Wild Magic Sorcery Sorcerer: D&D 2024 Optimisation Guide

Weave wild magic with this unpredictable, sorcerous subclass.

Imbued with wild magic, these sorcerers have uncontrollable surges of magical power. Though experience might make these sorcerers slightly better at managing these powers, they always remain wild and unpredictable.

Casting a simple spell might lead to popping off an accidental fireball, poisoning nearby creatures or even transforming yourself into a potted plant. Wild magic sorcery is a hazardous form of magic and not one people are likely to choose willingly (though players might want to).

D&D 2024 has introduced a surge of improvements to the wild magic sorcerer. My guide below will take you through tactics and optimisations as well as details of what’s changed for this unpredictable subclass.

At a glance

Powerful spellcasting class with enhanced spells
Makes a capable party face
Layer additional effects onto your spells
But these effects are chaotic and unpredictable

3/5 – Some more reliable buffs and debuffs mingle with your wild magic to create very unpredictable (if often powerful) effects on your spellcasting. Most of these effects are beneficial, theoretically making this subclass very powerful. But unpredictability makes it very hard to truly plan and strategise.

What’s changed in D&D 2024?

In the 2014 version, the wild magic sorcerer was just too unpredictable with too many negative effects from their wild magic. While the 2024 version continues to embrace unpredictability, a lot of changes have gone into this subclass to make these effects largely positive:

DM’s permission no longer needed: Wild magic used to require a DM’s permission to use. This is no longer the case.
Tides of chaos: This feature is now easier to use and can be used more often.
Updated wild magic table: The wild magic table has seen huge changes that means much more beneficial effects, and effects that can turn the tide of combat.
Wild magic control: At higher levels, you can gain much greater control over your wild magic and the effects imposed.
No extra spells known: Other sorcerer subclasses got extra spells known, but the wild magic sorcerer didn’t. This is because these spells are baked into the wild magic table, you just don’t choose when they are invoked.

Related articles

Wild magic sorcery features

Sorcerer DND 2024 — Human sorcerer: Wizards of the Coast

Wild magic surge – Lv3

How it works

You get a small chance of causing a wild magic surge every time you cast a spell with a spell slot.

Tactics

Most of the effects on the wild magic table are beneficial including things like additional spells, healing and debuffs on your enemies.
As such, you’ll want this to activate as often as possible. A 5% chance of activation is very low though. Fortunately, this combines with your other level 3 feature to make the odds of causing a wild magic surge much more common.
Just be aware, a few of the wild magic effects are bad. You may become a plant pot for instance! Just make sure an ally is ready to smash you in that unlikely event.

Tides of chaos – Lv3

How it works

Give yourself advantage on d20 tests roughly once per turn. Doing this will also cause wild magic surges to be far more regular.

Tactics

I find it odd that wild magic surges don’t just happen every time a sorcerer casts a spell with a spell slot. Combining different rules to access this feels a bit fiddly, but at least this does ensure you can basically cause wild magic surges every time you cast a sorcerer spell with a spell slot.
And you do want to make sure you’re using wild magic surges as often as possible. The effects are generally positive and will add to the effects of your spells.
The thing to balance is actually how to be using spell slots each turn. This means you’ll want to focus on combat spells (so you’re not expending spell slots outside of combat). You’ll also want to have some bonus action spells available for times when you use a cantrip.
Because wild magic surges are once per turn (not once per round), you can cause a wild magic surge with your action or bonus action on your turn, then a reaction spell (like counterspell) can also cause a wild magic surge (as it’s not on your turn) giving you a second use of wild magic surge.
For these reasons, I’d ensure you’re gaining the advantage from tides of chaos regularly, especially early in combat.

Bend luck – Lv6

How it works

Use a reaction and a sorcery point to increase or decrease a d20 test by 1d4.

Tactics

You’ll want to save this for times when you think you can turn a success into a failure. It’s not explicit whether you know the result of the roll, but immediately after seems to imply that you don’t know the result of the roll when you decide to bend luck. This does make this a little less reliable.
While the size of the roll is small (1d4), the impact can be large if you can use it in the right moments.
While many rolls won’t be a close cut thing, the fact it can be used on any other creature means there should be enough opportunities where this could be worthwhile, especially if you have spare sorcery points to use.

