Alternative bloodline spells?


Homebrew and House Rules


Thesis Statement: I would like some general feedback (positive or negative) and input on any potential balance issues you see stemming from giving sorcerers a small amount of customization in their bloodline spells.

Background: The sorcerer bloodlines were a needed addition to the class, replacing the neat but flawed Heritage Feats in the latter half of 3.5 edition. Two otherwise-identical Pathfinder sorcerers can play like completely different characters depending on their bloodlines.

But there is one complaint; Namely, that within the bloodlines themselves there isn't much variety.

Of course, sorcerers are a tier 2 class and don't really need any increases in power level, which is why I think something that can only be changed at level-up and doesn't actually offer anything more than what a normal sorcerer could get would be the best solution for the Pathfinder sorcerer (or indeed, the only solution that doesn't break the game; it's far far too late in the development cycle to give sorcerers a different spell list the way 5e did).

Rules: These alternative bloodline spells work exactly like regular bloodline spells; at 3rd, 5th, ..., 17th, and 19th level, the sorcerer gains one bloodline spell of the highest level they can cast and adds it to their list of spells known. This bloodline spell can be selected from any one of those indicated for their bloodline at that spell level. At any level where they could swap a spell known, they can instead swap one bloodline spell for another bloodline spell of the same level.

Only one spell per spell level can be a bloodline spell. For example, if a sorcerer with the undead bloodline knows both energy drain and wail of the banshee, only the one learned as a class feature at level 19 is affected by abilities such as the bloodline intensity archmage mythic path ability.

I took the liberty of replacing bloodline spells that don't fit their bloodline's theme very well (likely because they were released early in the design cycle), such as tongues with monstrous extremities for aberrant sorcerers and shadow walk with dream travel for dreamspun sorcerers.

EDIT: Looking back, those are the only two outright replacements on the entire list.

Wildblooded sorcerer bloodlines aren't included in this list because there are only so many spells in the PFRPG line and I was already repeating myself more than I would have liked.

Some core bloodlines are so specific that there were not enough spells to give two or more options at every level (which I set as the benchmark), so you won't, for example, see the Ectoplasm bloodline on here.

The bloodlines are listed alphabetically. The original bloodline spell Paizo assigned for a given level is listed first.

There are 31 bloodline lists given, representing 28 Paizo bloodlines (Elemental was split into 4).

Half the bloodlines have only two choices at each level, and most of the rest have three (Abyssal, Celestial, Djinni, Dreamspun, Efreeti, Elemental [all], Infernal, Protean, Rakshasa, and Shadow), though one (Fey) has four, although there is at least one dud at each level there (tree shape, unnatural lust, matchmaker, poison, mind fog, green caress, pox of rumors, scintillating pattern, shambler).

Alternative Bloodline Spells:

Aberrant:
1: enlarge person, adhesive spittle
2: see invisibility, fleshcurdle
3: tongues, monstrous extremities, countless eyes
4: black tentacles, confusion
5: feeblemind, echolocation
6: veil, acid fog
7: plane shift, insanity
8: mind blank, frightful aspect
9: shapechange, maze of madness and suffering

Abyssal:
1: cause fear, protection from good, ear-piercing scream
2: bull's strength, darkness, acid arrow
3: rage, deeper darkness, lightning bolt
4: stoneskin, unholy blight, fear
5: dismissal, possession, telekinesis
6: transformation, acid fog, cruel jaunt
7: greater teleport, hungry darkness, caustic eruption
8: unholy aura, horrid wilting, rift of ruin
9: summon monster IX, storm of vengeance, energy drain

Accursed:
1: ray of enfeeblement, doom
2: touch of idiocy, blindness/deafness
3: ray of exhaustion, accursed glare
4: bestow curse, rest eternal
5: feeblemind, major curse
6: eyebite, flesh to stone
7: insanity, bestow greater curse
8: dimensional lock, prediction of failure
9: energy drain, cursed earth

Arcane:
1: identify, magic missile
2: invisibility, greater detect magic
3: dispel magic, arcane sight
4: dimension door, globe of invulnerability
5: overland flight, teleport
6: true seeing, greater dispel magic
7: greater teleport, greater arcane sight
8: power word stun, prismatic wall
9: wish, time stop

