[RPG] Is it balanced to allow a Divine Soul Sorcerer to swap out Empowered Healing for Extra Attack

balanceclass-featurednd-5esorcerer

The Divine Soul sorcerer (Xanathar's Guide to Everything, p. 50) gets the Empowered Healing feature at 6th level:

Starting at 6th level, the divine energy coursing through you can empower healing spells. Whenever you or an ally within 5 feet of you rolls dice to determine the number of hit points a spell restores, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll any number of those dice once, provided you aren’t incapacitated. You can use this feature only once per turn.

However, the version of the Favored Soul sorcerer (the original name for the subclass) in the Modifying Classes Unearthed Arcana got Extra Attack at 6th level instead:

Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

I know that bards with the College of Swords (XGtE, p. 15-16) or College of Valor (PHB, p. 55) and Bladesinging wizards (SCAG, p. 141-142 also get Extra Attack at 6th level.

Compared to a College of Swords/College of Valor bard or a Bladesinging wizard, is a 6th level Sorcerer with the Extra Attack feature balanced?

Best Answer

Maybe. It's up to your DM.

In a vacuum, the two features don't appear too unbalanced to swap. But D&D isn't played in a vacuum.

Favored Soul (UA 2015), Swords/Valor Bard, and Bladesinger Wizard are "gish" archetypes. They have bonus proficiencies and other features that synergize with Extra Attack for a melee combat build.

Divine Soul Sorcerer doesn't have that synergy; therefore, Extra Attack wouldn't be overpowered for a single-class Divine Soul. Indeed, I would ask how you expect to survive as a weapon-based combatant with no armor and d6 HP.

The situation changes drastically if you add a Hexblade Sorlock splash for proficiencies and Cha-based attack bonus. Extra Attack provides that build with increased reliability & damage output, and avoids having to take more Warlock levels for Thirsting Blade, whereas Empowered Healing is useful in a much narrower range of circumstances. I would be leery about allowing it, but then I'm opposed to Hexblade splashes in general, so YMMV.