D&D 5E Have you seen "Squished Leveling" in DND?

[evilbob]

Are you playing with the 2024 rules? Because that is flat not the case. It's around levels 8-20 that full casters start to catch up to classes like monk, fighter, and barbarian. In some circumstances. If it's a combat heavy campaign, the balance is still heavily tilted.

At level 5, 2024 martials crush full casters.

This is also my experience. To be fair: martials work best with caster supports and CCs; but LRs, advantages vs spells, and things like Globe of Invulnerability nerf casters hard while martials have basically guaranteed advantage to hit and resistances do nothing. Martials are now always performing at peak while casters sometimes do, which makes them consistently strong.

 

[el-remmen]

I kept 6th through 9th level spells in the form of class abilities that allow the spell caster to access them at a cost and/or risk and/or responsibility. And usually can only be used once per long rest (depending on the specific class/form of access)

Bard: Songs of Power
Cleric: Quest Spells
Druid: Druidic Communion
Mage (my squishing of wizard and sorcerer, which become subclasses): Old Magic
Warlock: Mystic Arcanum