Draconic Sorcerer Build Guide – Ancient Power – 2024 Update
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For all D&D guides on Nat1gaming, they only use the main sourcebooks (Player’s Handbook, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything) as well as Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos (mostly for Silvery Barbs) as those tend to be the most commonly used books at tables. Always be sure that if you’re following a guide that you’re adhering to your tables rules about what sourcebooks you are allowed to follow.
Any spell, class, feature, or other game item that is linkable on this website is covered by the 5th edition Open Games License and will be in the Player’s Handbook, but not everything in the Player’s Handbook will be linked to. All other materials that aren’t linked to are from other sourcebooks or aren’t allowed to be linked to per the 5th Edition Open Games License, so please refer to the appropriate sourcebooks for that information.
For the purposes of this guide, it will be assumed that you would not be multiclassing. While multiclassing can be excellent for many of these, this is for those who want to play the build all the way through in the same class. Guides that use multiclassing will be separate from these.
Finally, please refer to the Spell List and Spell Tier list for any substitutions you’d want to make to the build.
Sorcerer Spell List and Spell Tier List
Why Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer?
The main reason you probably want to be a Draconic Bloodline, if we’re benig honest here, is that it’s super cool. Having some Dragon blood on you is fun from a roleplaying perspective, but also gives you a lot of strong abilities and expanded spells.
Furthermore, a nice little feature is that whatever ancestor you choose, it doesn’t have much bearing on how this class develops, so you don’t have to feel pigeonholed into one ancestor to enjoy the full benefits of this class.
Draconic Sorcerer Abilities Ranked
Draconic Resilience (Level 3) – A- Tier – More health and a better version of the typical Unarmored Defense is very solid! In one level, you’ll probably have an AC of 17 which is obviously much better than the average Sorcerer AC.
1st Level Spells (Level 3) – C- Tier – Chromatic Orb is great, but you would’ve grabbed that anyway so it just frees up a prepared spell slot. Command isn’t good yet, but it can be reasonable when upcasted so there is some value in getting it.
2nd Level Spells (Level 3) – D Tier – Neither spell I would be excited casting, but they aren’t useless.
3rd Level Spells (Level 5) – B Tier – Two very solid spells. You already had access to both, but being able to prepare more 3rd level spells is always a good thing as there are a lot of excellent options.
Elemental Affinity (Level 6) – B+ Tier – This is a great ability as Resistance and additional damage is a real one, two punch, especially if you chose a more common element like Fire to be resistant to.
4th Level Spells (Level 7) – C+ Tier – Arcane Eye is a solid pick up, but Charm Monster sucks. Can’t win them all.
5th Level Spells (Level 9) – C+ Tier – Legend Lore sucks, but Summon Dragon is a solid summoning spell.
Dragon Wings (Level 14) – B+ Tier – Getting Flying is awesome and the Sorcery Point cost to rebuy this isn’t too bad either, so this is definitely solid even if it’s weaker than its previous version.
Dragon Companion (Level 18) – B- Tier – One free casting of Summon Dragon that doesn’t require concentration is solid for this level, but always being able to cast it without concentration at the expense of its duration is a pretty solid ability. Upcasting this to 8th level and then casting a different concentration spell on your next turn is a pretty strong sequence!
