'Ah, this character sheet is kind of useless,' Anser thought wearily.

In a game, there was no threshold for acquiring a class. In reality, someone without enough Intelligence could not become a wizard, while someone without sufficient talent could not become a sorcerer.

The two subclasses that remained lit were Draconic Sorcery and Wild Magic.

Draconic Sorcery: "Breathe and channel the magic of dragons."

Wild Magic: "Unleash the chaotic magic beneath the order of creation."

The former was available because he carried a silver dragon's bloodline. The latter had appeared because the Weave's collapse had unleashed rampant raw magic and expanded regions of wild magic. Through sheer chance, ordinary people now had an opportunity to seize a sliver of control over Wild Magic.

Chaotic magic was filled with uncertainty. Every spell could produce a random magical effect, such as turning the caster into a potted plant or summoning a demon.

The spectacle would be incredible, but it could also get him killed. Anser had no intention of taking that gamble.

Draconic sorcerers had no obvious weaknesses. They were hard to kill, could fly, and possessed spell-like abilities.

Perhaps because of the bloodline's influence, this subclass cast spells with great stability. Sorcerers also cast spontaneously, unlike wizards, so he would not have to worry about being unable to release a spell.

'You're the one.'

Once he chose his subclass, the character sheet unexpectedly presented another option: choose a draconic ancestry.

'Huh? What does that mean? Don't I already have a silver dragon bloodline?' Anser was surprised.

Draconic ancestries fell into three broad categories: chromatic dragons, metallic dragons, and gem dragons.

Chromatic dragons belonged to the evil alignments and primarily included black, blue, green, red, and white dragons.

Metallic dragons were generally lawful good and primarily included gold, silver, brass, bronze, and copper dragons.

Most gem dragons were neutral, including amethyst, crystal, emerald, sapphire, and topaz dragons.

Every draconic ancestry came with a 1st-level spell and had different properties. Gold and red dragons wielded fire, silver and white dragons cold, bronze and blue dragons lightning...

'The original owner already had a silver dragon's bloodline. If I choose gold dragon as well, can I activate both bloodlines at once?' Anser's eyes lit up.

Metallic dragons were good dragons with an excellent reputation across Faerûn. Choosing one would make it easier for him to move through human society.

Gold dragons were also the strongest metallic dragons, with a high Challenge Rating and enough power to handily beat even the strongest chromatic dragons: red dragons.

The bonus draconic spell, [Disguise Self], was useful as well. If he accidentally fell into the Underdark, he could disguise himself as a goblin or duergar to stay alive.

Anser confirmed his choice with his mind, and the Draconic Sorcery subclass immediately lit up.

'It really worked. Looks like the bloodline is only the catalyst for acquiring Draconic Sorcery. A sorcerer is an arcane spellcaster at heart, so the bloodline doesn't limit the class's potential.'

There was no time to waste. Focusing on escaping the enormous crater, he immediately began selecting his class skills and spells.

He chose Noble as his background because it increased Charisma.

For his racial feat, he chose Tough to increase his hit points. Staying alive came first.

—

<Background>: Noble

Attribute Scores: Strength +1, Intelligence +1, Charisma +1

Feat: Skilled (Acrobatics, Athletics, Medicine)

Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion

<Race>: Human

Attribute Scores: Charisma +1, Constitution +1

Skill: Survival

Versatile: Tough

<Class>: Sorcerer

Primary Attribute: Charisma

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Intimidation

Sorcerous Origin: Draconic Sorcery (Gold Dragon, Silver Dragon)

You gain the class features [Spellcasting] and [Innate Sorcery].

You gain the subclass features [Draconic Resilience] and [Draconic Spells].

You learn the draconic spells Disguise Self (Gold Dragon) and Feather Fall (Silver Dragon).

You learn Draconic.

[Spellcasting]: You draw upon your innate magic to cast spells.

You possess two 1st-level spell slots or 3 mana points, depending on your casting method.

You learn four sorcerer cantrips: Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Sorcerous Burst, and Mold Earth.

You learn two 1st-level spells: Jump and Shield.

[Innate Sorcery]:

Something in your past left an indelible mark upon you, infusing you with surging magic that is difficult to control.

Activate instantly; lasts for 1 minute. You gain the following benefits for the duration:

1. Your sorcerer spell save DC increases by 1, making your spells harder to resist.

2. You have advantage on attack rolls for sorcerer spells you cast, making them more likely to hit.

You can use this feature twice per day.

[Draconic Resilience]: Magic flows through your body, manifesting as physical traits that reflect a dragon's gift. Parts of your skin are covered in supple, scale-like growths.

Your maximum hit points increase by 3. Each time you gain another sorcerer level, the maximum increases by 1 again.

While you are not wearing armor, your base Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

[Draconic Spells]: When you reach certain sorcerer levels (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9), you learn new draconic spells.

