Half-Elf Sorcerer 5e D&D Guide

Half-Elf Sorcerers possess a natural affinity for manipulating the arcane forces that shape the world as if they were gifted a backstage pass to the grand spectacle of magic itself.

What truly sets a Half-Elf Sorcerer apart is their dual nature. They embody the duality of their lineage – the delicate balance between the ethereal grace of elves and the volatile power of sorcery.

Do not think these creatures are only brawn, as they hold great intellect and are fiercely loyal to those they see as friends.

Creating a Half-Elf Sorcerer

Half-Elves

Half-Elves walk in two worlds, but ultimately they belong to neither. Blessed with the best qualities of both races, Half-Elves can specialize in merely anything.

Their Human curiosity and inventiveness, coupled with their Elvish ambitioned tempered by a love of nature, artistic tastes, and refined senses, give them potential far beyond most other races.

Note: These features can be slightly changed or modified if some variations don’t fit your character.

Half-Elf Subraces

Half-Elves have two variant subraces which are split up into a Mark category and a Heritage category.

Half-Elf Variants – There are many different variant Half-Elf subraces, have boasting experience in different fields and relate it to their respective Elven heritage.

• Elf Weapon Training (High or Wood Elf Heritage) – Your heritage gives you proficiency in Longbows, Shortbows, Longswords, and Shortswords.

• Cantrip (High Elf Heritage) – Your heritage gives you access to one Cantrip from the Wizard spell list (use Intelligence as your spellcasting ability).

• Fleet of Foot (Wood Elf Heritage) – Your heritage increases your base walking speed to 35 feet.

• Mask of the Wild (Wood Elf Heritage) – Your heritage allows you to attempt to hide whenever obscured by foliage, mist, falling snow, heavy rain, or other natural phenomena.

• Drow Magic (Dark Elf Heritage) – Your heritage grants you the Dancing Lights Cantrip, and upon reaching level 3, you can use Faerie Fire, which recharges after your long rest.

Reaching level 5 lets you cast Darkness once, which recharges after a long rest (Charisma is your spellcasting ability for all these spells).

• Swim Speed (Sea Elf Heritage) – Your heritage gives you a swimming speed of 30 feet.

Variant Half-Elf: Mark of Detection – Half-Elves bestowed with the Mark of Detection are masters of Divination magic. They detect unseen traps, read thoughts, and sense even the slightest poisons in the air.

Variant Half-Elf: Mark of Storm – Half-Elves blessed with the Mark of Storm wield innate magic powers linking them to storms. As they grow stronger, they gain access to more powerful incantations and become a living storm.

Sorcerer Class Features

Hit Points

Proficiencies

Sorcerous Origin

You choose your origin at level 1, describing the source of your magical powers.

Aberrant Mind – Aberrant Mind Sorcerers have their mind influenced by an alien presence, giving them psionic powers. The entity allows you to tap into the minds of others, altering the world around you and even being able to control magical energy from the multiverse.

As an Aberrant Mind, you can choose to become a shining beacon or a beacon of darkness, spreading terror in its wake.

Clockwork Soul – These Sorcerers have been suffused with magic that arose from Mechanus or a plane of existence similar to it.

Draconic Bloodline – Draconic magic flows through your veins, most likely passed down by your ancestors. 

Most of these Sorcerers can trace their descent back to an ancient Sorcerer who bargained with a dragon or who was claimed a dragon parent.

Divine Soul – In some cases, the divine has a hand in making a Sorcerer, meaning your magic abilities might have come from a distant, powerful familial link to a divine being.

It can even be that your ancestor was an angel who became a mortal to fight for their god or that your birth was aligned with an ancient divine prophecy.

Lunar Sorcery – The moon is thought of as a celestial body encasing vast magical powers that can influence people.

You or one of your ancestors were probably exposed to concentrated magic deriving from the moon, imbuing you with strange yet powerful lunar magic.

Shadow Magic – You can be described as a creature of darkness, your magic deriving from the Shadowfell itself. 

Your ancestors probably came from that wicked place, or you were exposed to its dark magic, which transformed you.

Storm Sorcery – Your magical powers derive from elemental air, traced back to a near-death experience caused by storms that are still spoken about to this day. Your ancestry could also have been influenced by powerful air creatures like djinn.

