Favored Soul Re-balance

[Maskah]

I had a chance to check out Rodney Thompson's conversion of the Favored Soul from 3.5 to 5th and have been pondering over it for weeks. While I do feel that there were some very interesting ideas presented I do feel that there were some things that were left out.

In 3.5 Favored Soul was to the Cleric what Sorcerer was to the Wizard. Cleric being more martial it would make sense that the Favored Soul was martial as well. This is a problem in 5th ed because the Favored Soul is not a distinct class, but a sub class of the sorcerer class, which is not a martial. Though it would make sense that an individual with a celestial bloodline would have a natural martial affinity.

In 3.5 Favored Soul only cast Divine Magic and had to have a deity that that granted them spells similar to Clerics. Rodney's conversion is mainly Arcane, which is nothing like the the Favored Soul of 3.5, instead it Poaches the Domains of Clerics and I think that is the main issue with the write-up.

The extra attack is something that will pretty much never get used by most Sorcerers due to the fact that their cantrips will do far more damage than any melee attack they can do by 6th level. However there options to make the melee damage as good if not better than cantrips, it would just take some investment.

Divine wings was well done, even though it mirrors Dragon wings. Wings are something that they got in 3.5 and have a long standing association with divine (demonic) beings.

In any case I did a write up that has abilities that Synergize better much in the same way the other two origins do. Finally I made it so a that Favored Souls can only cast Divine Magics so that a Sorcerer has the option to be what a Sorcerer is to a Wizard, but for a Cleric, but still be Distinctly different and does not need to rely on having a god. This is more of a pure caster version.

I also honestly feel that the Favored Soul is something granted in the blood like the Dragon Origin or being exposed to something other like the wild mage. I do not see them as having to serve the gods if they do not want to.
Celestial Ancestry
At 1^st level you gain the following:

You choose spells known from cleric spell list instead of the sorcerer spell list.

You can speak, read and write Celestial. Additionally, whenever you make a Charisma Check when interacting with celestials, your proficiency bonus is doubled if it applies to the check.

Unarmed Defense
Beginning at 1^st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, you gain unarmed defense equal to 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma Modifier.

Radiant Affinity
Starting at 6^th level, when you cast a spell that deals radiant damage, add your Charisma modifier to that damage. Additionally you can spend 2 sorcery points to change the damage of a spell to radiant damage.

Divine Wings
At 14^th level, you gain the ability to sprout a pair of wings from your back (feathered or bat like your choice), gain a flying speed equal to your current walking speed. You can create these wings as a bonus action on your turn. They last until you dismiss them as a bonus action on your turn.

You can’t manifest your wings while wearing armor unless the armor is made to accommodate them, and clothing not made to accommodate your wings might be destroyed when you manifest them.

Radiant Might
Starting at 18^th level, your enemies have disadvantage on saving throws against your spells that cause radiant damage. Additionally you have advantage on spell attacks for spells that cause radiant damage.

 

[77IM]

This is pretty good. I especially like the Radiant Affinity.

I have doubts about Celestial Resilience. First, it should be called Unarmored Defense because of the explicit multiclassing rules about this. But personally, I think giving them light+medium armor +shield proficiencies fits the flavor better.

I'd give them simple weapon proficiency too, since it makes them more cleric-like. It's not much of an upgrade (and I feel that the core sorcerer should have that anyway, since they had it originally in 3e).

And I'd give them the "divine strike" or whatever it is called where clerics get +1d8, +2d8 damage to weapon attacks at some level. I think this is important now that their only good damaging cantrip is sacred flame. That's a definite downgrade from firebolt. The bonus damage on weapon attacks isn't very glamorous but it gives you the option to play a slightly-more-martial Favored Soul.

 

[Maskah]

I fixed the Unarmed Defense. I just do not agree with the martial upgrades to sorcerer when it comes to weapons and armor it steps too much on what the Cleric has going for it. The extra attack doesn't really fit in the new edition and steps too much on what the bard is trying to do. Giving them Divine Strike you might as well as play a cleric.

Though unarmed defense does work because it is a little MAD and makes up for the fact that you do not get extra HP like you would with Draconic Resilience though you lose access to Shield so it balances out.

It is also worth noting that at the core of Favored Soul is that they would cast divine spells and not arcane and the whole domain thing is simply poaching a core cleric mechanic.

Meta Magic does some really cool things with Cleric Spells without stepping on the advantage that clerics have.

The original writing just feels like a bunch of poach core mechanics from other classes (cleric specifically). What reason would you have to play a Cleric over Favored soul with so many poached abilities? It doesn't feel unique.

 

[Maskah]

Turns out there was a Non Martial Version of this class called Divine Soul.

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Divine_Soul_(3.5e_Class)

The best fix for Favored Soul would be to change their spell casting from Sorcerer to Cleric. There would also be a need to change the Capstone.

 

[AlmirEldignor]

Here's the favored Soul sorcerer variant my players use, its worked out well so far as balance goes (It's set up as a bloodline type thing, cause thats what sorcerers do, but it could easily be reflavoured to be its own thing)

Favored Soul

Base Class Sorcerer

Divine Magic
Your magic is being channeled through a divine being. You get your spells from the cleric spell list instead of the sorcerer spell list. All other aspects of spellcasting remain unchanged.

Spellcasting Focus
You can use a holy symbol (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your Sorcery spells

Angelic Bloodline
Your innate magic comes from celestial magic that was mingled with your blood or that of your ancestors. Most often, sorcerers with this origin trace their descent back to a mighty sorcerer of ancient times who made a bargain with a celestial or who might even have claimed a celestial parent. Some of these bloodlines are well established in the world, but most are obscure. Any given sorcerer could be the first of a new bloodline, as a result of a pact or some other exceptional circumstance.

Bonus Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain proficiency with Medium armor and Shields.

Angelic Ancestor
At 1st level, you choose one type of Angel as your ancestor.
Deva When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
Planetar While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Solar You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Angelic Ancestry
You can speak, read, and write celestial. Additionally, whenever you make a Charisma check when interacting with celestial, your proficiency bonus is doubled if it applies to the check.

Angelic Resilience
As magic flows through your body, it causes physical traits of your celestial ancestors to emerge. At 1st level, your hit point maximum increases by 1 and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.

Divine Favor
Starting at 6th level
Divine Touch (Deva) when you cast a spell that restores hit points, add your Charisma modifier to the amount healed.
Wrathful Strike (Planetar) you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Radiant Affinity (Solar) when you cast a spell that deals radiant damage, add your Charisma modifier to that damage.

Angelic Wings
At 14th level, you gain the ability to sprout a pair of angel wings from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your current speed. You can create these wings as a bonus action on your turn. They last until you dismiss them as a bonus action on your turn. You can’t manifest your wings while wearing armor unless the armor is made to accommodate them, and clothing not made to accommodate your wings might be destroyed when you manifest them.

Angelic Presence
Beginning at 18th level, you can channel the dread presence of your divine ancestor, causing those around you to become awestruck or frightened. As an action, you can spend 5 sorcery points to draw on this power and exude an aura of awe or fear (your choice) to a distance of 60 feet. For 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were casting a concentration spell), each hostile creature that starts its turn in this aura must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed (if you chose awe) or frightened (if you chose fear) until the aura ends. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to your aura for 24 hours.

METAMAGICS
Empowered Heal- You may spend 1 Sorcery point whenever you use a spell of 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature, the creature regains additional hit points equal to your charisma modifier + the spell’s level.