Controlled chaos – Lv14

How it works

When you roll on the wild magic table, you can do this twice and choose the result. Handily, this almost completely eliminated bad results and means you can be slightly more tactical with your options (but there’s still a big need to be reactive to the surge you get).

Tamed surge – Lv18

How it works

Once per long rest, you can choose the result on the wild magic table instead of rolling for it.

Tactics

You’ll want to use this in crucial moments where you really need a boost or particular effect of some kind.
Just be aware that effects that require a dice roll are still a bit random. So for instance, you can’t just use a double fireball as getting a wild surge fireball will still require a roll to determine the spell used.
I’ll run a more thorough analysis on options when I analyse wild magic surge in more detail in another article, but some good options here might include; 13-16 disadvantage on the next saving throw spells you cast (this includes subsequent saving throws for the spell that might be made like with hypnotic pattern for instance). 29-32 maximum damage from a spell. Great for AoE damage spells like fireball. 53-56 use an extra action this turn (you won’t be able to cast another levelled spell, but a cantrip is good or use a spell scroll or magic item spell). 57-60 if you’re ok with an extra spell with a random effect. 89-92 4d10 lightning damage to 3 targets.

How good is the wild magic sorcery subclass?

If you’re looking for a chaotic and unpredictable subclass, then there’s none better than this! But the bigger question is around its effectiveness.

I think having regular extra effects in conjunction with most of your spells is extremely powerful. No other subclass has such powerful effects at their fingertips. The issue is the random nature of them. You’ll probably hit upon some very useful effects at all the wrong times. And some very nasty effects, probably also at the wrong times.

So it’s a very powerful subclass, that’s so unpredictable that it completely tempers that power. Because of this, I think there are more effective subclasses out there, but if you like thinking on your feet and the madness that comes from wild magic, then this is a top subclass.

3/5

Building an optimised wild magic sorcerer

Dragonborn sorcerer: Wizards of the Coast

As with other sorcerers, it’s all about raw spell power for the wild magic sorcerer.

This means that much of the advice below will be similar to that of other sorcerers, but there are a few tweaks to consider which I go into below.

Ability scores

Recommended options

Charisma: Your most important ability score. You’ll need this for casting spells. It also enhances some of your metamagic options and can be used for face skills too.
Dexterity: This will enhance your AC and I’d focus on this over constitution as avoiding getting hit in the first place is better than surviving more hits.
Constitution: A boost to your hit points and concentration is always going to be useful.

Options to avoid

Strength: Dump, you’ve got no use for strength.
Wisdom: Only useful for some skills and saving throws.
Intelligence: You don’t need intelligence, you cast spells with your charisma.

Ability score	Point Buy	Standard Array
Strength	8	10
Dexterity	15	14
Constitution	15	13
Intelligence	8	8
Wisdom	8	12
Charisma	15	15

Skills

Recommended options

Deception: Important face skill, especially if your party often gets in sticky situations.
Insight: Your intelligence may not be high, but if you’re going to be the party face, you might want this to be decent.
Intimidation: Less important than your other face skills, but still a decent option.
Persuasion: Your most important face skill. Party faces are always trying to persuade people.

Options to avoid

Arcana: Not a bad option, but you won’t be investing in intelligence. Only go for this if you have another party face and no one else to take this in the party.
Religion: Also a decent option, but not as important as face skills and you don’t have the ability scores to support this so only take if you’re the only option for religion proficiency.

Species/race

I’d consider the following attributes for a wild magic sorcerer’s species:

Resilience: This could come in the form of more hit points, but also in being more evasive like through teleportation or flight.
Damage dealing: Often, you’ll be tasked with dealing big damage with enhanced spells. Anything that can aid this will be handy.
Innate spellcasting: More spell options is always handy, and you should get some free uses too.

