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Legend
I am playtesting a homebrewed system for Sorcerers that integrates Roll-to-Cast and Miscast (inspired by Kelsey's Shadowdark, DCC, and a bit of my own ideas) as one roll. There's some other bits and bobs, but this is the core of the system.
1st: Spellcasting: Roll-to-cast
Whenever you cast a spell using spell slots, roll d20 + your proficiency bonus. The baseline DC to cast the spell is 10 + its level. If you fail, compare your roll to the Miscast Table. Unless specifically stated on the miscast result (or Overchanneling), your spell still takes effect.
When you gain Font of Magic at 2nd level, you can expend Sorcery Points after rolling to gain a bonus equal to the number of points spent.
Whenever you cast a spell using spell slots, roll d20 + your proficiency bonus. The baseline DC to cast the spell is 10 + its level. If you fail, compare your roll to the Miscast Table. Unless specifically stated on the miscast result (or Overchanneling), your spell still takes effect.
When you gain Font of Magic at 2nd level, you can expend Sorcery Points after rolling to gain a bonus equal to the number of points spent.
| Sorcerer Miscast Table Result | |
| 3-4 | Wrong words! You accidentally cast another spell you know at random instead. |
| 5 | Magical surge! Take 1d6 force damage per level of the spell. If you were Overchanneling, this also creates an explosion dealing 1d6 force damage per level of the spell to creatures within 20 feet of you. |
| 6 | Refraction! You target yourself with the spell. However, you regain the action you used to cast the spell, and can immediately cast a spell without needing to roll to cast it. Alternately, if you were the original target, you are instead befuddled for 1 minute – you cannot concentrate or upcast spells during this time. |
| 7 | Your hand slipped! You target a random ally with the spell (if enemy was initial target), or a random enemy (if ally was initial target), or a random area (if an area was targeted). However, you regain the action you used to cast the spell, and can immediately cast another spell without needing to roll to cast it. |
| 8 | Mind wound! You can’t cast this spell again for a week, and any attempt to Overchannel during this time deals psychic damage equal to the spell’s level to you. |
| 9 | Reversal! The spell’s effect is reversed from its normal one. For example, dispel magic might amplify the effect it was cast against. However, you regain the action you used to cast the spell, and can immediately cast another spell without needing to roll to cast it. |
| 10 | Spell worm! You lose the ability to cast a random spell on each of your turns until you pass a Constitution save (against your spell save DC). You regain the ability to cast those spells after a long rest. |
| 11 | Poof! You suffer a minor effect related to the spell, lasting as long as the spell’s duration or 1d10 minutes for spells that are instantaneous. For example a fireball might extinguish all light in the area or cause you to glow. |
| 12 | Delayed effect! The spell activates after 1d12 hours. If you were the intended target, the spell takes effect normally. If the caster was not the intended target, the spell goes off in the general direction of the intended target, up to the spell’s maximum range, if the target has moved away. However, you regain the action you used to cast the spell, and can immediately cast another spell without needing to roll to cast it. |
| 13 | Component calamity! Your fingers twitch the gestures and your lips mutter the incantations of the spell for 1 minute. For any leveled spell you cast in that time, you must make a Wisdom save (against your spell save DC) or you cast this spell instead. Once this occurs, you no longer need to make Wisdom saves. |
| 14 | Metamagic backlash! You may apply one form of Metamagic (even one you don’t know) to the spell for free. However, you suffer a major effect related to the spell, lasting for 1 hour. For example, comprehend languages might cause you to speak backwards or modify memory might inflict amnesia on you. |
| 15 | Unstable conduit! You radiate magic for 1 minute, and any spell you cast in that time is randomly upcast 1d4 levels (without increasing the DC to cast). However, you have disadvantage on your rolls to cast in that time. |
So why is the table weirdly numbered? First question my players asked. That requires a bit of easy maths to explain.
At 1st level, the DC to cast a 1st level spell is 11, so on a roll-to-cast 1d20+2 you fail if your die value comes up 3-8. Thus, when casting a 1st level spell you will never get a mishap of 9-15 (Reversal, Spell Worm, Poof, Delayed Effect, Component Calamity, Metamagic Backlash, or Unstable Conduit), and this is mostly intentional.
As you cast higher level spells, the range of failure shifts up the chart, so stop getting the Wrong Words but you will start dealing with Reversals and Spell Worms and so on.
You'll notice my miscast chart goes to 15, but a 17th level sorcerer (with +6 prof) rolling to cast a 9th level spell would roll 1d20+6 vs DC 19, so their die miscast range is 7 (the lowest they can roll) to 12 (because 12+6 equals 18, which is failure). So why does the chart go to 15?
That's because of the bits and bobs I mentioned - Overchannel and Spell Emulation being new features I give the sorcerer at 1st and 5th levels, respectively.