Quick Level Up Guide
| Level | Class Features/Feat | Notes |
| 1 | Innate Sorcery Spellcasting | + Fire Bolt + Light (Aasimar) + Mage Hand + Minor Illusion + Prestidigitation + Magic Missile + Shield |
| 2 | Font of Magic Metamagic (Heightened Spell, Quickened Spell) | + Feather Fall + Silvery Barbs |
| 3 | Dragon Ancestor, Draconic Resilience | + Chromatic Orb (Draconic) + Command (Draconic) + Alter Self (Draconic) + Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) + Suggestion + Web |
| 4 | Feat: Inspiring Leader (CHA) | + Shape Water + Misty Step |
| 5 | Magical Guidance | + Counterspell + Fear (Draconic) + Fireball + Fly (Draconic) |
| 6 | Elemental Affinity | + Dispel Magic |
| 7 | – | + Arcane Eye (Draconic) + Charm Monster (Draconic) + Polymorph |
| 8 | Feat: Speedy (CON) | + Wall of Fire |
| 9 | – | + Dimension Door + Legend Lore (Draconic) + Summon Dragon (Draconic) + Wall of Stone |
| 10 | Metamagic (Subtle Spell) | + Sorcerous Burst + Absorb Elements |
| 11 | – | + Mass Suggestion |
| 12 | Feat: Charisma to 20 | None |
| 13 | – | – Magic Missile + Crown of Stars + Teleport |
| 14 | Dragon Wings | None |
| 15 | – | + Dominate Monster |
| 16 | Feat: Constitution to 18 | None |
| 17 | Metamagic (Careful Spell) | + Wish |
| 18 | Dragon Communion | + Meteor Swarm |
| 19 | Epic Boon: Boon of Fate | + Gate |
| 20 | Arcane Apotheosis | + Time Stop |
Level One Build
Species: Aasimar
Attributes:
| POINT BUY | |
| STRENGTH | 8 |
| DEXTERITY | 15 (+1 background) = 16 |
| CONSTITUTION | 15 |
| INTELLIGENCE | 8 |
| WISDOM | 8 |
| CHARISMA | 15 (+2 background) = 17 |
Class: Sorcerer
Class Features: Innate Sorcery, Spellcasting
Skill Proficiencies: Insight and Persuasion
Background: Entertainer (Musician)
Starting Equipment: Spear, 2 Daggers, Arcane Focus, Dungeoneer’s Pack, and 28 gp + 50 gp from background
Starting Spells:
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
Species: Aasimar
The best species for your average build. Human is a consideration as well to grab Alert on top of Musician, but Aasimar just give a lot of value, and since you have a background you’re happy with, Aasimar is the next best choice.
Attributes
| POINT BUY | |
| STRENGTH | 8 |
| DEXTERITY | 15 (+1 background) = 16 |
| CONSTITUTION | 15 |
| INTELLIGENCE | 8 |
| WISDOM | 8 |
| CHARISMA | 15 (+2 background) = 17 |
A Sorcerer’s main stat is Charisma so that has to be buffed. Beyond that, Dexterity and Constitution are most important to not get constantly downed, so pumping those up is also a great idea. Having a negative Wisdom modifier isn’t ideal so you can eat into your Dexterity and go down to a +2 modifier if you want the 0 on Wisdom, but that’s also personal preference.
Proficiencies: Insight and Persuasion
Per most Charisma casters, you’re likely going to be the “face” (the person who talks the most) of the party so being really good at that is generally a good thing.
Background: Entertainer
You need a background that gives you a bonus to Charisma at a minimum, but if you can get the best Origin feat to boot? This is an easy choice for Warlocks.
Starting Equipment – Spear, 2 Daggers, Arcane Focus, Dungeoneer’s Pack, and 28 gp + 50 gp from background
Standard Sorcerer fare, nothing novel.
Class – Sorcerer
Sorcerers get two inherent features at level one: Innate Sorcery and Spellcasting.
Innate Sorcery is a new feature from the 2024 Player’s Handbook, you can activate this twice per day as a bonus action to increase your spell save DC by 1 and to give yourself advantage on all your spell attack rolls. Save this for tough fights and this will be extremely helpful, especially for spells that require a spell attack.
Spellcasting has also been vastly improved for Sorcerer now that you both get to prepare spells rather than memorize them and you get to prepare significantly more spells than you could ever memorize from the 2014 rules.
Starting Spells
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
This is a pretty standard spell list of a lot of utility cantrips, a solid attack cantrip, Magic Missile for more offense and Shield for defense. Very standard stuff.
A consideration some players who want maximum damage may want to make is whether you want to pick up True Strike rather than Fire Bolt right now. Technically speaking, True Strike is better than Fire Bolt if you’re using a Light Crossbow, but personally, I find having to track bolts be more annoying, even if it is a little bit better until level 5, so I personally like sticking with Fire Bolt.
The Build Level 2 Onward
Level 2-5
Level 2
Class Features: Font of Magic, Metamagic (Heightened/Quickened)
Spell Change Log: + Feather Fall + Silvery Barbs
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
Your first class feature is Font of Magic which introduces Sorcery Points into the mix. Until next level, Sorcery Points can only be converted into spell slots (and vice versa), so it’s just an additional first level slot right now.
