D&D 5E How to Fix Wizards and Vancian Casting

[Cadence]

I've seen many variations of magic users in a variety of literature, tv shows and movies, and I've never once seen anything like vancian casting in any of them (other than those which are based upon D&D, of course, and even they usually tend to ignore or at least don't emphasize the issue).

It seems to bear a passing resemblance to Vance's Dying Earth work that precedes D&D...

Although I'm not complaining that our really tough casters get more than four spells in memory at once.

But seriously, I just read Dying Earth and Eyes of the Overworld this fall, and am planning on ordering one of the omnibus editions so I can read the ones our library doesn't have. They were enjoyable reads. The tribute anthology edited by Martin is what motivated me to read them (I'm a Glen Cook completist)... I think I have to go back and reread it once I've finished all the originals.

 

[Tony Vargas]

It seems to bear a passing resemblance to Vance's Dying Earth work that precedes D&D...

Thus the name, yeah. Though, in the Dying Earth, even the greatest magicians couldn't memorize much more than 6 spells at a time. Something even the fewer-spell-slots 5e wizard is going to be able to beat by 10th level.

 

[Cadence]

Thus the name, yeah. Though, in the Dying Earth, even the greatest magicians couldn't memorize much more than 6 spells at a time. Something even the fewer-spell-slots 5e wizard is going to be able to beat by 10th level.

Hence my second sentence (am I remembering low by having four in my head as a typical limit?)

The Vance once seemed to make up for the lack of spells with being the major possessors of tons of magic items though. Tangentially, above, [MENTION=6689464]KaiiLurker[/MENTION] mentions the problems of having too-cheap scrolls and wands in some versions of D&D.

How is the prevalence/cheapness of 5e caster-only magic items looking?

 

[Tony Vargas]

(am I remembering low by having four in my head as a typical limit?)

Not at all. One of Vance's protagonists could only memorize one, if he was lucky, IIRC. The greatest ever, the legendary guys who lent their names to spells, they could come /close/ to what the 10th level 5e wizard is getting at the moment as a matter of course.

The Vance once seemed to make up for the lack of spells with being the major possessors of tons of magic items though.

Something they /do/ have in common with D&D characters, then.

How is the prevalence/cheapness of 5e caster-only magic items looking?

Couldn't say. It sounds like magic items are going to be rare and very much a DM-controlled resource. But, casters do get at-wills, and wizards get a 'signature' spell by Tradition, so the need for magic-items for something to do while you're not casting isn't too pressing.