On the other hand you can play the odds. There are times when scouting as the rogue is detrimental. All they can do is play the odds.
A scouting rogue tend to have their odds distinctly in their favor. Especially if they're drow, as they can bring the darkness with them. Same for shadow monks but independent of race.
And if they get caught, they have a much better chance of simply neutralizing the scouts than the familiar that gets caught which would only be able to, best-case, retreat.
At times yes. First the shadow monk and the rogue can not fly. Or slip through tiny spaces.
The arcane trickster rogue can. But if we're excluding third-casters for some reason, both of those have abilities that let them elevate themselves easily.
The shadowmonk can teleport in areas of dim light. And if they're a high-elf shadow monk, they can use prestidigitation to snuff out nonmagical light while using darkness to dispel most magical light sources like a continual flame. Then, they can teleport.
So: Fighter and wizard are both unspecialised at stealthing. And because of the presence of one spell that doesn't even use a spell slot you want me to compare the wizard with the two most strongly stealth-focused options in the game. I think that speaks volumes about the difference in adaptability, don't you?
If a wizard chooses to use up their spellbook pages for a stealth-focused spell and they prepare it for the day and are able to use it well, then they should be rewarded for it. That makes a satisfying loop for a wizard that masters it.
The fighter can adapt to a stealth-like mission too, though not as drastically. But it's not like the fighter player is surprised that they aren't stealthing as optimally as the rogue or the wizard with good stealth spell options prepared. It's not like a fighter's features are completely hidden. A fighter character knows what the class is giving them. They're choosing to forgoe being the stealthiest character in the game. Which is fine. But they're not necessarily helpless in all stealth missions.
The familiar is never detrimental. Sometimes it is better to not use it and instead either park it on your shoulder or dismiss it. But that doesn't make having the option detrimental unless there's an actual trade-off.
There is a trade-off. Putting aside the fact you have to get yourself 10gp worth of charcoal to cast the spell, you need to also allocate a spells known and an hour to cast it. An hour and ten minutes if you're using it as a ritual. Which can be costly when time is of the essence.
A rogue is okay to scout immediately, inherently, and efficiently.
Indeed. And there is no reason it shouldn't.
Cost v Demand. You may demand it, but clearly it wasn't necessary for 5e's success. Could you promise that it would be worth their while?
The question is what doesn't? Why do you want other people to not have fun playing what they want to?
How does keeping the fighter as-is hindering your fun? You can simply ignore the class.
If they can suggest reasonable ways to simplify the barbarian I'll support them. One of the two issues here is that the fight-only musclehead is more barbarian than fighter. The other is that variety is good.
And what if you don't find it reasonable?
What gives your judgement such weight and priority?
