D&D 5E (2014) Are Wizards really all that?

[James Gasik]

I’m confused what you mean by that. FR is a highly magical setting, which means countermeasures against wizards would be understood, affordable, and common.

It’s the low-magic realms where RAW PC Wizards would be less opposed.

But as the "Volo's Guide to All Things Magic" incident proves, that isn't the case.

 

[Bill Zebub]

But as the "Volo's Guide to All Things Magic" incident proves, that isn't the case.

I don’t understand that reference.

 

[Krachek]

I'm not actually against this (in theory) but you would have to Drastically change encounter design/ expectations.

The Actual encounter system is not useful, not used and/or not appreciated.
So a change would be fine.

 

[Mort]

The Actual encounter system is not useful, not used and/or not appreciated.
So a change would be fine.

Sort of.

It's not properly explained, nor is properly how to customize/change it. That's one of the big problems with the current DMG - it is extremely user unfriendly (for the stuff that truly matters) especially to new DMs.

 

[James Gasik]

I don’t understand that reference.

D&D 5E - Are Wizards really all that?

Farmers cottages, no. Castles, yes. Or not, and let Wizards be all that. It’s a simple equation. This requires you to go beyond the rules and create additional content to "balance" spellcasters, however. If these things were the default, then they would be presented in the game. Before I...

www.enworld.org

 

[Bill Zebub]

D&D 5E - Are Wizards really all that?

Farmers cottages, no. Castles, yes. Or not, and let Wizards be all that. It’s a simple equation. This requires you to go beyond the rules and create additional content to "balance" spellcasters, however. If these things were the default, then they would be presented in the game. Before I...

www.enworld.org

Ah, now I got it. Not sure if lore from a previous edition is relevant, but if it is then what it “proves” is that there is in fact demand for such information.

 

[James Gasik]

Demand, yes. An active Wizard mafia that will hunt you down to the ends of Faerun to prevent the supply? Also yes.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Demand, yes. An active Wizard mafia that will hunt you down to the ends of Faerun to prevent the supply? Also yes.

Ok, and if in your campaign they are successfully able to do that, not just to Volo but to anybody who dares to challenge their power, then I guess your world has a problem with Wizards being too powerful.

It’s an incredibly easy problem to fix, but that’s a choice.

 

[Minigiant]

Well the Dungeon Dudes finished a video series about the party role tier rankings of every class. They rated the capability of each class in each of the 7 party roles that they decided before subclasses and purposeful building into a direction.

Now I think there are more than 7 roles in traditional D&D.

Class	Frontline	Damage	Investigator	Explorer	Utility	Negotiator	Support
Cleric	B	B	B/C	D	B	B	S/A
Fighter	A	S	D	D	D	D	D
Rogue	C/D	AB	B	A	A/B	A	D
Wizard	D	B	S/A	B	S	C	A/B

Granted this is the view of just 2 guys. However it kinda supports my point. The Wizard isn't all that but it can get into many party roles at a high strength. Then with builds and subclasses, the Wizard could bump up their tier. In the stereotypical party, the Wizard is owns 2 roles and has major contribution in 3 more.

In Contrast, the Fighter is only good in 2 roles (best in one). However they are so far behind at base at everything else, they are the worse at getting into other roles. The Fighter own combat bu is mostly shut out of every other role due to the cost.

One observation they made and I mentioned is that Skills is less a factor as everyone can get proficiency.. You need expertise, proper ability score, or magic to really take over a role your class wasn't built for.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

IME this isn't that necessary. The Paladin's damage is flashy but it's quite limited by spell slots. A fighter, especially one focused on damage, can easily outpace a paladin over the course of the adventuring day. Especially if the Paladin wants to do anything other than smite.

Though, from what we've seen of the playtest, taking away crits on anything but weapon damage is exactly where things are headed.

I'm not sure I see that. The Paladin is still swinging the same weapon, with the same Fighting Style and damage bonus as the Fighter.
Even looking at the Battlemaster and assuming the apparently rather unusual full two-short-rest adventuring day, the point at which a Paladin gets more d8s through smites as the battlemaster gets d8s through superiority dice is only 5th level.

The actual damage potential will vary with level. Depending on Action Surge and the extra ASI that the Fighter gets or the Paladin levelling into new spell slots. I don't see an equivalent Fighter "easily outpace" a Paladin.