D&D 5E Do you think Wizard is a Support Class or a DPR class?

[AzureKobold]

Most everyone I've played with puts wizard in their class slot and then picks Fire Bolt, Burning Hands, Fireball, Magic Missile, Witch Bolt, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Phantasmal Killer, Cone of Cold, Chain Lightning, Circle of Death, Finger of Death, and Meteor Swarm (Disclaimer: I don't often play to high levels, but whenever people say "Oh, I can't wait to get this spell" It's always one of the above) Looking at the above spells I think "Aren't damaging spells for sorcerers?" I see no practical value in being a wizard and just taking damaging spells, when sorcerers get bonuses to their damaging spells. Isn't the point of wizards that they have access to more Enchantments, Illusions, Necromancy and Divination? I've always played Wizards for utility, my favorite 1st level spell is Sleep (I hate Burning Hands, why go up close to enemies with a D6 Hit Die? Or a D4 in earlier editions!) I love Animate Objects, Fly, Shield, Find Familiar, Suggestion, Misty Step, Hypnotic Pattern, Haste, Sending, Major Image, Watery Sphere, Evard's Black Tentacles, Polymorph, Greater Invisibilty (The Rogue will thank me later) Forcecage, True Seeing and Mind Blank. My favorite spell that deals direct damage is Melf's Minute Meteors, The spell I can't wait to get is True Polymorph. I thought Wizards were suppose to be Control, Buffing and Debuffing, how do other people play wizards?

 

[Lanliss]

The big bonus to playing wizard is that it doesn't matter. You can pick all of the above,and still pick utility spells. A Wizards Niche is the lack of a niche, they are flexible to any situation.

 

[Leatherhead]

Wizards are about getting all the spells.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

False dichotomy.

Some versions of wizards that I like to play:

Mobile Rogue 2/Bladesinger X (Wall of Force, Invisibility, Evard's Black Tentacles, Hypnotic Pattern, Confusion, Animate Dead, False Fetters/Booming Blade) is a scout/intel/mobility specialist with (physical and/or magical) control and summoning and a solid DPR.

Warcaster Fighter 1/Necromancer X (Vampiric Touch, Blur, Shield, Animate Dead, False Fetters/Booming Blade) is a tank/summoner who can tie the enemy down threatening Vampiric Touch/False Fetters (nee Booming Blade) opportunity attacks while his skeletons kill the enemy to death with arrows.

Life Cleric 1/Illusionist X (Disguise Self, Seeming, Shield, Blink, Invisibility) is an infiltrator/spy who can also tank.

None of these are precisely "support" nor "DPR".

 

[hejtmane]

False dichotomy.

Some versions of wizards that I like to play:

Mobile Rogue 2/Bladesinger X (Wall of Force, Invisibility, Evard's Black Tentacles, Hypnotic Pattern, Confusion, Animate Dead, False Fetters/Booming Blade) is a scout/intel/mobility specialist with (physical and/or magical) control and summoning and a solid DPR.

Warcaster Fighter 1/Necromancer X (Vampiric Touch, Blur, Shield, Animate Dead, False Fetters/Booming Blade) is a tank/summoner who can tie the enemy down threatening Vampiric Touch/False Fetters (nee Booming Blade) opportunity attacks while his skeletons kill the enemy to death with arrows.

Life Cleric 1/Illusionist X (Disguise Self, Seeming, Shield, Blink, Invisibility) is an infiltrator/spy who can also tank.

None of these are precisely "support" nor "DPR".

Tank Battlemaster/Abj wizard multi class works better than EK goading menacing and still get shield and absorb elements as a tank build.

Most people probably play wizard for damage but yes they can be a buffing class etc as while

Evocation wizard with sculpted spell can lay a fireball right down in the middle of the group now that is fun

 

[ccs]

When I play a wizard (well, any spell-caster really) I'll take a few damage dealing spells, but there's just sooo much more fun to be had with other stuff....
Why in the world would I limit myself to just variations of "take xd6 worth of damage"???

Besides, d6s for damage & I don't get along well in RPGs.
Now in miniature wargames like 40k etc? I'll roll 6s all night long. You may well question wether I'm cheating.
But I throw a fireball at you in D&D? Don't even roll your save, you won't need it, you'll be fine.
And so I concentrate on doing awful/useful things with other spells. The damage I can cause with a well placed/timed utility spell (up to & including a floating disc)....

 

[MonkeyWrench]

I've had a lot of fun playing my Fire Genasi Fire Mage (Evoker). I like it because unlike a Red Dragon Sorc, I have a wider variety of spells at my disposal. Sure, my illusions aren't as versatile as an Illusionist's and my undead don't pack as much a punch as a Neckrmancer's, I still have access to those illusion and necromancy spells alongside my evocation magic. Coming from my experience in 3e where I mostly played controller/summoner wizards it's an interesting change.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

The wizard need his area spells. He only has one concentration spell active. That is his huge buff or debuff. He uses dpr in round where he can't use another concentration spell.

 

[marcelvdpol]

The large amount of Area of Effect spells available to a Wizard is one of its strengths. Another strengh is that this can be combined with lots of utility spells and rituals in your spell book. A Wizard can do everything while a Sorcerer can do the Blaster role but little else. Wizards are the most versatile spell caster; make use of that fact.

Note that to get a Wizard to really shine in your campaign, make spell scrolls and/or spell books available as loot in your campaign. The Wizard needs lots of spells in his spell book and since the Wizard doesn't need gold for armour or somesuch spells is the only thing a wizard can spend money on.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

My Wizard is squarely in the "support" category. Mostly.
He is the party healer, and buffer and most combat rounds is throwing Chill Touch cantrip due to entering combat with spell slots already having been spent on said support. He does however have Fireball, and Wall of Fire, which are the only AoE the party has.

I think worrying about a class not doing something as good as another class isn't really productive. A Sorceror would be able to throw more spells in combat than him, hitting harder, with the option of spending metamagic to hit much harder.
But there isn't a sorcerer in the party.

How you play your wizard is up to you. Available and useful rituals are generally rather limited and utility only, so your versatility in adjusting your spell list day-to-day is your biggest advantage compared to the sorcerer's ability to fiddle spells on the fly.