Post/Author/DateTime	Post
xandros2000 01-20-07, 03:20 AM	In my new campaign world I am creating, I am reworking some of the races and classes. I decided that I dont really think familiars fit with the Sorcerers I will be leaving them to Wizards. Do you guys have some suggestions on what I can replace this with for Sorcerers? I am thinking about maybe having around 3 options that they will be able to choose at first level.
Darth Sephiroth 01-20-07, 11:37 AM	Use the PHB thing, ditch the Metamagic problems Sorcerers have, or you could go with some of the other things like a Dragonblooded sorcerer's sub levels.
xandros2000 01-20-07, 03:00 PM	I assume you mean the longer casting time of metaed spells for sorcerers. I already got rid of that. Never did like it. The dragon blooded options might be good though. Any other ideas?
Prince Vine 01-20-07, 03:58 PM	Probably use some sort of thematic feat. I recommend the character gets a choice of heritage or bloodline feats. You'd have to edit out the ability to acquire a familiar prerequisite out of them, but then they'd work. The bloodline feats appeared in Dragon 311 (Air, Celestial, Draconic, Earth, Fey, Fiendish, Fire, and Water), 325 (Anarchic, Axiomatic, Illithid, Necromatic, Penumbra, Plant and Serpent) and 335 (Aquatic Fey).
Edea 01-21-07, 05:55 PM	Actually, the variant wizard/sorcerer in UA grants an animal companion instead of a familiar if desired.
Edymnion 01-21-07, 06:52 PM	Just give them a d6 for hitpoints and be done with it. The class is supposed to be heartier and more worldly than the frail little wizards, but come out as being weaker than the wizard in pretty much every way. Give 'em more hitpoints to reflect that they actually did get out for some excersize once in a while.
xandros2000 01-21-07, 07:07 PM	Well, I'm really looking for some class features instead of familiar. Frankly animal companion doesnt really fit the sorcerer any better. Any other ideas, Anyone?
Valoy_Muniz 01-21-07, 09:33 PM	This may be over powered but give them the battle soc with our the pently to spells know.
Magrus 01-22-07, 01:52 AM	Combat Casting at 1st level and Spell Focus of choice at 5th? It might be a bit much, but...*shrugs* It couldn't hurt too much. Being restrictive, it's limited. The Combat Casting and Spell Focus feats would fit with someone who has instinctual control over their magic. A particular specialty for each sorcerer to further make them more unique from each other. Combat Casting to reflect the fact they learned to cast without books or study, and can adapt to bad situations in the middle of a spell.
xandros2000 01-22-07, 02:21 AM	Oh, I really like that idea. I dont feel like it is too much. Having a familiar has increasing benefits as they level up, so a replacement feature would need to be good. Thanks.
Fireclave 01-22-07, 02:31 AM	In my new campaign world I am creating, I am reworking some of the races and classes. I decided that I dont really think familiars fit with the Sorcerers I will be leaving them to Wizards. Do you guys have some suggestions on what I can replace this with for Sorcerers? I am thinking about maybe having around 3 options that they will be able to choose at first level. "Just wondering, but why do you think that familiars don't fit with sorcerer," asks the fan of sorcerers, familiars, and sorcerers with familiars? Just wondering :) Now to contribute. Instead of gaining a familiars... Allow sorcerers to eschew all material components. For spells with a costly material component, allow sorcerers the option to pay the gp cost in xp on a one-for-one basis. Allow sorcerers to wear light armor without ASF. Give sorcerers free heritage feats. Give sorcerer +1 caster level when casting spells of a chosen energy type (acid, cold, electric, or fire). Allow sorcerers to cast cantrips at will.
Magrus 01-22-07, 02:31 AM	Welcome. You are right though. The familiar doesn't just exist, it provides the caster benefits when nearby as well. Which is almost like a conditional Skill Focus or one of the save boosting feats, or whatever, and then Alertness on top of it. Thats just about 2 bonus feats if your familiar stays latched onto you. You would need at least 2 feats to account for this. If the familiar leaves to do some scouting or something, you lose the bonuses, but it is functioning in a different manner and potentially more useful to you in that manner.
xandros2000 01-22-07, 02:53 AM	I didnt mean to say that familiars shouldnt belong with sorcerers, but more in my vision of sorcerers in the new world I am creating, it doesnt really fit my vision of the sorcerers. I will be having a familiar feat, so if a sorcerer wanted a familiar they would be able to get one, but they would not be the common sorcerer seen in this world. I am redoing all the races and classes to some extent of description and abilities. Some changing only in description and some getting a pretty extensive overhaul.
Edymnion 01-22-07, 11:10 AM	Giving the sorcerer certain spells as spell-like abilities works well. Things like Prestidigitation at will is good for lvl 1, while more powerful spells like Arcane Sight are good for higher levels, with the basic idea being that sorcerers are infused with magic on every level, and they just plain integrate it into their being over time. Don't give them attack spells for this ability, but utility magic is good.
Xylem 01-22-07, 11:19 AM	A while back, someone on the "Classes" board mentioned that in their game, they gave Sorcerers a minor bloodline free. This gives them a class ability at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th levels.
FoxmanFX 01-22-07, 11:51 AM	Another suggestion: Give Sorcerers a free metamagic feat at levels 1,5,10,15,20 and/or create a list of non-metamagic feats that relate to spells (combat casting/eschew materials/split ray/etc.) and allow them to take those feats at those levels... I think thematically familiars are just as viable for sorcerers as wizards, but it’s a matter of taste…
Vashwood 01-23-07, 07:59 AM	well, if you want to make a psionics correllary, could make the sorcerer a bit more like the wilder: more skill points (4 +int), base attack ( 3/4, as rogue) and hp (d6, maybe) than the sorcerer. Makes a bit more sense, what with the sorcerer having more time to practice physical persuits than the wizard. I sometimes think it might be fair to give them these things even without the loss of the familier ... they get shafted an awful lot, it seems. A friend of mine actually has a variant where the sorcerer can learn any arcane spell (like the archivist's ability to learn any divine spell) ... he thinks that an innate magic user having such a tightly defined spell list is a bit wierd.
ZombieDragon 01-24-07, 12:11 AM	In my current campaign there are no familiars. Wizards get an animal companion that follows the rangers progression. Sorcerers get D6 hit dice, skill gather information, and shrewd sorcerer (bardic knowledge still Int based)