Wizards: Already Too Strong?

[Someone]

shocking grasps being a melee attack isn't much of a disadvantage. The mage doesn't want to be in melee, but you can move, use the spell and move away in the same turn, and without any mechanic that allows the frontline combatants to lock enemies in place or discourage them from moving or attacking elsewhere, it's almost impossible to stay away from any enemy that wants to attack you in melee. The only way is to remain out of their range.

 

[satori01]

Pelor Cleric for the win.

Better HP, Better Armour than Wizard.
Better Healing Surges....err Hit Dice, I mean.


1d8 radiant ranged attack at will.
( no spell disruption on being hit as well)


Built in scaling for MM might be needed mathematically due to the "unerringly hit " ......no roll to hit means no crits, and with Advantage, everyone gets to 4e Avenger now.


1 level spell that does 4d12 + modifier to undead, and blinds everyone. A 1st level Pelor cleric could kill a Wight with a crit.


Wizards prepare specific spells, Clerics prepare EVERYTHING and cast what they want.


No casting in any Armour for Wizard.


Pelor cleric gets Maximizied Healing at 3rd level.


Divine Channels just as good as spells, ( and Turn Undead was a spell)...thus Pelor cleric gets 6 spells at 1st level adding in the 4 Turn Undeads.

 

[Walking Dad]

I don't the fuzz about at will 0 level spells. Pathfinder does the same and is doing fine commercially and without it being a problem during their extensive playtest.
Honestly, casting light at a daily spell is just... not worth it. And detect magic doesn't detect any magic designed to be hidden. Read the spell entries, people!

 

[Campbell]

Not too worried about light. Nothing says 'Hello. We be adventurers.' quite like shining a bright magical light from the dwarven cleric's shield. Besides the rogue gets the ability to see darkness as if it was shadow at 2nd level.

 

[stevelabny]

I don't the fuzz about at will 0 level spells. Pathfinder does the same and is doing fine commercially and without it being a problem during their extensive playtest.
Honestly, casting light at a daily spell is just... not worth it. And detect magic doesn't detect any magic designed to be hidden. Read the spell entries, people!

Except that I don't consider a magic dagger in a secret compartment in a locked file cabinet in a disuse lavatory with a sign saying BEWARE OF LEOPARD to be "designed to be hidden"

I consider something with a non-detection spell cast on it, something with invisibility cast on it "designed to be hidden"

"designed to be hidden" means it won't work as TRUE SEEING or SEE INVISIBILITY. You can even argue if a magical disguise would be show up or not.

But a magic item hidden by mundane means? Were visible in prior editions and this version is too poorly written to tell if you have to actually see the object with your eyes or not. And since this version does not exist in a vacuum, they really need to clarify.

If they do clarify before launch that it only works on things you can see directly, I will still think its very powerful, but I probably won't think its game-breaking. And I'm fully aware I'm playing a playtest and things can and will be clarified.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Yep pelor cleric better in all ways in this test. 1d4+1 auto damage is not OP.

 

[GX.Sigma]

DETECT MAGIC AT WILL.

I guess you can pretty much give up hiding magic items anywhere ever.
Why wouldn't the wizard walk around with almost permanent detecto vision?
This seems ripe for abuse.

This is in 4e--not just Wizards, but anyone who is trained in Arcana can make a check to detect magic. Seems fine there.

On topic: In my playtest game, the wizard seemed a bit overpowered (sleep + burning hands murdering 40 kobolds at once, etc.), but that was more because the kobold cave played towards the strength of the wizard and didn't let the fighter be awesome: The fighter's awesome thing is absurd single-target damage, which was not helpful at all against dozens of 2 hp kobolds. The ogre/minotaur/owlbear fights will probably be more up his street.

The wizard was good at what the wizard is supposed to be good at (crowd control), so I guess it works.

 

[Arkenos]

For magic missile i would use this alternate rule :

MM is a very precise spell, you always roll it's attack using advantage .

That way, the wizard still roll dices (it's fun), it could miss though not often against average monster, and it could crit (low damage anyway).
You could also up it's damage to 1d6+1 to compensate but it's not neccesary.

I also hope the rituals will be fully used. It was a great rule in 4E but quickly let down. It has great potential for atmosphere, RP, and dramatic magic events.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

then do it...

mm not autohitting would be terrible. After all this is what made it special over the years.

Also scaling on this spell is important, as it is a minor spell that is not prepared and would become trivially useless if it didn´t scale at higher level.

 

[eamon]

My BIG problem? That I haven't seen anyone talking about yet???

DETECT MAGIC AT WILL.

I guess you can pretty much give up hiding magic items anywhere ever.
Why wouldn't the wizard walk around with almost permanent detecto vision?
This seems ripe for abuse. Again, I really feel the at-will spells need to have carefully considered restrictions.

Perhaps. 4e's had this for years, however: it's just an arcana skill check (and even penetrates solid rock, and there's no explicit mention that it doesn't detect magic designed to be hidden.)

I don't think it's an issue at all, really. Detecting magic not designed to be hidden on objects or creatures you can see and inspect? I'd kind of expect that to be doable for a skilled wizard even without the cantrip - that just speeds things up, maybe. If anything, the cantrip's rather weak.