Ugh, this character sheet is kind of trash. Ansel couldn't help roasting it in his head.
In games, there was no barrier to becoming a class. In reality, if your Intelligence wasn't high enough you couldn't be a wizard, and without talent you couldn't be a sorcerer.
The two origins that were lit up were Draconic Bloodline and Wild Magic.
[Draconic Bloodline: Breathe in and out the magic of dragons.]
[Wild Magic: Unleash chaotic power beneath the order of creation.]
The first was because he had silver dragon blood in him. The second was tied to the collapse of the Weave: raw magic was rampaging, wild magic zones were expanding, and coincidences plus accidents occasionally gave ordinary people a tiny chance to grasp Wild Magic.
Chaotic power was full of uncertainty. Every spell could trigger random magical effects—like turning yourself into a potted plant or summoning a demon.
Great for spectacle, but people really died from that. Ansel wasn't about to gamble on it.
Draconic sorcerers didn't have many real weaknesses. They were good at staying alive, could fly, and had spell-like abilities.
Probably due to the bloodline, this origin's spellcasting was very stable. It was spontaneous casting, different from wizards, so he didn't have to worry about failing to get spells off.
You it is, then.
Once he confirmed the subclass, the character sheet unexpectedly popped up a dragon bloodline selection.
Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Aren't I already a silver dragon-blood? Ansel was surprised.
There were three main types of draconic bloodlines: chromatic, metallic, and gem.
Chromatic dragons were mostly evil-aligned: blacks, blues, greens, reds, and whites.
Metallic dragons were generally lawful good: gold, silver, brass, bronze, and copper.
Gem dragons were mostly neutral: amethyst, crystal, emerald, sapphire, and topaz.
Each draconic bloodline came with a 1st-level spell and different elemental aspects. Gold and red dragons were fire, silver and white were cold, bronze and blue were lightning…
The original body has silver dragon blood—if I pick gold dragon now, can I activate two bloodlines at once? Ansel's eyes lit up.
Metallic dragons were "good dragons" with a great reputation across Faerûn. Picking one would make it easier to blend into human society.
On top of that, gold dragons were the strongest metallic dragons. Their challenge rating was sky-high; beating up the strongest chromatic—red dragons—was no big deal.
The bonus draconic spell Disguise Self was also very handy. If he accidentally fell into the Underdark, he could disguise himself as a goblin or a duergar to stay alive.
Ansel confirmed with his thoughts, and the Draconic Bloodline origin lit up at once.
So it really works. Looks like the bloodline just serves as the trigger to gain Draconic Sorcery. At its core, a sorcerer is still an arcane caster—the class itself isn't capped by bloodline.
There was no time to waste. He immediately started picking class features and spells with a single goal in mind: getting out of this crater.
For background, he chose Noble, mainly because it boosted Charisma.
For the racial feat, he took Tough to increase his HP. Surviving came first.
…
「Background」: Noble
Ability Scores: Strength +1, Intelligence +1, Charisma +1
Feat: Familiarity (Acrobatics, Athletics, Medicine)
Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion
「Race」: Human
Ability Scores: Charisma +1, Constitution +1
Skill: Survival
Versatile: Tough
「Class」: Sorcerer
Primary Ability: Charisma
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Intimidation
Sorcerous Origin: Draconic Bloodline (Gold Dragon, Silver Dragon)
You gain class features: [Spellcasting][Innate Sorcery].
You gain subclass features: [Draconic Resilience][Draconic Spells].
You learn draconic spells: Disguise Self (Gold), Feather Fall (Silver).
You learn Draconic.
[Spellcasting]: You draw upon your innate magic to cast spells.
You have 2 first-level spell slots or 3 points of mana (depending on your casting method).
You know 4 sorcerer cantrips: Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Sorcerous Burst, Mold Earth.
You know 2 first-level spells: Jump, Shield.
[Innate Sorcery]:
Something in your past left an indelible mark on you, flooding you with magic that is difficult to control.
