Clockwork Soul Sorcerer: Clockwork Spell List - What Spell Should You Choose?

Art created by Willow June, order a custom print at her Etsy store.

Clockwork Soul Sorcerer is a Sorcerous Origins introduced in the Dungeons and Dragons 5e book, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Clockwork Soul Sorcerers have a feature called Clockwork Spells which is a list of spells that they get to add to their spells known for free. They are allowed to swap out their Clockwork Spells with abjuration or transmutation spells from the Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard spell lists. Unlike the Aberrant Mind Sorcerers, the Clockwork Soul Sorcerer does not get a free cantrip.

Here are the spells from the Clockwork Spells list:

1st-Level

Alarm (1st-level)

Protection from Evil and Good (1st-level)

3rd-Level

Aid (2nd-level)

Lesser Restoration (2nd-level)

5th-Level

Dispel Magic (3rd-level)*

Protection from Energy (3rd-level)*

7th-Level

Freedom of Movement (4th-level)

Summon Construct (4th-level)

9th-Level

Greater Restoration (5th-level)

Wall of Force (5th-level)

*Available on the Sorcerer Spell List

Of the spells offered, only Dispel Magic and Protection from Energy are already on the Sorcerer’s available spells list. All of the other spells are only available to Clockwork Soul Sorcerers through the Clockwork Spells class feature. I would keep this in mind when deciding whether or not to swap out the spell. Once swapped out, you cannot swap back to the original spell (unless your DM rules differently, but this appears to be a one-way street). There is the benefit that you can pick up spells that are not normally available to a Sorcerer via this feature. Any spell that is on the Sorcerer’s spell list will be marked with an asterisk (*). Let’s take a look at the options available.

Other options for 1st-level:

• Absorb Elements*

• Armor of Agathys

• Catapult*

• Expeditious Retreat*

• Feather Fall*

• Jump*

• Longstrider

• Mage Armor*

• Magnify Gravity

• Shield*

Other options for 2nd-level:

• Alter Self*

• Arcane Lock

• Darkvision*

• Dragon’s Breath*

• Earthbind*

• Enhance Ability*

• Enlarge/Reduce*

• Immovable Object

• Kinetic Jaunt*

• Knock*

• Levitate*

• Magic Weapon*

• Maximillian’s Earthen Grasp

• Pyrotechnics*

• Rope Trick

• Skywrite

• Spider Climb*

Other options for 3rd-level:

• Ashardalon’s Stride*

• Blink*

• Counterspell*

• Erupting Earth*

• Flame Arrows*

• Fly*

• Gaseous Form*

• Glyph of Warding

• Haste*

• Intellect Fortress*

• Mage Circle

• Nondetection

• Protection from Energy*

• Remove Curse

• Slow*

• Tiny Servant

• Water Breathing*

• Water Walk*

Other options for 4th-level:

• Banishment*

• Control Water

• Elemental Bane

• Fabricate

• Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum

• Polymorph*

• Stone Shape

• Stoneskin*

Other options for 5th-level:

• Animate Object*

• Freedom of the Winds*

• Passwall

• Planar Binding

• Telekinesis*

• Control Winds*

• Skill Empowerment*

• Temporal Shunt

• Transmute Rock

*Available on the Sorcerer Spell List

Let’s go spell by spell and see if there is a better option. Remember that you can only swap out spells for those of the same level. I’m going to concentrate on the spells that are not on the Sorcerer’s spell list since this is a way to get your hands on spells that are not usually available. I would be less likely to swap out a spell for one that is already available to Sorcerers.

1st-Level Spells

Alarm allows you to set an alarm against unwanted guests. It is useful and can be used in creative ways.

Protection from Evil and Good is a good buffer spell that can give your party an edge in multiple situations.

The Options:

• Longstrider can be useful to add to the movement of your character or another creature of your choosing (additional creatures can be targeted when upcast). It lasts an hour and is non-concentration. In the right situation, this spell can be useful but should be cast before a combat encounter starts.

