D&D General Why Do You Think Wizards Are Boring?

[EzekielRaiden]

I think you could import the DDC wizard and magic right into your 5E game. Best of both worlds!

Based on the reference to "corruption rolls," no, I don't think that would be up my alley.

 

[Zardnaar]

Another point is a lot of players dont really get into the ritual thing or know about it. That's more of an online meta PoV.

So for casuals less powerful and less interesting. Versatility might be great but twinned haste or whatever is sexy.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I like the magic system in Beyond the Wall with its split between
no-damage Cantrips, low level Spells per day and powerful Rituals, skill based with chance of backfires

It's hard to go wrong with Beyond the Wall generally, but this is one of the many things it gets right.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Based on the reference to "corruption rolls," no, I don't think that would be up my alley.

You say that now, but the second head that will eventually grow out of your wizard's neck might feel differently.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You do know that Reserve Feats were the 3.5e mechanic that led to 4e's At-Will attacks, right?

Yes, that much was immediately apparent. But they did so without the Reserve Feats’ demand for resource management (both in character design and in gameplay).

Worse (IMHO) 4Ed At-wills existed for virtually every character in the game, so that the unique challenges of choosing & using a RF were no longer a spellcaster-only thing.

Those Draconic Heritage/etc. feats gave you the freedom to be weird with your spell picks, because you could always fall back on damage options if needed. Reserve feats would give you effectively inexhaustible cantrips so long as you keep an appropriate spell memorized. Etc.

Yes, exactly.

Game design which encourages value judgment as the primary drive of character-building is, in general, preferable to game design which encourages mere calculation.

Not sure I’m following your point.

 

[cbwjm]

Wizards used to be cool and scarily obsessed with studying forbidden magic and lore. And then we advanced in editions and they became more like technicians selecting which tool works best for the job. They lost their flavor and became technocratic professionals instead of obsessed, slightly terrifying loners.

That's the sad thing with the wotc editions, they diluted the wizard by splitting themes across classes. You no longer needed the gift of magic to cast spells, that became the sorcerer and forbidden knowledge was snapped up by the warlock. Granted, I do still use the requirement of inborn talent for wizards as a background element, but I feel like I might be in the minority.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Yes, that much was immediately apparent. But they did so without the Reserve Feats’ demand for resource management (both in character design and in gameplay).

That was the best part for me. It's just a thing you can do because that's what you do. You never stop being whaty ou are and have to fall back on basic attacks.

The problem is that cantrips are now pretty much nothing but attacks unless you're a warlock with the right invocations and also the One Flavor Spell each type of magic gets.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I might summarize my feelings by saying they demystified the mystical.

I don’t feel that way to the same extent about warlocks or sorcerers.

Hey! I am smart! I study a lot at school. There are a lot of us: so many we fill schools like Harry Potter. And we just get what we want when we want. Finding a scroll? Meh. I get the spell I want next level.

It is not terrible it just is not evocative to me in the way warlocks are.

In the end it’s just a feeling I have and not universally or even broadly held. But I can say I used to play magic users in 1e and just have not at all in 5e.

Maybe in time I can pretend harder and will play one again (shrug)

 

[Hussar]

I don’t see why wizards get damage spells plus cantrips. You’ve already got decent damage with cantrip. Why then get this huge bump with endless damage spells.

So much of the game would be better if casters lost all damage spells.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I might summarize my feelings by saying they demystified the mystical.

I don’t feel that way to the same extent about warlocks or sorcerers.

Hey! I am smart! I study a lot at school. There are a lot of us: so many we fill schools like Harry Potter. And we just get what we want when we want. Finding a scroll? Meh. I get the spell I want next level.

It is not terrible it just is not evocative to me in the way warlocks are.

In the end it’s just a feeling I have and not universally or even broadly held. But I can say I used to play magic users in 1e and just have not at all in 5e.

Maybe in time I can pretend harder and will play one again (shrug)

I've started playing an halfling diviner recently, picking only ritual spells and inoffensive spells like illusions and divinations spells. No damage, barely any way to affect negatively foes.

So far its pretty interesting. I've a solution for many situation...if you give me the time. I cant just snap my fingers and make a challenge disappear.

Its been pretty interesting so far.