As you cast higher level spells, the range of failure shifts up the chart, so stop getting the Wrong Words but you will start dealing with Reversals and Spell Worms and so on.
You'll notice my miscast chart goes to 15, but a 17th level sorcerer (with +6 prof) rolling to cast a 9th level spell would roll 1d20+6 vs DC 19, so their die miscast range is 7 (the lowest they can roll) to 12 (because 12+6 equals 18, which is failure). So why does the chart go to 15?
That's because of the bits and bobs I mentioned - Overchannel and Spell Emulation being new features I give the sorcerer at 1st and 5th levels, respectively.
| Sorcerer Level & Prof. | Spell Level | DC to cast | Roll-to-Cast Result Range | Roll-to-Cast Failure Range |
| 1st +2 | 1 | 11 | 3-22 | 3-8 |
| 3rd +2 | 2 | 12 | 3-22 | 3-9 |
| 5th +3 | 3 | 13 | 4-23 | 4-9 |
| 7th +3 | 4 | 14 | 4-23 | 4-10 |
| 9th +4 | 5 | 15 | 5-24 | 5-10 |
| 11th +4 | 6 | 16 | 5-24 | 5-11 |
| 13th +5 | 7 | 17 | 6-25 | 6-11 |
| 15th +5 | 8 | 18 | 6-25 | 6-12 |
| 17th +6 | 9 | 19 | 7-26 | 7-12 |
What are the other bits and bobs I give the sorcerer?
1st: Innate Magic
You are an innately magical being, which has the following effects:
1st: Overchannel
You may attempt to cast sorcerer spells beyond your normal ability. You must expend a total number of spell slots equal to the level of the spell you're attempting, using your highest spell slots first. If you fail your roll to cast, the Overchanneled spell fails to take effect.
For each level above the maximum spell level you can cast, you suffer a -1 penalty on your roll to cast and you suffer a level of exhaustion after casting the spell (Note: I use homebrew exhaustion more like the UA -1 to -10 version). If casting the spell would take you below your maximum levels of exhaustion, you cannot attempt the spell – it is beyond your power. You may expend Sorcery Points to negate this exhaustion.
For example, an 8th level sorcerer tries to cast reverse gravity, a 7th level spell, when they can only cast 4th level spells. They suffer a -3 penalty on their DC 17 roll to cast, giving them a net roll of d20 + 3 -3 (i.e. a straight d20 roll), which is a 20% chance of success. After the roll, they can spend Sorcery Points as described under Roll-to-Cast to gain a bonus. Regardless of the outcome they suffer 3 levels of exhaustion, unless they expend 3 Sorcery Points.
5th: Spell Emulation
Starting at 5th level, when you see a spell cast, as a reaction you may note the manner of its casting, and for the next 10 minutes treat the spell as if it is on your Sorcerer Spell List. You may only emulate one spell at a time. When you roll to cast this spell, if it is not on your sorcerer spell list, you suffer a -5 penalty on your roll.
You are an innately magical being, which has the following effects:
- You do not rely on material components for your spells, acting as your own spell focus. However, if a spell has a component with a gold piece value, you still need to use the component in that case.
- You radiate magic when a creature casts detect magic upon you; it appears to be a kind of magic reflected by your Sorcerous Bloodline.
- Add detect magic to your Spells Known, without counting against that limit.
1st: Overchannel
You may attempt to cast sorcerer spells beyond your normal ability. You must expend a total number of spell slots equal to the level of the spell you're attempting, using your highest spell slots first. If you fail your roll to cast, the Overchanneled spell fails to take effect.
For each level above the maximum spell level you can cast, you suffer a -1 penalty on your roll to cast and you suffer a level of exhaustion after casting the spell (Note: I use homebrew exhaustion more like the UA -1 to -10 version). If casting the spell would take you below your maximum levels of exhaustion, you cannot attempt the spell – it is beyond your power. You may expend Sorcery Points to negate this exhaustion.
For example, an 8th level sorcerer tries to cast reverse gravity, a 7th level spell, when they can only cast 4th level spells. They suffer a -3 penalty on their DC 17 roll to cast, giving them a net roll of d20 + 3 -3 (i.e. a straight d20 roll), which is a 20% chance of success. After the roll, they can spend Sorcery Points as described under Roll-to-Cast to gain a bonus. Regardless of the outcome they suffer 3 levels of exhaustion, unless they expend 3 Sorcery Points.
5th: Spell Emulation
Starting at 5th level, when you see a spell cast, as a reaction you may note the manner of its casting, and for the next 10 minutes treat the spell as if it is on your Sorcerer Spell List. You may only emulate one spell at a time. When you roll to cast this spell, if it is not on your sorcerer spell list, you suffer a -5 penalty on your roll.
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