2nd ed. AD&D Sorcerors

Editor’s Note:These rules are to be used in addition to the rules presented for the Sorcerer and Mystic Spell Creation Rules for 2E which are available in the Gods, Orders, and Spells Section.

The sorcerer in the Fifth Age is different from the Wizards of the past and the most notable difference is the ability to create spells on the fly. Sorcerers must choose a specific school of study and may not learn spells from another school unless they spend two non-weapon proficiency slots to learn a new school. The maximum number of schools a sorcerer may learn is equal to Intelligence divided by five, round fractions down. In order to simulate the sorcerer from the SAGA system in 2nd Edition AD&D a sorcerer will have a mana point pool that is based upon their Intelligence score and modified by the level of the character.

Sorcerers must have these attributes as minimum requirements: Constitution, Wisdom, and Intelligence. If they have a minimum of 14 in each of the required attributes they gain a bonus 10% to their experience. A sorcerer gains the benefits and restrictions based on their intelligence score like a wizard does.

The spells created must be based upon the effect the school represents. Use the guidelines in the DMG for the creation of new combat spells. For every two levels the caster gains he can add in an additional die of damage based upon the level he can cast the spell. Spells that are created using a specific die may only use that die until he creates a newer version of the spell using a different die. For example, if a sorcerer creates a spell that uses d4’s for damage then that is the only die that the spell can use.

The spells that are defensive in nature cannot provide a great deal of protection, but as the sorcerer gains levels the defense is increased. Defensive bonuses are gained at every five levels of the caster and the bonus is any modifier that helps out the character in combat. Use the DMG for designing new defensive spells to maintain balance.

The following schools are available and the player creating a sorcerer character must declare during creation the school the character belongs to.

Aeromancy – Aeromancers can shroud their enemies in choking vapors, call up cloaking patches of dense fog, fly above the trees, or encase themselves in a bubble of air to travel underwater.

Cryomancy – Cryomancers can create walls of ice, freeze rivers solid in the heart of summer and sear their enemies with a wicked frostbite that stops them dead in their tracks.

Divination – Divination is one of the most widely practiced forms of sorcery on Krynn. Diviners can cast spells that might allow him to see if an item has a magical aura, or to note the presence of a trap in an otherwise harmless looking hallway. A diviner may even be able to see into the past or future.

Electromancy – Electromancers can unleash streams of lightning from his fingers to burn or terrify enemies, or he can summon a faint blue aura to light his way in the darkness.

Enchantment – Enchanters can cast a variety of spells, from enchanting a sword to cause more damage to creating the crystal on the end of his staff to glow, eliminating the need for a torch or lantern.

Geomancy – Geomancers are known for their abilities to summon huge stonewalls, or to turn the ground beneath their enemies to quicksand. A Geomancer’s powers can affect stone, earth, metals and even gems and other crystals. No aspect of the geological world—even steel—can resist a Geomancer’s will.

Hydromancy – Hydromancers can be valuable on ocean voyages, causing a swift current under the ship to appear, speeding it along. However, Hydromancers only have limited use of their powers on water not in its liquid state.

Pyromancy – Pyromancers can summon a devastating fireball to plow through his enemies, or create a simple cooking fire.

Spectramancy – Spectramancers can create light, alter the color of existing radiances and otherwise manipulate luminances. Also many spectramancers can create illusions and images. Some of the more common spells from this school are Illusions and Invisibility.

Summoning – Summoners can teleport themselves across vast distances and can combine their skills of summoning with skills from another school to summon Elementals.

Transmutation – Transmuters affect nonliving matter at its most basic level. They can change one metal into another or combine this school with another to create interesting possibilities.

A sorcerer must spend one of their non-weapon proficiency slots on the proficiency Magic Skill, but no more than two proficiencies may be used. The base target number is equal to the caster’s level. Total up all modifiers and this includes the modifiers for casting a new spell. A character must roll on a 1d20 higher than his target number.

This modifier is subtracted from the roll on whether the spell goes off or fails. If a one is rolled on a 1d20 the spellcaster suffers the effects of the spell negatively with no saves possible. For defensive spells miscast they have the opposite effect upon the spellcaster making the spellcaster easier to hit.

