When it comes to adventuring in D&D, the player’s choice of class can make or break any campaign. Sorcerers are frequently classed as top-tier examples of this necessity and dynamic. From being a glass cannon to being the epitome of chaos in battle, Sorcerers bring to the gaming table a wealth of spells, abilities, and flavor mechanics determined to deliver an experience like no other. And with the 2024 Update to the Player’s Handbook, that can not be even more true.
Mechanics
While melee classes, such as Rogue, Paladin, and Fighter, are considered the quintessential foil for a stereotypical adventurer, having a Sorcerer in your party brings an element of fun that can’t be ignored. The sheer volume of spells readily available at their fingertips; combined with their utility, mechanics, and overall aesthetic; grant a wealth of knowledge and versatility that other spell-focused classes cannot measure up to. These inherent traits make them especially adept at synergizing with a party; as either a pure DPS caster build or a multi-classed powerhouse; and bring a more all-around feel of cohesiveness to any campaign.
Spellcasting
With Wizards of the Coast’s 2024 D&D Update, Sorcerers have picked up several changes that make the class even more effective in combat. Sorcerers have now been granted access to even more spells to choose from, they can prepare even more additional spells than ever before and have garnered the ability to switch out one cantrip every time they level up.
Innate Sorcery allows the character to use a bonus action to surge their magical prowess for one minute -granting them an Advantage on their next attack and a +1 bonus to their spell DC -and can be invoked twice per long rest. At max level, the ability is further upgraded to allow the utilization of meta-magics without burning Sorcery Points -making the cost of using a high-level cast basically free.
Metamagics
Metamagics has also undergone a variety of changes. Careful Spell is now more easily understood and allows players to protect nearby allies when casting area-of-effect spells. Extended Spell grants an advantage on concentration saves. Heightened Spell and Seeking Spell no longer cost 2-3 Sorcery Points per cast, as the cost has been downgraded to two and one, respectively. Subtle Spell makes official the homebrew-style rules often utilized by most parties: no use, cost, or consumption of material components.
Conversely, Quicken Spell and Twin Spell have received a cut to their utility and mechanics with the new update. The former no longer allows a player to cast two leveled spells in the same turn, while the latter can only be used on spells that are upcast. This means that players can no longer dual-cast Fireball in a single round.
Subclasses
Like the changes with Clerics, Sorcerers can no longer choose their subclass at level one and must wait until level three. The Clockwork Soul subclass received only two small changes to their mechanics -wherein they lost the ability to swap out their Abjuration and Transmutation spells and gained the ability to have their Restore Balance ability tied to their Charisma modifier, rather than their proficiency.
The Draconic Sorcery subclass, one of the most iconic subclasses in all of D&D, has received some of the more major changes. Picking up even more spells and even stronger, dragon-like features. Ten new spells have been added to their repertoire, including Legend Lore, Fear, Charm Monster, and Command. Draconic Resilience has also garnered a buff and now takes into account the character’s Charisma modifier when calculating Armor Class. Dragon Companion, the capstone ability at level twenty, grants the spell Summon Dragon -without using a spell slot or material components.
Most of the changes to the Wild Magic subclass are fairly cut and dry. The one exception, however, is the adjustment to the Wild Magic spell table. The number of effects that can trigger during a surge has been noticeably shortened and surges proc on a dice roll of 20, rather than a 1. Organizationally, similar effects are now paired together on their own separate table. Casting Tides of Chaos guarantees a Wild Magic surge and Bend Luck will now only cost one Sorcery Point instead of two.
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