D&D 5E (2024) The Great Wizard Extinction.

[Amphytrion]

The spellbook

They can certainly do better than that.

 

[bedir than]

Its not that flavorful.

Mostly you get spels and your class features do stuff with those spells.

Sorcerers get spelks outside their class spell lists or dex÷cha to AC.

Clerics get channel divinity, potent spellcasting, better weapons and armor. All clerics get the option of wisdom to cantrip danage.

Druids get spells plus subclass features.

Bards get spells, class abilities and bard dice extra resources.

Wizards are boring, resource starved and underpowered by comparison espicially tier 1.

I mean, you are comparing a single core class feature, one with an extreme amount of flavor that enables more than just the way you learn spells (only by levelling) to every other classes full feature list.

The spellbook is flavorful. Every wizard and scroll you encounter is an opportunity to learn, to delve into the magic of the world. It's a chance to meet new wizards through their words, to learn how they scribe that is different than how you scribe. Is it candles? Or a knotted rope? Maybe it's a forever long scroll or a written in a language you don't know except for channeling the craft? Your book could be a collection of tales or poems. Maybe it's a thick tome.

They cast the rituals that are dismissed by combat-centric players out of it, with ease.
Studying the book helps the Wizard recover magical energy, that's how intertwined the book is with what the wizard is.

Subclasses can spells into the book for free, without effort because they are connected to the learning.

We'll skip the 18 and 20 powers, because that level is so rarely achieved (I wish the 18 was at 5th).

Spellbooks are wrapped in flavor, but long-time players seem bored with flavor that is more than 20 years old.

 

[ECMO3]

They buffed the hell out of the other spellcasting classes. Except Cleric.

Healing is a lot more powerful in the 2024 Cleric.

 

[ECMO3]

Wizards are boring, resource starved and underpowered by comparison espicially tier 1.

I would not say they are underpowered, especially the way Tasha's Laughter was buffed.

 

[Zardnaar]

I would not say they are underpowered, especially the way Tasha's Laughter was buffed.

Tashas laughter is an origin feat away if you care enough.

Very low opportunity cost as well for a warlock to aquire it. And command. And a druid spells and 6 cantrips.

 

[ECMO3]

Tashas laughter is an origin feat away if you care enough.

Very low opportunity cost as well for a warlock to aquire it. And command. And a druid spells and 6 cantrips.

Yeah but Wizards get it for free without needing any of that, and that spell is OP, so saying a Wizard is underpowered when they have access to it is a bit of a stretch.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yeah but Wizards get it for free without needing any of that, and that spell is OP, so saying a Wizard is underpowered when they have access to it is a bit of a stretch.

Warlocks also get it.

And its that good I consider the various magic initiate feats as S tier.

Tashas Laughter, Chromatic Orb, Command, bless, hell even sleep.

 

[Chaltab]

In my experience, Wizards are quite powerful. Most of that comes from their versatility. They usually aren't the one doing the most damage, but their spell list gives them among the broadest effectiveness.

The Wizard in my recently-ended Spelljammer game had to leave a while before we brought the game to a close and the change to the party dynamic was huge and noticeable.

 

[Zardnaar]

In my experience, Wizards are quite powerful. Most of that comes from their versatility. They usually aren't the one doing the most damage, but their spell list gives them among the broadest effectiveness.

The Wizard in my recently-ended Spelljammer game had to leave a while before we brought the game to a close and the change to the party dynamic was huge and noticeable.

What level though? 5E i assume as well.

2E wizard leaves you're in trouble.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

For me, the wizard fails to grip me theme/flavor wise, and outside of one or maybe two subclass feature for some of the subclasses, most of them don’t really feel all that different from each other. Even if the one subclass feature is a really good one.

Almost every time I have tried to create a wizard character, I end up gravitating towards another caster that I feel fits better. Only the Bladesinger really captures my attention when I do stick with wizard.

Then of course you have the issue of wizards hogging many spells that really…should be on other caster spell lists. But since their large list of spells is really their only really important feature, they can’t really share without making them feel more…underwhelming.

I want to stress that I am aware that the class is pretty strong mechanically due to its vast spell list. But the feeling of playing the class and it’s subclasses just seems ….lackluster to me.