DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
I guess I am just not seeing the problem. In our 1-20 game, we had mighty casters and mighty martials and everyone had fun with their characters. Some shined at some moments and other shined in their turn. shrugThat fixes nothing. It's just saying you'll get to be useful once the Real Heroes are too tired to continue.
Just let martials be fun instead of 100% mundane as seen through the lens of game designers who do not know what the human body is full capable of.
We had a fighter (champion)/ rogue (assassin) who was a beast in combat, and our sorcerer (draconic bloodline) / druid (moon) who kicked butt with some key spells and wildshaping. My own cleric (knowledge)/ rogue (scout) /wizard (war magic) certainly got her moments in the spot-light as well and even the barbarian (totem) / fighter (cavalier) often did his part to vanquish our enemies and save the day!
Were the martials doing "super hero" type stuff? Sure, in their way! When the fighter/rogue got a critical hit after sneaking up on a hill giant and killing it in a single blow (well over 20 dice, plus bonuses, and he did roll pretty well...), that seemed pretty awesome to everyone at the table! I know my PC couldn't have done anything do to that. Sure, he got lucky with the crit and the dice rolls, but again, there is nothing, nothing, I could have done to kill a hill giant in a single round.
Aren't they, though, again in their own way? They have been IME, anyway. The barbarian/fighter I mentioned above could withstand so much punishment it was ridiculous! Our sorcerer/druid couldn't do it, but he had other things he could do.The point is a master swordsman, master archer, high lord, barbarian king, and master thief shold be as fantastical as an archmage, high priest, and high druid.
It seems to me like people are focused more on what their character's can't do then on what makes those characters great.
But, since YMMV and you see an issue, at what point does it break down? When, in your view, do the martials stop being as fantastical as the non-martials?