence of your dragon ancestor, causing those around you to become awestruck or frightened. As an action, you can spend 5 sorcery points to draw on this power and exude an aura of awe or fear (your choice) to a distance of 60 feet. For 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were casting a concentration spell), each hostile creature that starts its turn in this aura must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed (if you chose awe) or frightened (if you chose fear) until the aura ends. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to your aura for 24 hours.  

Giant Soul

The giants once dwelled in a fabled realm known as Ostoria, a paradise for their folk that reflected their mastery of the mortal realm. In time, Ostoria fell, and the giants were scattered and broken. During that mythic era, the giants granted a few chosen individuals among the small folk a shard of their great power. These favored people were caught in the same tragedy that sundered Ostoria. Since that time, they have spread across the many worlds of the multiverse. Now and again, one of their descendants manifests the gifts imparted by the giants, granting them sorcerous magic that allows them to command the elements and gain the might of a giant.  

Jotun Resilience

The resilience of giants flows through your body. At 1st level, your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.  

Mark of the Ordning

At 1st level, you discover innate magical abilities within yourself that are based on your giant heritage. Select one of the giant types from the Mark of the Ordning table. At 1st and 3rd level, you learn the spells associated with your choice, as shown in the table. These spells count as sorcerer spells for you, but they don’t count against your number of sorcerer spells known.    

Cloud Giant

At 1st level, you learn the fog cloud and minor illusion spells. At 3rd level, you learn the invisibility spell.  

Fire Giant

At 1st level, you learn the burning hands and fire bolt spells. At 3rd level, you learn the flaming sphere spell.  

Frost Giant

At 1st level, you learn the armor of Agathys and ray of frost spells. At 3rd level, you learn the hold person spell.  

Hill Giant

At 1st level, you learn the heroism and shillelagh spells. At 3rd level, you learn the enlarge/reduce spell.  

Stone Giant

At 1st level, you learn the entangle and resistance spells. At 3rd level, you learn the spike growth spell.  

Storm Giant

At 1st level, you learn the shocking grasp and thunderwave spells. At 3rd level, you learn the gust of wind spell.  

Soul of Lost Ostoria

Starting at 6th level, you gain a benefit whenever you cast one of the spells granted by your Mark of the Ordning feature.  

Cloud Giant

Immediately after you cast any of your Mark of the Ordning spells, you can magically teleport as a bonus action. You teleport to an unoccupied space you can see that is no farther away than a number of feet equal to 10 + your Constitution modifier.  

Fire Giant

You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of your Mark of the Ordning spells. The bonus equals your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1).  

Frost Giant

Immediately after you cast any of your Mark of the Ordning spells, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). But if the spell is armor of Agathys, you instead increase its temporary hit points by an amount equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).  

Hill Giant

Immediately after you cast any of your Mark of the Ordning spells, you can target up to two creatures within 5 feet of you that you can see. Each target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be pushed a number of feet away from you equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1). A target can choose to fail this save.  

Stone Giant

Immediately after you cast any of your Mark of the Ordning spells, you gain a bonus to AC equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1) until the end of your next turn.  

Storm Giant

Immediately after you cast any of your Mark of the Ordning spells, up to three creatures of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you take lightning damage equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).  

Rage of Fallen Ostoria

Starting at 14th level, you gain the ability to channel the souls of your ancestors into your physical form. When you start casting a sorcerer spell on your turn and expend a spell slot, you can increase your size by one category — from Medium to Large, for example.   This increase lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you die or are incapacitated. Until it ends, you enjoy the following benefits:   Your current hit points and your hit point maximum both increase by 1 per sorcerer level. Your reach increases by 5 feet. Your walking speed increases by 5 feet. You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of your melee weapon attacks; the bonus equals your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1). Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.  

Blessing of the All-Father

At 18th level, your Constitution score increases by 2, up to a maximum of 22.   In addition, you can now use Rage of Fallen Ostoria twice between rests, but no more than once on a turn. If you use that feature while under its effects, its increases to your size, hit points, reach, and walking speed are cumulative.  

Sorcerer: Wild Magic

Your innate magic comes from the wild forces of chaos that underlie the order of creation. You might have endured exposure to some form of raw magic, perhaps through a planar portal leading to Limbo, the Elemental Planes, or the mysterious Far Realm. Perhaps you were blessed by a powerful fey creature or marked by a demon. Or your magic could be a fluke of your birth, with no apparent cause or reason. However it came to be, this chaotic magic churns within you, waiting for any outlet.  

Wild Magic Surge

Starting when you choose this origin at 1st level, your spellcasting can unleash surges of untamed magic. Immediately after you cast a sorcerer spell of 1st level or higher, the DM can have you roll a d20. If you roll a 1, roll on the Wild Magic Surge table to create a random magical effect.  

Tides of Chaos

Starting at 1st level, you can manipulate the forces of chance and chaos to gain advantage on one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. Once you do so, you must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.   Any time before you regain the use of this feature, the DM can have you roll on the Wild Magic Surge table immediately after you cast a sorcerer spell of 1st level or higher. You then regain the use of this feature.  

Bend Luck

Starting at 6th level, you have the ability to twist fate using your wild magic. When another creature you can see makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction and spend 2 sorcery points to roll 1d4 and apply the number rolled as a bonus or penalty (your choice) to the creature's roll. You can do so after the creature rolls but before any effects of the roll occur.  

Controlled Chaos

At 14th level, you gain a modicum of control over the surges of your wild magic. Whenever you roll on the Wild Magic Surge table, you can roll twice and use either number.  

Spell Bombardment

Beginning at 18th level, the harmful energy of your spells intensifies. When you roll damage for a spell and roll the highest number possible on any of the dice, choose one of those dice, roll it again and add that roll to the damage. You can use the feature only once per turn.  

Wild Magic Surge

Sorcerer Wild Magic Surge  
 

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