Your second feature is the most emblematic Sorcerer features, Metamagic! I will always recommend taking the two best Metamagic features immediately – Heightened Spell and and Quickened Spell. Heightened Spell is excellent to make any spell with saving throws much harder for enemies to pass, especially useful for spells that have no effect if the enemy passes the save. Quickened Spell, on the other hand, does as advertised and lets you cast a spell as a bonus action if you need to do something else with your action. You shouldn’t be using this too much when you have so few sorcery points, but as you gain more sorcery points, this becomes a better and better option.
For your spells, you can pick up Feather Fall and Silvery Barbs.
I always like picking up Feather Fall early as you never know when you might be plummeting to your doom.
Silvery Barbs, on the other hand, is just the best first level spell in the game so I would always recommend taking it. If your table doesn’t allow Silvery Barbs, I would recommend taking something like Absorb Elements or Detect Magic instead.
Level 3
Subclass: Draconic Bloodline
Class Features: Draconic Ancestor, Draconic Resilience, Expanded Spell List
Spell Change Log: + Chromatic Orb (Draconic) + Command (Draconic) + Alter Self (Draconic) + Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) + Suggestion + Web
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
For this build, you’re going Draconic Bloodline which is easily one of the most popular options for Sorcerers!
The first ability you get is your Dragon Ancestor which is much less an ability and more deciding what your origin is. This decision matters immensely, and you can pick an origin for RP reasons, but let’s go over the ranking of these origins now.
- Fire
- Lightning
- Cold
- Acid
- Poison
Let’s start from the bottom to explain.
Poison just sucks. It’s an extremely common resistance and even immunity for many enemies and there are only a few decent spells that even use it. Yuck.
While a pretty rare resistance, there are extremely few Acid spells making this a pretty unreliable origin.
Cold is a decent origin as it’s not a common damage resistance and you have a good amount of spell choices, but those spell choices are a bit weak generally speaking.
While you don’t have too many spell options for Lightning, it’s functionally never a damage resistance and the options available are pretty good.
Finally, you have the winner at Fire. While this can be a pretty common resistance and sometimes even immunity, Fire just simply has the most and best spells. Furthermore, since Fire is common, Elemental Affinity works extremely well both offensively and defensively when you pick Fire. While you will have to take Elemental Adept pretty early to help you out, this is by far the best choice, and the choice for the purposes of this guide.
The second ability you get is Draconic Resilience which is natural armor of 10 + DEX + CHA. Pure Sorcerers generally have to accept bad ACs, so it’s quite nice that you get a decent one with this subclass!
Your final ability is an expanded spell list which gives you four spells immediately with Chromatic Orb, Command, Alter Self, and Dragon’s Breath.
Chromatic Orb is a solid damage spell which already does a good amount of damage for a first level spell, but if you roll any doubles in your damage, the orb bounces which can be really potent. As you upcast it, it becomes more and more likely that it will bounce which makes this a solid damage option in the earlier levels.
Command is a decent CC option that isn’t particularly good using a first level slot as trading your action and a spell slot just to potentially deprive an enemy of their action is not very good. However, as you upcast it you can use your action and a spell slot to potentially rid multiple enemies of their action which is a better tradeoff.
Alter Self is an interesting utility spell that can let you change your features in order to navigate different scenarios between gaining gills and a better swimming speed, becoming a faster climber, or just altering your appearance. You probably won’t be using this often, but it can be helpful in the right scenarios.
Finally, you get Dragon’s Breath which unfortunately isn’t great unless you’re slapping onto an ally that can’t normally fight like a familiar, but since you won’t naturally have that, this is something you’ll likely not be casting much of.
For your spell choices this level, I really like picking up the excellent Suggestion and Web. Both are obscenely strong combat spells, but where Suggestion is better against a single target (or in a fight with fewer, tougher enemies), Web excels when there are a lot of enemies on the battlefield to gum up. That said, they are both awesome pretty much no matter what, so you can’t go wrong having both of them.
Level 4
Feat: Inspiring Leader (CHA)
Spell Change Log: + Shape Water + Misty Step
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
Since you want to get that coveted 18 Charisma, you should take the excellent half feat – Inspiring Leader. Inspiring Leader gives you and your team a good amount of temporary health at the end of every short or long rest which is really powerful. If you already have an ally with this feat, you can opt for War Caster instead as the temporary health won’t stack. If you do keep this feat, don’t forget about using Musician as well!
You get an additional cantrip at this point, and I would stick with more utility ones so Shape Water works well.
