D&D 5E Niche protection: the wizard’s niche

[TaranTheWanderer]

weird question but what is "Sage"? Like, is that divination spells? Or are you talking about high History, Arcana skills?

I like Wizards as the 'problem solver' out of combat: teleport, divinations, magical traps. Thinking outside the box to solve problems. So, I'd say Utility for that but if Sage is a diviner then I'd say that's definitely an important niche.

 

[Corinnguard]

Battlefield Controller. In 4e, controllers focus on affecting multiple targets at once, either damaging or debuffing them, or altering the battlefield's terrain. Unfortunately, this term covers more than one of the niches mentioned in the poll.

I think what you are looking for here is concept.

 

[Lanefan]

This so completely depends on the type of Wizard; even more so as there's no specific Illusionist or Necromancer or Summoner subclasses.

The one commonality is that IMO buffing should be left for Clerics.

For a "standard" Wizard?

Controller? Maybe.
Damage Dealer? Yes. And I mean hells yeah. What's the point of playing a Wizard if I can't blow things up?
Leader or Face? Completely dependent on each individual's characterization, and on who within that party (if anyone!) best suits the role.
Summoner? Maybe.
Sage? In arcane matters, yes. Otherwise, open question.
Utility? Yes.
Scout? Again, depends on what else a given party might have going for it. In one party the flying Wizard might be the best scout they have, while in another they've got a Ranger for ground scouting and a Druid-as-bird for aerial.

More broadly, neither 'leader' nor 'scout' are really any specific class' niche.

 

[Minigiant]

Countering

Not battlefield control but...
Countering what someone else does.

The wizard's massive spell list is used to counter strategies. AOE vs groups. Kill spells for single bosses. Target saves on high AC foes. Target AC on high saves foes. See the magically hidden. Hear from those silenced with death. Travel to where is far. Fool who must be hidden from.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Controller and controller only would be nice.

But the official answer is 'has a big spell list with no consideration for what those spells actually cover'.

 

[Leatherhead]

The wizard's unofficial niche is to take the heat for all balance issues in the game.

 

[Scribe]

Based upon the early results, my Utility Controller wins in a landslide.

 

[overgeeked]

Based upon the early results, my Utility Controller wins in a landslide.

Except the bit where battlefield controller has more votes.

 

[Scribe]

Except the bit where battlefield controller has more votes.

Thats the Controller part, yes. I voted for it.

 

[Vaalingrade]

The wizard's unofficial niche is to take the heat for all balance issues in the game.

That'd be the notion that the fact that they shipped an unbalanced game is the fault of the DM for not completely rewriting the game they paid for.