D&D 5E 5e Sorcerer versus Wizard, which is better?

[TwoSix]

1) Look at the list of spells that a Wizard gets that a Sorcerer doesn't. If you see a set of spells (at least 4-5) that you'd like to use on a regular basis, go Wizard.

2) At level 10, you'll have 14-15 spells prepped as a wizard, as opposed to the 11 you'll know as a sorcerer. Is there a large core of spells you think you'll mainly be using, or do you think keeping 6-7 core and the rest swapping as needed better suits your playstyle? Favoring a stable core of spells leans towards sorcerer, needing more versatility favors wizard.

3) You kind of answered this, but do you want to multiclass? Sorcerers are one of the best MCing classes, Wizards among the worst. Your desire for more spell versatility and higher level spells tells me that you'd rather single class, which would favor wizard.

4) Does your party have a ritual caster? If not, that heavily favors wizard.

In general, I like wizards better as pure spellcasters, and sorcerers better as a spellcasting chassis for specific concepts. I still prefer sorcerers, because I like the challenge of maximizing a limited selection of spells, but wizards are pretty fun too.

 

[DM-Rocco]

1) Look at the list of spells that a Wizard gets that a Sorcerer doesn't. If you see a set of spells (at least 4-5) that you'd like to use on a regular basis, go Wizard.

2) At level 10, you'll have 14-15 spells prepped as a wizard, as opposed to the 11 you'll know as a sorcerer. Is there a large core of spells you think you'll mainly be using, or do you think keeping 6-7 core and the rest swapping as needed better suits your playstyle? Favoring a stable core of spells leans towards sorcerer, needing more versatility favors wizard.

3) You kind of answered this, but do you want to multiclass? Sorcerers are one of the best MCing classes, Wizards among the worst. Your desire for more spell versatility and higher level spells tells me that you'd rather single class, which would favor wizard.

4) Does your party have a ritual caster? If not, that heavily favors wizard.

In general, I like wizards better as pure spellcasters, and sorcerers better as a spellcasting chassis for specific concepts. I still prefer sorcerers, because I like the challenge of maximizing a limited selection of spells, but wizards are pretty fun too.

I don't mind multiclassing if it's going to have some cool benefit. I just don't want to sacrifice the ability to get higher level spells as soon as possible at this point because I'm hoping the campaign will go up to level 20 but who knows it might Peter out at level 12 and then I'll never get chance to cast those spells and have fun with them.

I'm kind of leaning in favor of the wizard but I'm trying to figure out what the best build is going to be if I go sorcerer vs. Wizard. I read Mistwell's guides on both sorcerer and wizards and I initially went with the sorcerer because I wanted to dip into Warlock and become blasty. Sure I would be sacrificing a crap ton of damage on average but I feel like going to just a straight-up sorcerer or a straight of warlock is going to be a lot more fun.

Right now I did take my only single feet on a 6 level sorcerer second level warlock as ritual Caster. I love the ability to have all of those Spells at my beck and call as a sorcerer. And obviously it's a huge advantage that the wizard automatically gets that to start.

I guess I'd like to hear other people's experiences playing 10th level or higher sorcerer is intense level or higher Wizards and what subclasses you chose and what kind of fun things you were able to pull off with those classes and that's probably going to influence me more than anything else

 

[DM-Rocco]

Okay, found this useful thread.

Sorcerer spells wizards don't get:
Daylight
Dominate Beast
Earthquake
Enhance Ability
Fire Storm
Insect Plague
Water Walk

 

[DM-Rocco]

Wizard spells sorcerers don't get:
Alarm
Animate Dead
Antimagic Field
Antipathy/Sympathy
Arcane Eye
Arcane Lock
Astral Projection
Bestow Curse
Bigby's Hand
Clone
Conjure Elemental
Conjure Minor Elementals
Contact Other Plane
Contingency
Continual Flame
Control Water
Control Weather
Create Undead
Demiplane
Drawmij's Instant Summons
Dream
Evard's Black Tentacles
Fabricate
Feeblemind
Feign Death
Find Familiar
Fire Shield
Flaming Sphere
Flesh to Stone
Forcecage
Foresight
Geas
Gentle Repose
Glyph of Warding
Grease
Guards and Wards
Hallucinatory Terrain
Identify
Illusory Script
Imprisonment
Legend Lore
Leomund's Secret Chest
Leomund's Tiny Hut
Locate Creature
Locate Object
Longstrider
Magic Circle
Magic Jar
Magic Mouth
Magic Weapon
Maze
Melf's Acid Arrow
Mind Blank
Mirage Arcane
Mislead
Modify Memory
Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound
Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion
Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum
Mordenkainen's Sword
Nondetection
Nystul's Magic Aura
Otiluke's Freezing Sphere
Otiluke's Resilient Sphere
Otto's Irresistible Dance
Passwall
Phantasmal Killer
Phantom Steed
Planar Binding
Prismatic Wall
Programmed Illusion
Project Image
Protection from Evil and Good
Rary's Telepathic Bond
Ray of Enfeeblement
Remove Curse
Rope Trick
Scrying
Sending
Sequester
Shapechange
Simulacrum
Stone Shape
Symbol
Tasha's Hideous Laughter
Telepathy
Tenser's Floating Orb
True Polymorph
Unseen Servant
Vampiric Touch
Wall of Force
Wall of Ice
Weird

 

[DM-Rocco]

So I think i like the idea of all the wizard's spells. So what subclasses and races and feats does everyone like and why?