Casting time: instant; duration: 1 minute. During this time, you gain the following benefits:
1. The save DC of your sorcerer spells increases by 1 (they're harder to resist).
2. You have advantage on attack rolls for sorcerer spells you cast (they're easier to hit with).
You can use this feature twice per day.
[Draconic Resilience]: Magic flows through your body and manifests as physical traits granted by draconic gifts. Parts of your skin are covered in soft scales shaped like dragon scales.
Your maximum hit points increase by 3, and each time you gain a level in sorcerer, they increase by 1 again.
When you are not wearing armor, your base Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.
[Draconic Spells]: When you reach certain sorcerer levels (1, 3, 5, 7, 9), you learn new draconic spells.
Your current draconic 1st-level spells: Chromatic Orb, Command.
[Please choose a casting method.]
[Mana casting!]
[Creating character…]
…
Before Ansel could react, a tidal wave of knowledge and magic surged out of the die like a storm. His brain throbbed, his body trembled, and his skin shone with a gold-and-silver sheen.
He hurriedly flattened himself onto the ground so he wouldn't fall off the stone platform.
That turned out to be absolutely the right call. The moment he lay down, he lost control of his body.
Right now his flesh felt alive, every cell cheering and exulting. Vast magic surged and flowed through him. Tiny soft scales surfaced on his skin, nearly the same color as his flesh yet glimmering faintly with gold and silver light.
Ansel had no time to pay attention to that. He was busy absorbing the flood of knowledge and skills pouring into his mind.
It felt strange—nothing like grinding through study. It was more like…he had always known this, and was only just now remembering it.
Memories and inheritance from the bloodline, huh. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
…
He had no idea how much time had passed when Ansel slowly woke.
Did I fall asleep?
He looked around. The sky had grown even darker. The fighting in the distance was no longer as intense, but he knew that wasn't a good sign.
Humanity had been pushed back.
Rolling to sit up, he found his body light, flexible, and full of energy.
The swelling in his calf was gone. The tiny cuts and scrapes on his body had almost completely disappeared and no longer affected his movement.
He ran a hand over the skin of his arm. The soft scales there were tough and springy, very sensitive to touch, and carried a faint metallic sheen. One look told you he wasn't a normal human.
Nice scales. After gold and silver bloodlines fused, their color ended up fairly low-key.
Ansel pulled up his panel. His hit points were now 11/12, a bit higher than the average sorcerer: 6 base sorcerer HP, +1 from his Constitution modifier, +2 from the Tough feat, and +3 from Draconic Resilience.
On top of that, his Armor Class was 14. He had 4 mana, 6 cantrips, 6 first-level spells, and a pile of skills—Acrobatics, Athletics, Survival, and so on.
Shame I don't have more mana. I can only cast four first-level spells at most.
Faerûn's most common casting systems came in two forms: the mainstream spell-slot casting, and mana casting.
The spell-slot system relied on the Weave. It was more stable, safer, and easier to use, which was why most spellcasters chose it.
But with the Weave unstable right now, and given that he was a sorcerer, using innate mana to cast spells was the better option.
Gotta conserve it. No idea what's going on up there yet. Ansel got to his feet and cautiously checked his surroundings.
The air was thick with damp. The roar of water filled his ears. The waterfall overhead seemed closer than before, constantly battering the pillar-like slope beneath his feet. Dirt and rocks tumbled down from time to time. A collapse was only a matter of time.
Can't wait any longer.
He patted his chest and pulled out a palm-sized crystal column from inside his robe. It was clear and translucent, hanging from his neck on a sturdy metal chain.
Thank goodness.
This was his arcane focus. It was cheap, but it helped him channel magic.
Most importantly, having it let him ignore some material components.
Take Jump, for example. Besides incantations and gestures, it required the hind leg of a grasshopper. Without a focus, where was he supposed to find a grasshopper out here?
He tucked the focus back under his clothes, close against his skin, then did a few quick stretches. Keeping low, he quietly climbed along the relatively gentle side of the slope until he was out from under the broken roof's cover. Then he looked up to survey the situation above, looking for all the world like a thief sneaking out to steal chickens.