KISMET'S GAME ADDITIONS

  Kismet's Sorcerer v. 1.1  

      Sorcerers do not choose magic - magic chooses them. They are not beings who call on gods for power, nor are they beings who are bound to books for the spells they weave. Sorcerers are born with magic buried deep beneath their skin, inexorably tied to their growth and their fate, unable to be lost, forsaken, or broken, let alone explained. This template will outline their abilities and progression for all to see, but it is important to understand that the birthright of the sorcerer is mystery, and that birthright should not be forgotten.

Creating a Sorcerer

      A sorcerer can be of any race but they must have a minimum Wisdom score of 10, as it requires a strong force of will to harness the natural energy of magic. A sorcerer can likewise choose any character class or combination thereof; one of the reasons that sorcerers have difficulty fraternizing with each other is that they are from such disparate backgrounds. Sorcerers retain the abilities of the race into which they are born and are granted the benefits of their character class.

Spell Resistance: Sorcerers are granted a natural spell resistance of 5 + character level.

Spell-like Abilities: Sorcerers are granted a fixed number of spell-like abilities according to their total character level. The characteristics of their spell-like abilities (such as range, DC and duration) are also determined by character level. The sorcerer’s spell-like abilities require no tangible components but do require concentration, and are therefore vulnerable to being interrupted and lost (see the Use Spell-like Ability section in 3rd edition Player’s Handbook, page 126). Since they are completely mental exercises, however, the abilities are not subject to arcane spell failure. For further restrictions on spell-like abilities, see the Player’s Handbook.

      Sorcerers can know any sort of spell, divine or arcane, and even those restricted by special circumstances like class or domain. In addition, sorcerers can swap one spell they know for another spell they do not know once at second level, and every other level thereafter. It is effortless to see why sorcerers have the reputation for being the most flexible magic users in the known realms. It is also easy to ascertain why they are so widely distrusted by magic users of all kinds, since even sorcerers never know what to expect from each other.

      The chart below not only outlines how many spell-like abilities that the sorcerer can have per level, it also shows you how many spells of that level they can know. Therefore, at first level, a sorcerer can know up to two zero-level spells and can cast either of them up to a maximum of two times per day. At fifth level, a sorcerer can know three zero-level spells and can cast them, in any combination, up to three times per day (for example: the sorcerer could cast resistance two times, flare all three times, or resistance, flare and light one time each). By the time a character reaches 20th level as a sorcerer, they can know and cast 21 spells per day as spell-like abilities.

      While the player is free to choose the spells that their character knows, the character does not consciously choose such things. The magic of sorcerers comes upon them like a bolt out of the blue and continues to be a source of constant puzzlement. The sorcerer does not ask for their first spells and does not know which spells will come next, either from the next level or from the next spell swapping. The player can choose not to swap spells at any spell swapping opportunity, throwing off the schedule and perhaps the character’s expectations. It is said that the spells of sorcerers reflect their deepest natures, and many sorcerers have reason to hope that isn’t true, given the disturbing images that have risen, unbidden, in their minds.

Spell-like Abilities Per Level, Per Day

* A sorcerer only gains a bonus spell at this level, provided their Wisdom score is adequate enough to warrant one.

Saves, Abilities, and Skills: Same as the base creature.

Feats: Sorcerers can take any kind of feat they qualify for. Some sorcerers, however, have an even greater aptitude for magic than their blood grants them, which can be expressed through feats. Such characters have feats like: Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Heighten Spell, Maximize Spell, Persistent Spell (FR), Quicken Spell, and Spellcasting Prodigy (FR). These sorcerers tend to take up spellcasting classes in order to take advantage of their natural talent, or to feed their desire to learn more magic.

Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground

Organization: Same as the base creature.

Challenge Rating / Level Adjustment: 

Treasure: Same as the base creature.

Alignment: Sorcerers tend to be chaotic in nature.

Advancement: Same as the base creature.

Extra Information & Options

Chaotic Magic Option: At the DM’s choice and discretion, a great deal can be done with a sorcerer’s magic. A DM could allow the player to choose an entirely new set of spells once per campaign, once every in-game decade, once per story year, or at some other time. This change would be unbeknownst to the character until such time as they wanted to cast one of their old spells, at which point they would find that their menu has been changed.

      Likewise, the DM may choose to set a limit on how many times per day a sorcerer can cast specific spells. It may be fun for certain players to be surprised at the change (“But I could cast it twice yesterday, honest!”). It may be necessary for the DM to restrict the casting of certain spells in order to maintain the balance of power in their game, or to enforce the restrictions of their gaming world (some worlds might not have certain spells).

      DMs are free to use one or both parts of this option, but they should do so with caution. Too much change can frustrate players, but the sorcerer template has been made to encourage a little experimentation. It may be simpler to only allow for spell swapping every other level, and to ignore the first part of this option. It may also be easier to let players know which spells they shouldn’t be casting twice per day and then to leave the rest of the field open to them.

Forgotten Realms Option: It has been whispered that sorcerers have been born with powers bent on the propagation of darkness, aiding in the belief that all sorcerers are agents of evil. What has in truth occurred is a simple but terrifying adaptation: sorcerers have been born attuned to the secret Shadow Weave. (See the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting page 57 for details and pages 36-38 for feats.) Shadow Born sorcerers do not need to take the Shadow Weave Magic feat; since they are not born with the knowledge of what the Shadow Weave is, they do not suffer from the Wisdom loss the feat entails. They do, however, suffer, because they find themselves locked in a darkness they do not understand. Those brave enough to quest for answers to their waking nightmares may discover the nature of the Shadow Weave of Shar (at which time they take the Wisdom loss aforementioned). If Shadow Bred sorcerers choose to worship Shar, she is likely to let them live, as they are powerful allies; on the other hand, those who use the Shadow Weave and do not worship Shar are in grave peril (of which they are most often unaware).

Other Templates: This template can be used in conjunction with most others, although the penalties in experience would be high. The benefits and pitfalls of the templates stack.

Most interestingly, sorcerers have been seen in the forms of ghosts, liches, lycanthropes, and vampires, overthrowing ancient theories that a sorcerer’s magic is tied to the living body (or, in some theories, to the blood).