A wizard 'fix' I'm considering trying

[Kzach]

There may not be a big difference power-wise between acid arrow and sleep, but flaming sphere blows them both away.

A spell that can potentially take out up to nine opponents from the combat altogether, regardless of their power level, and effectively allow their deaths from constant coup-de-grace's every round, isn't considered powerful by you?

Good, it still isn't going to increase their power, only make them more versatile -- heaven forbid the class historically known for it's versatility should be more versatile than currently.

I've never considered a wizard to be all that versatile. If they have a massive collection of spells and sit down and select spells to perform a specific task, then yes they were versatile. But this wasn't the case in the midst of a combat. If they'd chosen spells for the day that were based around stealth and covert action, and were suddenly in a massive fight, they'd be underpowered and overwhelmed.

That's not versatility.

So giving them the option to adapt to any situation on the fly is not only making them far more powerful than any other class, but it's not even making them like they were in other editions.

Not only all of that, but wasn't the big complaint about wizards that once they got to certain power levels, they made everyone else redundant? Is that the versatility you speak of?

 

[Plane Sailing]

A spell that can potentially take out up to nine opponents from the combat altogether, regardless of their power level, and effectively allow their deaths from constant coup-de-grace's every round, isn't considered powerful by you?

Potential != likely. Typically it will only take 1 in 4 of its targets out (given ~50% hit and ~50% save chance).

Not only all of that, but wasn't the big complaint about wizards that once they got to certain power levels, they made everyone else redundant? Is that the versatility you speak of?

I don't know where the meme came from that wizards made everyone else redundant. That was Clerics and Druids from 3e (with their huge range of healing, hurting, buffing and defensive spells).

Anyway, lets steer back on topic, eh?

Thanks

 

[Rel]

So it sounds like you want to allow the Wizard this flexibility without the cost of a feat (which I don't really have a problem with). What is the fluff angle you're shooting for?

I mean is the idea that the wizard studies all the contents of his spellbook and is prepared to cast any of them but only has the power to do the daliy once per day? Or does he prepare a certain spell as Wizards of the past have done but has the ability to prepare another one on the fly?

 

[Plane Sailing]

My fluff angle is that the wizards have a certain magical capacity in terms of daily powers, and they can expend that capacity to create a magic effect at certain levels (e.g. 1st level daily, 5th level daily). They have a choice of the manner in which they expend that capacity, and they can choose from any of the spells which they 'know' at that level - i.e. the ones in their spellbook (although to be honest I only mandate spellbooks for rituals. I was reading fantasy before D&D was invented, and all the wizard stories I read and liked had wizards that just 'did stuff' and didn't have any vancian connotations at all.

Cheers