Guru’s Advanced Sorcerer Guide

(now with less salt!) New Content!

THIS GUIDE ASSUMES YOU'VE READ THE Easier to read Condensed format
PHB SORCERER CLASS DESCRIPTION Statistics and Math!
No more gimmicky Color Ratings

Section Page(s)
Page(s)
Introduction 1
A Brief on Spell Points 1
Why Play a Sorcerer? 1
Why not? 1
Managing Spells Known 2
"Condom Spells" 2
Stats, Race and Sub-class 3
Economize Sorcery Points 3
MetaMagic and Spells 4-11
Feats 12
M-M-M-Multiclass! 13
Xanathar's Guide to Everything 14
 Introduction: Hard≠Bad
Hard Bad Why play a Sorcerer?
Never let anyone convince you that sorcerers are a "noobie" Metamagic appeals to you above any other class feature &
class. It's far and away the most complicated and least You're willing to do research to explore your options
forgiving one in fifth edition. It's signature feature literally has (reading this guide will save you lots of that time).
the word "meta" in it, which should be your first clue that it's If you look at any of the metamagic options and simply
not going to be simple... must have one (or more!) and you want a full caster
Metamagic is the most bookwork intensive feature given progression without a 3 level multi-class then you'll want to
the breadth of options that it offers; exploring each and every play a sorcerer. As a mono-class sorcerer, increased levels
spell through the lense of warping the rules that govern them create a sizeable pool of sorcery points allowing for ample
takes a lot of time. Sorcerers are also the only class with an metamagic use without having to aggressively convert spell
entropic resource system; conversion of sorcery points to slots. As your spell list expands and your number of
spell slots, or the reverse, causes a net loss of energy. metamagics grow the sorcerer's powers grow in an
Without a strong sense of calculated decision making it can exponential fashion (hence why spells known clamps down
backfire easily, making it a potentially punishing feature for after level 11).
beginners. These factors, combined with the desire to read a There are a few cool archetype features too. Wild-Surges
guide like this, point to what some would consider a poorly are exceptionally fun in casual play and dragon wings
designed class for an edition that strives for simplicity... but represent the only class which gains permanent at-will flight.
even munchkin casters need a class to mess around with! It By the end of this, you can realise the class' potential while
should be noted that errata and Jeremy Crawford tweets compensating or avoiding its very unique pitfalls.
(DINKLEBERG!) changed much for sorcerers, and this guide
should adequately supercede and replace it's predecessor. Why not?
I still do not factor UA, Volo's or EE for a few reasons.
The guide primarily focuses on spell management, If you're new to D&D, don't want to do all that reading,
metamagic and sorcery point economization. The extra intensive character building and/or you would rather be a
races/subclasses offer very little space for a nuanced opinion. diverse caster.
If you're going to read it, and if you've read this guide your If you do not take the time to plan out your sorcerer it can
decision may be better. XGE has subclasses however and (and probably will) go badly. The number of greivances the
some hot new spells that bring a lot to the table. community has with the sorcerer are numerous and not
unfounded. There's a relative lacking in magical diversity,
both in spells known and spell list, especially when compared
A brief on Spell Points to the wizard (the sorcerer's most analogous class). You also
recieve few metamagics and little choice in archetypes, so the
This is where the controversy will start... sorcerer looks shoddy on paper (at first glance). I'm of the
In some iterations of my previous guide I discuss opinion that this caveat is 100% required to keep the sorcerer
spell points (DMG 288) as a means to alleviate the from overshadowing other casters (even more). Hopefully,
lack of spells known for the Sorcerer. After enough after reading this guide and applying its knowledge you will
experience I've backpedalled on my previous share my opinion.
stance.
I would encourage anyone who hasn't tried it
Being the only full-caster in the group can leave you
and is curious to test drive it at least once.
wanting; without other members of the team to make up for
However, I can conclusively say it was published as your own limited set of magical options, your relatively small
a variant for a specific reason; it's overpowered.
overpowered spectrum of spells limits not just you, but your entire party.
Especially for sorcerers. This, however, is a very rare circumstance; full-casters
A necessary restriction for casters is the make up half the classes in fifth edition and often dominate
management of spell slots. Without this, it is the make-up of most parties, what with spellcasting being so
possible to spam high level spells allowing magic strong.
users to overshadow martial classes in all facets of Rest assured, if you want to focus on casting a specific
the game. It is especially impactful for sorcerers niche of spells better than anyone else the sorcerer provides
because it makes their limited spell list much less just that opportunity. However, if you do not like the idea of
of a restriction; running out of higher level slots meager spell choices to balance said power then play
means no longer having access to those spells something else.
known, which is a good gating mechanism for
power. It's important to recognize that this is why
sorcery points were designed to have entropy; if
the devs thought spell points were a fair and
balanced system to implement they would have let
sorcerers have a free exchange of slots and sorcery
points to act as a virtual spell points system. Like I
said, everyone should give it a shot at least once;
ask your DM and try it to form your own opinion.
opinion

1 Part 1 | "Introductory Stuff"

 Try to take multi-purpose spells
Managing Spells Known
When you only know your sorcerer level +1 in spells (less at The spells you pick should have uses that cover many
higher levels >.>) prioritizing them is way more important and fronts. The best example of this I can think of is Suggestion
requires a level of experience and meta-gaming to milk as which can substitute for like...5 different spells.
much as possible from the spells you do get. With that in -Detect Thoughts: "Tell me everything you know about...."
mind here are some tips to help you have a strong list of -Silence: "Go keep that wizard quiet would you?"
spells. -Charm Person: "Treat me like your best friend."
-Blindness/Deafness: "Close your eyes & cover your ears."
You can only concentrate on one -Scorching Ray: "Kill the queen in her sleep." (this is a joke)
spell at a time! Picking spells that have broad sweeping applications is key.
Another good example would be Dispel Magic, which is just
It sounds obvious I know, but I made the mistake of taking anti-any-other-spell.
too many concentration spells with my first careful spell
sorcerer; as soon as I had cast one of my large AoE careful Avoid single target "save or suck" as
spells, almost half of my other good spells became closed off much as humanly possible on mid-high
(or I'd waste the duration of the spell I had just cast). This level spells unless you have heighten
made my already limited spells known feel even smaller. This spell or bend luck.
is especially annoying because concentration spells tend to And I mean this. The negative effects on ones own morale
be the most efficient and some of the strongest. If you learn (as well as your combat effectiveness) of having an enemy
a concentration spell be mindful of what other save on your spells and ignore them entirely is brutal. If you
concentration spells you have already and if you can use a level 2 spell on something like suggestion out of combat
afford to limit yourself in that way. and the target saves, no big deal. If you use a level 5 spell slot
Focus on lots of mid-level spells on Dominate Person during a fight and the target saves...and
then they save the next round when you try it again?
Think of it like this, if you use up your limited number of Congratulations! You spent 2 rounds of combat and 2 level 5
highest level spell slots, then all the spells known that spells doing bupkiss (this has happened to me a while ago
you've commited to that level are no longer accessible and I'm still butthurt about it).
(unless your crap on your sorcery points to synthesize more).
If you use up your mid level spell slots you can still use higher
level slots to be able to cast them; your options are still open "Condom Spells"
with lots of mid-level spells. The lowest level spells don't scale "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and
up well with higher slots and/or become a poor use of a turn not have it." Shield, Counter Spell and Dispel Magic
in combat later in the game compared to mid/high level spells are my go-to "condom spells" regardless of my
(outside of utility). Having a few lower level spells is still good metamagic choices. Whilst Counter Spell and
but the ones you take early may not be the ones you keep... Dispel Magic are definitely more dependant on
setting (mid/high magic campaigns), all three of
Cycle out low level spells them act as flexible defensive counter measures
that I would rather have as a means to prevent my
Another no brainer, but not to be overlooked; as old spells group's demise. You may have a DM who you know
become a less useful way to spend your turn, swapping them for a fact doesn't use a lot of casters, or in a setting
for higher level spells becomes mandatory. Remember that which is very low magic and as such dispel magic
every time you level up you not only gain a spell but can and counterspell might not be a good fit.
also change one of your previous spells for a new one. For
example, at level 5 Burning Hands isn't a great way to spend
your turn in combat. If you had Burning Hands and Shatter at
level 3, by level 5 you will probably have Fireball and/or
Lightning Bolt and can swap Burning Hands out for
something else. By level 7 shatter falls victim to the same
logical process and gets replaced. As your mid/high level slots
become more abundant you can even consolidate spells; I got
rid of Misty Step for Dimension Door at level 9 followed by
getting rid of Fly at 10. Dimension Door accomplished what I
generally needed out of both spells which let me replace
them once I had a comfortable number of higher level slots to
use it if I needed it. Which leads me to my next point.

