Ways to become a sorcerer? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Ways to become a sorcerer?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Terminum
May 23, 2011 19:11:16 The PHB2 seems to suggest that you are either born with the powers of a sorcerer or you gain the powers through some catastrophic event. What are some ways this can happen? Particularly for chaos sorcery. Also is it possible to seek out these powers and actually try to become a sorcerer?

Just struggling to write my backstory..
#2
salla
May 23, 2011 19:32:08 Well, that's all fluff, and it's nonbinding; there's nothing stopping your character from learning his spells out of books. Whatever description of gaining your abilities flies by your DM is, by definition, how you got them.
#3
xtimmyx
May 23, 2011 20:51:29
The PHB2 seems to suggest that you are either born with the powers of a sorcerer or you gain the powers through some catastrophic event. What are some ways this can happen? Particularly for chaos sorcery. Also is it possible to seek out these powers and actually try to become a sorcerer?

Just struggling to write my backstory..

depending on what ur character is right now, maybe u WERE born with the powers, but even though u were trained in the arts of another class, ur sorcery powers werent surfacing, maybe a certain event awakened them, you COULD do a combo between the two chosen.
i think it would be very cool if maybe one of ur family members that u were very close to especially, maybe got killed, and u set fire to an area or the area became full of frost from your rage. either way, ur party members could encounter this situation and suggest u "control" your powers. its a classic situation if u kinda work it that way
#4
eehlert
May 24, 2011 2:05:52 One possibility is that your character studied arcane lore for a long time, pouring over tomes and such as a wizard would, until he/she encountered an entity from the Elemental Chaos (where chaos sorcerers draw their power) that intentionally (or perhaps unintentionally or even unknowingly) imparted him/her with a fragment of power. The character tried their very best to wield power in the manner a wizard would, but spells would go wrong and instead manifest is completely random but powerful ways.

As Salla said, the descriptions are ultimately fluff, so how such exposure occurred all depends on how you want to flavor the candy, so to speak. Perhaps the character performed arcane experiments on him/herself until the powers manifested, following the instructions written in tomes of lore thought to be nothing but madness to the typical student. Or the character could have been in a demon-worshiping cult as a means of acquiring the power and came face-to-face with an elemental entity whose presence alone planted the seed of chaos sorcery (particularly they have an unaligned or more likely evil leaning, or you want to play a redemption character).
#5
pluisjen
May 24, 2011 5:56:51 Powerful emotions could trigger it. For a Chaos Sorceror, confusion might work... something happens which goes so much against what you expected that you simply snap a little inside. Works best if you can already do some magic.

Maybe a very trusted friend betrays you for no apparent reason or something.

Meeting something from the Elemental Chaos might also make some sense. Or jumping in front of a powerful spell / exploding arcane gizmo / stepping into the malfunctioning leyline.

What is your character's current backstory? Or are you building a full sorceror with no story yet?
#6
Garthanos
May 24, 2011 6:28:07 You accidentally kill a dragon - blood calls to blood awakening deep memories of previous lives - you were a dragon and those memories flood your spirit awakening your talent in to full glory.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Terminum May 23, 2011 19:11:16	The PHB2 seems to suggest that you are either born with the powers of a sorcerer or you gain the powers through some catastrophic event. What are some ways this can happen? Particularly for chaos sorcery. Also is it possible to seek out these powers and actually try to become a sorcerer? Just struggling to write my backstory..
#2 salla May 23, 2011 19:32:08	Well, that's all fluff, and it's nonbinding; there's nothing stopping your character from learning his spells out of books. Whatever description of gaining your abilities flies by your DM is, by definition, how you got them.
#3 xtimmyx May 23, 2011 20:51:29	The PHB2 seems to suggest that you are either born with the powers of a sorcerer or you gain the powers through some catastrophic event. What are some ways this can happen? Particularly for chaos sorcery. Also is it possible to seek out these powers and actually try to become a sorcerer? Just struggling to write my backstory.. depending on what ur character is right now, maybe u WERE born with the powers, but even though u were trained in the arts of another class, ur sorcery powers werent surfacing, maybe a certain event awakened them, you COULD do a combo between the two chosen. i think it would be very cool if maybe one of ur family members that u were very close to especially, maybe got killed, and u set fire to an area or the area became full of frost from your rage. either way, ur party members could encounter this situation and suggest u "control" your powers. its a classic situation if u kinda work it that way
#4 eehlert May 24, 2011 2:05:52	One possibility is that your character studied arcane lore for a long time, pouring over tomes and such as a wizard would, until he/she encountered an entity from the Elemental Chaos (where chaos sorcerers draw their power) that intentionally (or perhaps unintentionally or even unknowingly) imparted him/her with a fragment of power. The character tried their very best to wield power in the manner a wizard would, but spells would go wrong and instead manifest is completely random but powerful ways. As Salla said, the descriptions are ultimately fluff, so how such exposure occurred all depends on how you want to flavor the candy, so to speak. Perhaps the character performed arcane experiments on him/herself until the powers manifested, following the instructions written in tomes of lore thought to be nothing but madness to the typical student. Or the character could have been in a demon-worshiping cult as a means of acquiring the power and came face-to-face with an elemental entity whose presence alone planted the seed of chaos sorcery (particularly they have an unaligned or more likely evil leaning, or you want to play a redemption character).
#5 pluisjen May 24, 2011 5:56:51	Powerful emotions could trigger it. For a Chaos Sorceror, confusion might work... something happens which goes so much against what you expected that you simply snap a little inside. Works best if you can already do some magic. Maybe a very trusted friend betrays you for no apparent reason or something. Meeting something from the Elemental Chaos might also make some sense. Or jumping in front of a powerful spell / exploding arcane gizmo / stepping into the malfunctioning leyline. What is your character's current backstory? Or are you building a full sorceror with no story yet?
#6 Garthanos May 24, 2011 6:28:07	You accidentally kill a dragon - blood calls to blood awakening deep memories of previous lives - you were a dragon and those memories flood your spirit awakening your talent in to full glory.