• Magnify Gravity is a spell from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount. This area effect spell causes force damage and slows anyone in the area of effect who fails their saving throw. It also has the nice additional effect of making things in its area of effect hard to pick up.

My opinion: I like both of the spells provided in the Clockwork Spell List, but I think I like Longstrider and Magnify Gravity a little bit better.

2nd-Level Spells

Aid is a non-concentration spell that lasts for 8 hours and lets you add 5 temporary hit points to three allies which is good at lower levels. It can be upcast for additional hit points at higher levels.

Lesser Restoration is a lovely little spell that can end conditions like blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned which can come in handy.

The Options:

• Arcane Lock can keep doors locked to protect your stuff or lock doors behind you as your party is being chased through a dungeon. It also only ends by being dispelled.

• Immovable Object is from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount is like Arcane Lock but it keeps an object from being moved. Unless it is upcast, the spell only lasts an hour.

• Maximillian’s Earthen Grasp is from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and is a great spell for restraining and damaging a target.

• Rope Trick is a spell for hiding the party for a short rest in a hostile environment.

• Skywrite from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything might be a little too silly but could have its uses.

My opinion: Both Aid and Lesser Restoration are worth keeping, but could also be handled by other members of the party. Some of the options are tempting and I would not blame anyone for picking up Maximillian’s Earthen Grasp.

3rd-Level Spells

Dispel Magic* is a spell that is available to all classes, so if you don’t have it then someone else in your party probably does.

Protection from Energy* is good in the right situation, but there are far better spells to use your concentration on.

The options:

• Glyph of Warding can be useful to protect what is yours from thieving hands.

• Mage Circle lasts an hour and does not require concentration. On the downside, it takes a minute to cast, so it is not something you can do during combat. But if you have time to prep the battlefield then this can tilt the advantage to you and your party.

• Nondetection will keep a thing from being detected by magical means.

• Remove Curse is useful in many different situations.

• Tiny Servant gives you a familiar for 8 hours.

My opinion: Both of the spells are available on the Sorcerer’s spell list, so swapping them out for something else does not keep you from picking up either one through the normal spell acquisition process. The five options that are not normally available to Sorcerers are useful and can be game-changers in the right adventure. My two favorites are Remove Curse and Tiny Servant because they are the most universally useful of the choices.

4th-Level Spells

Freedom of Movement is a great non-concentration spell that is helpful in keeping the target from being restrained or slowed due to terrain.

Summon Construct is one of the very good summon spells introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

The Options:

• Control Water will allow you to use any water to help you and your party, hinder an opponent, or even attack an enemy. You will need the water to be provided since it is not created or summoned by the spell.

• Elemental Bane if the target fails a Constitution saving throw then they will be additionally affected by an element chosen when the spell is cast. This will need to be stacked with an attack causing the damage to be effective.

• Fabricate allows you to build whatever without having to hire a contractor. You just need to have the materials, which would be very useful at a Home Depot.

• Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum provides a nice place to rest without having to find an inn.

• Stone Shape allows you to make a rock into a treasure chest (among other things).

My opinion: None of the options are better than the two provided in the Clockwork Spell List, but swap out if you are intrigued by any of the options.

5th-Level Spells

Greater Restoration is a great option especially if you don’t have another character in the party who has it available.

Wall of Force is a very good battlefield control spell.

The Options:

• Passwall can break your DM’s carefully prepared dungeon and have your party sidestepping danger.

• Planar Binding can have you making powerful beings do your bidding, but a clever DM will have this backfire on you.

• Temporal Shunt is from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount and is a reaction spell to cancel an attack or spell.

• Transmute Rock is from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and can affect a 40-foot cube of mud or rock.

My opinion: The two spells from the list are good, but if they are covered by someone else in the party then there are some good options to choose. Temporal Shunt is a good way to use your reaction and cancel out a spell or an attack.

There you have it the options for Clockwork Soul Sorcerers to swap out their Clockwork Spell List spells. Do you have a favorite? What spells do you hate on this list? Let me know in the comments.