PART 2 | Tricks for Overcoming your Abysmal

Number of Spells Known 2
 Storm Sorcerers, a subclass that needs multiclassing; they
Stats, Race and Subclass have an array of features designed around being in close-
Please Note: I don't roll for stats; now that feats and stats are quarters and being hit in melee, but have zero armor
interchangeable it's unfeasable to expect a fair experience proficiencies, and no additional hitpoints. Their saving grace
with large stat discrepancies. This breakdown assumes you is their level 18 feature but it comes online so late that after
are using point buy. you factor in the need for multiclassing you'll likely never see
it until 20. Tempest Cleric for armor and healing is a good fit
Cha > Dex ≥ Con and warcaster will be mandatory.
Some class features and metamagics scale off of charisma, Economize Sorcery Points
not just spell attacks and save DC's. This makes it the
primary stat far and above the others. Dexterity helps with a As discussed earlier, sorcery points are the only resource
handful of skill checks and AC, but having high hitpoints and system that is entropic in nature. It also doesn't replenish
a high concentration save (as well as the most common save with a short rest until level 20 (for good reason, they are a
in the game) puts constitution roughly equal. If you have powerful resource). To that end there are a few things you
subtle spell, stealth checks become very important and raise should strive to do in order to maximize the efficiency of your
the value of dexterity. sorcery point usage.
Humans Variants and Half-Elves Minimize "gambling" sorcery points
Because of this the Human Variant and Half-Elf become We often see forum posts that discuss using quickened and
ideal candidates for sorcerers but anything that boosts twinned spell together to quicken out a spell then twin out 2
charisma is entirely viable. Half-Elves are somewhat damage cantrips. This is not only an egregious way to smash
overtuned and not optional like Human Variants and through your sorcery points it's also a chance to spend your
represent my ideal sorcerer race. Lightfoot Halflings with sorcery points doing absolutely nothing (the cantrips can
their hide feature are really neat with Quicken spell and miss). Suffice it to say if your target has 16AC and you are
Drow have neat daily spells if you're ok with being a paraiah. level 5 you have only a 65% chance to hit those cantrips. In
essence, spending 3 sorcery points to do an average of 1.3
Dragon for try-harding, wild-mage more cantrips of damage on your turn. Avoid this unless you
for lulz/friends, Storm Sorcs Blow are level 11+, attacking with advantage or really need the
The dragon sorcerer shores up so many of the damage. At level 11 not only is your sorcery point pool larger,
shortcomings of the class that it's really hard to ignore. +1 hp your cantrip damage is higher and your odds of hitting higher
has more value when your hitdice is already low (4+1 = +25% AC targets increases substantially. If you know an enemy is
7+1 = +14%) and the other features serve to mimic spells critically injured and can end it's life before its turn comes up
known, something the sorcerer lacks the most. Granted, then this could be a gamble you'd want to take, but this is not
dragon wings mimicing fly comes online rather late in level a sustainable strategy and when you spend sorcery points to
progression, but by that time (level 14) spells known become do nothing (or very little) it feels bad man.
even more rare (+1 per 2 levels) and it's flying without Synthesize spell slots only when
concentration, giving the dragon sorcerer a big edge in absolutely necessary
spacious fights. It's an advantage I find so strong it virtually
trumps all the other subclasses. It should be noted that fire Converting sorcery points into new spells is neat, but
affinity is the most ideal option as it is the only element because it costs more to create slots than it does to create
present in all early spell levels and has both strong AoE and more sorcery points it is usually a poor choice to make. It
single target options. You can definitely choose other costs two level 2 and one level 1 spell to get the sorcery
elements, you just might be dissapointed with your available points to create a level 3 spell. Sometimes this is worthwhile;
choices if you only use the PHB. a fireball does only a little bit less damage than two shatters +
Because Wild-magic surges are counter-intuitive to my burning hands (because it's so overtuned) and it does it all in
favourite metamagic and cannot have metamagic applied to one round to boot. But very rarely will this conversion be
them after errata, the archetype is less than ideal. Even in fruitful. Be smart about it and consider exactly what you're
campaigns where your DM will guarantee a surge to giving up to do it.
replenish Tides of Chaos every time, it's so erratic I would
never consider the archetype an option for serious play (#1 Pick inexpensive metamagics early
oxymoron). A 1/1000 chance to fireball yourself with every
spell is very dangerous to your party and is especially volatile Lastly, your early metamagic choices should be cheap.
to low level PC's. The surges are super fun and definitely Higher cost metamagics become more worthwhile when
spice up a campaign with friends who you don't mind being a used in conjunction with higher level spells. A level 3 sorcerer
little reckless with, however, if your DM doesn't want to whose first two metamagics are Quickened and Heightened
trigger wild surges with some level of frequency the subclass Spell will have two metamagic options and only enough
offers very little beyond Bend Luck. Bend Luck is fantastic for sorcery points to use one before they have to start burning
altering saves and datamining encounters making wild spell slots to use the features more. Ideally, your first
mages good controllers. It's best to discuss Wild Magic metamagic options should cost 1 sorcery point and as your
Surges with your DM before choosing to play the archetype. level increases you can take the more expensive ones later to
keep your options open.
PART 3 & 4 | How to not crap bed with
3 Sorcery Points
Metamagic!
Detailed descriptions
Math-tacular! Subtle Spell
Spells that combine well with each metamagic (Please note: this is the longest metamagic breakdown since
I've created a tier list because errata and JC tweets have Subtle Spell has many creative applications)
changed much about the game. While each metamagic can To a novice, this metamagic looks like not much; removing
be useful, the opportunity cost of missing out on another is verbal and somatic components has zero numerical effect,
very real. Just because a metamagic is lower in tier doesn't which is often why it's somewhat overlooked. The factors that
mean it's useless, but if you evaluate it comparatively to other can make subtle spell seem very niche to a novice are often a
metamagics it becomes somewhat relevant. I rate a result of inexperienced DM's as much as it is inexperienced
metamagic option on a few metrics: Does the metamagic players. Make no mistake, it's a game changer.
have strict requirements that might cause compatibility isues
with your spell list? How impactful is it? How unique is it? Only way to be a sneak mage
How costly/economic is it? If you want to cast verbal spells without alerting people to
S-Tier Metamagics are cheap, amazingly effective, unique your presence or position you need this metamagic to do it. If
and have virtually no limitations. A-Tier are awesome but you like the idea of casting spells while hidden and remaining
have limits that S-Tier does not, either the spells they are hidden then you'll either be using only 5% of the spell list in
compatible with, their cost or both. B and C Tier are middle the PHB or using Subtle Spell. Arcane Tricksters ain't got
of the road, and while useful will have a hard time fitting into nothing on the sorcerer.
even late game builds. F-Tier is...well... you really shouldn't
take Extended Spell unless you've got some strange Social magic God
gimmicky combo in mind to convserve spells.
Another aspect of D&D that is undervalued by novice
players (or novice DM's) is the consequences of openly
S-Tier casting in public. Some DM's will just let you cast spells willy
Subtle Spell
nilly in towns, taverns, castles, throne rooms etc. to charm or
trick people. In actuality, if you were to use an enchantment
Empowered Spell spell in front of bystanders before eliciting an obvious effect,
A-Tier you would arouse immediate suspiscion from surrounding
Twinned Spell NPC's and townsfolk (even the target). The thought of
attempting spellcasting in a throne room should seem
Quickened Spell laughably suicidal in an emersive setting; Kings aren't just
B-Tier going to let people cast magic in their courts. Subtle spell
Careful Spell circumvents this however and gives another massive edge to
Heightened Spell sorcerers inside of social encounters by letting them do
magic without arousing suspicion.
C-Tier
Distant Spell Completely Unique to Sorcerers
F-Tier Some of the other metamagics are analogous across the
Extended Spell classes; increase damage, twinning specific schools of magic,
disadvantage on saves etc, but Subtle Spell is exclusive to
sorcerers, giving them a monopoly on the stealthy magic
industry.
(Subtle: Continued on next page)