Recommended options

Aasimar (2024): 2 resistances is good for durability, some bonus action healing is great for helping your cleric out and temporary flight will keep you safe in a tricky fight.
Elf (2024): An extra skill and darkvision are both helpful. You’re mainly here for the innate spellcasting though. High Elf is a good option for misty step and an extra cantrip (you could go for a spell with your chosen elemental damage from elemental affinity). Drow is good for buffs and debuffs with the likes of faerie fire and darkness.
Gnome (2024): Extra magic resilience is great as you’ll undoubtedly be the target of some spells. Minor illusion and speak with animals are better options than the Rock Gnome has, especially as a charisma-focused character (you may need to get persuasive with some beasts).
Human (2024): An extra skill can help round out your face skills. You can also pick up another origin feat. See my advice below on the best ones to pick. The consistent supply of heroic inspiration is helpful as well.
Tiefling (2024): 4 extra spells known is mainly what you’re after here. I’d favour the infernal legacy.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds are much more important now with D&D 2024 with ability score increases, origin feats and skills all now linked to your background.

For a sorcerer, I’d prioritise charisma and then one of dexterity or constitution with the below being your best options:

Name	Ability scores	Origin feat	Skill proficiencies	Tool proficiency
Charlatan	Dexterity, constitution, charisma	Skilled	Deception, sleight of hand	Forgery kit
Entertainer	Strength, dexterity, charisma	Musician	Acrobatics, performance	One kind of musical instrument
Merchant	Constitution, intelligence, charisma	Lucky	Animal handling, persuasion	Navigator’s tools
Wayfarer	Dexterity, wisdom, charisma	Lucky	Insight, stealth	Thieves’ tools

I’d probably favour the charisma then the dexterity increase. With that in mind, I’d probably say wayfarer is your best option.

Feats

Origin feats

I’d say the below are your best origin feats for a wild magic sorcerer:

Alert: Unless you’re using careful spell, you may find it useful to take your turn early in combat before those pesky martials get in the way of your AoE spells. It also gives you a chance to thin the herd early on.
Lucky: Advantage on d20 tests and disadvantage on your aggressors is universally useful.
Magic initiate: Grab some extra spells known from another spell list.
Musician: A generally excellent origin feat for helping your allies out with some heroic inspiration (kind of like a slightly better lucky, you give to your friends).
Tough: Extra hit points is always nice and if you want to survive a decent amount of time and not invest loads in constitution, this is a decent way to get that.

General feats

Actor: Can be a good option for a party face if you want to do a lot of impersonations.
Fey touched: Misty step is great for staying safe. Plus you get more spells known. You can read my fey-touched guide for more advice.
Inspiring leader: Temporary hit points after every rest for your whole party is very handy. Just make sure you’re increasing your charisma for this feat (you probably should be anyway).
Lightly armored: Light armor proficiency and the ability to use a shield should get your AC up to between 17-19 which is a big improvement and saves investing in mage armor (or just being very vulnerable).
Mage slayer: Great for disrupting mages and gives you something similar to legendary resistance.
Ritual caster: If you’re lacking a wizard, you might want to consider this for a bunch of utility spells you often can’t afford to invest in otherwise (like find familiar or detect magic). You can check out my full guide to ritual casting for more tips.
Shadow touched: Invisibility and another spell are great for a caster class. You can read more about tactics and spell choices in my shadow-touched guide.
Skill expert – Get really good at a face skill (or any other skills).
Spell sniper: Great for bypassing cover and getting some extra range on your spells.
War caster: Great for better concentration and it stacks with constitution proficiency.

Weapons

Really, the only reason to go with weapons over spells is if you happen to be caught in an anti-magic field, a silence spell or something similar. Grab a light crossbow and dagger just in case.

It’s possible at early levels, with a decent dexterity, that a light crossbow might slightly outperform your cantrips. By level 5 though, your cantrips will definitely be outperforming any weapons and with metamagic and innate sorcery, you might hit that point earlier anyway.

Armor

You don’t have armor proficiency, making you very vulnerable to attacks. I’d invest in the spell mage armor or grab the lightly armored feat (take studded leather and a shield) to give you some level of resilience.