Celestial:
1: bless, bless water, protection from evil
2: resist energy, consecrate, burst of radiance
3: magic circle against evil, daylight, searing light
4: remove curse, holy smite, good hope
5: flame strike, hallow, dispel evil
6: greater dispel magic, true seeing, chains of light
7: banishment, joyful rapture, greater teleport
8: sunburst, holy aura, stormbolts
9: gate, heroic invocation, storm of vengeance

Daemon:
1: ray of enfeeblement, deathwatch
2: touch of idiocy, cup of dust
3: vampiric touch, ray of exhaustion
4: contagion, enervation
5: blight, waves of fatigue
6: circle of death, wither limb
7: waves of exhaustion, plundered power
8: horrid wilting, trap the soul
9: soul bind, energy drain

Deep Earth:
1: expeditious excavation, expeditious construction
2: darkvision, earthbind
3: shifting sand, stone shape
4: stoneskin, earth glide
5: spike stones, hungry earth
6: stone tell, tar pool
7: repel metal or stone, caustic eruption
8: earthquake, wall of lava
9: clashing rocks, imprisonment

Destined:
1: alarm, moment of greatness
2: blur, embrace destiny
3: protection from energy, gallant inspiration
4: freedom of movement, death ward
5: break enchantment, grand destiny
6: mislead, getaway
7: spell turning, circle of clarity
8: moment of prescience, mind blank
9: foresight, time stop

Djinni:
1: shocking grasp, enhance water, alter winds
2: invisibility, gust of wind, minor image
3: fly, major image, create food and water
4: minor creation, air walk, control winds
5: overland flight, persistent image, major creation (created vegetable matter is permanent)
6: chain lightning, wind walk, heroes' feast
7: plane shift, limited wish, control weather (as druid)
8: greater planar binding, screen, whirlwind
9: wish, resplendent mansion, elemental swarm (air only)

Draconic:
1: mage armor, detect metal
2: resist energy, barkskin
3: fly, suggestion
4: fear, stoneskin
5: spell resistance, cone of cold (matches your dragon's damage type)
6: form of the dragon I, guards and wards, analyze dweomer
7: form of the dragon II, mass hold person, teleport trap
8: form of the dragon III, demand, dimensional lock
9: wish, overwhelming presence

Dreamspun:
1: sleep, ill omen, auditory hallucination
2: augury, oneiric horror, sense madness
3: deep slumber, minor dream (self only), clairaudience/clairvoyance
4: divination, greater oneiric horror, phantasmal killer
5: dream, lesser astral projection, nightmare
6: shadow walk, dream travel, dream council, prognostication
7: vision, permanent hallucination, insanity
8: moment of prescience, true prognostication, discern location
9: astral projection, microcosm, dream voyage

Efreeti:
1: enlarge person, reduce person, produce flame
2: scorching ray, invisibility, pyrotechnics
3: fireball, ash storm, scorching ash form (self only)
4: wall of fire, mass reduce person, mass enlarge person
5: persistent image, fire snake, elemental body II (fire only)
6: planar binding, chains of fire, permanent image
7: plane shift, limited wish, fire storm
8: giant form II, incendiary cloud, wall of lava
9: wish, fiery body, meteor swarm

Elemental (air):
1: burning hands (electricity damage), alter winds, windy escape
2: scorching ray (electricity damage), gust of wind, whispering wind
3: protection from energy, wind wall, air geyser
4: elemental body I, river of wind, air walk
5: elemental body II, control winds, overland flight
6: elemental body III, path of the winds, wind walk
7: elemental body IV, control weather (as druid), fire storm (electricity damage)
8: summon monster VIII (elementals only), whirlwind, stormbolts
9: elemental swarm, winds of vengeance, ride the lightning

Elemental (earth):
1: burning hands (acid damage), expeditious excavation, stone shield
2: scorching ray (acid damage), binding earth, soften earth and stone
3: protection from energy, meld into stone, stone shape
4: elemental body I, earth glide, spike stones
5: elemental body II, wall of stone, transmute rock to mud
6: elemental body III, move earth, flesh to stone
7: elemental body IV, repel metal or stone, rampart
8: summon monster VIII (elementals only), iron body (can speak and drink potions), earthquake
9: elemental swarm, clashing rocks, imprisonment

