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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ccooke" data-source="post: 6273377" data-attributes="member: 6695890">But even if you can do that in 5e, the end result is incredibly different to the end result of the 3.5e version described - but more importantly, to a 5e melee character.Let's assume your single classed wizard is a Mountain Dwarf, so they have access to warhammers and medium armour. Getting heavy armour is a single feat away, then. Let's take a look at this 20th-level Wizard compared to a 5e 20th-level Fighter.In the 3.5e example, with +17 BAB the fighter/wizard/etc monstrosity would attack as +17, +12, +7, +2 - four attacks each round. Your single-classed Mage character will have... one. Ever. Which means that for all their ability to hit things about as often as a Fighter, you're still crippled for melee damage unless you spend more resources on it. You could use up all of your feats to be a more solid melee combatant - maybe grab the Dual Wielder feat, maybe Polearm Master to make your staff a double weapon. Even so, you'll never get as many attacks as a Fighter would be able to, and most of the options will make your spells weaker (Two Weapon Fighting with two melee weapons means you can't be carrying a magic focus, so your spells no longer get your proficiency bonus to hit or to their DCs. The only magic focus in the game that can be used as a melee weapon is a staff). You will never be able to add an ability score to off-hand weapon attacks, either. Which means that you will never* make a single-classed Mage that's a combat-monster of the same type as a Fighter. That's not saying you can't make an interesting single-classed melee mage. The False Life spell is great, for instance, since it gives you 1d4+4 temporary hit points, +5 per spell slot level above 1st. You'd need to sink all your feats into it, but with a careful spell selection (avoiding spells with hit rolls or DCs) you could create a fun and interesting character. They just won't be able to deal anywhere near as much damage as a Fighter. * Yes, WotC could ruin everything with a load of overpowered feats. They've done it before. But when they've done it before it's been later in the game's lifespan and my groups have always just stuck to core material.</blockquote>

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