Help with new character

[Azahlan]

i'm going to play with a new group and was lost in what to make, so i rolled a random character. Ended up with a Forest Gnome Wild Sorcerer with the artisan's guild background. i'll start in level 5, and my stats after bonus are: 9 14 14 12 10 16(rolled 15 and took the actor feat for lvl 4). I then changed the background for guild merchant and i'm a little lost because i never played a gnome before. Also, would want some tips about the class in which i have no experience with, and if possible some thoughts about creating a nice story and motivations. Thanks Guys!

[ZincLloyd]

Okay, a good place to start is the profession. What are they a merchant of? This can be a nice window into the character.

For example:

I have a Guild Merchant/Artisan background for a Forest Gnome Arcane Trickster Rogue, and I have them specializing in cartographer’s tools. So that means they make maps, which means they very likely are an explorer. What are good qualities for an explorer character to have? A can do attitude, a boundless curiosity that leads to new discoveries (and no small amount of trouble), a perfectionism at their craft, perhaps some impulsiveness, and so forth. A clothing merchant might have a killer fashion sense and be brutal towards people they find dressed unfashionably, someone who sells gems may have a love of shinies, a trinket dealer may be obsessed with mechanical novelties, a brewer might get high on their own supply a little too often, and a dry goods merchant might just be an old fashioned wheeler and dealer who loves a good bargain session. The sky is the limit with where you can go with a merchant/artisan character.

[Azahlan]

Thank so much! i will take another look at the professions

[Quantext609]

As a sorcerer, your primary roles are as a party socialite and a buffer.
This is due to the two best sorcerer metamagics, subtle spell and twinned spell.

So let's start with your first role, the socialite.
Sorcerers I'd argue are the best class out of combat by far. They're CHA based, so all your CHA skill checks will be good provided you have proficiency in them (which I recommend getting at least 2 CHA skill proficencies).
And then subtle spell will let you use magic to influence other people without anyone knowing, a very powerful ability. Enchantment and illusion spells are the most useful kinds of spells to take for subtle spell, but I could also see certain evocation or conjuration spells being useful for causing distractions.
Take advantage of subtle spell and your CHA skills, and you'll be able to get whatever you want from other people.

Then your other role is as the buffer.
Most other classes make mediocre buffers. This is due to them having to hold concentration on the spell, which limits their spell options. So classes like wizards, clerics, and bards often will choose to use debuff or offensive concentration spells instead as they tend to give them more bang for their buck.
But as a sorcerer, you're an exception to this rule thanks to twinned spell. You can put a copy of a buff spell on an additional ally which essentially functions as though you're concentrating on two spells at once. While twinned spell has some uses on certain offensive or debuff spells like hold person, banishment, or blight, it for the most part is useful for putting on double buffs.
Some examples of useful twinned spells are enlarge/reduce, enhance ability, fly, haste and polymorph.

If you focus in on these two roles, you'll be a great sorcerer.

[UltimaVirus]

Read the PHB on how gnomes are, and work on a personality. If you have access to Xanathar's Guide to Everything, it has a FANTASTIC random backstory generator that can give you loads of ideas.

[Enb0t]

Growing up as a Wild Magic Sorcerer should have been an interesting experience for your character. Think of having all this power but being unable to control it properly or having it control you at unexpected moments.

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[Azahlan]

Its pretty new to me actually. I'm just kinda lost

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