Elemental (fire):
1: burning hands, touch of combustion, produce flame
2: scorching ray, flaming sphere, pyrotechnics
3: protection from energy, fireball, firestream
4: elemental body I, wall of fire, fire shield (warm shield only)
5: elemental body II, fire snake, lightning arc (fire damage)
6: elemental body III, chain lightning (fire damage), cold ice strike (fire damage)
7: elemental body IV, fire storm, firebrand
8: summon monster VIII (elementals only), stormbolts (fire damage), incendiary cloud
9: elemental swarm, fiery body, meteor swarm

Elemental (water):
1: burning hands (cold damage), hydraulic push, wave shield
2: scorching ray (cold damage), slipstream, ice slick
3: protection from energy, aqueous orb, hydraulic torrent
4: elemental body I, control water, wall of ice
5: elemental body II, alter river, globe of tranquil water
6: elemental body III, freezing sphere, oasis
7: elemental body IV, fire storm (cold damage), vortex
8: summon monster VIII (elementals only), seamantle, stormbolts (cold damage)
9: elemental swarm, tsunami, mass icy prison

Fey:
1: entangle, tree shape, lesser confusion, ventriloquism
2: hideous laughter, unnatural lust, silence, invisibility
3: deep slumber, matchmaker, displacement, rage
4: poison, sculpt sound, nixie's lure, moonstruck
5: tree stride, lesser entice fey, mind fog, mirage arcana
6: mislead, transport via plants, green caress, flesh to stone
7: phase door, waves of ecstasy, entice fey, pox of rumors
8: irresistible dance, binding, scintillating pattern, screen
9: shapechange, greater entice fey, time stop, shambler

Ghoul Sorcerer:
1: ray of enfeeblement, repair undead
2: feast of ashes, ghoul touch
3: vampiric touch, meld into stone
4: fear, hunger for flesh
5: hungry earth, ghoul army
6: move earth, create undead
7: control undead, mass hunger for flesh
8: unholy aura, deathclutch
9: wail of the banshee, clashing rocks

Harrow:
1: ill omen, anticipate peril
2: augury, detect thoughts
3: harrowing, analyze aura
4: shadow conjuration, divination
5: contact other plane, retrocognition
6: legend lore, prognostication
7: greater harrowing, vision
8: moment of prescience, true prognostication
9: weird, foresight

Imperious:
1: moment of greatness, command
2: eagle's splendor, resist energy
3: heroism, magic vestment
4: threefold aspect, fear
5: greater command, overland flight
6: repulsion, greater heroism
7: greater age resistance, mass hold person
8: prediction of failure, demand
9: overwhelming presence, gate

Infernal:
1: protection from good, charm person, fool's gold
2: scorching ray, minor image, detect desires
3: suggestion, fireball, major image
4: charm monster, wall of fire, damnation stride
5: dominate person, hellfire ray, persistent image
6: planar binding (devils and fiendish creatures only), mass suggestion, chains of fire
7: greater teleport, fire storm, song of discord
8: power word stun, mass charm monster, trap the soul
9: meteor swarm, dominate monster, soul bind

Maestro:
1: ventriloquism, vocal alteration
2: hideous laughter, enthrall
3: suggestion, sculpt sound
4: shout, confusion
5: dominate person, persistent image
6: mass suggestion, music of the spheres
7: power word blind, song of discord
8: greater shout, power word stun
9: wail of the banshee, power word kill

Marid:
1: obscuring mist, hydraulic push
2: see invisibility, minor image
3: gaseous form, water breathing
4: wall of ice, control water
5: persistent image, oasis
6: elemental body III, freezing sphere
7: plane shift, limited wish
8: polar ray, seamantle
9: wish, tsunami

Orc:
1: burning hands, enlarge person
2: bull's strength, scorching ray
3: rage, fireball
4: wall of fire, mass enlarge person
5: cloudkill, decapitate
6: transformation, chains of fire
7: delayed blast fireball, giant form I
8: iron body, giant form II
9: meteor swarm, heroic invocation

