D&D 5E Am I too strict?

[Helldritch]

The DM is definitely not always right, and in this case, I think OP should have informed the player of this rule before the game began.

The OP has made the game more restrictive than it's intended to be, for one character, in a way that taps into a second increase in restriction, making it...very undesirable to play a wizard, after the player has already started playing a wizard.

It has been this way since the beginning of 5ed. The player knew it. The other players throughout various campaigns that played a wizard knew it and accepted it. It is only one player that is not in agreement of the ruling.

Is it too strict of a house rule?

 

[aco175]

I tend to go with the idea that a mage has more spells in his book than he can use. He may have 2nd and 3rd level spells that he studies and practices before he can actually use them. These can be backstory spells from his mentor or such and need not be chosen until that level. At some point new spells are harder to come by.

I find your ruling would make players not choose this class and choose one that is not burdened by a book. Also, the mage is spending all his cash on inks and such which is a penalty. Granted 5e is lax on what to spend cash on, but this feels like it is unfair.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

It has been this way since the beginning of 5ed. The player knew it. The other players throughout various campaigns that played a wizard knew it and accepted it. It is only one player that is not in agreement of the ruling.

Is it too strict of a house rule?

Okay, your OP gave the impression that you informed the wizard of this in the desert.

As to the question, yes. It's too strict a house rule, particularly combined with the very expensive spellbook adding rules.

The wizard is meant to gain 2 new spells at every level, added to their spellbook for free.

 

[Helldritch]

I tend to go with the idea that a mage has more spells in his book than he can use. He may have 2nd and 3rd level spells that he studies and practices before he can actually use them. These can be backstory spells from his mentor or such and need not be chosen until that level. At some point new spells are harder to come by.

I find your ruling would make players not choose this class and choose one that is not burdened by a book. Also, the mage is spending all his cash on inks and such which is a penalty. Granted 5e is lax on what to spend cash on, but this feels like it is unfair.

And yet, in every group, there is almost always a wizard. I have seen two or three sorcerers and about 4 or 5 warlocks as arcane casters. This means that for every non wizard arcane caster there were about three to four wizards. The versatility of wizard is really hard not to ignore. This was my attempt to force people not to chose wizard and to try something else. It failed as wizards are still the most played at my tables. The ruling was never questioned before yesterday.

 

[Helldritch]

Okay, your OP gave the impression that you informed the wizard of this in the desert.

As to the question, yes. It's too strict a house rule, particularly combined with the very expensive spellbook adding rules.

The wizard is meant to gain 2 new spells at every level, added to their spellbook for free.

Nope this is an example to clarify why I made this ruling. Would you make the spell just appear in the spell book. The wizard does not have any ink, not even a feather write with. So how does the spells appear? I am curious about the mechanic of spell writting itself in a spell book.

To paraphrase Oofta: Free of charge, not of copying.

 

[aco175]

And yet, in every group, there is almost always a wizard. I have seen two or three sorcerers and about 4 or 5 warlocks as arcane casters. This means that for every non wizard arcane caster there were about three to four wizards. The versatility of wizard is really hard not to ignore. This was my attempt to force people not to chose wizard and to try something else. It failed as wizards are still the most played at my tables. The ruling was never questioned before yesterday.

That has not been my experience. Wizard was designed to be better at some things like number of spells. I never thought they needed this ruling, even if you warned them up front. Maybe if you had a training/level for all the PCs I can see this rolled into their training.

 

[Helldritch]

That has not been my experience. Wizard was designed to be better at some things like number of spells. I never thought they needed this ruling, even if you warned them up front. Maybe if you had a training/level for all the PCs I can see this rolled into their training.

Training is off the bat. Players (12 of them) voted against that one at the beginning of 5ed.
The reasons that wizards are so popular in my games (go figures, I want warlocks and sorcerers )

1) Ritualist. They do not need to have a spell in memory to cast it as a ritual. This makes spells such as detect magic and identify almost ridicule. As ritual, they do not need a spell slot to be used.

2) Spell versatility. The versatility the wizard enjoys as an arcane caster is unparalleled. The players consider the other casters as one trick pony (a bit of an exaggeration I know, but I say that to illustrate my players' mindset about the other casters). It is the versatility of spell choice that makes wizards so desirable.

3) Even without free spells they would make wizards! I tried it and they were still making wizards. Players are pooling their resources to buy spell for the wizards. Wizard is the character class most chosen for level dips... right before the warlocks, rogues and the fighters. This goes against everything I have seen at other gaming tables and on this forum (Paladin/warlock, or paladin/sorcer? Never saw them in my games... well, once but you get what I mean...)

In fact, even with this "limitation", the players are rolling dice to see who'll get to make a wizard when we create a group. The new group was created after a TPK and this is the first time, this player gets to play one. Do you see my problem? I want to see warlocks and sorcerers and yet, wizards dominate. Am I the only one????????

 

[aco175]

In truth, most of my games do not even have a mage caster unless a NPC tags along for an adventure. One player always takes a champion fighter, one is mostly a barbarian or thief, and the last is a paladin, cleric, or a ranger.

 

[Charlaquin]

Strict is not how I would describe this house rule. It’s a little player-unfriendly. But if the player was aware of it and agreed to it when they decided to make a wizard, then that’s on them. Are you certain they understood the house rule when they agreed to it?

 

[Helldritch]

My groups are six players strong. This gives a lot of versatility for classes. And yet, almost no sorcerers or warlocks (very few of them crop up). But I do see barbarians, bards and druids (especially the moon variant, the Diablo druid was very popular as almost every druids want to play something akin to it...).

If I get two arcane casters, you can bet your shirt that it will be a second wizard.