How To Build A Sorcerer Using The 2024 Player’s Handbook In DND

While wizards need to study their spells and clerics and warlocks have to beg higher powers for them, sorcerers are just built different. In Dungeons & Dragons, sorcerers pull their power from deep inside themselves.

Since a sorcerer’s talent comes from natural talent, they’re much more proficient at the lower number of spells that they have access to and are adept at social situations. Whether you’re looking to play an arcane spellcaster in a city or court setting with lots of social interaction or need a blaster for a dungeon crawl, a sorcerer may be the class you need.

Updated January 30, 2025 by Jack Filsinger: Sorcerers are still one of the most popular and fun classes worth playing in Dungeons & Dragons. We’ve updated this guide with two additional elements to consider in your build: magic items and alignment, as well as reorganized some sections for clarity so you have everything you need for your sorcerer build in DND.

Sorcerer Highlights

Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters, like wizards, but they rely on Charisma as their spellcasting stat rather than Intelligence. This is because, unlike wizards, sorcerers don’t learn magic from books and scrolls, but rather develop it as a talent thanks to their heritage or experiences.

Sorcerers might not be book-smart, but they’re certainly street-smart, using their high Charisma to influence the people around them.

They make excellent leaders for an adventuring party and can excel at negotiating and haggling even when magic isn’t required.

Due to the nature of their abilities, sorcerers have access to fewer spells than other full-caster classes, but they’re specialists with those spells. This specialization allows them to modify their spells on the fly, making them stronger, faster, and more precise.

Differences From The 2024 Player’s Handbook

Sorcerers picked up a lot of improvements since the 2014 version of the Player’s Handbook. One of the biggest changes is the huge increase in the number of spells they prepare: the 2024 sorcerer can prepare up to 22 spells, almost 50 percent more than the 15-spell cap in the 2014 version.

Along with the raised prepared spell cap, sorcerers can now trade out a cantrip each time they level up.

Trading out cantrips is useful if you build a character with cantrips for a specific setting, role, or level range, but find your needs changing as you level up.

The new Innate Sorcery ability allows sorcerers to trade a Bonus Action for a full minute of increased spell save DCs and attack rolls for sorcery spells. They can do this twice each Long Rest, and at level seven they can trade Sorcery Points to regain uses.

Innate Sorcery continues to improve at levels seven and 20. In addition to the ability to regain uses in exchange for Sorcery Points, starting at level seven, you can also use two Metamagic options on a spell while it’s active.

At level 20, you can use a Metamagic option without spending Sorcery Points on it.

Metamagic has also received an overhaul: Metamagic is now available at level two (down from three), and like cantrips, you can change your Metamagic selection as you level up instead of being stuck with one that turned out to be a poor choice.

Sorcerous origin has been changed to sorcerer subclass and is now selected at level three instead of at character creation.

Draconic and wild magic are still in the Player’s Handbook and have received significant buffs. They are joined by aberrant mind and clockwork, virtually unchanged from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

If finding the origin of your magic talent doesn’t make sense several sessions into the adventure, talk to your DM about roleplaying it early without the class features.

Your level-one draconic sorcerer might feel the need to hoard gold coins, or maybe your aberrant mind sorcerer has nightmares and sees unearthly colors on the edge of her vision. These can be played out without affecting game balance.

Finally, Sorcerous Restoration has moved down from being a level-20 capstone to a level-five feature. Starting at level five, you can regain Sorcery Points equal to half your level after a Short Rest, but you can only do that once per Long Rest.

Subclass Highlights

The 2024 Player’s Handbook includes four subclasses for sorcerers. Returning from the 2014 Player’s Handbook are the wild magic and draconic sorcerers, and they’re joined by the aberrant mind and clockwork soul sorcerers from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

Aberrant mind and clockwork soul are almost unchanged from the original version, except that they can no longer trade out the bonus spells from the subclass. Meanwhile, draconic sorcerers have received a buff in both function and flavor, while wild magic has become a little more reliable.

Aberrant Mind

Aberrant mind sorcerers gain psionic-like abilities as the result of some kind of otherworldly influence. As a result, they gain access to a handful of Psionic Spells, such as Detect Thoughts, Mind Sliver, and Telekinesis, and the ability to use their Sorcery Points instead of spell slots to cast those spells.

Aberrant mind sorcerers also gain a few more mental must-haves, like free telepathy (with one character at a time) and the ability to warp their bodies to fly, breathe underwater, see through invisibility, and other abilities.

Aberrant mind is a flavorful pair with Great Old One Patron Warlocks.

Clockwork Soul

Sorcerers are often more chaotic spellcasters, but clockwork souls sorcerers gain their power from law and order. Clockwork soul sorcerers gain access to a list of Clockwork Spells such as Lesser Restoration, Dispel Magic, and Freedom of Movement.

These spells are all thematically focused on balance, especially around removing negative effects.

