Yes, that’s a fine idea. We should totally put that to a vote. Hey, that’s weird—my hands are starting to glow. Is anyone else seeing that?
A sorcerer’s use of magic runs the range from chaotic to catastrophic—which suits the style of many Acquisitions Incorporated franchises alarmingly well. When a loud and emphatic marketing statement needs to be made using magic, trust a sorcerer to do the talking. And with natural charisma powering their magic, a sorcerer also makes a good public face for a franchise, with their darker or more chaotic tendencies either hidden or amplified depending on need.
Your natural charisma makes you the obvious choice to be the leader of your franchise. Others look to you constantly for inspiration, even if they’re afraid to show it. And that’s a good fit for you, because if you can tell others what to do and have them listen to you, it’s easier to give the most dangerous frontline tasks to them while you cast from the back and reap the rewards.
With great profit comes great responsibility, however, and it’s important to let the other members of your franchise know that they have a place where their opinions matter. It’s a place beneath you, sure, but good ideas often trickle upward. It’s surprising how often a suggestion made by an underling turns out to be exactly what you were planning on thinking all along. And your understanding of chaos tells you it’s easier by far to deal with the so-called law when you have a strong team at your back. Or, even better, at your front, so they’re the ones drawing attention to themselves if things go bad.
All sorcerers rely on an arcane focus through which they channel their magic, but traditional focuses lack a singular style. Staffs, orbs, wands, blah, blah. You like to do things differently.
| d10 | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | A stuffed weasel with fake diamonds for eyes |
| 2 | A rare gold coin that sparkles as you cast |
| 3 | A copper belt buckle created in your own likeness |
| 4 | A pair of silver spectacles whose lenses change color based on the school of spell you’re casting |
| 5 | A well-preserved sausage that smells delicious to you and any other creature nearby |
| 6 | A gold harmonica that cranks out a dramatic tune when you cast |
| 7 | A shrunken gnome head that blinks and sticks its tongue out occasionally |
| 8 | A polo mallet carved in the shape of the tarrasque |
| 9 | A flask of liquid that changes color each time you cast |
| 10 | The antler stub of a peryton, decorated with nymph hair and pixie dust |
When you cast a spell, you go all in, channeling that magic through body and soul. Often, leftover magic from a casting manifests as a residual effect that can build up over repeated uses of your spells and cantrips. Some residual effects are subtle. Others are obvious to the point of distraction. But any such effect might eventually become a kind of spellcasting signature, ensuring that everyone knows the tenor of your magic as well as they know your name.
| d10 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | A smell just slightly less noxious than troglodyte musk wafts off you from time to time. |
| 2 | At random, your voice shifts three octaves higher or lower than normal. |
| 3 | Your hair changes color for 1 hour. If you don’t have hair, you grow silver hair that lasts for 1 hour, then falls out. |
| 4 | At random, your speech and movement suggest that you are blind drunk. |
| 5 | Your eyes glow for 1 minute, cycling intermittently through red, blue, and green. |
| 6 | Sometimes when you deal damage to a creature, a disembodied voice near you shouts out, “Boo yah!” |
| 7 | Blood momentarily drips from your ears and eyes. |
| 8 | Your fingernails grow out to gnarled talons. This new growth falls off after 10 minutes or if you touch something. |
| 9 | Intermittently, any somatic components for spells you cast take the form of violent coughing. |
| 10 | For 1 minute, you are 6 inches shorter or taller than normal. |
Each sorcerer draws their power from different sources, based on their lineage or their connection to the multiverse. Your own lineage defines much about your place in the world and your approach to magic, and can help you establish your connection to your Acquisitions Incorporated franchise.
As a divine soul, you have a special place in your franchise. Just as with the child of a wealthy business owner or an heir to a noble throne, your lineage and breeding demand respect, and it’s your job to make sure your franchise mates understand that. Your success is ordained by the gods themselves, and you embrace that destiny by mastering the ways of business and adventuring, becoming the best you can be.
You know those people who seem to just automatically succeed at everything they do, tearing through life like it might be cheap parchment? Of course you do—because you are one. As the scion of mighty dragons, you are the master of everything you set your mind to. Adventuring, espionage, taking credit for your franchise’s success—you do it all. And if you ever find yourself out of your depth, you’re quick to establish that you’re not actually out of your depth at all. You’ve totally got this!
As a shadow sorcerer, your mysterious connection to the Shadowfell makes you a master of social encounters. The sinister laugh, the glowing eyes—nothing makes a clutch negotiation session go quicker. And when negotiations reach an impasse, your connection to the shadow world makes you a valuable tool for spying, infiltration, security, and, of course, killing.
Harnessing the energy of wind and lightning makes you great fun in combat. But as a storm sorcerer, you have even greater utility when your franchise travels overland or across water for business, as you shield allies and important cargo from inclement or dangerous weather. And sure, those allies harp sometimes about your occasional bouts of rage and your proclivity for blowing things up first and asking questions later. But you take it all in stride, because it’s not like you have a temper or anything.
In business, an element of unpredictability is the best means of keeping your franchise one step ahead of the competition—and nobody brings unpredictability like you do. Business plans and long-term strategies are all good, and kudos to your teammates for all their hard work on that stuff. But when a plan needs subtle refinement based on unexpected developments in the marketplace, you’re the one who’ll thoughtfully tear that plan up, burn it to ash, and just wing it.