Pestilence:
1: charm animal, itching curse
2: summon swarm, ghoul touch
3: contagion, rain of frogs
4: repel vermin, fleshworm infestation
5: insect plague, greater contagion
6: eyebite, plague storm
7: creeping doom, waves of exhaustion
8: horrid wilting, summon monster VIII (1d3 leukodaemons or 1 meladaemon)
9: power word kill, cursed earth

Protean:
1: entropic shield, bouncy body, break
2: blur, wood shape, make whole
3: gaseous form, slow, shrink item
4: confusion, stone shape, rusting grasp
5: major creation, transmute rock to mud, polymorph
6: disintegrate, wall of iron, animate objects
7: greater polymorph, reverse gravity, phase door
8: polymorph any object, earthquake, prismatic wall
9: shapechange, greater create demiplane, prismatic sphere

Rakshasa:
1: charm person, magic aura, sow thought
2: invisibility, detect desires, alter self
3: suggestion, seek thoughts, hold person
4: detect scrying, charm monster, glibness
5: prying eyes, mass charm person, mage's private sanctum
6: mass suggestion, veil, repulsion
7: greater polymorph, mass hold person, spell turning
8: mind blank, screen, greater prying eyes
9: dominate monster, shapechange, etherealness

Shadow:
1: ray of enfeeblement, shadow trap, dancing darkness
2: darkvision, darkness, silence
3: deeper darkness, shadow enchantment, gloomblind bolts
4: shadow conjuration, shadow projection, shadowform
5: shadow evocation, shadow endurance, waves of fatigue
6: shadow walk, greater shadow enchantment, shadow transmutation
7: power word blind, hungry darkness, project image
8: greater shadow evocation, screen, curse of night
9: shades, greater shadow transmutation, polar midnight

Shaitan:
1: true strike, magic stone
2: glitterdust, soften earth and stone
3: greater magic weapon, meld into stone
4: stoneskin, stone shape
5: wall of stone, spike stones
6: wall of iron, stone tell
7: plane shift, limited wish
8: iron body, earthquake
9: wish, clashing rocks

Stormborn:
1: shocking grasp, ear-piercing scream
2: gust of wind, sound burst
3: lightning bolt, call lightning (bolts always at full power)
4: shout, ball lightning
5: overland flight, call lightning storm (bolts always at full power)
6: chain lightning, path of the winds
7: control weather, stormbolts (cannot exclude creatures or vegetation)
8: whirlwind, greater shout (60-ft-radius spherical spread within long range instead of cone)
9: storm of vengeance, ride the lightning

Undead:
1: chill touch, repair undead
2: false life, command undead
3: vampiric touch, lesser animate dead
4: animate dead, greater false life
5: waves of fatigue, mass repair undead
6: undeath to death, create undead
7: finger of death, control undead
8: horrid wilting, create greater undead
9: energy drain, wail of the banshee

Shadow Lodge

I'm not convinced that sorcerers of the same bloodline are overly similar to each other. There are a lot of bloodlines and the major ones have wildblooded options, so it's pretty easy to avoid repeating bloodlines. Crossblooded gives you even more options. And then even if two sorcerers have the exact same bloodline, you can still customize them using archetypes, spells known, and feats (including choice of different bloodline feats).

Also, even if you're trying to avoid a power-up for the sorcerer, adding extra options like this is generally a boost in power, particularly for players that have high system mastery. Even if the new options aren't strictly better than the existing ones it gives players the opportunity to pick spells that are more useful for their particular build or campaign. For example, looking at the Abyssal bloodline the relative value of Bull's Strength vs Darkness depends a lot on party composition - how many of your party members are strength-based, and how many have Darkvision? Similarly, Infernal Bloodline's new Charm Person option is going to be more useful than Protection from Good in heroic campaigns (though not evil campaigns).

And there are a couple cases where the new spells are distinctly better than the old ones. Rakshasa bloodline now offers Charm Monster and Glibness as level 4 options, both of which are more useful than Detect Scrying in almost all campaigns.

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