Sorcerer

The sorcerer class receives new features in this section.

The sorcerer class aims to deliver upon the fantasy of innate magic or power, often through a bloodline. Whether the class achieves that fantasy or not has long been a subject of debate, which often compares the class to the wizard class due to stark similarities and significant overlap in their respective spell lists.

Originally, the sorcerer was the “spontaneous” magic user that had more casts of fewer spells compared to the “prepared” wizard class which used the more traditional Vancian spell system. In 5th edition, all spellcasters are functionally spontaneous casters now, causing the sorcerer to lose its core niche. It response, sorcerers gained nearly exclusive access to metamagic, but the distinction between the sorcerer and wizard is blurred. A technique some groups use to better differentiate the two classes is to grant sorcerer access to the optional Spell Points rule in the Dungeon Master’s Guide so that sorcerers have much greater flexibility in the power of the spells they cast.

The sorcerer is the best class because it has access to metamagic to sculpt and augment its spells. It is simpler to play by having fewer spells to sort through during play. The sorcerer can specialize as a blaster or controller, or ensure that it has a mix of both types of spells to better meet different obstacles. Modern sorcerers also have a selection of thematic spells that enhance its identity and to provide a baseline of options to carve its niche.

The sorcerer class receives new features and subclasses in this section. You gain class features in the *Player’s Handbook* when you reach certain levels in your class. This section offers additional features you can gain as a sorcerer. Unlike features in the Player’s Handbook, you don’t gain the features here automatically. Consult with your DM on whether you gain a feature in this section if you meet the requirements. These features can be selected separately from one another; you can use some, all, or none of them.

If you take a feature that replaces another feature, you gain no benefit from the replaced feature and don’t qualify for anything in the game that requires it.

Metamagic Options

3rd-level sorcerer feature

When you choose Metamagic options, you have access to the following additional options.

Expanded Spell

When you cast a spell with an effect area of a cone, cylinder, or sphere, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double the length of a cone or increase the radius of a cylinder or sphere by half such that a 20-foot radius becomes a 30-foot radius.

Focused Spell

When you cast a spell that requires concentration, you can spend 1 sorcery point to gain a +5 bonus on Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration on that spell.

Fortified Spell

When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can spend 2 sorcery points to gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 5 + 5 for each slot level expended to cast the spell.

Hexed Spell

When you cast a spell that requires the target to make a new saving throw during each of its turns, you can spend 2 sorcery points to cause one of the spell’s targets to have disadvantage on its saving throws against the spell during each of its turns for the duration.

Reclaimed Spell

If a target succeeds on its saving throw against your spell and suffers no effect from it, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to half the spell’s level (rounded up) to regain the spell slot used to cast the spell. The spell can only target one creature and can’t deal damage.

You can use Reclaimed Spell even if you have already used a different Metamagic option during the casting of the spell.

Sorcerous Origin Options

Sorcerous Origins receive additional options and spells in this section. Each spell is in the Player’s Handbook, unless it has an asterisk, in which case it is in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, two asterisks, in which case it is in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, or a dagger, in which case it is in Appendix A.

Divine Magic Expanded Affinity

1st-level Divine Soul feature

The Divine Soul Affinity table expands the number of spells you gain from the Divine Magic feature. These spells work just like the 1st-level spell granted based on your alignment.

Divine Soul Affinity

Sorcerer Level	Chaos	Evil	Good	Law	Neutrality
1st	bane	inflict wounds	cure wounds	bless	protection from evil and good
3rd	silence	spiritual weapon	lesser restoration	zone of truth	warding bond
5th	bestow curse	animate dead	beacon of hope	remove curse	magic circle
7th	freedom of movement	wrathful paean†	death ward	aura of purity	divination
9th	aura of peace†	contagion	hallow	planar binding	dispel evil and good

Dragon Magic Spells

1st-level Draconic Bloodline feature

You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Dragon Magic Spells table; you gain the draconic spells, along with the spells associated with the damage type from your Draconic Ancestry feature. Each of these spells count as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

Dragon Magic Spells

Sorcerer Level	Draconic Spells	Acid Spells	Cold Spells	Fire Spells	Lightning Spells	Poison Spells
1st	absorb elements*	Tasha’s caustic brew**	ice knife*	burning hands	expeditious retreat	poison bomb†
3rd	dragon’s breath*	corrosive shroud†	gust of wind	pyrotechnics*	arc lightning†	protection from poison
5th	protection from energy	acid spray†	sleet storm	Melf’s minute meteors*	lightning bolt	stinking cloud
7th	Mordenkainen’s private sanctum	vitriolic sphere*	ice storm	wall of fire	storm sphere*	blight
9th	legend lore	passwall	cone of cold	immolation*	steel wind strike*	cloudkill

Eyes of the Dark Expanded Spells

1st-level Shadow Magic feature

You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Shadow Magic Spells table. Each of these spells count as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

In addition, you can cast these spells by expending a number of sorcery points equal to its level or by expending a spell slot.

Shadow Magic Spells

Sorcerer Level	Spells
1st	silent image
3rd	darkness
5th	enemies abound*
7th	shadow of moil*
9th	antilife shell

Storm Sorcery Spells

1st-level Storm Sorcery feature

You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Storm Sorcery Spells table. Each of these spells count as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

Storm Sorcery Spells

Sorcerer Level	Spells
1st	expeditious retreat, featherfall
3rd	gust of wind, warding wind*
5th	call lightning, thunderstep*
7th	freedom of movement, storm sphere*
9th	conjure elemental, control winds*

Wild Magic Spells

1st-level Wild Magic feature

You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Wild Magic Spells table. Each of these spells count as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know. After casting one of these spells with a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, roll a d10. If you roll below the slot level expended to cast the spell, you regain the use of your Tides of Chaos feature.