For spells, it’s hard to go wrong with the incredible Misty Step. Being able to reposition yourself out of danger for just a bonus action is extremely powerful, and pretty much any spellcaster who can afford to take this, should.
Level 5
Class Feature: Sorcerous Restoration
Spell Change Log: + Counterspell + Fear (Draconic) + Fireball + Fly (Draconic)
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
For your class ability, you get what was formerly the level 20 Sorcerer ability – Sorcerous Restoration. Rather than regaining 4 sorcery points per long rest, once per day, you can recover half of your sorcery points instead. While this is obviously a weaker ability, it’s ironically not substantially weaker than the previous ability! Obviously this isn’t going to recover too many right now, but as you climb in levels, this is only going to get better and better.
For your Draconic spells, you can pick up Fear and Fly.
Fear is a pretty strong CC spell that can both make enemies lose their action and get them to split up and those who are frightened are forced to run away from you which is pretty potent. Furthermore, they can only make their save once they’ve broken line of sight with you, where in some areas, may not be easily achieved making this even more potent.
Fly does as advertised and lets you fly, and for each level upcast, you can bring a friend with you. Simply and quite effective.
For your actual spell choices, I like picking up Counterspell and Fireball.
Even though it’s been a little nerfed, Counterspell is still invaluable for every caster to have. To potentially deprive the enemy of their action only at the cost of your reaction is incredibly powerful.
For your second spell choice I think it’s less clear cut between Fireball and Hypnotic Pattern. I acknowledge that Hypnotic Pattern is likely stronger than Fireball, but when I think spellcasters, I think Fireball. If you want Hypnotic Pattern instead, you are more disciplined than me, but I can’t help just absolutely blasting away once I hit level 5.
Level 6-10
Level 6
Class Features: Elemental Affinity
Spell Change Log: + Dispel Magic
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
You get your next subclass feature with Elemental Affinity! That means your fire spells (including Fire Bolt which is awesome) are going to get a bit more damage, and you can even get resistance to fire if you feel so compelled! This is a pretty strong feature, especially with Fire Bolt as you’ll be dealing an average of 15 damage with it now.
For spells, I really like picking up Dispel Magic. You won’t always be able to Counterspell a scary magical effect, so having both is a really good way to cover your bases.
Level 7
Spell Change Log: + Arcane Eye (Draconic) + Charm Monster (Draconic) + Polymorph
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
Level 7 brings more Draconic spells to the list with Arcane Eye and Charm Monster, and I’m going to be real with you, I have no idea what either of these have to do with dragons, but at least Arcane Eye is awesome!
Likely the best surveillance spell in the game – Arcane Eye can go extremely far, and with a long duration, you can scout out entire areas easily and let you know of dangers ahead of time. Information is really undervalued in D&D and this spell gives you a lot of it!
Charm Monster, unfortunately, is pretty bad. Even if the target is charmed by you, it doesn’t mean it’s going to feel the same about your allies which makes this really unreliable.
For your spell choice, you absolutely have to take Polymorph the second you are allowed to. Polymorph is simply one of the best spells in the game, and it’s particularly good at getting yourself or allies back into a fight when you/they are low on health, spell slots, or other relevant resources. Going from near dead into a Giant Ape or Tyrannosaurus Rex is quite nice!
Level 8
Feat: Speedy (CON)
Spell Change Log: + Wall of Fire
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
You get your next feat for level 8, and while you could push your Charisma to 20, I like taking Speedy to increase your Constitution! Having extra speed and enemies having disadvantage on hitting you with opportunity attacks can be life saving in tough encounters.
For your spell choice, I really like picking up the excellent Wall of Fire! Good range, amazing AOE coverage, and solid damage make this a really potent spell for any encounter.
Level 9
Spell Change Log: + Dimension Door + Legend Lore (Draconic) + Summon Dragon + Wall of Stone
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
Fifth level spell time and you get your final Oath spells, Legend Lore and Summon Dragon.
Legend Lore is a weird spell as it’s extremely relevant or completely useless, no in between, but it leans towards the latter. Unless your campaign heavily relies on information gathering, then this probably won’t be particularly good.
Summon Dragon, on the other hand, is a solid summon spell that gets you a Dragon buddy to help deal with your enemies. A solid addition to the spell list.
For your spell choices, you get to pick up Dimension Door and Wall of Stone.
