Sadras
Legend
I didn't say Vancian could only be understood by expert players.
I said that Vancian magic tends to be overwhelming for new players and that it would be better to give them something simple to begin with (if they want to play a spellcaster).
I disagree. When a new player joins the group and the experienced players gently nudge him to play a melee character, its not the Vancian system that is overwhelming - it is rather the multitude of spells and how to use them effectively.
Whether you use a Spell Point system, Vancian or Spontaneous Casting it is still overwhelming for a new player to play a caster. That changed with 4E, however 5E does not appear to be using the same model.
So for me to blame Vancian as the complex mechanic seems like a poor argument to make, it would be best to say that casters are complex characters due to their options available through spells rather than a particular way one accumulates/stores spells (and they are squishy).
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