PART 5 | Metamagics are like my children: I

definitely play favorites
4
 Note to DM's: Subtle Sorcerers are also
some of the most entertaining/terrifying
Extremely hard to shut down NPC's and Villains for these exact reasons
Short of stripping the sorcerer of both their arcane focus
and/or a (hidden) component pouch, which still leaves a lot of
spells open, enemies must use an anti-magic field to clamp
down on a subtle sorcerer's casting. Enemies have virtually
no other ways to restrict their spell options, where as any
other caster can be plagued by garrotes, silence fields, a
mouth submerged in liquid, counterspell (subtle spell can
circumvent counterspell), extreme pinning/dogpiling or even
intense grappling depending on how your DM rules. If you
ever fight intelligent enemies with any level of strategic
knowledge surrounding the limitations of magic, you would
be faced with these tactics often. Many DM's will avoid this to
promote fun for their caster players. If your DM is a realist
(A.K.A. a jerk good DM) you'll have to deal with these
shenanigans, which is where subtle spell comes in handy; Good spells to know with Subtle
you can still cast and hence save yourself instead of being a
liability to the group needing protection/rescuing. Cantrips
Minor Illusion (no verbal component but good to have),
It doesn't restrict spell selection Prestidigitation
As mentioned, 95% of the Spells in the PHB have a Verbal Level 1
component. The 5% that don't are mostly cantrips. That Sleep, Disguise Self, Silent Image
having been said, spells like fireball and lightning bolt and
other rays/projectiles will still give away your position. You Level 2
could discuss with your DM, in campaigns where the rules Alter Self (alter's vocal chords too!), Hold Person, Misty Step,
are more loose, imposing disadvantage on dex saves for Phantasmal Force, Suggestion
surprise rounds with subtle spells. The rationale being, most
denizens of the realm will ready themselves to danger when Level 3
hearing an arcane invocation; silent spell bypasses this reflex. Fear, Major Image, Tongues
Zero risk Level 4
There's no "gambling" element to the metmagic; If the spell Dimension Door, Greater Invisibility, Ice Storm, Wall of Fire
fails or the target saves you still haven't given away your
position. This means spending sorcery points on it is never a Level 5
waste (excepting the use of rays and projectiles that is). Animate Objects, Dominate Person, Seeming, Telekinesis
Best Assassin in the game Level 6
Mass Suggestion
Remember kids, the best assassinations look like tragic
accidents. Phantasmal Force could be named Choke-a-bro-to- Level 7
death-on-illusions or Subtle Telekinesis to drop some Delayed Blast Fireball, Teleport
masonry on someone. People choke to death all the time, and
buildings have been known to collapse...creativity is king Level 8
here. Dominate Monster
Always One Sorcery Point
Accessible and usable as soon as you hit level 3. It's so I am only covering spells in the PHB; if you read the
cheap it can be spammed with more than 50% of your spell section on each metamagic you will probably figure
slots at higher levels and the cost never goes up. out what spells in extraneous materials will combine
with what metamagics well. The ability for Wish to
Highly Addictive! mimic any level 8 or lower spell means that writing a
section on that one spell alone would gobble up half
That's the real kicker. Once you start playing a subtle spell the guide. If you're level 17+ and you've got wish you
sorcerer it becomes really hard to go back to being a pleb. should start doing some heavy reading to figure out
Ever played an enchanter wizard? What's the point if you how to break the game with any spell + any
can't beguile people to their face until you can alter their metamagic (e.g.vampiric touch with quickened +
memories at level 14? And even then you have to do it in empowered = 16d6 heal half)
private. With subtle spell being 100% exclusive to the
sorcerer if you get used to it you'll never want to give it up.
PART 5 | "Have you heard the preachings of
/u/LoL-Guru and accepted Subtle spell as the
one true God?"
5
 Emotionally Significant
Empower Spell It's important to emphasize that no amount of arrays or
explanations can illustrate the value that empower spell
brings to ones own morale. When you spend a spell slot and
a turn in hopes of doing a lot of damage, and you flub the roll,
it feels bad. By using empowered spell you don't have to deal
with that feeling of a half-wasted spell. Anytime you crapshoot
a bunch of low numbers you get to re-roll up to your charisma
modifier in dice to bring the spell back up. Not only is it
statistically relevant, it's emotionally consequential and
increases your enjoyment of the game. You always hit hard
and using the metamagic always feels impactful.
Most Efficient Blaster Caster
So normally this would be an A-Tier metamagic given that it's It doesn't matter the level of the spell, empower is always
restricted to damage spells but there's one stipulation to this cheap and spammable. If you save a botched damage roll on
feature that makes it pull back up into S-Tier. a spell not only are you spending the sorcery point to up the
value of the slot, but you are upping the value of the turn you
It's the only Metamagic that can be used to cast it. If we compare this to the damage spells of a
combined with others! wizard, sure they might get to cast more fireballs (unless you
Despite the need to have a damage roll for compatibility use sorcery points to make more slots) but each of yours is
(not a very big restriction) this can be overlooked by virtue of always strong and doesn't require more turns/short rests to
the fact that it's uniquely combineable with other use. A fireball that would normally hit for ~20 damage, is not
metamagics! only a half-wasted spell slot but now a half-wasted turn. You
can spend 1 sorcery point and turn that 20 damage into ~30.
When used properly it's not a gamble In this way the metamagic has immense value on your spell
efficiency.
The metamagic is used after you've seen the roll, which is
great! If you roll uniformly moderate or high, no big deal, Scales off Charisma
don't empower it. If you decide to empower, you should re-
roll 1s and 2s on d6 rolls, 3 and lower on d8's and 4 and This is the only downside to Empower, and it's to prevent
lower on d10s (1/2 max -1). Even though you are multi-class cheesing. If you take this metamagic you will want
statistically at an advantage re-rolling 1 number higher on to max charisma ASAP. This also means the high level spells
each die, it also risks lowering results for less gain. If you or crits can see some diminishing returns.
look at the die roll and subtract it from the die's average that
is your expected damage increase for re-rolling (Re-rolling 1
on a d6 is +2.5 average damage). It's cheap enough even as
little as +5 total damage is efficient (moreso for AoE).

