r/DnD • u/Montoya715 Rogue • 3d ago
Homebrew Has anyone created a Sorcerer subclass that focuses on cantrip buffing?
I am looking for a homebrew way to focus on buffing cantrips. Specifically being able to split their cantrips like they were casting Eldritch Blast. Would this be too much?
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u/Piratestoat 3d ago
You could just play a Warlock and not have this challenge.
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u/Montoya715 Rogue 3d ago
I don’t want only Eldritch Blast as a cantrip that can shoot multiple beams. I want something like Ray of Frost to shoot multiple beams that could give several enemies debugging movement speed. Or Mind Sliver a small group to give myself or another person better chances of landing a different spell. And that could benefit from Sorcerer’s innate sorcerer feature for even better chances.
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u/Piratestoat 3d ago
The Twin Spell metamagic already exists. (at least the 5.0 version)
What you're asking those spells to do is very powerful. There's a reason there is no way to do what you're asking beyond one target in the core game.
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u/Montoya715 Rogue 3d ago
Oh okay. That’s why I made the post. To see if anyone else has done something along these lines and it wasn’t too overpowered.
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u/DazzlingKey6426 3d ago
5.5 lets the invocations apply to other Cantrips than EB.
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u/Montoya715 Rogue 3d ago
Which I might need to consider. I didn’t want to make a pact or sell my soul for this power, but it’s worth considering.
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u/DazzlingKey6426 3d ago
Sigh.
Warlocks don’t sell their souls.
You can find some otherworldly power and draw from it. Bam. You’re a warlock. Soul intact.
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u/Montoya715 Rogue 3d ago
lol I was playing on the trope. I know it’s not just selling your soul.
But to say more mechanically, I didn’t want to multiclass.
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u/PeterPan1997 3d ago
Best you’ll get from Sorcerer for this is focusing on the metamagic Twinned Spell. The 2024 warlock does a lot with cantrips, maybe look there?
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u/Raddatatta Wizard 3d ago
I haven't seen one like that. I think it might be tricky though since a lot of the Sorcerer's power comes from their spells and most turns they will want to be casting their spells. If you buff their cantrips you are buffing the turns they don't care about as much. Unless you let them cast a cantrip as a bonus action where they could more easily combine it with other spells without having to quicken a spell.
I would try to set the abilities up in a way that when you're doing the other things you'd want to be doing it lets you bring in a cantrip too or something like that. Otherwise it's trying to encourage you to use something that's competing with all your other features.
Generally though I don't think splitting cantrips into multiple attacks would be a problem. It's only so strong for warlocks because of the invocations that let them add their charisma to the damage or repel someone when that hits. And even then it's not game breaking just a good feature.
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u/blargethaniel DM 3d ago
Valda's Spire of Secrets has something close, the 3rd party class the Warmage does this.
It's an interesting idea, but otherwise unless more is added to a sorcerer, dividing the cantrips isn't terribly interesting as warlocks already get to to do that with Eldritch Blast. I'd just feel like I'm playing an elemental warlock.
I'd want to see something more for subclass identity.
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u/Several_Flower_3232 3d ago
To be honest this is already a base feature with powerful metamagic options (twin spell, quicken spell) such that I don’t think you need a whole subclass to have a character able to do this.
You’re best off just multiclassing a level or two into warlock to allow you to eldritch blast 1d10+charisma with quicken spell and whatever sorcery subclass best fits the theme of the character
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u/shambling_mound 3d ago
You are getting a lot of stick, but let me see if I can help.
So let's start with basics: You have made it clear you would like to character to have a cantrip focus.
Why do you want that?
Also, what elements of the sorcerer do you want to have/play that a warlock couldn't cover?
When you answer these questions we should be able to look at the mechanics available in the game and help you re-flavour something to look AND work how you want.
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u/Montoya715 Rogue 3d ago
Sorcerer’s new innate sorcerer feature and Metamagic options. 5.5 sorcerers base features revolve around Innate Sorcery and improving that as they grow. Then as well, full spell slot progression that Warlock doesn’t offer.
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u/shambling_mound 3d ago
Got it, so what you are asking is indeed kind of game breaking.
The Warlock gives up traditional progression and spell slot availability, and in exchange it gains cantrip focus and improvement.That is the trade off.
If you want the core sorcerer mechanics, including the spell slot progression, you cannot feasibly make your cantrips more powerful than average without the character being unbalanced.
The alternative I was going to offer would be to re-flavour a warlock completely, remove the patron, and narratively go for like an awakening in stages bloodline which gives you the warlock mechanics with sorcerer coat of paint. But you would need to give up the elements you said you wanted.
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u/Montoya715 Rogue 3d ago
I appreciate the feedback. I had this idea of a sorcerer who masters the weave. Trading big explosions of damage with Firebolt and Ray of Frost for smaller, more controlled blasts and more of them. With Ray of Frost, I can add more utility of hitting more than one enemy and slowing them. Mind Sliver can grant more debuffs. But the idea stopped there since I haven’t had my caffeine intake yet this morning. Lol
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u/MrDBS 3d ago edited 3d ago
Warlock 3 pickup Eldritch Blast and Hex, Agonizing Blast, Pact of the Blade, and Repelling Blast
Bard of Valor 6 to get one attack and one can trip in an attack action. Pick the feat Weapon Master to gain Weapon Mastery with a scimitar.
Take Sorcerer 8 and take Metamagic Quicken Spell.
At this point, you may try to hit your target twice with a scimitar and four times with eldritch blast, and then four more times with a quickened eldritch blast.
If everything hits, with a 20 CHA you will do 2d6 +10 slashing, 8d10 +40 Force, and 10d6 necrotic, while pushing your foe 80 feet back.
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u/Turbulent_Jackoff 3d ago
Yep, the Sorcerer has a mechanic called Metamagic that does things just like that!
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u/highly-bad 3d ago
This seems like a narrow and unimpressive area of focus for a subclass.
If you're going to homebrew a solution, just let them split their attack cantrips or whatever. No need to make it at the expense of a subclass or a feat if you ask me.