D&D 5E What's this about the Mountain Dwarf being a better wizard?

[variant]

A caster that uses Mage Armor and has a 20 Dexterity has a +2 higher AC than a Mountain Dwarf wizard wearing scale and +1 higher than if he is wearing half-plate. You also have an additional +3 to range attacks.

 

[Obryn]

Didn't older versions of D&D have miscasting % chance in different armors?

Only 3e. In AD&D, with some exceptions (elves, elven chain) you just couldn't do it.

 

[Nagol]

Didn't older versions of D&D have miscasting % chance in different armors?

Some did. 5e allows casting in any armour in which the character is proficient.

 

[Nagol]

Only 3e. In AD&D, with some exceptions (elves, elven chain) you just couldn't do it.

1e didn't have the restrictions on casting in armour 2e did. Elven F/MU were happy to cast in plate in 1e.

 

[Nikosandros]

Didn't older versions of D&D have miscasting % chance in different armors?

IN 3.x/PF there is a % chance of failing to cast an arcane spell while in armor. In AD&D 1e, magic-users couldn't cast at all while in armor (unless multi-classed, but this was restricted in 2nd edition).

 

[The Black Ranger]

A caster that uses Mage Armor and has a 20 Dexterity has a +2 higher AC than a Mountain Dwarf wizard wearing scale. You also have an additional +3 to range attacks.

You will then be lagging behind in Int because you are putting almost everything in Dex.

 

[FadedC]

I'm assuming we aren't using rolled stats. If we are then balance goes out the window anyway.

With point buy or standard array, the dwarf has an int of 15, the human or elf a 16. So the dwarf is -1 and a significantly less effective spell caster.

The dwarf is behind for 11 levels, which I'd consider to be a long time. Many campaigns don't last that long. After that he's behind a feat. Two feats if he's compared to a human.

Hmm?

First, with rolled stats, he doesn't need to be behind anyone.

Second, the best Int modifier so far is +1, which isn't even a pip on the d20.

Third, with a cap of 20, you're not behind for long.

 

[Obryn]

1e didn't have the restrictions on casting in armour 2e did. Elven F/MU were happy to cast in plate in 1e.

That was because they were elves. Humans had no such luck.

 

[BryonD]

Having proficience en warhammer and other weapons due to the race adding this bonus exactly the same as a fighter, you found yourself with a multiclass character fighter/magic-user with no limits as in others editions there was.

Fighters will get a lot more perks than the increasing prof bonus.

 

[Nikosandros]

That was because they were elves. Humans had no such luck.

True. Humans can dual-class, but they still can't cast MU spells while in armor.

P.S.
No past tense for me! I'm currently running AD&D.