The Math
If you re-roll 1's and 2's on a d6 the average damage of the dice goes up from 3.5 to 4.17
How is this calculated? It's actually pretty simple.
In 1/6 of our rolls we will get a 1.
5/6 of those re-rolls will yield us an increase from the original roll (because we have a 1/6 chance of rolling another 1). The
average increase in our new 5/6 rolls is 3 damage. Leaving us with 3 x (5/6) x (1/6) = 0.41667
In another 1/6 of our rolls we will get a 2, however, 1/6 of our re-rolls will be a reduction of damage by 1 (if a 1 is re-rolled) and
1/6 of our re-rolls is an increase of 1 (if we re-roll a 3) these two ratio's cancel eachother out. Lastly 1/6 of our re-rolls has no effect
(we re-roll a 2). This means only 3/6 of our re-rolls have an effect on the new number and have an average damage increase of 3
from our original roll. 3 x (3/6) x (1/6) = 0.25
Through the same process with re-rolling 3's we only see an increase of 0.083 damage per d6 (4.17 becomes 4.25) however we
open ourselves up to greater odds of reducing our damage (2/6) and we can only re-roll so many dice, hence why I tend to avoid re-
rolling 3's.
Let's apply this now to a Fireball, with an average damage of 28. If we assume that on average ~1/3 of those will be 1's or 2's we
can re-roll most of the dice we could ever need.
Our average damage of 28 becomes 33.33 or 19% more average damage.
In this same way a d8 goes from 4.5 to 5.39 and Wall of Fire goes from 22 average damage to just slightly below 27. Again,
roughly a 19% increase.
This does not mean you are spending 1 sorcery point for every damage spell to increase damage 19%
Realistically you don't have to use it every time you cast a damage spell. So it becomes very economic as it's only needed on bad
rolls which come up less often than average/good ones and when it is used on those bad rolls it has a greater impact than +19%.
Good Spells to know with Empower: PART 5 | Empower: Emotionally and
Does the spell involve rolling a fistful of damage dice? Then empower will be useful. Mathematically Significant 6
 Now that we are dropping into A-Tier territory we are dealing So when should I use Twinned Spell
with metamagics that are very strong but have limitations. offensively?
If you know your attack rolls hit on lower rolls and/or the
Twinned Spell target fails saves on high rolls. As I wrote earlier, cantrips at
Some of you might be a bit upset to see this metamagic level 11+ and attack rolls at advantage are likely the only
outside of S-Tier. This one's a community favourite, probably ideal time to use Twinned cantrips. If saving only mitigates
the best of the A-Tier metamagics. But it has some pitfalls half of the damage it's more viable (blight) or if for some
and very staunch limitations now more than ever after the reason you know the save will be at disadvantage/is a weak
Errata really clamped down on its options. save for them. Any feature that -can- activate based on the
number rolled before stating the outcome is very good for
Errata what? datamining enemies; it means your DM has to tell you the
rolls and you never have to use the ability but you know when
Wizards of the Coast released a page worth of changes to they succeed or fail. The times I have gambled and lost with
their Player's Handbook for Fifth Edition, wherein Twinned higher level spells have felt so awful I tend to avoid high level
Spell was clarified such that a spell -must- only be able to offensive twinning as much as possible.
affect one creature to be eligible. Before, the spell merely had
to target one creature when cast. So things like Eldritch Remember that some spells can be
Blast, Scorching Ray, and a host of other great offensive "twinned" without the metamagic using
spells went up in smoke. It hit the metamagic hard enough higher level slots
that it's not S-Tier anymore.
Blindness/Deafness, Fly, Banishment etc. If you're
The potential for Gambling is tempting eyeballing this metamagic for a specific subset of spells,
but can bite you in the ass check to see that you can't already upcast them to increase
the number of targets. In this way, Twinned spell can be a net
Because many of the old spells that carried multiple beams 0 gain
or attacks stopped being viable options, Twinning single Again with the math...
target damage spells became mostly an all or nothing Take banish for example. If you twin it but have 7 max
scenario. Before you could twin Eldritch Blast and your odds sorcery points, you have spent one level 4 slot and 4 sorcery
of success or failure were mediated by having multiple attack points when you could convert the level 4 slot into sorcery
rolls. Now that this is not legal, twinning carries a lot more points and use 3 more to get a 5th level slot...which targets
risk. Nothing hurts morale more than spending resources to two creatures anyway. Twinning level 4 spells is one of the
do aboslutely nothing. only times this stupid overthought process comes up but I
figured it's worth mentioning.
This makes support spells most viable
Meaning that spells with no saves or hit rolls become the Potent Potables Twinnables
best candidates for twinned spell; buffs. Twinned Haste has Damage Cantrips @ level 11+
become the poster boy for the metamagic. It only gets better Level 1
later on with spells like polymorph (TWO GIANT APE Chromatic Orb, Witch Bolt (really strong early)
ALLIES) and Greater Invisibility, but this amazing utility
comes at a cost... Level 2
OMG IT COSTS SO MUCH Crown of Madness, Enlarge/Reduce (only creatures),
Phantasmal Force, Spider Climb, Suggestion
If you've ever had a twinned sorcerer make it to level 7+
you get the creeping realization that you've taken the only Level 3
metamagic that has the potential to gut more than 3 of your Haste
sorcery points in one go. For instance, Twinned Polymorph
(on allies) is sweet, it just happens to cost 4 sorcery points.... Level 4
(#worth) Blight, Greater Invisibility, Polymorph
Double concentration! Level 5
Dominate Person, Hold Monster
This is probably the saving grace of the metamagic as it's
the only way to effectively maintain two concentration spells Level 6
at once (even if they are the same spell). Disintegrate (mega gamble)
OK we get it, Concentration is costly. Level 7
Again, all the optimal Twinned Spells use concentration, Finger of Death (zombie farming?)
which means you can restrict yourself too much if you go Level 8
overboard and lose out double if your concentration is Dominate Monster (#1 gamble)
broken. If you're twinning a spell that needs concentration
you better be using one of them to cover your ass.

7 PART 5 | Twinned Spell and the errata nerf

 Note: items which state "you cast" cannot combine with
Quickened Spell bonus action spells from Quickened Spell on the same turn;
This metamagic is phenomenal, if only because of the since you are technically still casting a spell which is not a
flexibility it affords and the combo's it unlocks, but it's limited cantrip you cannot also use a bonus action spell.
by it's higher cost. "Channeling Spells?"
Just because you are limited to casting A term for delineating spells which require your action to
cantrips spells after using a bonus use again (like crown of madness, telekinesis or sunbeam). A
action spell doesn't mean you should neat strategy, if you're ok with gambling, is to quicken a
As discussed prior, the gambling element is often abused Dominate Person and use your action to assert full control of
the hardest with this metamagic; people will quicken spells if them the same turn (giving access to their reaction as well). If
only to shell out another cantrip (or two), which, before level you get quicken spell and Sunbeam you'll do more sustained
11+ is a risky way to use this metamagic. Not only is this a AoE damage than any other caster can dream of doing.
gamble, it's just plain not worth the investment of sorcery Best taken at Level 10
points unless you're finishing off an oponent or attacking at
advantage. That having been said it's a really great tool for My only gripe with it is that it's balanced around being 2
putting up high high numbers even before level 11. sorcery points... Which is fair, but it's far less usable than
some of the other metamagics early on. Coupled with the fact
If I shouldn't cast cantrips what then? that most of the strong channeling spells don't come into
Disengage, Dash, Use an Item, Dodge or Hide (also a effect until level 9+ I don't often take this metamagic until
gamble), or Channel a spell. This is a huge array of options level 10.
and while it's not always needed they are good to have in a #1 Gish potential
pinch.
If you take enough levels in a class that has 2 attacks in a
Dashing and Disengaging round this metamagic becomes mandatory as your combo
Sometimes shocking grasp isn't going to work (immune to potential rises through the roof (multi-class section talks
lightning or not wearing metal armor/has high AC) This is about this briefly). Spells like Hold Person become useful on
when disengaging becomes handy and quicken allows you to the turn you cast them! (Auto crit smite paladins ftw).
spellcast while using these actions on the same turn. Both in If you start metamagic combo-ing
particular make you a menace to lock down or stay on top of.
Foes with the Sentinel would be the only thing that bypasses you'll burn out fast
this. Dashing ups your mobility greatly allowing you to kite or If you're doing things like quickening spells in order to twin
catch people while using spells. cast cantrips or empowering the quickened spell into more
empowered/twinned cantrips. While these are great options
Dodging and Hiding when in a bind, really evaluate how dire the situation is and if
Dodge seems like a gamble but it's good if you have high it merits such aggressive consumption of daily resources.
AC and want to soak some attacks (particularly if you have
the shield spell). Mathematically speaking, if you had full What spells combo well with
plate and a shield then buffing yourself to 25 AC and using Quicken?
the dodge action means 90% of the mobs in the MM won't hit Damage Cantrips @ level 11+
you ~98% of the time (rolling two 18+'s is hard!). Shocking Grasp: easy attacks at advantage to disengage
Hiding can also be a great safety tool for after you've
launched a ray/projectile and need to reposition safely. Most Level 2
enemies in the MM don't have particularly high perception Crown of Madness (keep the thing attacking while you cast
bonuses so this can have good success rates. spells as bonus actions), Hold Person (auto crits)
Using Magic Items
Level 3
Often you'll have great items that mimic spells (Gem of Fly (good for disengage/dash), Haste (nothing in the rules
True Sight, Rod of Wonder, Necklace of Fireballs etc.) that says you can't double dash!)
require your action to use and would normally gimp the turn
of their user. If you are a sorcerer with Quickened Spell you Level 4
are now the best person on the team to have magic items that Dominate Beast, Polymorph (you still have your action to
require actions since you can always use them and still cast use the attacks of your new form)
your own spells on your turn! (even Thief rogues will enjoy
having their bonus action being freed up for hiding, dashing, Level 5
disengaging or offhand attacks) Dominate Person, Telekinesis (both can be "Channeled")
Level 6
Sunbeam!
PART 5 | "The Quickening" (nowhere near as
cool as Highlander...) 8
 Not entirely unique
Heightened Spell
Make no mistake, this metamagic is very potent, it's just Despite the fact that this is a great metamagic, there are
offset by the highest flat cost of any other. It's not "bad" it's other classes which mimic it; Arcane Tricksters, Eldritch
just one that I would wait until level 10 or 17 to take because Knights and Diviner Wizards as just a start. The first two can
of it's elevated cost. While it's a fairly simple concept of also apply disadvantage without expending resources but
applying one save at disadvantage to one target there are a they all have their limitations (being a 1/3 caster for example),
few things to consider. So while it's broadly applicable and very useful if it's your
only focus there are other ways to get it.
Save or suck
Less of a Gamble but you can still lose,
If the spell requires only one save and then elicits a and when you do....
catostrophic effect (even if it lasts for only 1 round) and you What's worse than spending a level 5 spell to do nothing?
absolutely must have that target fail then you want to Spending a level 5 spell and 3 sorcery points to do nothing...
heighten it. There are some spells which only allow for a save Yeah it happens sometimes, and when it does...it sucks. Any
once and then do not allow for more and effectively remove a boss monster with Legendary Saves can ignore this
creature from the fight (e.g. Levitate, Polymorph or Banish). metamagic at least three times which is a lot of sorcery
These are the spells you want to heighten. Because most points to throw at a target. If you have allies which can wreak
spells require saves taking this metamagic is not really a havoc on those legendary saves (monks) then this metamagic
limiter on your spell list. becomes much more valuable.
Overlaps with Bend Luck
Optimal Heightened Spells
Wild mages get a similiar option to botch saves by 1d4
using a reaction. When your reaction is being heavily used Level 1:
(counterspell battles) it can be worse than heighten, and Charm Person (meh)
while it's less effective than the metamagic, and less costly it
carries less risk because you are privy to knowing the roll and Level 2:
can choose to use the feature after the fact. If you really want Phantasmal Force (1 save), Enlarge/Reduce (Reduce has 1
to double down you can take both and spend 5 sorcery points save but meh), Levitate (1 save, great vs melee), Suggestion (1
making sure that one spell definitely goes off! save), Hold Person (even though it keeps allowing for saves 1
good round of paralysis can be the death of someone because
Better at higher levels of auto-crits).
Because the metamagic is a static 3 sorcery points using it Level 3:
on high level spells is often ideal. Picking it up early is still Hypnotic Pattern has 1 save but can be ended by any other
doable because there are some lower level spells that can use creature using it's action to wake the creature.
it very well, it's just not nearly as spammable as the cheap
metamagics if you do. Level 4:
Banishment, Blight, Dominate Beast (for any dominate if the
creature doesn't take damage it doesn't get to make more
saves), Polymorph (used on enemies).
Level 5:
Dominate Person, Hold Monster
Level 6:
Mass Suggestion (one guy will definitely be convinced),
Disintegrate: I love turning enemies into piles of dust.
Level 7:
Finger of Death (it does less damage than disintegrate very
meh)
Level 8:
Dominate Monster: Now we're talking