Clockwork souls are an excellent addition to parties without a dedicated healer, as they can provide protection from various effects and distribute shields and temporary hit points. They offer little in the way of offensive advantage, though, so combat-focused sorcerers should choose another subclass.

Draconic Heritage

Draconic sorcerers are the tried-and-true classic, gaining their power from the natural magic of dragons.

Dragons are natural sorcerers, so draconic sorcerers gain access to Draconic Spells that represent a dragon’s power, like Dragon’s Breath or Fly, or that represent their innate Charisma, like Command and Fear.

Draconic sorcerers are the toughest subclass, gaining extra hit points as well as adding their Charisma bonus to their unarmored AC. They also pick up an affinity for one type of energy damage of their choice. All of these features make them excellent blasters and combat spellcasters.

Wild Magic

Wild magic sorcerers are a favorite of chaotic players for the hijinks that they can create. This is the only subclass that gains no extra spells, but instead can roll for a random effect every time they cast a spell of level one or higher.

Effects can range from healing yourself and your allies, casting free spells, or turning into a pot of petunias.

The results of the Wild Magic table are mostly beneficial, and several effects have been buffed since the 2014 version, allowing players to use Wild Magic without worrying about quite as many drawbacks.

Best Species Options

There are a handful of great species options that lend themselves perfectly to the sorcerer class.

Each of these has something different to offer in terms of build, but all make for great innate spellcasters with a charismatic twist.

Best Stat Placement

Charisma is your most important ability score, and you should place your highest value there. It’s the stat that increases your spell saves, so the higher your Charisma is, the more powerful your spells are.

Sorcerers only have a d6 hit die, and no class armor proficiencies, so Dexterity and Constitution are the next two important stats. Dexterity increases your armor class and can help with important saves, while Constitution increases your hit points and helps with Concentration checks.

Whether you prioritize Dexterity or Constitution depends on factors like whether you’ll pick up an armor proficiency and how much healing you have available in your party.

Wisdom should be the next priority because Wisdom saves are one of the more common types you’ll probably make. Insight is also a good skill to complement the negotiating you’ll often find yourself doing on behalf of the party.

Arcana and Religion are important Intelligence skills, and both are on the sorcerer skill list. If you’re the only arcane spellcaster, expect to make these checks frequently. Otherwise, let another character handle the smart stuff.

Strength is your least useful stat, and can be used as a dump stat for your lowest ability score.

Best Spells For Sorcerers

The spells you choose are going to be based on the needs of your campaign.

If your party needs a blaster, you’ll want lots of big area of effect (AOE) damage spells. If the campaign is based around political intrigue and subterfuge, spells that help you manipulate people or turn invisible will be more helpful.

Talk to your DM before building any character. They want you to have fun, and can help you build your character to fit in their campaign without spoiling it.

Sorcerers have access to a lot of spells, and most campaigns run in the lower level range, so we’ll only cover a couple of recommended spells for the lower levels.

Best Starting Equipment

As a Sorcerer, you can choose between a Spear, two Daggers, a crystal Arcane Focus, a Dungeoneer’s Pack, and 28 GP, or 50 GP to equip yourself.

If you choose the default kit, it’s a good idea to add a Light Crossbow and a Case of Crossbow Bolts, which costs 27 GP. If you’re building a kit from piecemeal, also consider trading the crystal Arcane Focus for a Staff, which costs half as much as doubles as a Quarterstaff.

Sorcerers are proficient with all simple weapons, but do not gain access to Weapon Mastery without investing a level in another class or taking a feat.

The highest damage for a simple weapon is 1d8, which is shared by the greatclub, quarterstaff (swing with both hands), and light crossbow.

Since the class is not built for melee, go for the light crossbow as your primary weapon.

With True Strike as one of your cantrips, the light crossbow will average more damage than Fire Bolt or other offensive cantrips.

Best Feats And Backgrounds

There are far too many feats to cover in detail, so instead, we’ll focus on a few good options in each category.

Sorcerers can arise from any background, but some are more beneficial than others. There are no bad backgrounds for Sorcerers, but these five have the most to offer.

Best Multiclass Options

There are several tempting multiclass options for sorcerers, but you’ll often find that gaining more sorcerer levels is more helpful than branching out into other classes and delaying the opportunity to advance as a spellcaster. Still, a few options stand out.

Best Magic Items For Sorcerers

Some Dungeon Master’s allow their players to start with a magic item of certain rarity levels.

If you’re playing a campaign that starts at a higher level, you might also get to start with some extra perks, like these powerful magic items, which are perfect for sorcerers.

Best Alignments For Sorcerers

Alignment is much more of a roleplay option than an optimization one, but it’s worth considering when you’re first building your sorcerer.

Sorcerers tend to be more on the chaotic side, but there’s plenty of fun you can have by playing against type with any of these alignments.