Dimension Door is one of the best teleporation spells in the game as you can get pretty far without even seeing your destination, something generally reserved for higher level spells. Since you can also take someone with you, this is excellent for infiltrations, escapes, or repositioning on a big battlefield with a friend.
Wall of Stone is definitely a bit at odds with Wall of Fire, but I like having both options. Where Wall of Fire is better at incinerating goons while you deal with one big boss, Wall of Stone is better at separating stronger enemies from one another to give you more time to work on one. As the slabs from Wall of Stone are pretty hearty, it should take most enemies at least an action or two to break through.
Level 10
Class Features: Metamagic (Subtle Spell)
Spell Change Log: + Sorcerous Burst + Absorb Elements
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
Level 10 brings your your third Metamagic feature, final cantrip choice, and another spell!
For your third Metamagic feature, I personally like Subtle Spell. Being able to spellcast without giving away that it’s you casting the spell can be really powerful in situations where you need to be covert. Furthermore, many anti-magic measures like Silence or Counterspell don’t work against Subtle Spell giving additional utility there.
For your final cantrip, I like picking up Sorcerous Burst at this point. While you want to be using Fire Bolt as your cantrip of choice for the most part, Sorcerous Burst will be good when you face an enemy with fire resistance or immunity. this will be your cantrip of choice instead.
For your spell choice, I like picking up a first level spell, Absorb Elements! Large chunks of elemental damage is going to become more common as you enter the later levels, so having some means to defend against it is extremely welcome.
Level 11-15
Level 11
Spell Change Log: + Mass Suggestion
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
| 6th Level Spell | Mass Suggestion |
Level 11 is yet another easy level up as the only sixth level spell I’m very interested in is Mass Suggestion. Suggestion is incredible, and being able to possibly do that to TWELVE targets is extremely powerful.
Level 12
Feat: Charisma to 20
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Magic Missile |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
| 6th Level Spell | Mass Suggestion |
You’re now at the point where you aren’t getting a new spell every level, and this spell list is very well rounded so no changes needed at this point.
For your ASI, it’s time to max out your Charisma for the strongest possible spells, plain and simple.
Level 13
Spell Change Log: – Magic Missile / + Crown of Stars + Teleport
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
| 6th Level Spell | Mass Suggestion |
| 7th Level Spell | Crown of Stars |
| 7th Level Spell | Teleport |
Level 13 means seventh level spells!
While it’s a shame to part with old reliable, I believe it’s time to swap out Magic Missile to get two seventh level spells immediately – Crown of Stars and Teleport.
I like getting both of these spells immediately as they have wildly different use cases. Crown of Stars is a damage spell that can be set up ahead of time, requires no concentration, and deals pretty solid damage making it an awesome option for a tougher encounter. Teleport, on the other hand, is going to be used mostly for long distance travel, but also as an escape option some amount of the time. Having both means your seventh level slot wouldn’t be languishing waiting for the opportunity to Teleport as you’d pick that over Crown of Stars if you didn’t swap anything out.
Level 14
Class Features: Dragon Wings
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
| 6th Level Spell | Mass Suggestion |
| 7th Level Spell | Crown of Stars |
| 7th Level Spell | Teleport |
Your penultimate subclass feature gives you wings for an hour once a day. This was unfortunately nerfed from its original, incredible form, but having it once a day (or when you spend some sorcery points) is pretty good.
Level 15
Spell Change Log: + Dominate Monster
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
| 6th Level Spell | Mass Suggestion |
| 7th Level Spell | Crown of Stars |
| 7th Level Spell | Teleport |
| 8th Level Spell | Dominate Monster |
You now have access to eighth level spells, and the clear winner for all your Heightened spell needs is Dominate Monster. While this is an inherently risky spell to cast, getting two attempts at this one way or another (giving the target disadvantage on the saving throw) is really powerful. You do have to be careful about Legendary Resistances at this point, but if you don’t believe the monster you’re dealing with has them, this can instantly end an encounter and give you a new buddy for an hour!
Level 16-20
Level 16
Feat: Constitution to 18
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
| 6th Level Spell | Mass Suggestion |
| 7th Level Spell | Crown of Stars |
| 7th Level Spell | Teleport |
| 8th Level Spell | Dominate Monster |
No spell changes and simply pumping Constitution to 18 for more health and better Concentration checks. A little boring, but hard to go wrong here.
