I present the Old School Vancian Mage. It has been updated to 5e standards, and in some ways toned down to fit, but the feel should be about right.
Jack Vance wrote Novels inspiring the Magical system that evolved into the D&D Franchise, and the spell slot and daily system was duplicated by the very successful 8 bit video RPG Final Fantasy, back before everything switched to Magic Points/Mana. Vancian magic is by most standards horribly bad, and not for the feint of heart.
Some Key Features of the Vancian Mage
* Spells are Memorized and wiped when cast
* d4s are rolled for hit dice
* enemy magic resistance varies with level
* cantrips are no longer infinite
* Their fireball is really, really good
Vancian Wizards are Both Incredibly Broken, and Break Easily. Through some form of calculus they may be considered balanced, but that's not the point. By the time they are powerful enough to present a threat, they are grumpy, greedy, senile old men (and women) with all the drawbacks of venerability and enemy lists as long as a summer's day. It's a perfect class for your ornery uncle or a visiting grandparent who wants to show these young whippersnappers what for.
Special Note: For those with access to Hackmaster, all Hackmaster wizard spells, especially the banned ones (such as the 9th level Fireball, Nuclear Winter) are available to Vancian Mages and you may add them to your spell list with DM's permission. (You should add them anyway, write really small, and hide their bifocals until they forget they said "no".)
Jack Vance wrote Novels inspiring the Magical system that evolved into the D&D Franchise, and the spell slot and daily system was duplicated by the very successful 8 bit video RPG Final Fantasy, back before everything switched to Magic Points/Mana. Vancian magic is by most standards horribly bad, and not for the feint of heart.
Some Key Features of the Vancian Mage
* Spells are Memorized and wiped when cast
* d4s are rolled for hit dice
* enemy magic resistance varies with level
* cantrips are no longer infinite
* Their fireball is really, really good
Vancian Wizards are Both Incredibly Broken, and Break Easily. Through some form of calculus they may be considered balanced, but that's not the point. By the time they are powerful enough to present a threat, they are grumpy, greedy, senile old men (and women) with all the drawbacks of venerability and enemy lists as long as a summer's day. It's a perfect class for your ornery uncle or a visiting grandparent who wants to show these young whippersnappers what for.
Special Note: For those with access to Hackmaster, all Hackmaster wizard spells, especially the banned ones (such as the 9th level Fireball, Nuclear Winter) are available to Vancian Mages and you may add them to your spell list with DM's permission. (You should add them anyway, write really small, and hide their bifocals until they forget they said "no".)