With the recent launch of Diablo IV, players take on the role of one of five classes in that game: barbarian, druid, rogue, sorcerer, or warlock. These classes bear a notable resemblance to their 5E counterparts (and Tales of the Valiant!).

The game offers a selection of abilities and powers. If you find yourself wanting a 5E character modeled after a Diablo IV character, try a sorcerer subclass inspired by their features!

This sorcerer subclass takes inspiration from Diablo IV without exactly replicating all abilities. You can better recreate the Diablo IV class by careful selection of spells, drawing from those that deal cold, fire, or lightning damage as this sorcerer subclass focuses on the fire, frost, and lightning abilities of the Diablo IV sorcerer. As a note, since Diablo IV abilities are almost entirely focused on combat, this is generally reflected in this subclass.

Like what you see? Go check out more Diablo IV subclasses!

Energy Conduit

Energy conduit sorcerers channel and manipulate energy, focusing on the powers of fire, frost, and lightning, three of the fundamental elemental forces.

Instead of specializing in one type of energy, these sorcerers seamlessly switch between energy types, giving them more versatility. Because they channel these energy types, many of an energy conduit’s spells are offensive, however they sometimes supplement their spell lists with more utilitarian options.

Perhaps due to the powerful forces that move through them on a regular basis, energy conduit sorcerers are often reckless and impulsive. The energy that they wield is destructive which causes others to give them a wide berth. The most successful of these sorcerers learn discipline and control early in their careers. Those who don’t often burn out, sometimes literally. 

Energy Conduit Magic

When you choose this subclass at 1st level, you gain the following cantrips: fire bolt, ray of frost, and shocking grasp.

You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this subclass, as shown on the Energy Conduit Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

When you gain a sorcerer level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. The new spell must be an abjuration or evocation spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.

1st           armor of agathys, witchbolt

3rd          flaming sphere, scorching ray

5th          fireball, lightning bolt

7th          ice storm, wall of fire

9th          cone of cold, flame strike

Additional spells to supplement the Energy Conduit sorcerer can be taken from the Winter/Frost Magic section of Deep Magic 1 and Pyromancy Magic from the upcoming Deep Magic 2.

Transmute Energy

Starting at 1st level, you can change the energy type of your spells. When you cast a spell that deals cold, fire, or lightning damage, you can use a bonus action to change the spell’s normal damage type to one of the other listed types. For example, you could use a bonus action to change ray of frost from cold damage to fire or lightning damage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Siphon Energy

At 6th level, at the end of a long rest, you may choose to gain resistance to one of the following damage types: cold, fire, or lightning. This resistance lasts until your next long rest or until you die. You can also spend 1 sorcery point as a bonus action to shift your chosen resistance to another damage type from the list.

In addition, when you take damage of the type you have resistance to, you can spend 1 sorcery point to give yourself temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.

Energy Form

Beginning at 14th level, as an action you can transform yourself into one of your chosen energy types and teleport to an unoccupied space within 60 feet of you that you can see. After you teleport, you can spend 2 sorcery points (no action required) to deal cold, fire, or lightning damage (your choice) equal to your proficiency bonus to each creature of your choice within 5 feet of you. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Energy Nova

At 18th level, as an action you can channel elemental energy into an explosion. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or take 3d10 cold, fire, or lightning damage (your choice). Additionally, your choice of damage type determines a secondary effect for each creature that fails its save.

Cold. An affected creature’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn.

Fire. An affected creature catches fire and takes 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of its turns until it uses an action to put out the fire, or another creature uses its action to put it out.

Lightning. An affected creature takes 1d10 lightning damage at the start of its next turn.

Need something to blow up with all this sorcerous power? Good news! Kobold Press has updated and re-released our favorite monster book, Tome of Beasts 1 for 2023! Find old monsters and new ones made more interesting, more exciting, and more attackable than ever!