D&D 5E Might&Magic: the linear fighter and the exponential wizard

[Shiroiken]

Versatility is what gets you to tier 1.

My experiences disagree with that; a group of specialists is far more common in D&D than a group of generalists. The most common classes I've seen in 5E are barbarian, sorcerer, and bard, and only the bard is actually versatile. The barbarian and sorcerer are powerhouses that only do a couple of things, and do them very, very well. The bard is an exception, but it is a versatile class that has access to healing magic, useful to support another healer or to serve as the healer with other uses. The most versatile class in the game, the wizard, is seldom anywhere to be seen.

I'll also comment that the Paladin being in your list, combined with its quite significant combat prowess... no wonder it's perhaps the best class of 5e...

Yea, the paladin is the pinnacle of the classes right now, with ranged combat their only real weakness. I haven't seen as many of them as the barbarian, sorcerer, and bard, but I don't really know why not.

 

[Tony Vargas]

My experiences disagree with that; a group of specialists is far more common in D&D than a group of generalists.

One point of Tiers was that campaigns should cluster PCs in or around a Tier. Some groups do that naturally. Also, Tier was a rating of the class, not specific builds. A Tier 5 class could conceivably be optimized into approximately the league of a Tier 2 ...

It's been a problem for many editions. An improvement is better than nothing...

It was a problem for most past editions, but not all. Comparing 5e's LFQW issues with those of 3.5, when the problem was arguably at it's absolute worst, is setting a very low bar for improvement.

 

[Ancalagon]

My experiences disagree with that; a group of specialists is far more common in D&D than a group of generalists. The most common classes I've seen in 5E are barbarian, sorcerer, and bard, and only the bard is actually versatile. The barbarian and sorcerer are powerhouses that only do a couple of things, and do them very, very well. The bard is an exception, but it is a versatile class that has access to healing magic, useful to support another healer or to serve as the healer with other uses. The most versatile class in the game, the wizard, is seldom anywhere to be seen.

... what do you mean by tier then? I am not sure you are using the term how it was defined in the 3.x/PF era...

Just because less people are playing the wizard in your group(s) doesn't mean that the sorcerer is better.

Common =/= high tier.

 

[Wiseblood]

I don't feel like this at all but then again I am deeply satisfied with a game going from 1st-10th or 3rd-13th. Beyond that I have almost 0 interest in play. I like the prime material plane. I like killing it's inhabitants and it's visitors. I don't fancy walking in heaven or hell or any other plane for more than a session.

 

[Tonguez]

Its not Fighters that are shortchanged by Wizards it's Rogues. Rogues are suppose to be the skill monkeys but why bother when a magic user can pull out a spell to do the same thing.

 

[ccs]

And no official modules run that many encounters from what I know.

Obviously you've not heard of Curse of Strahd, Hoard of the Dragon Queen, or Tales from the Yawning Portal.

 

[ccs]

Its not Fighters that are shortchanged by Wizards it's Rogues. Rogues are suppose to be the skill monkeys but why bother when a magic user can pull out a spell to do the same thing.

Speaking as the parties resident wizard..... "We brought you along to handle things like this because my spell slots are limited & valuable. I've got better things to be doing with my magic than your mundane job. So if you want a share of this treasure/xp, get to work. Or go home."

 

[DreamsAndPixies]

Obviously you've not heard of Curse of Strahd, Hoard of the Dragon Queen, or Tales from the Yawning Portal.

None of those modules have that much encounters per day. I have run Curse of Strahd multiple times for instance, and outside the castle, you're hardly at risk of running more than three or four encounters in a day.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Its not Fighters that are shortchanged by Wizards it's Rogues.

You'd think that if any D&D class could make change correctly, it'd be the one class that needs high INT...

...besides, the rogue was probably shoplifting anyway.

 

[Parmandur]

This theoretical issue isn't something that I have ever seen in actual play: Fighters/Rogues and their only slightly magical companionstend to be more effective, more consistently, and more popular than the big spellcasters in my experience.