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Sorcerer

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Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories—just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.

Sorcerers seem to show up regularly as the central hero in fantasy novels; a young inexperienced servant/ stable hand/ sheepherder is really the last in a long line of magic users and has yet to tap their awesome magic potential. It is this innate potential that separates the Sorcerer from any other magic using class. All their ability comes from within and requires no study, no prayer and without long hours of practice. Since their brainpower is not used in the acquiring of their magic ability they use their own awareness of self and their own confidence in their abilities to decide what their potential is. This is demonstrated in game terms through their Cha.

Creating The Best Sorcerer

Obviously Cha is the central focus of the Sorcerer as all their magic abilities are associated with this ability. Set it high and increase it when you can. Very few of the other classes have only one ability to focus on and so players creating a Sorcerer should take advantage of this from the start.

As was mentioned previously, the huge drawback to this class is the limited number of spells one can use. Unlike the other classes, which have a wide variety of spells to choose from, a Sorceror must choose wisely what spells they take as they are unchangeable. The selection of spells becomes as important as the assignment of basic abilities and skills. When choosing spells, consider a balanced approach of spells that can grow more powerful over time (Magic Missile, for example, continues to grow in power until level 9 and is useful throughout a Sorceror's career), spells that grant a special ability that will remain useful (Haste or Expeditious Retreat, for instance), and spells that will keep you alive through the tough early levels, even if they will become less useful as you increase in level (like Sleep or Stinking Cloud).

This concentration on Cha leaves a great deal of points left for developing what sort of Sorcerer you want to be. Sorcerer's have access to simple weapons but no armor, and have very low hit points (a measly d4!), so fighting may not be an option unless you carefully plan what abilities to focus on (Dex for armor bonus, Con for added hit points?). Again, it all depends on what you are planning to do with the character. You will have points to spend after Cha is dealt with so choose wisely.

A Sorcerer's main advantage is the number of times per day they can cast the few spells they have. A Sorceror may be able to outlast a Wizard or Cleric due to the sheer amount of spells he or she can cast, which may be the deciding factor in who is standing at the end of a magic duel.

• Hit Die: d4
• Proficiencies: All simple weapons. No armor or shields
• Skill Points (x4 at 1st level): 2 + Intelligence Modifier
• Spellcasting: Arcane (Charisma based, no need for preparation, armor-related chance of spell failure is a factor); Sorcerers begin the game knowing all cantrips

Skills

Owing perhaps to the wild nature of the magics that come naturally to the Sorcerer they do not have access to a great deal of skills, instead relying on their innate familiarity with the magical world to protect them and vanquish their enemies.

A lone Sorceror should consider the benefits of Heal and Lore if they wish to remain independent and able to make the best use of the items that he or she does come across in his or her travels. In addition, a Sorcerer should be able to recognize many spells, through the skill Spellcraft, so that when the time comes to learn new spells he or she has seen many spells in action and can make a more informed choice of choosing new spells to inherit.

Class Skills (skill descriptions):

• Concentration
• Heal
• Lore*
• Spellcraft

*Notes:

Lore can be considered a subset of the Dungeons & Dragons® Knowledge skill.

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