PART 5 | I can't believe you're reading all of

9 these little notes I'm leaving...
 Despite these great strengths it does have some noticeable
Careful Spell downsides that keep it from being the best of the best.
Firstly, I must apologize, my own interpretation of careful So what are the tragic pitfalls of the spell?
spell in the first guide was actually incorrect. The PHB's It only works on the first save
description uses the word "save" instead of "saves" so it infers
that the first save is automatic but all subsequent ones are Stinking Cloud? Nope. Web? Nope. (Jeremy Crawford is
not. This trims the list of careful spells down slightly, but the ruiner of dreams....)
unless your DM has read this guide they may just allow for
continous saves since it's slightly ambiguous.... Extremely Low compatibility
Anyway, Careful Spell is good for big indiscriminate AoE
debuffs that have the potential to cripple your allies as well as Especially after Jeremy Crawford's ruling the list of careful
your enemies. Careful spell makes them safe to a handful of spells is trimmed down to a few scant spells on the sorcerer
targets (preferably your partymates...or just the ones you like). list, and this is what makes it B-Tier. If you're ok with your
Let's talk about why it's valuable first. friends taking half damage (or banking on Evasion to save
them) then by all means use it with damage spells, but bear
Most Economic Metamagic in mind it's use is intended for long lasting AoE debuffs, of
which there are few options. So few in fact..
Always one sorcery point and quite often for effects that
continually persist for 10 rounds. Disables scale indefinitely Level 5-6 Spell Vacancy
with levels; a fireball trivializes a fight at level 5 but less so at (Xanathar's Guide to Everything gives Synaptic Static)
level 10. Hypnotic pattern and fear trivialize an encounter at
all levels. If you take careful spell you'll have the easiest time After level 4 there are virtually no ideal careful spell
of any other sorcerer conserving your casting power. candidates until level 7. There are still some good candidates
on level 3 but the metamagic just runs into a bit of a brickwall
Swings an entire group fight from sorcerer levels 7-12.
Incapacitating, controlling advantage/disadvantage on Beating the dead horse deader.
enemies or allies, or even just removing actions from
enemies becomes extremely potent across mid-size party As mentioned in an earlier section, if you load up your spell
fights and being able to manifest these bonuses across entire compendium with strong concentration spells you will feel
groups becomes devastating. Even if your spells affect only a the "concentration crunch" much harder. All the spells that
handful of enemies the ones that it does are going to be of combine best with this metamagic bank on concentration..
little help to their allies.
Scales off of Charisma
No potential for gambling This means it doesn't multi-class as easily and after you hit
Simply put, if you're investing the 1 sorcery point and 20 charisma you can only save 5 people max from your
you're looking at the grid/asking your DM about your spell spells. So big groups with many allies can still be afflicted by
placement you're guaranteed effectiveness out of the your larger AoE debuffs.
metamagic.
The small list of Careful Spells
Profoundly changes the value of the
spells it affects Level 2
Web:The first save is made on the affected creature's turn.
Part of the balancing mechanics of many strong area of Jeremy Crawford's (DINKLEBERG!) ruling states it's
effects spells was that they affect allies and enemies. The intended for the "turn" the spell is cast. Doesn't work :(
spells are allowed to be very crippling because they can cut
both ways. By making them usable when enemies have Level 3
already been engaged those spells become very powerful. Fear: if enemies remain in line of sight (feared into a corner)
Despite the fact that there are so few spells that interact with they never get to make a save. Hypnotic Pattern
this metamagic it's entirely worth the effect.
Level 4
You don't can't build your spell list Confusion
around it
Level 7
The metamagic affects so few spells but in such a profound Reverse Gravity! High ceilings result in damage going up and
way even if you only have as little as 2 spells that use it coming down! (max 20d6 for 100ft both ways)
optimally it can still serve be a valuable tool.
Level 8
Earthquake, Delayed Blast Fireball: only affects the turn the
spell is cast so no dice on DBF anymore.

