Unpopular opinions go here

[Reynard]

You think caster players are slow now -- imagine if D&D used a spell point system...

 

[Aldarc]

You think caster players are slow now -- imagine if D&D used a spell point system...

So like playing a psionic character in 3.5e or Dreamscarred Press for PF1? It's honestly no slower than playing a spell-slot full caster class. Fantasy AGE also uses a spell-point system, but it has nowhere near as many spells as D&D. Characters typically specialize in thematic traditions (e.g., fire, ice, protection, fate, etc.), which come with a handful of spells. Again, it doesn't take long at all.

 

[Reynard]

So like playing a psionic character in 3.5e or Dreamscarred Press for PF1? It's honestly no slower than playing a spell-slot full caster class. Fantasy AGE also uses a spell-point system, but it has nowhere near as many spells as D&D. Characters typically specialize in thematic traditions (e.g., fire, ice, protection, fate, etc.), which come with a handful of spells. Again, it doesn't take long at all.

If you add an extra layer of decision making, you are, by definition, going to increase the time it takes for folks to make decisions -- especially folks who already have issues with option paralysis.

Which leads me to my next unpopular opinion:

Not all players should play all games, or classes within games. If you are bad at organization and decision making, you shouldn't play a caster or other complex character.

 

[MGibster]

The biggest problem with D&D magic generally is not that it is Vancian, but rather that it is not grounded in traditional folk magic. There are far too many things it allows spellcasters to do which are traditionally considered very hard and epic magic, as opposed to things like divination and subtle blessings and curses that are considered easy magic.

I don't really consider Vancian magic a problem unless I'm specifically wanting to do something that isn't D&D. If I wanted to run a Wheel of Time campaign, D&D's system really wouldn't work well for that regardless of how powerful or weak the spells are. D&D's spells are too rigidly defined. In addition to Vancian magic, there's also the clear divide between Divine and Arcane magic which doesn't exist in every fantasy setting. In fact, I think it mostly exists in fantasy settings influenced by D&D.

 

[Thomas Shey]

While I've considered D&D magic arcanely (sic) specific, well, pretty much from the time I first played it, the truth is any pre-canned magic system is not going to work for some settings you want to do. You really need to have either a build-your-own-magic-system (Hero, EABA) or a collection of magic plug-ins (GURPS) if you want to do that. That doesn't mean some magic systems seem to fit a wider range of settings, but just being specific is not, in end, not an understandable problem.

 

[Aldarc]

If you add an extra layer of decision making, you are, by definition, going to increase the time it takes for folks to make decisions -- especially folks who already have issues with option paralysis.

What's the extra layer of decision? Do I cast the spell that costs X spell points or not? Or do I cast the spell that expends X spell slot or not? It just pivots the decision making from slots to points rather than adding a layer.

 

[Reynard]

What's the extra layer of decision? Do I cast the spell that costs X spell points or not? Or do I cast the spell that expends X spell slot or not? It just pivots the decision making from slots to points rather than adding a layer.

Spell point system usually come with choices like boosting strength for more points, etc.

 

[Alzrius]

Spell point system usually come with choices like boosting strength for more points, etc.

The "augmentation" options for 3.5 psionic powers come to mind.

 

[Voadam]

What's the extra layer of decision? Do I cast the spell that costs X spell points or not? Or do I cast the spell that expends X spell slot or not? It just pivots the decision making from slots to points rather than adding a layer.

More options to choose from with resource management considerations.

5e casters have a defined X number of top level spells and Y number of level one slots.

Point casters can have a variable number of top level and first level spell options in a day. If they put all their points in top level ones they can do more than a standard 5e caster, but then are out of lower level spell options. If they chose to cast first level spells instead of free cantrips, they can do this a lot more than 5e standard casters, but at the cost of their higher level spells in that day.

A standard 5e caster can use their first level spell slots on intermediate encounters without it impacting whether they have their top spells for the boss fight. Spell point casters have more considerations going into the binary cast or not decision.

 

[Aldarc]

Spell point system usually come with choices like boosting strength for more points, etc.

Sorry, but that's just moving the goal posts of the argument. We can also talk about how spell slot systems can also come with their own set of subsystems and choices too, but that isn't the original point.