Fanaelialae
Legend
I voted tiers of play.
As I see it, the biggest issue for the fighter is that while a high level wizard is effectively a demigod, the high level fighter is essentially a normal guy with a sword (albeit, one who is exceptionally good with that sword).
This often gets wallpapered over in actual play thanks to magic items. High level magic items make a fighter significantly better than they would otherwise be, not only improving on their existing options, but also often expanding them (breadth and depth).
However, take away those magic items and the disparity becomes readily apparent. This is an issue because not all DMs award magic items in the same way. I've played under DMs who were ultra-stingy with magic items, Monty Haul DMs, DMs who seeded their campaign with completely random items, and those who created bespoke items custom tailored to the PCs. Based on my experience, a wizard will be fairly stable in their ability to contribute across all of those campaigns, whereas the fighter's contribution will vary wildly depending on which of those campaigns they are playing in.
It's not something that can be fixed by magic items schedules, like those from 3.x, because IME the stingy DM will simply ignore those guidelines. Moreover, when magic items are assumed by the rules in that way, it makes their acquisition feel like a treadmill. It's less exciting to find a +3 sword to replace your +2 sword, because you were expecting to get that upgrade around this level anyway (and if you don't get it, then many players will start to feel like the DM is cheating them by denying them something the rules intend for them to get).
As such, I would like to see high level fighters be demigods as well (but a fightery, not wizardy, expression thereof). Which I think falls under tiers of play. There's nothing wrong with wanting to play Conan, but I can't recall a Conan adventure with a mage in the "party" who was equivalent to Rand al Thor at the end of the Wheel of Time (basically, a demigod). There'd be no point for Conan sticking around in a story like that, unless the writer manufactured one. As a DM, I look for chances to let the PCs shine, but being forced by the rules to manufacture such opportunities is another thing entirely.
As I see it, the biggest issue for the fighter is that while a high level wizard is effectively a demigod, the high level fighter is essentially a normal guy with a sword (albeit, one who is exceptionally good with that sword).
This often gets wallpapered over in actual play thanks to magic items. High level magic items make a fighter significantly better than they would otherwise be, not only improving on their existing options, but also often expanding them (breadth and depth).
However, take away those magic items and the disparity becomes readily apparent. This is an issue because not all DMs award magic items in the same way. I've played under DMs who were ultra-stingy with magic items, Monty Haul DMs, DMs who seeded their campaign with completely random items, and those who created bespoke items custom tailored to the PCs. Based on my experience, a wizard will be fairly stable in their ability to contribute across all of those campaigns, whereas the fighter's contribution will vary wildly depending on which of those campaigns they are playing in.
It's not something that can be fixed by magic items schedules, like those from 3.x, because IME the stingy DM will simply ignore those guidelines. Moreover, when magic items are assumed by the rules in that way, it makes their acquisition feel like a treadmill. It's less exciting to find a +3 sword to replace your +2 sword, because you were expecting to get that upgrade around this level anyway (and if you don't get it, then many players will start to feel like the DM is cheating them by denying them something the rules intend for them to get).
As such, I would like to see high level fighters be demigods as well (but a fightery, not wizardy, expression thereof). Which I think falls under tiers of play. There's nothing wrong with wanting to play Conan, but I can't recall a Conan adventure with a mage in the "party" who was equivalent to Rand al Thor at the end of the Wheel of Time (basically, a demigod). There'd be no point for Conan sticking around in a story like that, unless the writer manufactured one. As a DM, I look for chances to let the PCs shine, but being forced by the rules to manufacture such opportunities is another thing entirely.