[3.5 Core] Boosting the sorcerer (PEACH)

[Yitzi]

In the comparison between sorcerers and wizards, sorcerers seem to get the short end of the stick. Short-term versatility through spontaneous casting doesn't seem to be as useful as the long-term versatility granted by an unrestricted spellbook, and the sorcerer's apparent increase in spells per day isn't really all that much when compared to a specialist wizard.

I am assuming that arcane casters overall have been weakened, such as through my wizard fix; this is meant to then get them back up to the level of the new wizards.

1. Sorcerers get Use Magic Device as a class skill. (Rationale: Due to the inability to specialize and having access to the biggest spell list, sorcerers will naturally be good for wand/scroll use. This takes that ability one step further, and fits well with their CHA focus.)

2. Class feature (level 1): Magical intuition (Su). Sorcerers may use Charisma, rather than Intelligence, as the key ability score for Spellcraft.

3. Class feature (level 5): Magic surge (Su). A sorcerer may cast any spell with a Magic Surge. This increases the casting time to 1 round (or increases the casting time by 1 round if it had previously been at least 1 round), but allows the sorcerer to add half his Charisma bonus to all caster level checks and dispel checks associated with the spell.

4. Class feature (level 10): Above and beyond (Su). A sorcerer may, as a free action, increase his caster level by a number up to half his charisma bonus for 1 minute per point of charisma bonus. After the bonus wears off, the sorcerer is exhausted and suffers the effect of 1 negative level per point of bonus he gained. These are not actual negative levels, however, so they are not prevented by Death Ward, cannot be removed by Restoration, cannot cause level loss, and do not cause death if they outnumber the sorcerer's hit dice. The exhaustion lasts until the sorcerer regains spell slots or until removed magically, while the negative level-like effect decreases by the equivalent of one negative level each time the sorcerer regains spell slots.
When using this ability, for every 2 levels of caster level increase the sorcerer may heighten all spells for free by 1 level, as well as increasing all caps on damage dice by 5 dice (or 10 dice if the spell does 2d6/level, or 2 dice if the spell does 1d6/2 levels).
(Rationale: This allows the sorcerer to get the occasional boost for special occasions.)

5. Class feature (level 15): Greater magic surge (Su). When using Magic surge, a sorcerer may increase the casting time by another round to add his full charisma bonus instead of only half.

6. A sorcerer gains extra spells known from a high charisma score just as he gains extra spells per day, but only ability modifiers that affect skill point gain (as per PHB p.58) affect these extra spells known.

7. A sorcerer may, as a free action, change a spell on his Spells Known list at a cost of 100 XP times the spell level. The change may be temporary (any chosen duration) or permanent, at the sorcerer's option.

8. A sorcerer can add custom spells to his Spells Known list without research (but still needs DM approval.)

9. The sorcerer's spells per day chart is moved up 1 level for spell levels 2-9 (so an 11th level sorcerer could cast 6 spells of each level from 1 to 4, 5 level 5 spells, and 3 level 6 spells), except a level 19 sorcerer can cast 5 level 9 spells per day (at level 20, that increases to 6 spells/day).
The sorcerer's spells known at the first level he can cast a given spell level (level 3 for SL 2, level 5 for SL 3, etc.) is 1, but he does not gain bonus spells known for his CHA bonus until the following level.

The result is a very volatile class, who is less versatile than the wizard in most situations but if he's willing to spend the resources can be extremely powerful and versatile. (He's also great for dispelling tough spells out of combat.)

Thoughts?