D&D 5E What is balance to you, and why do you care (or don't)?

[billd91]

except again teh fact that the fighter needs special items given by DM to keep up with an out of book caster is a PROBLEM

Depends. If all casters were wizards and used a spell book, I'm not so sure I'd agree that's a problem. Because those spells - they're special items too. While they were relatively common as scroll items in AD&D random treasure tables, everything else wizardly was much more rare than things fighter-friendly like potions, weapons, and armor. That's something that was lost in the 1e/2e to 3e+ transition.

One way to give martial characters a boost compared to spellcasters is to increase the number of attunement slots. Non-spellcasters get 5, partial spellcasters 4, full spellcasters the standard 3?

 

[Micah Sweet]

except again teh fact that the fighter needs special items given by DM to keep up with an out of book caster is a PROBLEM

Unless getting those items is an assumed part of class development, as it was for the TSR versions of the game. A solution to this problem has been in plain sight for decades.

 

[Zubatcarteira]

There are items that are, "Requires attunement by X class". There's for Wizard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Druid, Cleric, Bard and Paladin, I think. Don't recall any for Fighter or Barb, but you could make those pretty easily.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Depends. If all casters were wizards and used a spell book, I'm not so sure I'd agree that's a problem. Because those spells - they're special items too.

no they aren't they get 2 per level plus start with 6 of them...

when you show me a fighter chart that gives them the ability to over 20 levels pick 44 special abilites or items we can talk.

While they were relatively common as scroll items in AD&D random treasure tables, everything else wizardly was much more rare than things fighter-friendly like potions, weapons, and armor. That's something that was lost in the 1e/2e to 3e+ transition.

potions were never fighter friendly... potions anyone can use (heck most weapons and armor anyone prof could use) but wands, rods, staff, scroll... those all locked behind casters only

One way to give martial characters a boost compared to spellcasters is to increase the number of attunement slots. Non-spellcasters get 5, partial spellcasters 4, full spellcasters the standard 3?

I actually argued in another thread to take the artificer infusions and bonus attunement slots and graft them on to the 5e fighter and I got shouted down that fighters can't make magic items and fighters shouldn't have more items

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Unless getting those items is an assumed part of class development, as it was for the TSR versions of the game. A solution to this problem has been in plain sight for decades.

please show me where those charts that gave a human fighter better equipment then the elven fighter mage was... (or just cleric for that matter)

 

[GMforPowergamers]

There are items that are, "Requires attunement by X class". There's for Wizard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Druid, Cleric, Bard and Paladin, I think. Don't recall any for Fighter or Barb, but you could make those pretty easily.

now why is it that so many items require caster classes but none (or at least so few we can't name them) require NONspellcasting martial classes... it's almost like there is a caster supremacy problem

 

[Zubatcarteira]

Just checking it, the only ones for noncasters that I can find are the Dragonhide Belts for Monks, all the casters seem to have one.

 

[Micah Sweet]

please show me where those charts that gave a human fighter better equipment then the elven fighter mage was... (or just cleric for that matter)

Most magic weapons were swords, so no vanilla clerics. I can't account for a player deciding to multi-class.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Just checking it, the only ones for noncasters that I can find are the Dragonhide Belts for Monks, all the casters seem to have one.

we got 1 for non casters... but it's a qusi martial quisi magic class.. I will take it, I am MORE then happy to call Ki martial

 

[Micah Sweet]

now why is it that so many items require caster classes but none (or at least so few we can't name them) require NONspellcasting martial classes... it's almost like there is a caster supremacy problem

As has been stated above, this is a solved "problem" as far as the devs are concerned. Your only options are 3rd party or homebrew.