D&D 5E What's a wizard to do?

[Nebulous]

So if you're wishing your wizard had more potent spells, you could consider reworking it as a sorcerer or a wizard/sorcerer multiclass. Otherwise, maybe a feat that gives limited access to sorcery metamagic would be to your taste (kind of like the Martial Adept feat--gives you 1 sorcery point and knowledge of two metamagic effects).

Yeah, this is probably better than what I had in mind. Use an existing rule to bump up your wizard's power. I think we'll find over time that 5e has a huge amount of versatility.

 

[Bumamgar]

First off, combat is just one of the three pillars of D&D. You are playing a diviner, perhaps your power lies within the other two pillars?

In both of the campaigns I run, the wizard has been quite effective. In fact, in our solo campaign, my wife is considering having her next party be a group of all wizards, each taking a different specialty.

One thing to keep in mind is that you shouldn't just assume you know what a spell does because it has the same name as a spell in a prior edition. Take the time to read the spell carefully. Also, many 'missing' spells actually still exist simply as options within other spells. The designers seem to have tried to do away with having a bunch of similar spells that are slightly different (Bigby's Hand is a good example). Another thing to pay attention to is the casting time. Many spells that sound 'meh' on the surface suddenly become 'wow' when you notice that they have a casting time of 1 bonus action (Misty Step is a good example of this).

 

[Zaran]

I also think that they nerfed the caster class too much. I would like to hear from someone who has played a high level character about how their experience in the game is. The fact that I can only get 1 of each high level spell a day makes me think that we will be stuck using lower level spells for most of the game session. Or possibly high level play consists of one or two encounters and then the characters rest. Does using first level spells at 18th level feel like a waste of time? What about Third Levels?

 

[Thank Dog]

Wait, I just realised you're playing a Diviner. Maybe you don't realise how awesomely powerful the Portent ability is? You actually want to roll either really high or, preferably, really low on your Portent rolls. Do you really need that BBEG to fail his save against Hold Person? Before the DM rolls the save against it, say, "I had a vision of this moment and due to this, I know that casting this spell right now will mean he'll fail to resist this spell. Use the 3 I rolled for Portent for his save."

 

[WarHawke]

My input is that the wizard out of the box is very very meh class. Almost pointless. Sorcerer and Warlock outshine the wizard in every way.

But, where the wizard does shine, as he always has, is versitility. You can only have 44 spells minimum in your spellbook. Those other classes can only have like 25 spells or so total. Which is fine since you can only have like 25 spells "memorized" anyways at level 20, just like them.

Now if you look at the spell list, like level 5 spells, there are over 20 spells just there. Wizard list is huge. And take into account that you can scribe other spells and you could have 100 spells in your spellbook. There is an enormous amount of versitility in your arsenal.

The downside (and a little too harsh in my opinion) is the gold and time (mostly the time) it takes to scribe a spell. Where everyone else can learn a new language, or a tool or even make gold, the wizard has to spend most of his time scribing spells. Or making a copy of his spellbook.

Now for casters in general, yes, I agree spellcasters got the big axe. You can only cast 1 level 8 and level 9 spell per long rest and I believe 2 level 7s. There are tons of great level 8 and level 9 spells that don't seem overpowered, but pretty good utility spells. And right now, no way of increasing those spell slots.


But the wizard IS a great class, but without a LOT of time, a LOT of gold and a LOT of luck (scoring the spell scrolls) you will not be as great as a sorcerer or a warlock.

Don't get me started on Divine classes....

 

[Bumamgar]

The downside (and a little too harsh in my opinion) is the gold and time (mostly the time) it takes to scribe a spell. Where everyone else can learn a new language, or a tool or even make gold, the wizard has to spend most of his time scribing spells. Or making a copy of his spellbook.

Really, 2 hours and 50gp a level is 'too harsh'? And half that if it's from your specialty school... Worst case, a full day (18 hours) to copy a 9th level spell into your book? I guess if you find a ton of scrolls that are all new and not from your specialty school, you might need a week to copy them all, but that's hardly a common occurrence.

 

[Sitara]

My input is that the wizard out of the box is very very meh class. Almost pointless. Sorcerer and Warlock outshine the wizard in every way.

Ridiculous. The Warlock is not outshining anyone unless the party takes a short rest after every encounter.

The wizard is IMO the most well designed of the caster classes. It may not have the sorcerers meta magic, but the wizard makes up for that in sheer versatility as well as flexible arcane traditions. Just look at the Abjuration tradition, no other class gets an auto shield like that. Combined with Mage Armor (that lasts for 8 hours) and the Shield spell the wizard should be well protected in combat.

The Sorcerer has raw power but it's spells known list is pathetic. Only 15 spells known at level 20, whereas the Wizard will have aroun 25 spells prepared at that level, plus bonus spells from class features. And he can switch these spells out with other one from his spell book during a rest.

 

[WarHawke]

Really, 2 hours and 50gp a level is 'too harsh'? And half that if it's from your specialty school... Worst case, a full day (18 hours) to copy a 9th level spell into your book? I guess if you find a ton of scrolls that are all new and not from your specialty school, you might need a week to copy them all, but that's hardly a common occurrence.

Well, not sure what your full day constitutes, but generally most people work an 8 hour day. 10 hours on the high side. Even if you consider 16 hours of work and 8 hours of sleep that is a 24 hour day. And a level 9 spell is 450 gold.

You look at 30 spells (not your school cause the other 15 you have are in your school) say they are an average of level 5 or lets say level 6 spells. That is 360 hours, which for 8 hour days is 45 days. And 9,000 gold.

That is a lot of time. Especially for Adventurer's League. Now for a home campaign, as always you just go as you go with DM discresion.

 

[WarHawke]

Ridiculous. The Warlock is not outshining anyone unless the party takes a short rest after every encounter.

The wizard is IMO the most well designed of the caster classes. It may not have the sorcerers meta magic, but the wizard makes up for that in sheer versatility as well as flexible arcane traditions. Just look at the Abjuration tradition, no other class gets an auto shield like that. Combined with Mage Armor (that lasts for 8 hours) and the Shield spell the wizard should be well protected in combat.

The Sorcerer has raw power but it's spells known list is pathetic. Only 15 spells known at level 20, whereas the Wizard will have aroun 25 spells prepared at that level, plus bonus spells from class features. And he can switch these spells out with other one from his spell book during a rest.

Umm, please quote everything and not a piece that you do not like, because I did say...

But, where the wizard does shine, as he always has, is versitility.

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?367937-What-s-a-wizard-to-do/page2#ixzz3FemB103D

 

[Sadras]

I wonder if the posters who are concerned over 'class-balance' are reading this...