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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sacrosanct" data-source="post: 7157225" data-attributes="member: 15700">Angel summoner/BMX bandit is usually the first example people give of imbalanced PC classes, and I will admit I only played 3e off and on (I stuck with AD&D).  That being said, what I've found almost exclusively in these scenarios is that certain parts of the game are glossed over in the favor of the caster.  Notably things like preparing spells, components, and spell interruption.  Even in 3e, you still can only prepare a limited number of spells (unless you were a sorcerer, in which you were limited in other ways on spell choice).  There is no way a player can prepare the perfect spells for all of the scenarios in that session.  Their PC simply doesn't have enough slots to learn all the perfect combat spells and interaction spells and exploration spells, let alone how would the player know what to prepare.  Then even if they did, do they have all or the required components?  And do the monsters ever attack him or her when casting a spell in combat to interrupt them?  And how does the player know how many encounters are going to be expected (meaning, how do they know how many spells they can cast that encounter and how many should they keep in reserve due to the unknown)?  IME, what I've seen is parties cater to the caster's needs even if it goes against the natural flow of the game.  I.e., "Well, we need to rest because I blew all of my spells."  If you're doing that, then no wonder casters seem so powerful, because you're placing them as more important as anyone else by catering to them.  Not to mention another thing I see a lot: PCs being able to rest whenever they want, AKA the DM pausing the game world when PCs decide to rest, which shouldn't happen.From what I know of your brief scenario, what I have seen almost always happen is that the player is using out of character knowledge to know what they are going to expect during that session that their PC never would, and selects spells based on that.  *OR*, they ignore spell prep altogether and cast from their entire list of spells.  They also demand the party cater to their resting needs as well, and almost never use components or spell interruption.I don't play 4e, so I can't comment on that.  However, I hear a lot how 4e was the most balanced game mechanically, so I imagine there aren't a lot of people claiming it's game breaking.IME, whenever someone has to wait until level 11, or 12, or whatever to reach their "uber build", they are lacking quite a bit all the way up until that point because while everyone else is getting extra feats, attacks, etc, they are still struggling to get to their multiclass requirements.  And since playing from level 1 to level 12 is the largest amount of time most gamers play, I don't see huge issues with someone being behind everyone else for 75% of their gaming to be better at 25% of their gaming time.  Similar to AD&D and magic users.That all being said, without knowing more exact details, PCs that are built towards maximizing DPR are much weaker in other areas.  So if your style is to focus on combat way more than any other pillar, it's no wonder why the combat DPR build seems to be overpowered.  I don't know their exact builds, but I'd be curious to know why they could be so much better at interaction as well as everything else over every other PC.  Your cleric should be way better as things like WIS saves and battlefield control.  Also, like I replied in this post above, it seems as though the party is catering to that player.  That PC requires the bard to cast spells on him, and the sorcerer to cast spells on him, etc.  I'm guessing you probably also rest when that player says, "Well, I'm out of my bonus AC uses for my bladesinger ability."  When you're catering to a PC, and the other PCs are buffing him, that's not really a balance problem of the mechanics.  That's a behavior issue of the players.  I.e., you're choosing to make him super uber by helping him out.  Nothing wrong with that of course if that's the tactics you want, but you can't really get upset at a problem that you had a hand in creating yourself as a group.</blockquote>

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