Wild Magic – You wield magical forces gained from the wild forces of chaos. Being exposed to raw magic, such as a planar portal leading to the Far Realm, Elemental Planes, or Limbo, might’ve given you power.

It can also be that you were marked by a demon or blessed by a formidable fey creature – it can even be a fluke at birth, giving no real reason or cause for you to have it.

Combining Sorcerer With Half-Elf

Determining Your Sorcerer Subclass

Choosing your ideal subclass is subjective, but if your objective is optimization, try understanding what your character wants to do and what stats fit best with their subclass.

Optimal Half-Elf Subrace

Half-Elves have 2 full subrace variants and 6 heritage variants that give special features or bonuses. Sorcerers get the most value out of leveling Charisma, as it’s used as their spellcasting modifier.

Your best bet is to choose the Standard Half-Elf subrace, as it comes with a bonus to Charisma (2) and allows you to increase two more ability scores by 1.

You’ll also be able to choose a heritage variant, the best one being Drow Magic, as it uses Charisma as the spellcasting modifier for all the spells you’ll unlock.

Your Half-Elf Sorcerer Background

Your Half-Elf Sorcerer needs a unique background that will affect its choices, as well as the way it sees the world and what it wants to achieve.

Start by asking yourself some basic questions: Where were they born, and where did they come from? Do they have any goals, bonds, or ideals, and what are their flaws? Where do they belong in social circles and society as a whole? What inspires them?

Place of Birth

Think of the environment a Half-Elf Sorcerer grew up in and how it affected them physically and emotionally and eventually shaped their view of the world.

Try to make their place of birth and upbringing correspond with their personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws – this will truly bring their character alive.

Note: The birthplaces of races are usually mentioned in the Player’s Handbook or some of its expansion books.

Characteristics and Personality Traits

Half-Elf Sorcerers are blessed with powers unforeseen by others. They hold great power but do not know what to use it for.

Will they choose a path of righteousness or go down the path of many before them and seek power above all else?

Half-Elf Sorcerer Examples:

• If you need me to do something for you, tell me I can’t do it.

• I believe everything worth doing is worth doing correctly. I can’t help it – I’m a perfectionist.

Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws

Ideal – Express one ideal that is a driving force in a Half-Elf Sorcerer’s life – their conviction, ethical principle, and moral standing (probably something about nature).

I’m determined to make something of myself.

Bonds – Think of a single bond that your Half-Elf Sorcerer has to an event, person, or place. Bonds will tie them to their background and can inspire bravery or stimulate memories driving them against their ideals.

A powerful person killed someone I love. Some day soon, I’ll have my revenge.

Flaws – Choose a single flaw for a Half-Elf Sorcerer – their unhealthy compulsion, greatest fear/weakness, or most vile vice.

I am inflexible in my thinking.

Inspiration

Inspiration is used by the DM to reward you for playing according to your bond, personality traits, ideals, and flaw.

After my loved one died, I could not stand to see anyone else I love be hurt, leading me to rarely experience fits of rage after an ally becomes injured. These fits usually break my Concentration and force me to go all out against an enemy.

Note: If you’re struggling to create your background or just don’t want to think, the Player’s Handbook has well-thought-through backgrounds that you can use for your character or use as a mold.

Supplies and Gear For Half-Elf Sorcerer

Sorcerers start with the following equipment, together with the equipment from their background. Choosing equipment based on your situation and your character’s proficiencies is the easiest way to go about things.

• (a) Light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) Any simple weapon
• (a) Component pouch or (b) An arcane focus
• (a) Dungeoneer’s pack or (b) An explorer’s pack
• Two daggers

You can decide how your character came about these goods – whether they stole, inherited, or purchased them some time back – adding to your character’s background.

Note: By using your starting wealth, you can buy your own equipment (3d4 x 10 GP for Sorcerers).

Final Thoughts

Half-Elf Sorcerers are very common due to their Elvish heritage being closely linked to magic.

When recruited into parties, they often take on a wide array of roles, including dealing large amounts of damage (AoE or single-target) or buffing other party members.

So, if your party is in need of some magical company, be sure to pick up a Half-Elf Sorcerer whenever you see them at the tavern.

You might also be interested in the following:

• Elf Druid
• Half-Elf Barbarian
• Half-Elf Ranger
• Half-Elf Rogue