Sorcerer

This article requires cleanup. Please discuss this issue on this page's talk page and improve it if you can.

Sorcerer is an arcane striker class in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons.^{[PH2:136][HotEC:85]}

Subclasses

A 1st-level character must choose between using the rules for the original sorcerer class or its subclass, elementalist.

Original sorcerer

The original sorcerer, or o-sorcerer, was introduced in the Player's Handbook 2.^[PH2:136]

Elementalist

Elementalist is the subclass of sorcerer introduced in Heroes of the Elemental Chaos.^[HotEC:85]

Class traits

A 1st-level sorcerer begins with hit points equal to 12 plus the sorcerer's Constitution score, healing surges per day equal to 6 plus the sorcerer's Constitution modifier, and a +2 bonus to Will defense. A sorcerer gains 5 hit points per level.

Class proficiencies

A 1st-level sorcerer begins with cloth armor proficiency, simple melee and simple ranged weapon proficiencies, and dagger and staff implement proficiencies.

Class skills

A sorcerer begins trained in Arcana, plus any three of the following skills.

• Athletics (Str)
• Bluff (Cha)
• Diplomacy (Cha)
• Dungeoneering (Wis)
• Endurance (Con)
• History (Int)
• Insight (Wis)
• Intimidate (Cha)
• Nature (Wis)

Class features

Original sorcerers gain the Spell Source class feature at 1st level. Elementalists gain the Elemental Bolt, Elemental Magic, Elemental Specialty, and Escalating Elements class features at 1st level.

Original Sorcerer

Spell Source

A 1st-level original sorcerer chooses either Cosmic Magic, Dragon Magic, Storm Magic, or Wild Magic, and gains benefits according to the choice.

Cosmic Magic

• Cosmic Persistence: While not wearing heavy armor, the sorcerer can use the strength modifier in place of Dexterity or Intelligence to determine AC.
• Cosmic Power: The sorcerer gains a bonus to damage rolls of arcane powers equal to the strength modifier. The bonus increases to Strength+2 at level 11, and Strength +4 at level 21.
• Soul of the Cosmic Cycle: At the end of the short rest or extended rest, the sorcerer can choose a cosmic phase and gain its benefits. Additioanlly, the first time the sorcerer becomes bloodied during an encounter, the phase changes to the next higher numbered one (or back to phase of the sun if in phase of the stars). Finally, the sorcerer may choose to advance to the next higher-numbered phase each time he or she uses a daily arcane attack power, immediately after resolving the effects of the power.
  1. Phase of the sun: At the start of your turn, each enemy adjacent to you takes fire and radiant damage equal to your Strength modifier. You also gain resist 5 cold.
  2. Phase of the Moon: You gain a bonus to AC equal to the number of conscious enemies adjacent to you. You also gain resist 5 psychic.
  3. Phase of the Stars: Whenever an enemy's attack misses you, you can teleport a number of squares equal to your Strength modifier as a free action. You also gain resist 5 radiant.
  • The resistance granted by this class feature increases to 10 at 11th level and to 15 at 21st level. While you have resistance from this class feature your arcane powers ignore all targets' resistance to that damage type up to the value of your resistance.

Dragon Magic

• Draconic Power: You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of arcane powers equal to your Strength modifier. The bonus increases to your Strength modifier +2 at 11th level and your Strength modifier +4 at 21st level.
• Draconic Resilience: While you are not wearing heavy armor, you can use your Strength modifier in place of your Dexterity or Intelligence modifier to determine your AC.
• Dragon Soul: Choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder. You gain resist 5 to that damage type. The resistance increases to 10 at 11th level and 15 at 21st level. Your arcane powers ignore any target's resistance to that damage type up to the value of your resistance.
• Scales of the Dragon: The first time you become bloodied during an encounter, you gain a +2 bonus to AC until the end of the encounter.

Storm Magic

• Storm Power: You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of arcane powers equal to your Dexterity modifier. The bonus equals your Dexterity modifier + 2 at 11th level and your Dexterity modifier + 4 at 21st level.
• Storm Soul: You gain resist 5 thunder and resist 5 lightning. This resistance increases to 10 at 11th level and 15 at 21st level.
  While this resistance is active, your arcane powers ignore all targets’ resistance to that damage type up to the value of your resistance.
  If you are hit by an attack, you can end this resistance as an immediate interrupt to gain a +4 power bonus to all defenses until the end of your next turn. If you do so, the resistance returns after you take a short rest or an extended rest.

• Storm’s Embrace: When you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll for an arcane power, wind surges around you and your enemy. You can push the target 1 square and then fly a number of squares equal to 1 + your Dexterity modifier after applying the attack’s other effects.

