Wildcard Sorcerer (D&D Sorcerer variant)

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Unofficial rules compendium

This variant is the one closest to the original sorcerer and can be considered the default variant. The easiest way to convert an NPC sorcerer to these rules is to assume they are wildcard sorcerers, and whatever spell list they have is the one for today.

A wildcard sorcerer's magic is wild and unpredictable, mutating from day to day. Spell preparation and exchange is like a form of introspective divination, where the wildcard sorcerer probes his own mind to find what powers he has for the day. Many use divining tools in this process, such as a deck of cards. The selection of spells is often colored by the environment he is in; a wildcard sorcerer who finds himself in a hot desert environment often finds his magic changes either to adapt, giving him fire spells, or in opposition, giving him cold spells.

In game world terms, the wildcard sorcerer has no direct control over his spell selection. The magic changes more or less randomly over time. In play the opposite is true; the player has exact control over the wildcard sorcerers spell selection, but should try to select spells that make a good story and create a reasonable sense of magical resonance with what the sorcerer is doing. Of course, since spells that make sense and add to the story also have high utility, this is rarely a problem.

Bonus feats:

At level 1, 5, 10, 15, 20: select from this list:

• Any metamagic feat
• Any Draconic feat
• Any Heritage feat
• Improved Familiar
• New Spell
• Spell Focus

Many wildcard sorcerers learn the Eschew Material Components feat, because a standard material component pouch only contains components for the spells you know. Not doing so means they will often have trouble finding components for new spells they suddenly find themselves able to use.

Wildcard Spell Preparation

Each day when preparing spells, the wildcard sorcerer may exchange one of his current known spells for another. The same rules apply to what spells he can learn; if the wildcard sorcerer opts to replace a level 2 spell that day, it must be replaced with another spell of level 2 or lower. The new spell must be from the sorcerer spell list.

There are some possible complications to this.

• It is possible to learn a spell of a lower level than the maximum allowed. A wildcard sorcerer that does this must keep track of what he does, so he can exchange back to a higher level spell at a later date. The easiest way to do this is to periodically check against the spells known table.
• Feats that grant extra known spells, like New Spell, cannot be exchanged but neither do they count against the daily limit.