Sorcerer

The Scorcerer Class
Sometimes, a person is born with a power beyond mere trainable talent. These people have a unique connection with the energies of magic itself, known as Raw Magic. The people with this connection are known as sorcerers. Sorcerers are capable of using this connection to Raw Magic to create effects that are just as impressive if not more so than the controlled spells of wizards. However, this connection comes at a price. Raw Magic is a chaotic, fickle thing; it acts according to its own whims, and it resents being controlled. It may not respond when called, or it may come when it has not been summoned up. It may even, if the sorcerer is weak-willed or not properly focused, destroy the user in a display of absolute power. It is never possible to fully control the force of Raw Magic, and those who have tried have failed disastrously. Despite its unpredictability, it can be persuaded to act as directed by a sorcerer with the force of personality necessary. Sorcerers, because of their tendency towards chaotic alignments and the inherent danger of using Raw Magic, are feared by the general populace at best, and hated and hunted by vigilante groups at worst. Many sorcerers are embittered by the treatment they receive because of who they are, and evil sorcerers are not uncommon because of it.

When a sorcerer attempts to cast a spell, they are trying to direct the Raw Magic to act as they wish, and this is never a sure thing. When trying to cast a spell, roll a d10 and add your Charisma modifier. If the resulting number is the spell’s level or higher, you have successfully cast that spell and it functions as normal. If the number is lower, then the spell has failed. In addition, if the roll results in a natural one, the spell fails and Raw Magic lashes out through the caster for a variety of effects; see the table on Raw Magic Backlash. Level zero spells have no chance for backlash and will not automatically fail, even on a roll of a natural one (so barring some penalties to a sorcerer’s Charisma modifier, these spells will always succeed).

Advantages of the Scorcerer Class
But it’s not all horrible mutilations and accidental polymorphs. There are some notable advantages to having a special connection to the forces of Raw Magic.

Tenacious Magic
Raw Magic is an extremely potent magical force, even more powerful than controlled magic, and because of its sheer power, it is capable of breaking into zones that dispel or repel magic. Sorcerers can cast spells within an antimagic zone by using sheer will to summon up the Raw Magic energy. This process is still extremely difficult, and the normal d10 that is rolled to determine the success of casting a spell is changed to a d2. Therefore, only potent sorcerers could cast even basic spells within antimagic, and only those with extremely strong forces of personality could even hope to cast their most powerful spells. The upside is that the Raw Magic has such difficulty manifesting there’s no chance of any backlash occurring within an antimagic field.

Forceful Magic
In addition, because of the nature of Raw Magic as pure magical power, it is more potent than normal controlled spells even when directed successfully. When a sorcerer successfully casts a spell that has a saving throw, increase the DC of that saving throw by 1.

Connection to Raw Magic
A sorcerer is not merely a font of magic power. They have a deep, unbreakable connection with Raw Magic unlike any other bond. Because of this connection, sorcerers can call upon the Raw Magic to help them by entering a meditative state shortly before or shortly after an 8-hour rest. By putting their minds in a state of readiness, they can then during the day put themselves back into this meditative state, allowing them to see the interconnectedness of all things through the Raw Magic, for a variety of useful ends. A sorcerer can only enter this state once per day.

Connection to Harm
Using their Raw Magic, a sorcerer can see and predict impending physical dangers and react to them better. Starting at 1st level, a sorcerer can use their meditative state this way to grant them a +1 insight bonus to their AC for two rounds. This bonus increases by +1 every six levels of sorcerer the character has, and the duration increases by one round every three levels, to a maximum of eight rounds.

Connection to Self
A sorcerer can also use their connection with the Raw Magic to help them with important tasks or to resist harm. Starting at 4th level, a sorcerer can use their meditative state this way to grant themselves a +1 insight bonus to all checks and saves they make in the next minute. This bonus increases by +1 every four levels and the duration also increases by 1 minute every four levels, to a maximum of five minutes.

Connection to Magic
Starting at 12th level, a sorcerer can tap the power of Raw Magic and grant themselves abilities with magic they would not otherwise possess. By expending their meditative state, a sorcerer can spontaneously apply the Quicken, Empower, or Extend Spell feats to a single spell of their choosing at the time of its casting. This spell uses a spell slot that it would normally use had it not been enhanced.