Current 1st-level spells: Chromatic Orb, Command.

"Please select a casting method."

"Mana casting!"

"Creating character..."

Before Anser could react, a storm of knowledge and magic surged out of the die. His head throbbed, his body trembled, and fine gold and silver light shimmered across his skin.

He hurriedly flattened himself against the ground so that he would not fall from the stone ledge.

That decision proved entirely correct. The moment he lay down, he lost control of his body.

His flesh seemed to come alive. Every cell rejoiced as immense currents of magic coursed through him. Tiny, supple scales emerged across his skin, nearly flesh-colored but glimmering with silver-gold light.

Anser had no attention to spare for any of that. Knowledge and skills were being poured directly into his mind.

The sensation was strange. It was nothing like the grueling effort of study. It felt as though... he had always known these things and had only just remembered them.

'Memories and inheritance carried in the bloodline. Perfectly reasonable, isn't it?'

—

An unknown amount of time later, Anser came to.

'How did I fall asleep?'

He looked around. The sky had grown even darker, and the fighting in the distance was no longer as intense. He knew that was not a good sign.

The humans had been driven back.

He rolled over and sat up. His body felt light and agile, brimming with vitality.

The swelling in his calf had subsided, and the small wounds across his body had nearly vanished. They no longer hindered his movement at all.

He ran a hand over his arm. The supple scales were tough and elastic, sensitive to his touch, and marked by a subtle metallic sheen that clearly set them apart from ordinary human skin.

'These dragon scales aren't bad.' The merged gold and silver dragon bloodlines had left them surprisingly understated.

Anser opened his status panel. His hit points had reached 11/12: 6 base hit points from Sorcerer, 1 from his Constitution modifier, 2 from the Tough feat, and 3 from Draconic Resilience.

His Armor Class had also reached 14. He had 4 mana points, six cantrips, six 1st-level spells, and a whole collection of skills such as Acrobatics, Athletics, and Survival.

'A shame I have so little mana. I can cast four 1st-level spells at most.'

The two most common casting systems in Faerûn were spell-slot casting—the mainstream method—and mana casting.

Spell-slot casting relied on the Weave. It was more stable, safer, and less difficult, making it the choice of most spellcasters.

But with the Weave currently unstable, innate mana casting was the better option for a sorcerer.

'I need to conserve it. I still don't know what's happening up there.' Anser rose and cautiously examined his surroundings.

The air was heavy with moisture, and thundering water filled his ears. The waterfall above seemed closer now, constantly scouring the pillar-like slope beneath him. Earth and stones tumbled down from time to time. Its collapse was only a matter of time.

'I can't wait any longer.'

He felt around his chest and drew a palm-sized cylindrical crystal from his robe. It was clear and flawless, secured around his neck by a metal chain.

'Thank goodness.'

This was his arcane focus. It was inexpensive, but it could help him channel magic.

More importantly, possessing it allowed him to ignore certain spell components.

Jump, for instance, required not only verbal and somatic components but also a grasshopper's hind leg. Without a focus, where was he supposed to find a grasshopper?

He tucked the focus back inside his clothes and secured it against his body. After loosening his arms and legs, he crept up the gentler side and out from beneath the roof's shelter, then raised his head to survey the area above like a thief peeking into a chicken coop.

Additional Notes:

1. Long Rest

A Long Rest is an extended period of downtime lasting at least 8 hours. Any creature can take one. During a Long Rest, you sleep for at least 6 hours and perform no more than 2 hours of light activity, such as reading, talking, eating, or standing watch.

In simple terms, this can be done once per day.

2. Short Rest

A Short Rest is a 1-hour period of downtime during which a creature does nothing more strenuous than reading, talking, eating, or standing watch.

This can be done 2 or more times per day.

3. Attributes:

[Name: Anser Holrevin]

<Race>: Human—Silverbrow (Medium)

<Background>: Noble

<Class>: Sorcerer (Draconic Sorcery)

<Level>: 1

<Hit Points>: 12

<Armor Class>: 14

<Alignment>: Neutral

<Faith>: None

<Mana>: 4

<Experience>: 0/300

—Core Attributes—

[Strength: 12]

[Dexterity: 12]

[Constitution: 12]

[Intelligence: 13]

[Wisdom: 13]

[Charisma: 16]

<Skills>: Arcana +2, History +1, Acrobatics +1, Athletics +1, Medicine +1, Intimidation +1, Survival +1

<Languages>: Common, Draconic, Netherese, Illuskan

<Feats>: Skilled, Tough

<Features>: Spellcasting, Innate Sorcery, Draconic Resilience, Draconic Spells

<Cantrips>: Light, Ray of Frost, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Sorcerous Burst, Mold Earth

<1st-Level Spells>: Disguise Self, Feather Fall, Jump, Shield, Chromatic Orb, Command

(End of Chapter)