D&D 5E what is difference between Wizard, Sorcerer and Warlock?

[Plane Sailing]

Falcon, you haven't replied to the post by pkt77242 yet.

Have you read the Players Handbook for 5e?

Have you read the free PDF of the rules?

Knowing what you have got up to will help people judge how to answer your question better.

Thanks

 

[aramis erak]

what does all that stuff mean?

A wizard learns what he can from books and reasearch. He can become quite widely capable by unfettered library access. But he has to have his travelling book to hand to change spells at all.

A sorcerer has a very limited repertoire. But that repertoire is innate. No matter what, he knows those spells, and can cast them as his slots recharge. He's more flexible with the spells he does know, but can't learn outside spells from books. Only as his personal and unique insights into magic grow (ie, his level) does he gain further spells, and those not by study.

A warlock is the classic "Witch/Warlock" - his inherent magic is weak, but he boosts it by making a deal with a supernatural power other than a deity. In so doing, he gains rather potent spells, but few of them. In theory, this makes him the most potent; in a spelljammer or planescape game, however, he's the most fragile, for if he goes somewhere his patron is cut off from, he's going to lose it all... (But the rules do not at present reflect this possibility).

 

[Hand of Evil]

How they walk into a bar...

A wizard walks in with books.
A sorcerer with baggage (family/blood).
A warlock with a friend (good or bad).

 

[Psikerlord#]

To answer the OP, the 3 classes are all arcane magic spell casters.

Wizard is the most versatile. You can learn any spell from PHB under the wizard category, and wizard has the biggest spell list to choose from. Wizard spells recharge after a long rest. You can also cast any ritual spell in your book at any time, even if you dont prepare it. No other class does this. Wizards are "full casters" which means they are a top tier casting class, in that they cast a very high number of spells per long rest recharge. With the right spells, wizards are the most versatile class in the game.

Sorceror has a smaller spell list to choose from, and they know a fairly limited number of spells. They are "full casters" like a wizard. They do get spell points however, which allow limited fiddling with spell effects like doing a bit more damage, or casting a spell as a bonus action rather than a full action. Sorceror spells recharge after a long rest. I would say sorcerers tend to be fairly specialized, but not as much as warlocks.

Warlocks cast very few spells per short rest (2 up to level 10, but note their spells recharge on a short rest, rather than a long rest, this can be very important, depending on the adventure). They are not "full casters" like wizards or sorcerors. They know a fairly limited number of spells similar to a sorceror. Warlocks however get a bunch of "at will" style invocation powers which are supposed to help make up for their very few full power spells they get every short rest. I would say warlocks are the most specialized of the three classes.

Basically, if there are no other arcane casters in your party, you could choose any of these three classes and do awesome. If there are other arcane casters in your party, you should probably talk to them about what spells they are going to take, so that you dont "double up" too much on the same resources. I mean you can double up, but generally I think you get more value taking different abilities.

The only way to really understand all the differences however is to read all the classes, and then read all the spells available to both. Quite an undertaking! Good luck!