The content of this post is Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d).
Is the following worthwhile? Is it balanced? Any suggestions about how to deal with the ever expanding list of sorcerer/wizard spells from optional rulebooks?
Sorcerer Class Feature
The following is a variant class feature for the sorcerer. It replaces existing sorcerer class features as noted.
SPECIALIST SORCERER
A sorcerer with the specialist sorcerer class feature has a special connection with one particular school of magic. The sorcerer has expansive access to that one school, but is otherwise unfamiliar with most spells.
Level: 1st.
Replaces: A sorcerer with this class feature does not select spells known in the normal way.
Benefits: A sorcerer with this class feature chooses one school of magic. For each level of spells he can cast as a sorcerer, he gains all sorcerer/wizard spells of that level that belonging to his chosen school as sorcerer spells known. If his chosen school is divination, he also gains all universal sorcerer/wizard spells of that level as sorcerer spells known.
Additionally, at 1st level and every two class levels thereafter, a sorcerer with this class feature may choose any one sorcerer/wizard spell (from any school) of any level that he can cast. He gains this chosen spell as an additional sorcerer spell known.
Special: Sorcerers with the specialist sorcerer class feature add the following divination spells to the sorcerer/wizard spell list: 1st - detect chaos/evil/law/good; 2nd - augury; 4th - divination; 5th - commune with nature.
Ok, I'm not sure I understand this. So, let's say I'm playing a sorcerer who specilizes in Evocation. I own the PHB, Spell Compendium, PHB II, really just about every other 3.5 book. Does that mean that, whenever I gain a new spell level, I gain acess to every single evocation spell in all of those books, so long they fall on the sor/wiz list? And, by 20th level, I'll only have 10 spells that are from other schools?
Interesting. I'm assuming you're trying to shoot for the beguiler/dread necromancer/war mage style of specialization, but done as a generic template. I'd much rather see a more thematic approach, but this is simple and easy to apply, so it's pretty decent.
I'm not sure how balanced it would be. I think you should stick to the PHB spells for such a system and have new spells be taken from any other source.
Definitely an interesting idea, though it is tough to determine if it is balanced or not.
As for the expanding spell list from other sources, you can have a side bar that states if the DM allows other sources then the sorcerer can choose two spells from their specialized school from the expanded list to add to their spells known. (I chose two because it sounded good. It can be any number really. Or even based on their CHA modifier at the time they level).
What do you actually lose by taking this variant? I've seen a lot of people do choose mostly from one school or another when choosing their normal spells known. Blasters: most of their spells come from the Evocation school. Illusionist: from the Illusion school and so on and so forth. This variant is just aiding them, without them losing anything. The 10 spells they can learn from other schools will fill a few gaps in their arsenal, and scrolls(when availible) will fill the rest.
@Xathan: Yeah, I haven't decided yet how best to handle spells from rules expansions yet. But in any case, the way I've written it, you'd only have 10 spells from outside your school.
@Xeviat: That restriction you mention was one that I was considering, though I'm not going to directly reference the PHB (since I want this to be Open Game Content). Maybe I'll explicitly spell out the whole "specialist sorcerer" spell list; they already have a different divination spell selection than the ordinary sorceer/wizard spell list, after all.
@Neptune: You lose a little bit of versatility with this option, but not that much. (Maybe I should cut it back to one extra spell every four levels instead of one every two.) In general, this option does make the sorcerer more powerful than he would be without it, but then again, I've always been of the opinion that sorcerers were less powerful than most other full casters to start with.
Those are some good thoughts, so keep 'em coming. I'll probably have to do a fair bit of tweaking before the specialist sorcerer is properly balanced. (And after that, I may add some fluff to go with the crunch.)
I was unsure if you wanted to make the sorcerer a little more powerful. Compared to the wizard, I think this sorcerer is a little more powerful. They will have more spells for free than the wizard and will have more spells per day. The only thing the wizard will have over this sorcerer will be versatility and the wizard bonus feats. Maybe it is balanced afterall. It is hard for me to determine.
I think the spells known def. needs some sort of static limit. Either a flat number or 'spells in the phb, but you can switch them out for spells in other books/spells you research'.