Wild Magic

• Chaos Burst: Your first attack roll during each of your turns determines a benefit you gain in that round. If you roll an even number, you gain a +1 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn. If you roll an odd number, you make a saving throw.
• Chaos Power: You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of arcane powers equal to your Dexterity modifier. The bonus increases to your Dexterity modifier + 2 at 11th level and your Dexterity modifier + 4 at 21st level.
• Unfettered Power: When you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll for an arcane power, you slide the target 1 square and knock it prone after applying the attack’s other effects.
  When you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll for an arcane power, you must push each creature within 5 squares of you 1 square.
• Wild Soul: When you finish an extended rest, roll a d10 to determine a damage type.
  You gain resist 5 to that damage type until the end of your next extended rest. The resistance increases to 10 at 11th level and 15 at 21st level.
  While you have resistance to that damage type, your arcane powers ignore any target’s resistance to that damage type up to the value of your resistance.

d10	Damage Type
1	Acid
2	Cold
3	Fire
4	Force
5	Lightning
6	Necrotic
7	Poison
8	Psychic
9	Radiant
10	Thunder

Elementalist

Elemental Bolt

A 1st-level elementalist gains the use of elemental bolt, an at-will ranged attack power that can be used in place of a ranged basic attack. The elementalist's choice of Elemental Specialty adds a damage type and an additional effect to elemental bolt.

Elemental Magic

An elementalist gains the following benefits.

Elemental Power: The elementalist gains a bonus to damage rolls of arcane powers, depending on the elementalist's level and Constitution modifier.

Elementalist's level	1st–4th	5th–14th	15th–24th	25th–30th
Bonus to arcane power damage rolls	Con modifier	2 + Con modifier	5 + Con modifier	8 + Con modifier

Elemental Resilience: The elementalist may use his or her Constitution modifier in place of the Dexterity or Intelligence modifier bonus to AC when not wearing heavy armor.

Elemental Versatility: The elementalist gains an additional sorcerer at-will attack power at 9th level and at 19th level.

Elemental Specialty

A 1st-level elementalist chooses Air Elementalist, Earth Elementalist, Fire Elementalist, or Water Elementalist. Each option grants one of two at-will attack powers, Enhanced Elemental Bolt, which adds a damage type and an additional hit effect to elemental bolt, Elemental Soul, which grants resistances and bonuses to saving throws against ongoing damage, and a unique move action or trait.

Elemental Specialty	Power choice	Enhanced Elemental Bolt	Elemental Soul	Move action
Air Elementalist	howling zephyr or static charge	keyword: lightning, hit: damage is lightning type, target gains vulnerable 3 to elementalist's elemental attacks until the end of the elementalist's next turn	5th level: resist 10 lightning, 15th level: +2 bonus to saving throws against ongoing lightning damage, 25th level: resist 10 and +2 bonus to saving throws against ongoing damage for choice of either cold or thunder	23rd level: fly up to half speed as a move action
Earth Elementalist	erupting earth or seismic shock	keyword: acid, hit: damage is acid type, target slowed until the end of the elementalist's next turn	5th level: resist 10 acid, 15th level: +2 bonus to saving throws against ongoing acid damage, 25th level: resist 10 and +2 bonus to saving throws against ongoing damage for choice of either fire or thunder	23rd level: burrow up to half speed as a move action, tremorsense 5 while burrowing
Fire Elementalist	blazing cloud or ignition	keyword: fire, hit: damage increased by 1d6	5th level: resist 10 fire, 15th level: +2 bonus to saving throws against ongoing fire damage, 25th level: resist 10 and +2 bonus to saving throws against ongoing damage for choice of either lightning or thunder	23rd level: teleport up to half speed as a move action
Water Elementalist	deluge or ice prison	keyword: cold, hit: slide each creature adjacent to target 1 square	5th level: resist 10 cold, 15th level: +2 bonus to saving throws against ongoing cold damage, 25th level: resist 10 and +2 bonus to saving throws against ongoing damage for choice of either acid or thunder	23rd level: swim speed equals speed + 2, gain aquatic trait: underwater breathing, +2 bonus to attack rolls against nonaquatic creatures when underwater

Escalating Elements

A 1st-level elementalist gains the use of an elemental escalation power corresponding to the elementalist's choice of Elemental Specialty. This power will be either elemental escalation (air), elemental escalation (earth), elemental escalation (fire), or elemental escalation (water). The elementalist will gain additional per-encounter uses of elemental escalation at higher levels, but can use elemental escalation only once per round.