Level 17
Class Feature: Metamagic (Careful Spell)
Spell Change Log: + Wish
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
| 6th Level Spell | Mass Suggestion |
| 7th Level Spell | Crown of Stars |
| 7th Level Spell | Teleport |
| 8th Level Spell | Dominate Monster |
| 9th Level Spell | Wish |
You get your final Metamagic feature here, and I think Careful Spell is likely the best of the bunch. Being able to use a spell without worrying if your allies in the way is very nice, especially when using some of your real heavy hitters.
For your spell choice this level, it’s impossible to go wrong with Wish. Wish is just the best spell in the game. While it does come with inherent risk, such as not being able to cast it again, the things it can allow you to do are literally unparalleled. That said, I would use it only in case of emergencies unless you’re just replicating a weaker spell which comes at no penalty.
Level 18
Class Features: Dragon Communion
Spell Change Log: + Meteor Swarm
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
| 6th Level Spell | Mass Suggestion |
| 7th Level Spell | Crown of Stars |
| 7th Level Spell | Teleport |
| 8th Level Spell | Dominate Monster |
| 9th Level Spell | Meteor Swarm |
| 9th Level Spell | Wish |
Level 18 brings your subclass capstone ability – Dragon Communion. This is a simple ability that lets you Summon Dragon without material components and without a spell slot. Simple and effective.
For your spell choice this level, you should pick up Meteor Swarm. This is fantastic with Careful spell to not hurt your allies and is the highest damage spell in the game. What’s not to like?
Level 19
Epic Boon: Boon of Fate
Spell Change Log: + Scatter
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
| 6th Level Spell | Mass Suggestion |
| 6th Level Spell | Scatter |
| 7th Level Spell | Crown of Stars |
| 7th Level Spell | Teleport |
| 8th Level Spell | Dominate Monster |
| 9th Level Spell | Meteor Swarm |
| 9th Level Spell | Wish |
Level 19 always means an Epic Boon, and I like the universally good Boon of Fate. Being able to potentially turn a failure into a success and vice versa, even if it’s once per short or long rest, can be the difference between surviving an encounter and not.
The final spell choice is pretty difficult as you functionally have everything you would want at this point, but since you may as well choose, I’m a pretty big fan fo Scatter. This spell is extremely versatile as you can use this to move allies and enemies alike around on the battlefield. Whether you need to make an escape, get allies to safety, or move enemies into hazardous areas, Scatter will get the job done.
Level 20
Class Feature: Arcane Apotheosis
Spell Change Log: + Gate
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| Cantrip | Fire Bolt |
| Cantrip | Light (Aasimar) |
| Cantrip | Mage Hand |
| Cantrip | Minor Illusion |
| Cantrip | Prestidigitation |
| Cantrip | Shape Water |
| Cantrip | Sorcerous Burst |
| 1st Level Spell | Absorb Elements |
| 1st Level Spell | Chromatic Orb (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Command (Draconic) |
| 1st Level Spell | Feather Fall |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield |
| 1st Level Spell | Silvery Barbs |
| 2nd Level Spell | Alter Self (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Dragon’s Breath (Draconic) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step |
| 2nd Level Spell | Suggestion |
| 2nd Level Spell | Web |
| 3rd Level Spell | Counterspell |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fear (Draconic) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fireball |
| 3rd Level Spell | Fly (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Arcane Eye (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Charm Monster (Draconic) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door |
| 4th Level Spell | Polymorph |
| 4th Level Spell | Wall of Fire |
| 5th Level Spell | Legend Lore (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Summon Dragon (Draconic) |
| 5th Level Spell | Wall of Stone |
| 6th Level Spell | Mass Suggestion |
| 6th Level Spell | Scatter |
| 7th Level Spell | Crown of Stars |
| 7th Level Spell | Teleport |
| 8th Level Spell | Dominate Monster |
| 9th Level Spell | Gate |
| 9th Level Spell | Meteor Swarm |
| 9th Level Spell | Wish |
Level 20 brings one more spell and your final class ability – Arcane Apotheosis.
With Arcane Apotheosis, while your Innate Sorcery is active, you get one Metamagic ability per turn for free. That is extremely strong and much better than the previous Sorcerous Restoration capstone. This is a really nice change!
For your spell choice, I’m going with Gate. This spell is super weird and you’ll only want it for niche scenarios, but being able to use it for extraplanar transport or to forcibly bring an extraplanar entity to you is really nice. Not many use cases, but really helpful when you need it.
