The Fighter equalizer is the first strike, if a fighter can get close enough fast enough then he has at least a chance of putting down the spell caster. Another advantage is that Spell Casters for the most part would believe themselves above and more powerful than any mere mortal no matter ow well trained, arrogance could lead to toying with the fighter , and the fighter only needs a single attack, to give him sufficient time for enough followup blows to end the fight.
Two examples I can think of not very D&D but make the point.
X-Men 3
Wolverine is able to stab the demi-god Phoenix/Jean Gray , fighter beats mage because of psychological circumstances any other day he's fish food.
Another Classic example of this can be found in the anime moive SPRIGGAN
Where an elite spec ops fighter goes against a telekinetic child, the kid does a serious number on him on several occasions but the effort taxes him out allowing the fighter to finally overcome the kid in a last ditch effort. Stamina taxes out magic reserves. Arrogant kid could have killed him before but belives he was all powerful and didnt need to.
In my mind Fighter weaker than Mage on paper is fine because it is never as simple as Lv20 Fighter vs lv20 Mage ...BEGIN ! Besides what DM would use an unbeatable amge aginst a party of martial PC's ? and even if he did he'd make it possible through other means to come out with a victory or at least a stalemate.
We do not need X = Y
If this was an MMO then maybe yes we'd demand it but 4e always has the DM to ensure that X = Y does not matter and that the adventuring party will all be required and tested from time to time.
Two examples I can think of not very D&D but make the point.
X-Men 3
Wolverine is able to stab the demi-god Phoenix/Jean Gray , fighter beats mage because of psychological circumstances any other day he's fish food.
Another Classic example of this can be found in the anime moive SPRIGGAN
Where an elite spec ops fighter goes against a telekinetic child, the kid does a serious number on him on several occasions but the effort taxes him out allowing the fighter to finally overcome the kid in a last ditch effort. Stamina taxes out magic reserves. Arrogant kid could have killed him before but belives he was all powerful and didnt need to.
In my mind Fighter weaker than Mage on paper is fine because it is never as simple as Lv20 Fighter vs lv20 Mage ...BEGIN ! Besides what DM would use an unbeatable amge aginst a party of martial PC's ? and even if he did he'd make it possible through other means to come out with a victory or at least a stalemate.
We do not need X = Y
If this was an MMO then maybe yes we'd demand it but 4e always has the DM to ensure that X = Y does not matter and that the adventuring party will all be required and tested from time to time.