Elementalist's level	1st–2nd	3rd–6th	7th–12th	13th–30th
Uses of elemental escalation per encounter	1	2	3	4

Sorcerer powers

Sorcerer powers, having an arcane power source, are also called spells.

At-will attack spells
1st level acid orb[PH2:138] arcing fire[PHH1:AH2] blazing starfall[AP:28] burning spray[PH2:138] chaos bolt[PH2:138] dragonfrost[PH2:139] energy strobe[Dr381:43] ensorceled blade[Dr390:27] lightning strike[AP:28] storm walk[PH2:139]
Encounter attack spells	Daily attack spells	Utility spells
1st level bedeveling burst[PH2:139] explosive pyre[PH2:139] familiar fires[Dr386:21] frostbind[PH2:139] mists of disarray[AP:28] pinning bolt[AP:29] ray of the moon[AP:29] tearing claws[AP:29] teleporting strike[Dr390:27] tempest breath[PH2:139] thunder slam[PH2:139] thundering roar[AP:29] wave of light[Dr386:21] whirlwind[AP:29]	1st level absorb storm[AP:30] blinding bolt[AP:29] chaotic strike[Dr386:21] chromatic orb[PH2:139] cosmos call[AP:29] dazzling ray[PH2:139] dragonfang bolt[PH2:140] grounding rebuke[Dr374:21] howling tempest[AP:29] ice javelins[AP:30] lightning breath[PH2:140] shocking magnetism[AP:30]	2nd level deep shroud[AP:30] dragonflame mantle[PH2:140] elemental shift[PH2:140] focused chaos[AP:30] gambling siphon[Dr385:48] good timing[Dr385:48] rock armor[HotEC:92] shield of flames[HotEC:92] sorcerous sirocco[AP:30] spatial trip[AP:30] spirit guidance[Dr386:21] stretch spell[PH2:140] unseen aid[PH2:140] wall of water[HotEC:92] whirling wind[HotEC:92]
3rd level Acid Claw[AP:30] Essence prism[AP:30] Lightning Cuts[Dr390:27] Searing Sands[AP:31] Swirling Stars[AP:31] Thundering Gust[AP:31]	5th level Blinding Blade[Dr390:27] Corruption orb[AP:31] glacial armor[AP:31] Moon and Stars[AP:31] slaad's gambit[AP:31] Sun's illumination[AP:31]	6th level chaotic devense[AP:32] extinguishing rain[AP:32] fate's chaos[AP:32] lightning shift[AP:32] subtlety of the green wyrm[AP:32]
7th level blazing bolts[AP:32] chaos ray[AP:32] Dweomer Dagger[Dr390:27] spark form[AP:32] thunder bomb[AP:32] thunder wyrm's jaws[AP:32]	9th level bounding bolt[AP:33] Force Daggers[Dr390:27] howling hurricane[AP:33] ice stalagmites[AP:33] Season's malaise[AP:34] winds of change[AP:34]	10th level dragon's resolve[AP:34] fog form[AP:34] maiden's waking[Dr382:60] sorcerous pulse[AP:34] spirit's eclipse[AP:34] storm of energy[AP:34] Chaos Link
13th level cyclone pull[AP:34] dazzling starlight[AP:34] downbeat of wings[AP:35] moon cage[AP:35] primordial storm[AP:35]	15th level day and night[AP:35] gale burst[AP:35] lightning daggers[AP:35] prismatic lightning[AP:35]	16th level avatars of chaos[AP:36] breath of potency[AP:36] dominant winds[AP:36] thunder buffer[AP:36]
17th level acid shackles[AP:37] azure talons[AP:37] searing radiance[AP:37] stalking frost[AP:37] thunderstroke[AP:37]	19th level aspect of the dragon[AP:37] crashing winds[AP:37] primordial slime[AP:38] radiant wings[AP:38]	22nd level crown of flames[AP:38] flight of dragons[AP:38] storm body[AP:38] ultimate resistance[AP:38]
23rd level rumbling storm bolt[AP:38] storm arc][AP:39] sun and stars[AP:39] wildrift burst[AP:39] wyrmblight[AP:39]	25th level acid typhoon[AP:39] cloak of winter storm[AP:39] fury of dragotha[AP:39] leaping lightning[AP:39] wrathful vapors[AP:40]
27th level chaos infusion[AP:40] moonstruck[AP:40] mother claw[AP:40] overpowering lightning[AP:40] thunderous might[AP:41]	29th level cosmic vengeance[AP:41] doom of chaos[AP:41] hellish firestorm[AP:41] mind tide[AP:41] wyrm form[AP:41]

See also

• Chaos Sorcere and Dragon Sorcerer builds - example build from character optimization.