Given that most sorcerers are individuals who approach magic through a process of trial and error (and don't wizards do the same? ) can you help me telling - how from a RP perspective - a Sorcerer would get this prestige class? I am thinking about Qara from the original champaign and she seems to experience exactly the opposite path... She is an ex-academic, appearantely fitting the concept that all sorcerers don't usually get along with an academic mind-set) Do they "study" to develop their metamagic skills? If they just put a lot of efforts into becoming better, that "scholar" into the name of the class really confuses me!
Are arcane scholar sorcerers kind of snowflakes?
I would suggest that a sorcerer arcane scholar is someone who understands they can cast magic, knows their personal limitations or perceived inability with certain aspects of it and thus embarks down a journey of dedicated arcane study so as to better harness, modify and focus the innate talent they already have. It is learning the inner workings of magic. After all, metamagic is not the creation of new spells but rather the modification of existing ones. A sorcerer can be just as adept at this as any wizard, either by experimentation or dedicated study.
If you think arcane scholar is hard to imagine as a sorcerer, consider this:
- How does a sorcerer decide what spells to learn? In my view it is through study. Yes, their magic is innate and at first, when it manifests, they don't understand it. But deciding that they want to understand their gift, they decide to study it in order to control it. Otherwise, each level, you should just pick random spells, right? As the sorcerer has no idea what she's doing?
- What does the Spellcraft skill (which is necessary for the ASoC class) really represent? Well, to me, it represents an understanding of magic. You can see magical manipulations and determine their origins and effects to some extent. You can identify spells being cast at you, even spells you don't know yourself. This seems to me that it requires studying magic more than just experimenting with your gift as a sorcerer. A sorcerer who doesn't study, wouldn't gain spellcraft, and in relation to the above point, a sorcerer without spellcraft has no real way of choosing what spells to learn, or even choosing which spells to cast in whatever situation. It's all just screaming words you don't understand, waving with your hands and hoping for the best.
So to sum up: Any sorcerer who can pick their own spells and who have a spellcraft score is more than reasonably suited for the Arcane Scholar PRC.
Laitae Lafreth, became Chosen of Mystra, former Great Reader of Candlekeep Nëa the Little Shadow Uranhed Jandinwed, Guide of Candlekeep
It's unfortunately not viable in NWN2, but I've been in a DnD campaign with a sorcerer who literally did not know what spells she could cast, until she had cast them the first time around. After that she could reproduce the effect, by bringing up the same emotions against.
Rule technically, it worked like this: our sorcerer wanted to do something, so she explained how she felt and what she wanted done, and he'd pick a spell for her if she had any available spells left she could learn, and one existed that somewhat mimicked that effect.
It was fun, because non of us (save the DM), were lore/rule savvy back then, so we didn't actually know her limitations!
... It was less fun, when she got upset and wanted to be 'gone'... and teleported half-way across Faerùn with little to no idea how to get back to us
I'd describe an Arcane Scholar sorcerer, as someone who studied their own powers and tried to gain further insight into their spontaneous casting abilities. They'd probably behave more like wizards and have a better understanding of their own abilities, but it would be a learning process. I could see some fun RP coming from a sorcerer who tried to experiment with her powers.
Tamara - "I've seen colours you would never dream of" Neschera - "Logic can bring you from one step to the next, creativity can bring you from anywhere to everywhere"
) can you help me telling - how from a RP perspective - a Sorcerer would get this prestige class? I am thinking about Qara from the original champaign and she seems to experience exactly the opposite path... She is an ex-academic, appearantely fitting the concept that all sorcerers don't usually get along with an academic mind-set) Do they "study" to develop their metamagic skills? If they just put a lot of efforts into becoming better, that "scholar" into the name of the class really confuses me! 