Wild Magic Spells

Sorcerer Level	Spells
1st	chaos bolt*
3rd	Nystul’s magic aura
5th	blink
7th	fabricate
9th	mislead

Wild Magic

The Wild Magic sorcerous origin receives the following new features.

Wild Magic Surge and Tides of Chaos Variants

For some groups, the Wild Magic table and system has too much variance, too great an impact at lower tiers of play, and too much reliance on DM fiat. These two feature variants can address these concerns.

Wild Magic Surge Variant: Controlled Scope

1st-level Wild Magic feature which replaces the Wild Magic Surge feature

You can unleash surges of raw magic. When you cast a sorcerer spell you know using a 1st-level spell slot or higher, you can choose to trigger a wild magic surge. When you trigger a wild magic surge roll 2d8 and choose one of the dice to determine the wild surge from the Wild Magic Surge Variant table. If both numbers are the same, you also trigger a Chaos Surge as indicated on the table.

You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When you reach certain levels in this class, you gain additional uses of this feature at: 6th level (three times), 14th level (four times), and 18th level (five times).

Wild Magic Surge Variant

d8	Wild Surge	Chaos Surge
1	A visual glamer appears on the spell’s target (you choose what it looks like).	You regain all expended sorcery points.
2	A visual glamer obscures your space until the start of your next turn (you choose what it looks like).	You regain 5 hit points at the start of each of your turns for 1 minute or 2d10 hit points instantly (your choice).
3	One of your physical characteristics is cosmetically altered until you finish a long rest (you choose what feature is altered and how).	Each creature has disadvantage on its saving throw against this spell or the next spell you cast within one minute, provided the spell requires a saving throw.
4	An audible glamer sounds which can be heard up to 50 feet from the spell’s target for 1 round (you choose what sound it makes).	Maximize the damage for this spell or the next spell you cast within one minute, provided the spell deals damage.
5	Two of the spell’s targets swap positions, provided they are within 30 feet of each other (you choose the targets). If the spell targets one creature, it swaps places with you.	Up to three creatures within 30 feet of you or one of the spell’s targets take 4d10 acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage (you choose one damage type for all of the creatures damaged by this surge).
6	Visual and audible glamers appear and sound across a 30-foot radius sphere centered on one of the spell’s targets for 1 minute (you choose what they look and sound like). Sounds are audible out to 100 feet.	You transform one random creature, which can be you, within 30 feet of you into a Tiny inanimate object of your choice for 1 minute. An unwilling target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or become transformed. A transformed creature returns to its normal form when the object is reduced to 0 hit points.
7	You gain some trait that grants you advantage on one skill proficiency of your choice until you finish a short or long rest (you decide the trait’s nature).	You can take one additional action immediately.
8	A 20-foot square patch of ground within 30 feet of you has its terrain changed in a nonharmful way (you choose how that terrain changes).	You regain your lowest-level expended spell slot.

Tides of Chaos Variant

1st-level Wild Magic feature which replaces the Tides of Chaos feature

You can manipulate the forces chance and chaos to gain advantage on one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

You can gain advantage this way once, and must finish a long rest to use it again, unless you trigger a Wild Magic Surge or Spell Surge, in which case you regain the use of this feature. In addition, when you cast a chaos spell (chaos barrier, chaos binding, chaos bolt, chaos mirage, chaos storm, chaos stream, chaos volley, chaos vortex, chaos wall), roll a d8. If the number rolled is less than the slot level expended to cast the spell, you regain the use of this feature.

Spell Surge

1st-level Wild Magic feature which replaces the Wild Magic Surge feature

You can unleash surges of raw magic. When you cast a sorcerer spell you know using a 1st-level spell slot or higher, you can choose to trigger a spell surge. When you trigger a spell surge roll 2d8 and choose one of the dice to determine the effect of the surge from the Spell Surge table. If both numbers are the same, you fail to trigger a spell surge and gain no benefit; you still expend a use of this feature and don’t regain use of your Tides of Chaos feature.

You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When you reach certain levels in this class, you gain additional uses of this feature at: 6th level (three times), 14th level (four times), and 18th level (five times).

Spell Surge

d8	Spell Surge
1	You gain a +2 bonus to the spell’s save DC or attack roll.
2	One of the spell’s targets regains hit points or takes force damage (your choice) equal to 4 plus your sorcerer level.
3	The spell is cast as if using a spell slot that is one level higher than you expended to cast it.
4	The spell becomes psionic and doesn’t require verbal or somatic components, but still requires material components. If you use psionic powers from the Psychic and Spiritual Handbook, the spell has the psychic and glow detections.
5	You gain 1 sorcery point which you must spend before the end of your next turn or lose it.
6	Until the start of your next turn, you have damage resistance to all damage.
7	You can teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 30 feet of you.
8	You increase your speed by 10 feet and can take one extra reaction until the start of your next turn.

Wild Magic Surge Variant: Controlled Usage

1st-level Wild Magic feature which replaces the Wild Magic Surge feature

You can unleash surges of raw magic. Once per turn, you can choose to attempt to trigger a wild magic surge immediately after you cast a sorcerer spell of 1st level or higher. Roll a d20, and if the result is equal to or less than the slot level you expended to cast the spell, or if you expended at least 2 sorcery points to cast it, you trigger a wild magic surge and roll on the Wild Magic Surge table to determine its effects.

You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When you reach certain levels in this class, you gain additional uses of this feature at: 6th level (three times), 14th level (four times), and 18th level (five times).

Controlled Spell Surge

14th-level Wild Magic feature which replaces the Controlled Chaos feature

You gain a modicum of control over the surges of your wild magic. Whenever you roll on the Wild Magic Surge or Spell Surge table, you can reroll one of the d8s, but you must keep the new roll.