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View Full Version : Sorcerer Variant: Spell Allotment (good yes, or no?)



Ralasha
2010-08-25, 10:37 PM
Sorcerer variant: Spell Allotment: Function, removes 'spells of this level per day' effect of D&D magic system. (except for 0th level)
Way of doing so: The Sorcerer adds his spells per day to cumulative total of spell slots, by level. Thus a sorcerer with 2 first level spell slots and 1 2nd level spell slot would have a total of 4. A sorcerer with 3 of every spell level per day would have 9x3+8x3+7x3+6x3+5x3+4x3+3x3+2x3+1x3 Or. 3+6+9+12+15+18+21+24+27. For a total of 135 spell value. this number equals out to the total level value of all the spells that character may cast in a single day.
Thus he could cast 135 1st level spells. Or 66 2nd level spells and 1 first level spell, or any other combination of spells the sorcerer in question knows and is able to cast, whose levels add up to, but do not total more than 135. This does not in any other way effect the arcane casting system. a maximized 6th level spell would cost 9. as its spell level is 6, and the change for maximization is 3. totalling 9.

In the case of allowing a spell cost greater than 9... That is at the discretion of the individual DM.

Zaydos
2010-08-25, 10:56 PM
9 level 1 spells !/= 1 level 9 spell. There's a reason spell point systems actually go with 2n -1 (where n equals the spell level). Even then 17 level 1 spells for an extra level 9 spell seems a pretty good deal to me.

Does make me wonder how using the spell point variant but only using it for sorcerers and leaving wizards normal would influence the balance.

Ralasha
2010-09-01, 06:08 AM
And? They still have a limited number of spells known.

elpollo
2010-09-01, 11:17 AM
Because it means you can easily cast 38 9th level spells per day without any effort. Trying a little can get you closer to 50. Even if you have only 3 level 9 spells known, make one of them Time Stop, one of the Shapechange, and one of them whatever the hell you want. You win every combat before it begins (doubly so if you've got Celerity).

edit - to help a little bit more, sorcerers are full casters, and despite their limited selection of spells do not need the boost that lower tier classes do. As Zaydos has said, a level 9 spell is a world better than 9 level 1 spells - what's better, being able to do 45d4+45 damage to a target (or spread out over multiple targets) or being able to transform into a dragon to make yourself as good a fighter as the fighter, gain its qualities and continue to cast (or if we want to get even more broken, become a choker and get two standard actions per round)?

fil kearney
2010-09-01, 02:19 PM
psions are essentially sorcerors.

sorcerors get 36 spells known
psions have 34 powers known

sorcerors cast 54 spells per day-- 6/level
psions accumulate a total of 343 psp/day.
4 spells/level is 324psps/day.. with a remainder of 19 psp.(2 extra per spell level.. presumably adjusted for augmenting/metamagic)... This is a near perfect match to how many spells the WIZARD casts per day, but doesn't get the wizard's diversity.
the psion can produce 20 level 9 powers, or 343 level 1 powers.
The sorceror can produce 6 level 9 spells, or 54 level 1 spells

converting to a duplicate psion model for the sorcerer would be a significant bump in fire power over wizards, using a format that has already been "approved" by wotc. The only catch is sorcerers don't have to augment their spells to become stronger.

Zaydos
2010-09-01, 02:36 PM
There's also the UA spell point system which does convert sorcerers into psion-like casting. It does cost them to augment their powers, but gives them extra versatility. The bad thing about the variant is that it also does it to wizards who 1) don't need to be spontaneous in the first place, and 2) have no limit on spells know. And then it only gives sorcerers the equivalent of roughly +1 spell/day/spell level.

Now if you only applied it to sorcerers it would probably bump them up a fair bit and create a more flavorful distinction between them and wizards.