 

[Esker]

Yeah, after 9th level in particular, I think wizards start to run away with it, unless you're a dedicated blaster, for the simple reason of spell selection.

5th level spells: Wall of Force. The best spell for any class at 5th level, IMO. And for good measure, Bigby's Hand. For 5th level spells I think the sorcerer's best comeback is maybe a heightened Hold Monster, though if that's what you want, there's always the Enchanter, who can twin it without spending anything, let alone half their daily allotment of one of their most important resources.

With 6th level spells, the Sorcerer maybe has a bit of an edge: the wizard has contingency, which is useful, but the sorcerer can use empowered spell on a chain lightning, or a heightened or twinned disintegrate. But let's be honest, you're probably better off using that slot on a Mass Suggestion, which either one can do, or even just an extra Wall of Force. And if you like disintegrating things (without legendary resistance), you really want to be a diviner who has a low portent die in their pocket.

7th level spells: The wizard gets Forcecage and, if you're that sort of player, Simulacrum. Again, the sorcerer's edge is in blasting: they get Fire Storm, and empowered spell to use with it. I guess they can also twin/heighten plane shift (but again, diviners will often have a low portent die).

8th level spells: The wizard gets Maze, which is great, and Illusory Dragon. The sorcerer gets like four options. I guess their best option is Dominate Monster, again heightened or twinned. But again, Enchanter can twin cheaper, Diviner can (often) heighten better.

9th level: Well, either one is most likely using that slot for Wish. But, the wizard gets Prismatic Wall, True Polymorph, and Foresight! Psychic Scream could benefit from metamagic, but, look, it's an enchantment spell again!

And I haven't even mentioned utility spells. If that's any kind of priority, it's truly no contest.

Starting at 10th, single classed, I think I'd play an enchanter, if I were interested in those single target debuffs. I might take one level of fighter for some self-protection. If I wanted to focus on a broader array of spells with saving throws, then Diviner, obviously. If I wanted to specialize in battlefield control spells that don't target creatures directly, then probably War Magic (initiative and concentration boosts). If the campaign were going to spend significant time at 14th and up, and I wanted to just be able to mess with the entire world, then Illusionist would be the way to go.

If I just wanted to blast things, then I might go sorcerer, although even there, the evocation school's Sculpt Spells feature is way better than Careful spell. You don't get as good a damage boost as the sorcerer gets, but better to actually be able to use your big blasts without killing your friends.

 

[Arvok]

Gnome is the way to go for wizard because of the Intelligence bonus (the Fatbeard in me still thinks gnomes should only be illusionists, but that's my problem). The +2 to Intelligence isn't huge, but over the course of an adventuring career (or even a few sessions) a +1 to hit on spell attacks and a 5% better chance of enemies failing their saves will add up.

Second place would be high elves with a +1 Int and +2 Sex (for AC). The extra cantrip also gives you some flexibility.

For feats I love Spell Sniper. You get a damage-dealing cantrip and double the range of all attack-roll spells and ignore 1/2 and 3/4 cover. The Lucky feat is also a great one. If you choose the Diviner subclass, the Portent ability can be fun for you and infuriating for the DM.

 

[Esker]

For feats, if focusing on battlefield control, you really want Alert as early as possible. If going debuffs with saves, probably just boost intelligence before taking any feats, but the usual recommendation of Resilient CON or a dip in fighter would be good (starting at 10th, I think I'd take Resilient over War Caster); Alert is good there, too, but can wait longer. And you may as well take Lucky at some point.

So unless you're specializing in spells without saving throws, you'll want 2x INT boost (assuming a race with at least a +1), Resilient CON, Alert, and Lucky, in some order. If you're going to pick spells that don't depend as much on INT, and/or you are going variant human, you could add War Caster to double up on concentration buffs. If you don't want to take 1st level in Fighter, you could go Hobgoblin so you qualify for Moderately Armored and can carry around a shield.

If the variant winged tiefling is on the table, take it and run. Or, I guess, fly.

 

[Mistwell]

I of course read your awesome take on both classes in your break down, so your opinion really matters to me

Not sure if sarcasm?

 

[Esker]

Not sure if sarcasm?

I didn't read it as sarcasm at all.