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<blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 8856570" data-attributes="member: 3400">I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with the wizard class as far as its own structure goes. There are 2 things I think have been or have become particularly problematic:1) Too broad a spell list. In 5e it's less of a problem than it was becoming in 3e. But there seems to have been an idea that if it's a magic spell (unless clearly just a cleric/druid thing), it belongs on the wizard list. That bloated the hell out of the list and, at least in 3e, gave them spells that should have been better balanced just on a more thematic list. Fortunately, this seems to be less of a problem in 5e and I hope it stays that way.2) Saving throws have fundamentally changed from 1e. And I don't mean shifting to 3 stat-based ones then 6 stat-based ones. I mean the way they used to be dependent on hit dice/level of the target alone and got progressively harder on the spell casters as they got more powerful and fought level-appropriate targets. That made the save or die spell the king when it could be a frustrating crapshoot in 1e/2e. In 1e, by the time a caster got 5th level spells, spell saves against critters with the same HD were a 50/50 check (assuming the fighter saving throw matrix for the target). In 5e, the ability to crank up the DC from the wizard side is toned down from 3e days, but the target's saves tend to be particularly weak.One possible solution: beef up saving throws of monsters. Then you can reintroduce the bloodied condition and give the target disadvantage on saving throws once they hit it. Then the save or end encounter spells work better after the monster is softened up first.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="billd91, post: 8856570, member: 3400"] I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with the wizard class as far as its own structure goes. There are 2 things I think have been or have become particularly problematic: 1) Too broad a spell list. In 5e it's less of a problem than it was becoming in 3e. But there seems to have been an idea that if it's a magic spell (unless clearly just a cleric/druid thing), it belongs on the wizard list. That bloated the hell out of the list and, at least in 3e, gave them spells that should have been better balanced just on a more thematic list. Fortunately, this seems to be less of a problem in 5e and I hope it stays that way. 2) Saving throws have fundamentally changed from 1e. And I don't mean shifting to 3 stat-based ones then 6 stat-based ones. I mean the way they used to be dependent on hit dice/level of the target alone and got progressively harder on the spell casters as they got more powerful and fought level-appropriate targets. That made the save or die spell the king when it could be a frustrating crapshoot in 1e/2e. In 1e, by the time a caster got 5th level spells, spell saves against critters with the same HD were a 50/50 check (assuming the fighter saving throw matrix for the target). In 5e, the ability to crank up the DC from the wizard side is toned down from 3e days, but the target's saves tend to be particularly weak. One possible solution: beef up saving throws of monsters. Then you can reintroduce the bloodied condition and give the target disadvantage on saving throws once they hit it. Then the save or end encounter spells work better after the monster is softened up first. [/QUOTE]

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