Gnome Clockwork Sorcery Sorcerer Build Guide
Combining the Gnome's natural magic-resisting cleverness with the ultimate order of Clockwork Sorcery makes you an unstoppable, highly resilient battlefield controller.
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Why Clockwork Sorcery?
Playing a Gnome Clockwork Sorcerer is all about bringing absolute stability to a chaotic battlefield. As a Controller, your main job is to dictate the flow of combat, deciding where enemies can move and stopping them from harming your allies. The Gnome’s natural Gnomish Cunning trait is incredibly valuable here, granting you advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic. This ensures that while you are busy locking down the enemy, they cannot easily shut you down with their own spells.
This innate resilience pairs beautifully with your subclass features. At level 3, you gain Restore Balance, a fantastic tool that allows you to cancel out advantage or disadvantage on rolls within your sight. Combined with your Darkvision, which lets you see in pitch blackness up to 60 feet, you can easily spot targets in dark dungeons and neutralize their tactical edges. You will also use your expanded Clockwork Magic spell list to shield allies and manipulate the environment, keeping your party safe and organized.
Clockwork Sorcery Features
Clockwork Magic
Level 3You learn additional spells that don't count against the number of spells you know: Alarm, Protection from Evil and Good (level 1); Aid, Lesser Restoration (level 3); Dispel Magic, Protection from Energy (level 5); Freedom of Movement, Summon Construct (level 7); Greater Restoration, Wall of Force (level 9). You can replace one of these spells with an abjuration or transmutation spell of the same level from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard list.
Restore Balance
Level 3When a creature you can see within 60 feet is about to roll a d20 with advantage or disadvantage, you can use your reaction to prevent the roll from being affected by advantage or disadvantage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Bastion of Law
Level 6As an action, you can spend 1 to 5 sorcery points to create a shimmering ward around yourself or another creature you can see within 30 feet. The ward lasts until you use this feature again or until you finish a long rest. The ward is represented by a number of d8s equal to the sorcery points spent. When the warded creature takes damage, it can expend any number of those dice, rolling them and reducing the damage by the total.
Trance of Order
Level 14As a bonus action, you enter a state of clockwork order for 1 minute. During this state, attack rolls against you can't benefit from advantage, and whenever you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you spend 7 sorcery points to use it again.
Clockwork Cavalcade
Level 18As an action, you summon spirits of order that restore 100 hit points total, divided as you choose among creatures within 30 feet. Each repaired creature is also freed from one curse, disease, or one of the following conditions: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned. In addition, each creature of your choice within 30 feet that is damaged has any broken items they are wearing or carrying repaired. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you spend 7 sorcery points to use it again.
Recommended Ability Scores
Gnome Traits That Benefit Clockwork Sorcery Sorcerer
Gnomish Cunning
Extra saving throw advantages protect against debilitating spells and effects.
Darkvision
Gnome Darkvision helps Sorcerers scout ahead and fight in darkness without needing a torch.
Combat Effectiveness
| Level | HP | Melee DPR | Spell DPR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 5 | 32 | 3.9 | 7.8 |
| Level 11 | 68 | 3.58 | 10.18 |
| Level 17 | 104 | 3.58 | 13.2 |
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Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- ♦ Clockwork Sorcery grants Clockwork Magic at level 3
- ♦ Strong species-class synergy enhances core abilities
- ♦ Darkvision for dungeon exploration
- ♦ Versatile spellcasting options
Weaknesses
- ♦ Low hit points — vulnerable in melee
- ♦ May require careful feat selection to optimize
Pro Tips
Use Darkvision to spot enemies in total darkness, then deploy Restore Balance to prevent them from gaining unseen advantages against your allies.
Leverage your Gnomish Cunning to confidently stand in the mid-line, holding concentration on your crucial Clockwork Magic control spells.
Create a Bastion of Law ward on your front-line allies to absorb incoming damage while you focus on controlling the wider battlefield.
When battles turn chaotic, activate Trance of Order to guarantee your spell attacks land and prevent enemies from exploiting your defenses.
Other Sorcerer Subclasses for Gnome
Other Races for Clockwork Sorcery Sorcerer
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Clockwork Sorcery a good subclass for Gnome Sorcerer?
What makes Clockwork Sorcery different from other Sorcerer subclasses?
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