Sorcerer

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Sorcerers create magic the way a poet creates poems, with inborn talent honed by practice.  They have no books, no mentors, no theories â€" just raw power that they direct at will.  Some sorcerers claim that the blood of dragons courses through their veins.  It may be true â€" it is common knowledge that certain powerful dragons can take humanoid form and even have humanoid lovers, and it's difficult to prove that a given sorcerer does not have a dragon ancestor.  Sorcerers even often have striking good looks, usually with a touch of the exotic that hints at an unusual heritage.  Still, the claim that sorcerers are partially draconic is either an unsubstantiated boast on the part of certain sorcerers or envious gossip on the part of those who lack the sorcerer's gift.

Sorcerers are (along with wizards) the foremost practitioners of what Faerunians refer to as the Art, the study and application of arcane magic.  The common folk of Faerun see little difference between the rigorous studies of the wizard and the mysterious ways of the sorcerer, but in some lands a fierce rivalry exists between the two traditions.  Many wizards regard sorcerers as inexpert practitioners of the Art and servants of sinister powers better left alone.  Some sorcerers see wizards as arrogant and pompous, deliberately cloaking the Art in mummery and obtuse lore.

Some areas of Faerun are more tolerant than others of the presence of sorcerers.  Aglarond, a forest kingdom ruled by the insuperable sorcerer-queen known as the Simbul, is perhaps the best example of such a place.  Despite differing regional attitudes toward sorcerers, sorcerous talent seems to be spread nearly even through the world and the various races, with the exception of dwarves born before the Thunder Blessing.

True to their tendency toward chaos over law, sorcerers worship all types of deities.  Mystra, Oghma, Selune, and Shar are popular with sorcerers as deities who have something to do with magic.  Lathander, Shaundakul, Sune, Tempus, and Tymora are popular with adventuring sorcerers.

Adventurers:  The typical sorcerer adventures in order to improve his abilities.  Only by testing his limits can he expand them.  A sorcerer's power is inborn, and part of his soul.  Developing this power is a quest in itself for many sorcerers, regardless of how they wish to use their power.

Some good sorcerers are driven by the need to prove themselves.  Marked as different by their power, they seek to win a place in society and to prove themselves to others.  Evil sorcerers, however, also feel themselves as set apart from others â€" apart and above.  They adventure to gain power over those they look down on.

Characteristics:  Sorcerers cast spells through innate power rather than through carefully trained skills.  Their magic is intuitive rather than logical.  They know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire powerful spells more slowly than wizards, but they can cast spells more often and have no need to select and prepare them ahead of time.  Nor do sorcerers specialize in certain schools of magic the way wizards may.

Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills.  They are proficient with simple weapons.

Alignment:  For a sorcerer, magic is an intuitive art, not a science.  Sorcery favors the free, chaotic, creative spirit over the disciplined mind, so Sorcerers tend slightly toward chaos over law.

Other Classes:  Sorcerers find they have the most in common with members of other self-taught classes, such as rogues.  They sometimes find themselves at odds with members of more disciplined classes, such as paladins and monks.  Since they cast the same spells as wizards, but do so in a different way, they are sometimes competitive toward them.

Since sorcerers often have a powerful presence that gives them a way with people, they frequently serve as the “face” for an adventuring party, negotiating, bargaining, and speaking for others.  The sorcerer's spells often help him sway others or gain information, so he makes an excellent spy or diplomat for an adventuring party.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Rules

None

[Howlando]

It is worth recording here that, perhaps because of the birth of the Red Star (rise of Mystryl), sorcerous powers became far more common. Players are encouraged to incorporate the idea of their gifts being a relatively recent phenomenon into their character backstories.