PART 5 | Jeremy Crawford takes a massive

dump on Careful Spell 10
 Distant Spell
This metamagic is mostly limited by the fact that scenarios
where you are tightly grouped together or in a confined space
can crop up more often than those where you are in a vast
open environments. Because of how cover interacts with
casting spells often enemies can venture indoors or round
corridors to try and force you into close quarters and the
metamagic becomes far less useful. The other problem is that
there is a certain type of spell range that it is entirely
incompatible with....
The number of "Self" spells is too damn
high!
Telekinesis? Nope. Sunbeam? Nope. Misty Step? Nope.
Lightning Bolt? Fear? CONE OF COLD?! Ye-Nope... there are
all these spells that would probably be infinitely cooler if you
could double their range but because technically their range
is "self" this metamagic is entirely incompatible with them
and it hurts it a lot (multi-class vampiric touch @ 30ft
would've been soooooo cool!). It hamstrings the metamagic
but if you are ever in the homebrewing mood/casual play
environemnt you could definitely sit down and have a
discussion with your DM about certain self spells you'd like to In all honestly you could begin to consider this metamagic
make compatible with it. That said, I stick to the rules, so when hitting level 17 because 1) it has less restrictions on
here it is in C-Tier. Despite this lack of compatibility it does what spells it works with compared to other metamagics and
function with one very important spell range... wouldn't require overhauling your spell list (which you can't
do) 2) you'll have dragon wings (I mean -I- would have them,
Touch Spells? you could definitely not have them...) and being airbourne
So this is where the metamagic could get great utility by makes spell ranges much more relevant and 3) you'll now
making touch spells far more usable with a 30ft range... it's have wish and the idea of doubling the spell range on any
too bad none are offensive sorcerer spells except for shocking level 8 or lower spell seems far more useful.
grasp and plane shift....
Great Distant Spells
Compatible with Spell Sniper! Cantrips
Double range feat times double range metamagic = Shocking Grasp (remove a reaction @ 30ft)
quadruple range! The feat is only compatible with attack roll
spells but allows for the longest distance attacks possible Level 1
outside of dropping objects from orbit (1200ft Eldritch Blast). Feather Fall (because you'll have fly)
Spotting a target from 1200ft is another challenge
entirely...so it's limited to aerial combat essentially. Level 3
Fly You'll need this to make yourself untouchable from huge
"up to insert number in Range"? heights and lord your range superiority over others both
figuratively and literally (neither this nor featherfall become
These types of spells are marginally improved as well; very relevant if you are a level 14+ Dragon sorcerer
Mass Suggestion, Seeming, Animate Objects, all affect obviously). DOES NOT WORK WITH COUNTERSPELL:
targets you can see within range (which is either a frontal Part of the trigger for counterspell
120 degree cone or a full sphere depending on how you
interpret it), and now it embodies an area that is 4-8x bigger, Level 4
depending on how much 3-dimensional space is relevant. Dimension Door (to keep the range advantage)
Outdoor caster duels There are many others these just happen to be the
This is where the metamagic shines. A lot of the really mandatory ones if you take Distant Spell; if I covered all the
crippling mindcontrol/crowdcontrol/getrekt kind of spells options the list would be asinine. I know this seems lazy but
have ranges of 30-120ft, and so being able to keep an this is one of those options you're either going to love
opposing spellcaster at bay while having larger access to your because you're doing a sweet open ocean/air ship speciailized
arsenal is the best niche use of this metamagic I can think of. campaign or you won't because it's a standard campaign with
lots of tight spaces and closed in rooms, which for me, has
been most of them. Definitely useful outdoors when fighting
flyers (Rise of Tiamat?)
PART 5 | Distant Spell: for the player who
10 actually gets to play that sweet pirate campaign
Why does Extended Spell Why I won't give example
suck so much dongs get Spell lists
relegated to F-Tier? Because there are too many combinations of metamagics and
spells for me to fairly cover the options. Spell lists also
Inside of combat encounters I can count on both hands the change and adapt with level ups; as stated earlier, spells get
number of times I've said to myself "Gee I really wish this replaced and changed out when new options become
spell lasted twice as long." Metamagic options are so few that available and the idea of creating many different multi-layered
taking something which has little benefit inside one of the adapting spell list arrays that are derived from increasing
cornerstones of D&D, combat, is not really an option for metamagic combinations that also increase with levels is too
sorcerers. Even subtle spell has amazing benefits inside of drastic an undertaking even for me. You'll just have to
combat encounters despite it's social value. stumble through the process yourself like I did. Always
Here's the rub: well designed fights do not last much longer remember that a spell doesn't have to used with a metamagic
than 10 rounds (the standard duration of most spells) everytime, and just because you pick a spell doesn't mean it's
because otherwise they wear on the patience of the players going to be used with a metamagic at all (dispel magic, misty
and on the resources of every other spell caster. Moreover the step, shield and counterspell come to mind).
downtime between combats ensures that spells that last 1 I'm going to list a few powerhouse spells that have never
minute will expire before the group can start another fight (so led me astray:
lasting 2 minutes becomes a moot point). The fact that you
have to make this decision when you cast the spell and not Shield: I would've died many many times without this level
when the spell expires means that getting interrupted can one wonder.
waste the sorcery point and make your initial investment Shatter: Destroying objects while doing damage is
useless as well. If I were to homebrew it, at the very least I sublime; collapse roofs above or bridges below foes.
would make the choice to invest the sorcery point when the
spell is about to expire and potentially make it interact with Suggestion: One sentence mindcontrol!
other metamagics like empower does. If I wanted to get
creative, I'd have concentration effects persist after Fireball/Lightning Bolt: Overtuned AoE destruction
concentration is broken or a new spell is cast for (Charisma Dimension Door: Never get caught. You can take someone
modifier) rounds with a maximum of one additional with you (combine with suggestion to take an enemy 200ft
concentration effect in place (so you can layer two into the air while you have dragon wings and drop 'em)
concentration effects for 5 rounds for 1 sorcery point). Again
this would probably be overpowered (or at the very least Wall of Fire: Remote, precise, consistent line/circle
useful) but we come back to the realm of hard rules and the damage. Hitting enough foes 1 turn is often enough, 2+ is
terribleness (is that a word?) of this metamagic becomes ever icing on the cake.
apparent.
The opportunity costs of taking this metamagic is what Animate Objects: Sorcerer's Apprentice much? Also poor
kills it; it's far outweighed by the other options available as mans AoE 15ft fly speed...
well as being exclusive with other metamagics. The reward is If you want a great source for checking through sorcerer
lackluster at best and is designed for extremely niche spells I reccomend Grimoire which is an easy to navigate
situations/builds. The problem being, that if your group is website including all PHB spells and even the expanded
taking a very long time to close out fights, the odds of you all options from Elemental Evil. It is also compatible with mobile
taking lots of damage and spending too many resources on phones. Go experiment and find out what you like.
each fight is very high. Even doubling the duration on a
delayed blast fireball would mean an attack which takes you 2
minutes to charge up; it's the ultimate spirit bomb but
without being able to cast subtle spell on it simultaneously
you can't really charge it up inconspicuously to deal that
sweet 32d6 damage. The same could be said of a 20d6
Phantasmal Force; sure it's economic, but who has 20
rounds to sit around and concentrate on it during a fight?
The possibility exists within a multi-class somewhere I'm
sure (Phantasmal Killer? Aura of Vitality?) But again, I'm not
too keen on going down that rabbit hole in the first place for
reasons stated earlier.
If you have seen a build that revolves around extended spell
(without homebrew) and thought "Wowsers! /u/Lol-Guru was
totally wrong about how crappy this metamagic is!" then by
all means please PM me and let me eat my words on this one
because I've never seen someone use the metamagic to the
same gamebreaking effect as the others (I can update the
guide in real time).