A sorcerer may attempt to cast a spell that he has never cast before at any time, but is assigned a modifier that is equal to half of their casting level. After successfully casting the new spell the number of times equal to the spell level without failure he drops the +2 modifier for attempting to learn a new spell and if he fails any of the attempts the modifier remains until he can successfully cast the spell four times in a row. Starting sorcerers already know the number of spells of first level equal to their Intelligence divided by five round down.

For example, a 8th level sorcerer casts an improve version of his fire missile that uses d6’s for damage. The level of the sorcerer is 8th, so an 8 is his target base number. This is a new spell, +2 modifier, and the modifier for casting the spell is +4. 8+2+4=14 or better to successfully cast the spell.

Sorcerers may be a special multiclass option for human characters and a standard multiclass for non-humans. The rules for multiclassing apply as normal. A sorcerer uses 1d6 for their hit dice.

If a sorcerer is a single class they start with 2 Weapon Proficiencies and 3 Non-Weapon Proficiencies. They gain additional proficiencies as per Rogues. If a sorcerer is multiclassed they gain the best number of proficiencies based upon their classes with the sorcerer class using the Rogue class as a basis.

Sorcerers may use any armor and weapons as long as they spend proficiency slots to learn how to use them regardless if they are single class or multiclass. For armor they must use non-weapon proficiency slots and they must specify the type of armor they are learning. Once learned they can only use that specific type of armor and none other. Using armor they are not trained to use incurs a +3 to their Magic Skill rolls. Sorcerers may not specialize in any weapons regardless if they are single class or multiclass.

Sorcerers use the THACOs for Rogues and Saving Throws for Wizards in the case of them being single classed. If multiclassed they use the best scores from any of their classes.

Experience
Level XP Hit Dice (d6)
1 0 1
2 2,500 2
3 5,000 3
4 10,000 4
5 20,000 5
6 40,000 6
7 60,000 7
8 90,000 8
9 135,000 9
10 250,000 10
11 375,000 10+1
12 750,000 10+2
13 1,125,000 10+3
14 1,500,000 10+4
15 1,875,000 10+5
16 2,250,000 10+6
17 2,625,000 10+7
18 3,000,000 10+8
19 3,375,000 10+9
20 3,750,000 10+10

A sorcerer has a mana pool that is based upon his Intelligence and modified by their level. Multiply the character’s intelligence by the modifier to gain the result of the character’s mana pool. Use the following table to determine the modifier based on level.

At 20th level a sorcerer’s mana pool tops out at x5 their intelligence and the skill roll tops out at +9.

Mana Pool Modifier and Magic Skill Roll Modifier
Level Mana Mod. Magic Skill Roll Mod.
1 ¼ +1
2 ½ +1
3 ¾ +2
4 1 +2
5 1 ¼ +3
6 1 ½ +3
7 1 ¾ +4
8 2 +4
9 2 ¼ +5
10 2 ½ +5
11 2 ¾ +5
12 3 +6
13 3 ¼ +6
14 3 ½ +7
15 3 ¾ +7
16 4 +8
17 4 ¼ +8
18 4 ½ +9
19 4 ¾ +9
20 5 +9

The following table shows how much mana a certain level of spell uses and the maximum effectiveness of the spells. A spell costs the base level of the spell multiplied the number of damage dice, effect, or defense bonus. For example, a level 8 sorcerer casts fireball, he learned the spell at fifth level, and it does 2d6 of damage the mana cost for the spell would be 10 points. 2×5=10 points.

The maximum spell level a sorcerer can learn is level 9 and the spell casting time is equal to the spell level, if they are combat or defensive spells only. All other spells have a casting time listed in turns or hours based on the level. The maximum amount of damage a spell can do is 5d10 and the effect/bonus is 4.

Spell Cost and Spell Level Table
Level Spell Cost Spell Level
1 1 1
2 1 1
3 2 2
4 2 2
5 3 3
6 3 3
7 4 4
8 4 4
9 5 5
10 5 5
11 5 5
12 6 6
13 6 6
14 7 7
15 7 7
16 8 8
17 8 8
18 9 9
19 9 9
20 9 9
Damage per Level and Effect/Defensive Bonus per Level
Level Damage Effect/Bonus
1 d4 1
2 d4 1
3 d4 1
4 d6 1
5 d6 1
6 d6 2
7 d6 2
8 d6 2
9 d6 2
10 d8 2
11 d8 3
12 d8 3
13 d8 3
14 d8 3
15 d8 3
16 d10 4
17 d10 4
18 d10 4
19 d10 4
20 d10 4
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