Why are wizards always getting nerfed?

[Celtavian]

re

Wizards are ultimately about preparation. It takes a very good player to maximize the power of a wizard. If all you want to do is blast with magic, you are better off playing a sorcerer. You will be less powerful than a wizard, but you will be better at dealing damage.

I personally have played many wizards in this edition and previous editions of D&D. They are always the most powerful class in the party at high levels. You just need to know how to maximize their capabilities.

A wizard should be like a chess player. The other PC's are pieces on the board. The wizard must determine when and where to best use abilities to assist those pieces. Sometimes that may mean being in the spotlight by blasting a bunch of enemies to bits, but at other times it could be as simple as using an illusion or a hold spell to temporarily immobilize an enemy or enemies.

Personally, even with all the changes, I have zero trouble making huge contributions to my group's combat success. I have yet to see a version of the wizard that was nerfed into obsolescence. The wizard is still as potent and capable as they ever were.

 

[Darklone]

Cyraneth, just another try at showing you something about your saves:

Check out the MM how many 15HD monsters have one or two saves at +1 to +5.

Sit down and calculate how the wizards save DCs go up with level. And please don't forget to include the higher spell levels he's able to cast. Hmmm, since you failed to do so till now, here it is again:
Your average Joe Gravedigger has one good and two bad save progressions. A good save progression increases by one every second level, a bad one increases by one every third level.

Considering that a level 1 char usually has a +6 (+2 base save, +4 attribute) on his best save ... while the wizard probably has save DCs of 15... Wow, the wizard scarcely has a 50% chance to knock a char out given the worst case spell vs. save scenario.
A wizards save DCs go up by 1 every second level. Wow, as good as the best save of his opponent.

The wizard will get a higher spell level every second level. He will most likely put all his stat increases (or at least most of them) into his main attribute and purchase the most expensive items to increase INT. His victim has several disadvantages:
- He cannot choose which save the wizard will aim at. (Here we see an advantage for the prepared wizard)
- He has to use money that he could otherwise use to enhance his class abilities for defence. E.g. the three +6 statboosters like here used for the saves.(Good for the wizards defence).
- You said a poor wizard has to spend a lot more feats on his DCs. Most wizards I know, especially the specialists, are happy with two feats on their main school and rely on no save spells from other schools. Three feats to raise your saves... I do give more feats as usual in my games, yet noone has taken more than one save buffer feat yet. Your average PC will rather want to get the new TWF feats for sneak attack goodness or have you asked your paladin if he has some spare feats?

Have you ever had a paladin in your group with Cha lots above 20? And have you heard that player complain about how often he fails his saves?