PART 5 | I can't believe I have to explain why

Extended spell is awful... 11
 Lucky
Feats It's a great Feat, so good in fact that I often run out of luck
I will make an attempt to discuss feats within the scope of points very quickly. Saves you in the clutch but everybody's
what spells, metamagics or niche multi-classes they combine luck runs out...
well with. It should be noted that I almost always rush to 20
charisma before taking a feat (Variant Humans are not used Mage Slayer
at my table anymore...too much of a good thing). If you don't Remarkably Strong on Paladin Gishes: Aura of Protection
see a feat listed, it's because I don't think it's worthwhile or coupled with advantage on saves in melee makes you a
I've never considered/tested it. With that in mind: menace to deal with. Moreover disadvantage on
concentration checks applies to even your AoE damage
I have never regretted rushing to get 20 spells. As a Pure sorcerer I'd probably avoid it, but as a
charisma; it is such a core stat to the class Paladin Multi-class I'd very likely take it (unless my DM
that affects so much of what you focus doesn't use casters...)
on deviating from this is a rare
occurrence. Observant
Alert It's a nice boost but because wisdom isn't a high stat for most
After you realise how hard it is to be shut down as a Subtle sorcerers it becomes hard to justify going for that super high
Sorcerer one of the few things your DM can throw at you is passive perception. Multi-class bards/rogues where you take
ambushes to try and cripple or down you early. This feat specialization in Perception can overcome this for high
pretty much bypasses this last weakness you may have which passive perceptions despite the low wisdom scores and so a
is people getting the drop on you or being attacked by hidden small niche exists to take this feat. Reading lips is rarely
foes. It also comes with a lovely intiative boost, and going first useful but cool.
can be the make or break in a lot the small skirmishes in an
adventuring day. Highly reccomended. Resillient
Good for boosting Wisdom saves which can often be your
Actor downfall. While it might be nice to boost dexterity and have
The only feat that can be taken early (if you have an odd proficiency in those saves, no feat can be taken twice and so I
number for your charisma score or another score you want to would very likely choose wisdom.
boost later) and makes the disguise self spell very useful.
There's nothing stopping you from donning an actual disguise Skulker
underneath the spell just in case. Coupled with your already This is only relevant because if you have Darkvision it
high charisma, impersonation becomes much easier and actually makes pitch black darkness count as Dim Light
almost indistinguishable through use of the Alter Self Spell which with this feat no longer imposes disadvantage on
later(which can change your vocal chords to match your perception checks. If you subtle spell a cantrip attack and it
target). Probably something you'd take with Subtle Spell to be misses you won't give away your position either. Very good if
a master infiltrator/doppleganger. you splash two levels in rogue to cunning action hide while
slinging cantrips.
Crossbow Expert
I consider it jenky and not in keeping with the spirit of the Spell Sniper
Feat to use this feat on spells. It's called "Crossbow Expert" Combines with the Distant Spell metamagic. Another good
why would it help you cast spells in melee? Regardless if multi-class rogue option to hide in the distance while slinging
you're getting engaged in melee combat often you're probably off damage cantrips/sniper spells. The problem is when
a Gish or a very dead sorcerer. you're shoehorned indoors and all that open space closes
right up; the feat becomes far less useful. That having been
Elemental Adept said the bonus cantrip and the ability to bypass cover are
I've recently changed my tune on this feat. In mid-high tier much needed icing on the cake that still help.
elemental resistances becomes abundant. It's probably one of
my go to feats at level 12 now because there are a surprising Tough
amount of ways for enemies to get resistance as well. Be wary I really like this feat, if only because when you are a Dragon
not to hit your allies however because your spells will ignore Sorcerer it will bring you up to a Barbarian's level of hitpoints
their resistances as well. (lolwut?) and the lower your original HP the more impactful
bonus HP is (adding 2 to 5 is more impactful than adding 2
Healer to 7). I highly reccommend this in mid to high levels since
This one actually works wonders if you have quicken spell; it it scales retroactively and that is also when enemies start to
also scales up with levels and a healing kit can be used with hit really hard.
every short rest. Unfortunately the HP is rather meh and you
can gun through lots this way. Take it if there aren't a lot of Warcaster
party members with healing magic (to stabilize dying people) If you're Gish-ing or taking a lot of hits while concentrating
and you have Quickened Spell, otherwise...pass. and would rather not worry about losing concentration
(instead of worrying about not getting hit...) then you'll want
this feat. Odds are you'll almost never lose concentration
without losing consciousness first. If you'reProbably
mandatory for extended spell...I wouldn't know...
PART 6 | I was always under the impression
that "feats" weren't something to be performed
12 consistently... that's what makes them feats...
M-M-M-Multiclass! Paladin 6 / Dragon Sorcerer X
Pure sorcerers are pretty rad, but sometimes you want to Das Über Gish
expand your spell list, get more spells known or just make METAMAGIC REQUIRED: Quickened Spell
some hardcore munchkin multi-class combo to flaunt your Imagine if you will: Quickened Hold Person into double
metagame prowess. The following are the only Multi-classes auto-crit smite. Need I say more?
with sorcerer that I have ever been impressed by. The key here is to use human variant and pick up resillient
I am skipping Sorcerer/Warlock because it's very Con. at level 1. Starting paladin lets you have heavy armor as
unlikely I will contribute anything new to this already well as fast track to second attack and adding charisma to
done-to-death multi-class. saving throws. Some would argue to start with Sorcerer 1
level to get Con saves, but I need that sweet sweet platemail,
plus I hate delaying second attack and wisdom saves are just
Dragon Sorcerer X / Invoker 2 as useful, so if you can get resillient con right off the bat, why
Invoker is the old-school-cool terminology for an evocation make someone choose?
wizard. Vengeance Paladin is usually the best fit since it has the
METAMAGIC REQUIRED: Empowered Spell best enhanced spell list for this type of Gish but is by no
His name, was Horvath, and holy moly did I have a lot of means mandatory.
fun with this one. A human Sorcerer whom after Dragon As for weapon choice, welll...unfortunately Great Weapon
Sorcerer level 6 (because fireball) switched gears to Invoker Fighter doesn't affect smite damage if you worship Sage
for 2 levels to pick up Sculpt Spells and by golly I think we Advice (Curse you Jeremy Crawford!!!) which means that
have a winner. Unlike Wizard X / Sorcerer 3, your spell defensive fighting style + sword and board will affect all
progression is delayed less, and the Wizard feature isn't incoming attacks and their damage but if you took Great
dependant on any kind of resource system that scales with Weapon Fighter it only affects roughly half your damage
wizard level. What's more, the Sculpt Spell feature is output. Combined with the potential for spells like Blur and
completely compatible with any metamagic and scales with Shield having 21 AC is just better than two handed weapons
level of the spell as opposed to casting stat (unlike careful in this case.
spell) which means that the higher level evocation spells with Minimum 15 Strength so you can wear platemail (and
larger areas can still be safely cast around allies. Throw in multi-class) but 16 is attainable with point buy.
some extra utility cantrips, some great level 1 utility spells A PC that's a big, dumb, foolish, unresponsive
along with ritual caster and an excuse to play a smart MURDERHOUSE that quicken's spells and is able to shell
character (because 13 int) and you're left with a well rounded out smites on the same turn. High HP, High saves, High AC,
power-blaster that can simultaneously subtle-empower-sculpt huge damage.
a Wall of Fire or Ice Storm. An easy spell combo is quickening a hold person into
It was the most worthwhile 2 level dip I've ever milked out double crit smites; simple and very effective. Ever since the
of the multi-class system and comes highly reccomended. PHB Errata you can use sorcerer spell slots for paladin
smites which means sorcerer levels also provide better fuel
Wild-Mage X / Trickster Cleric 2-3 for paladin smites :D.
Because subtle spell combined with an illusionary wild-surge Dragon Sorcerer 17/Valor Bard 3
proxy is shenanigans to the max.
METAMAGIC REQUIRED: Subtle Spell I still haven't gotten to test this (level 20 characters have
Disguise Self is 1 hour in duration and concentration free. never been my bag) but I asked myself what a sorcerer could
You can use it to disguise yourself up to 1ft shorter and want after getting their last metamagic and 9th level spells
essentially peer over cover without actually revealing your spell* (let's face it, it's wish) and 3 levels of Bard seem to
head to the enemy. Coupled with spells that are silent with an complete the class beautifully. Medium Armor Proficiency
illusionary proxy @ level 2, and you've got yourself the recipe which includes the very important Shield Proficiency,
for shenanigans abound! Getting the Cleric up to level 3 Expertise in two skills (Stealth would probably be one of my
means you get pass without trace and mirror image for free choices), 6 spells known of level 1-2 (instead of 1) which often
and some useful level 2 cleric spells. is the levels I have the most lacking, and most importantly
The build relies on an understanding between you and the half proficiency on counterspell and dispel magic (+8 total!).
DM that wild-surges triggered by casts that use your clone's Spending a level 3 spell and reaction to crap on a once a day
range (instead of yours) would trigger the surge at that level 6-9 spell is satisfying.
location.
If your DM rules as such, all the risk of wild-surges
becomes negligible (to you...). So if you want to come to the Obviously There are tonnes of multi-class
table and grate some grade A cheese, slap down this bad boy combinations that are both viable and fun
and let the good times roll. this is just a nice sampler with some of the
more hilarious/powerful Multiclasses I'veI ve
seen/played.

PART 7 | Extra Munchkin Mode ENGAGE! 13

Xanathar's
Both of these spells are balanced around only getting 1
Wow. Some absolute gems here. level slot per day; you can juggle sorcery points around at
As a pre-amble Draconic origin still has the highest health level 10 to get off 5 casts or more...
and AC for pure sorcerers which means they are still the Wings are always a huge bonus and unearthly recovery
premium monoclass sorcerer archetype. However, some actually seems pretty tremendous.
great alternatives still exist; hexblade warlocks having
medium armor proficiency as well as human variant shadow Racial Feats
sorcerers with magic initiate for mage armor or light armor Flames of Phlegethos is probably the best of the new feats
proficiency makes for some intersting alternatives to boost worth mentioning: It's free empower on fire spells (it's not as
your AC. powerful as empower but adds 0.42 damage per d6 rolled
which is 3.33 damage per fireball). It is really nice for
New Sorcerous Origins draconic tiefling sorcerers as you can focus on fire with your
passive and afford to pick up another metamagic instead of
Both are amazing for wildly different reasons. empower. It's not a perfect substitution but it does allow for
Let's start with the obviously strong one: some great diversification early.
Shadow Magic
Elven Accuracy is a bit of a wash unless you're really
Human Variants love this archetype as one of their major worried about landing attack rolls on your half-elf (hexblade
flaws is a lack of darkvision. Now you get 120ft of it! multi-class cheeeeeeeese)
Getting vision through your own darkness spell at level 3 is Dragon Claws would be great if Dragonborn had bonus
rather excellent as well (it's also a bonus spell known!) and constitution, bonus dexterity or more than +1 to charisma.
since it can be synthesized from sorcery points it's almost It's more or less a wash.
always available. It should be mentioned that the new Drow High Magic
The 6th level hound feature is phenominal. It's the cost of feats let you learn the spells it gives you once a day for free
heighten spell, usable with other metamagic and lasts which means you can cast them using spell slots later as well.
multiple rounds. The only weakness being, that the shadow They are somewhat situational but all of them can be useful.
pup is vulnerable to collateral damage especially later in the I'd rather have a bunch of other feats but +3 spells known is
game. pretty useful.
The level 14 ability lends itself to some extreme mobility Bountiful Luck has me wanting to play a Halfling Wild
shenanigans and gets my seal of approval. Mage more; it's a nice dice manipulator and makes everybody
Level 18 ability is neat but I'd rather multi-class at level 17 at the table love you a little bit more to make up for all those
to get some other bells and whistles (the ability costs a bit wild magic surges you keep splurging on them.
much in sorc points).
All in all this archetype functions extremely well. Getting
the equivalent of an extra metamagic option and a host of
NEW SPELLS
nice extra abilities. This was the best part of Xanathar's for Sorcerers: new spells
means new metamagic combinations. Because of the limited
Divine Soul nature of a sorcerer's spell list I will go into detail about the
This archetype takes a bit of time to take off. There are a lot spells worth your time; if it's omitted it's because it's either
of Cleric spells that don't exactly work with the sorcerer; not good enough or too situational to merit you taking except
Bestow Curse and Spirit Guardians are both great, but also in very niche circumstances.
require the sorcerer to get up close and personal...a big nono Absorb Elements this is both a blessing and curse. It's so
when you don't have armor proficiency. If you decide to good you're going to take it, but having the list of awesome
multiclass to get some armor they become much better. spells goes up means you are effectively taxed out of more
Bane is my go to bonus spell; there are so few creatures limited spells known.
with strong Charisma saves that it has a high rate of Ice Knife is excellent since it is both ranged and AoE
stickyness and trivializes a lot of low-mid level encounters. (unlike burning hands) which makes it safe and potent. It
Remember you can swap it out for another cleric spell if it comes highly reccommended as an early spell for AoE
becomes less valuable later (healing word). damage.
Spiritual Weapon should also be on every Divine Soul's list Dragon's Breath is actually not great for use on yourself; it
of mandatory spells. It doesn't require concentration and has a 15ft range on the effect and isn't compatible with
scales well with higher level slots. If you take subtle spell twinned spell if you worship Sage Advice (thanks again
Silence becomes an anticasting zone for everyone else but Crawford...). Meaning you're best bet is to drop this on a
you, which is horrendously strong. melee character to do some mop-up on mobs of enemies.
It gets real at level 9 when Geas and 5th level Bestow (continued on next page)
Curse come into play. Subtle or Heightened Geas is is
immense; 30 days of a person who will join you on a quest
and Heighten Bestow Curse with a level 5 slot is a real kick
in the teeth for any big baddy.
 I love the imagery surrounding Whirlwind and sucking up
NEW SPELLS CONTINUED creatures only to throw them 30-180ft in a random direction
when they succeed on a strength check to escape. Creatures
Maximillian's Earthen Grasp is absolutely amazing. You you scoop up and collect with this dervish of hilarity are held
may not have noticed, but you do not need to repeat the aloft for you and your friends to blast at. A+ shenanigans and
action cost to keep a target restrained nor does the spell have effective spell. More spells like this need to be brought in to
a size limit on its targets...making it one of the most excellent D&D as far as I am concerned.
control spells in existence especially for level 2. If you take Mass Polymorph would be good if Sorcerer's got more
quickened spell you can use the restrain action on than 1 spell every 2 levels after level 11. Thusly it's probably
subsequent turns and still cast spells thereafter with since going to compete with Wish....which is wayyyyy more useful
using the action doesn't count as casting a spell. now (omg Subtle Illusory Dragon anyone?).
Thunderstep is like the poor man's dimension door. It has
a solid 90ft range and you can bring friend with you. The fact Do the new spells change your Rankings?
that it deals 3d10 damage is like icing on the cake. Seems Sort of. I think Half-Elves are still some of the best Sorcerers
like the kind of spell you can use to run into the fray to rescue but Tieflings are much more competitive with Flames of
a friend and get some licks in while you're leaving. Semi-cool, Phlethegos. Having fire spells that re-roll 1's while still being
very useful. able to have 18 Charisma at level 4 is very useful. Again, it's
Tidal Wave is very easy to aim without causing collateral not as good as empower, but it's roughly half the power for
to allies, and while it doesn't do phenominal damage the free on d6's.
prone effect is -very- nice. If you hold your cast and use it as a
reaction before your melee friends go in for the kill it has a C-C-C-Combos!
wonderful team utility.
Charm Monster is just what the subtle sorcerer has been Infinite Warlock Combos
waiting for (cue maniacal laugh). Unlike suggestion it doesn't Firstly, hexblade 2 level dips will be insanely common.
require concentration or a shared language with the monster. Medium Armor + Shield Proficiency and Eldritch Blasts are a
Sickening Radiance is ridiculous. It's like it was built for small price to pay for 2 levels of dipping.
the shadow sorcerer. You summon the shadow hound, cast If you decide you want to get 3 levels of warlock you unlock
sickening radiance with the hound outside the AoE and then Tome Locks and the Aspect of the Moon Invocation which
command the hound to grapple the creature. It makes every means you can opt for exclusively short rests and never have
save at disadvantage and all of its grapple checks are made at to be forced into sleeping ever again (or play as a Drow and
disadvantage if they fail one save (one level of exhaustion take a 4-hour long rest with meditation and take 4 short rests
causes this). This also works well with heighten spell and a afterwards for easy slot conversion into sorcery points).
grappling friend since failing the first save is the most Essentially the Sorcerer-Warlock powerbattery of
important one. It has a large area and Radiant damage is stockpiling infinite slots got a whole lot stronger and less
rarely resisted. Highly reccommend. prone to DM intervention (With choice lines such as "You
Storm Sphere is remarkably good for demolishing boss have to sleep for a long rest or I will start giving you levels of
encounters. Adding 4d6 damage/round with a bonus action exhaustion" no longer usable).
adds up fast.
Enervation...yessssss they gave sorcerers drain life! My Did you want more Metamagic?
favourite part about this spell is that sorcerers can get off a Flame's of Phelethgos + Shadow Hound means you can opt
double cast either with Twinned Spell (omg costly) or to have virtual empower (on fire spells) and virtual
through a quickened cast into a channeled action (much heightened spell to free up metamagic choices for other
preferred). The imagery of sucking an opponent dry of it's life options. Anyone who ever wanted a sorcerer with more
force in 6 seconds while you quicken out and chunk down metamagic can play a build with +1 metamagic at level 4
8d8 hitpoints is great to think about. Coupled with repeat use (feat) and +1 metamagic at level 6 (hound).
and constant healing I'm flabbergasted WotC gave sorcerers
this spell. Not only that, but you can empower it, either with
the metamagic or the divine soul's level 6 feature. All in all it's
amazing for snap healing yourself in a pinch with quickened
and since it comes online 1 level before level 10 the timing is
perfect. Make sure you have something to keep them pinned
down with before you go for it.
Synaptic Static is so strong for sorcerers it's bordering on
completely unfair; it requires an intelligence save, it debuffs
all attacks and ability checks by 1d6 if you fail and it normally
is balanced by being a level 5 spell (meaning 1-2 times a day)
except that sorcerers can spam this bad boy with slot
synthesis. 100% incredible and an awesome careful spell
candidate.
Mental Prison deals 15d10 on a failed save. Not too
shabby.
Crown of Stars doesn't require concentration, which is
probably the only thing keeping it competitive.
That's the end!

I
hope the time and effort I put into writing this guide
helps to alleviate or avoid some of the problems you
might've had to struggle through building and playing
the class. It's truly incredible and powerful, it's just
really hard to execute on without the right mindset
and maybe a healthy amount of D&D experience.

Picture Credits
In order of appearance
https://ghostradio.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/serendibsorcerer.jpg
http://www.manaleak.com/magic-the-
gathering/images/Counterspell_image12617.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-
IiWbSimRWVA/Vxkghg6iUtI/AAAAAAAACCI/JJwVdYdMLJ4HxDOrSFTzwGOtapFKvABLQCLcB/s400/counterspell-
730x280.png
http://pro.bols.netdna-cdn.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/03/dnd-mystic.jpeg
http://www.eberron5e.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/03/slide-complete-spells-list.jpg
http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/1539/Genasi_Sorcerer.jpg
https://wrathofzombie.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/gun-
mage-2.jpg
https://s-media-cache-
ak0.pinimg.com/736x/74/f8/61/74f861a6d29cceebe1c144b079f30fde.jpg