D&D 5E Why Has D&D, and 5e in Particular, Gone Down the Road of Ubiquitous Magic?

[S'mon]

I don't mind pew-pew wizards; my only complaint is that for me 5e really wrecked Paladin & Ranger by giving them spells from 2nd level. The spell-less 4e Ranger I loved, as I did C&C's spell-less Bard, Paladin & Ranger. 4e Paladin good too, it uses divine powers but doesn't feel like a 'spellcaster' the way my 5e Paladin does. I hate it that I feel I should be choosing a spell load-out every day as if I was a Cleric; it's extremely un-Paladiny. I use 90% of my spell-slots for Smiting but then I worry I'm not pulling my weight in the party by buffing (Bless), healing etc - I worry my 5e Paladin isn't being a good Cleric, because WotC built him as a Cleric with a side-order of fighty.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I think the at-will cantrips make it seem more "Potterverse", more than anything else.

It's driven, I expect, by the McDonald's Effect.

People like to play casters (because, magic - it's a fantasy game after all), and as such they want their character to be magical, and that means being able to cast spells. As the default response to most things, from attacking monsters to locked doors to stubborn shopkeepers.

In previous editions, written in a different time with different assumptions and expectations of the real world to today, the concept of 'serving your time' as a fragile one/two shot caster with a Saturday night special crossbow as protection was acceptable, because paying your dues and then reaping rewards of your investment was worth it, and an accepted 'thing', culturally.

However, nowadays, people - especially the younger generations, but including us older folks who've got used to it, expect everything pretty much on demand - coffee just the esoteric way we like it, food fast and plentiful and ready to eat on the go in a much less formal way than before (hence the McDonald's Effect). As time has gone on we expect other things on tap too - wifi, your OS to boot in a moment, instant communications via email rather than waiting for the post, instant gratification via Likes rather than waiting to tell your mates that cracking joke you thought of the next time you see them, etc.

And so, when we play a game, having stopped by en route to grab a quick burger and fries and a cappufrappumoccachino with unicorn milk and chocolate dusting sustainably handmade by blind Gabonese virgins, and check our phone to say hi to our best friend who is shark hugging on a boat 100 miles off the coast of Vanuatu, why would we then sit down at a table and be happy to play a fantasy character who can cast one magic missile before quivering in fear for the rest of the session?

No, we want to cast spells with as little consideration as we send texts. Because the real world allows us to fulfil so many things from the get go, the fantasy world we choose to inhabit should provide the same freedom.

Before the inevitable hairshirtists declare their preference for the older way of doing things, if that's your preference, fine. But OP asked a more metaphysical why. Games reflect the culture they serve. As such, the McDonalds Effect.

I'm just off to make myself one of those cappufrappumoccachinos.

And for those of us who deeply dispute your fundamental premise--that there is no such thing as patience in our culture, even though things like Homestuck exist and have been compared to difficult and esoteric works like Finnegan's Wake--yet agree that a cultural shift has occurred?

Because I'm getting reaaaaal sick of the "the modern world has poisoned our ability to exhibit basic virtues" argument. It's existed since Plato, you know. Books are destroying our ability to think! And it was as bunk then as it is now.

I don't mind pew-pew wizards; my only complaint is that for me 5e really wrecked Paladin & Ranger by giving them spells from 2nd level. The spell-less 4e Ranger I loved, as I did C&C's spell-less Bard, Paladin & Ranger. 4e Paladin good too, it uses divine powers but doesn't feel like a 'spellcaster' the way my 5e Paladin does. I hate it that I feel I should be choosing a spell load-out every day as if I was a Cleric; it's extremely un-Paladiny. I use 90% of my spell-slots for Smiting but then I worry I'm not pulling my weight in the party by buffing (Bless), healing etc - I worry my 5e Paladin isn't being a good Cleric, because WotC built him as a Cleric with a side-order of fighty.

Oh, believe you me, I hear you on the Paladin front. It bothers me to no end that, at least for my tastes, they somehow managed to thread the needle with the Paladin's design: it's somehow powerful (even by my very critical standards) and yet terribly dull.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Having ubiquitous magic is a good way to justify having a third of the Player's Handbook made up with spell lists.

With regards to 'spell-less Rangers' and the like from 4E, did they have Powers or not? Aside from the nomenclature, most of the spells tend to do the same thing as the powers did. Maybe the issue is just in calling them 'spells'.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

I never said there is no such thing as patience. You're putting words in my mouth. I refer to an overall trend, not an absolute about-face.

But to deny that times and expectations - especially expectations from a leisure pursuit - have changed; and that games change to reflect that - is to be wilfully obdurate.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I've never thought of the wizard as focusing on magical spells.

That's a matter of perception, and I find yours to not seem very clear considering that you acknowledge that they are the class with access to the "best" magical spells - but you omit that in every other case of what they have (historically speaking, since it isn't as true in 4th and 5th edition as the editions before those) it is the least of what any classes get.

Smallest hit dice. Fewest armor and weapon proficiencies. Worst THAC0/BAB scaling. Even the worst saving throw progression in the TSR era.

They get spells, albeit the "best" selection, and they get (basically) nothing else - I can't think of anything other than focus to call that.

 

[CapnZapp]

So, what is it?

Giving players what they want.

Nobody wants to play the frail old man wizard who stands around doing nothing and then BOOM fireball.

And by now, everybody has seen what the spellcasters can do and wants magic themselves.

Also, if it's magic you don't have to explain it. Much easier for WotC to give out magic to fighters and rogues than give them supernatural abilities to do cool stuff, since people bitch a lot if you can do stuff 4E style.

Besides, the game DOES support the old school low magic approach.

Just make 90% of heroes select either the Champion or Thief archetype, and you're set.

What you won't get, however, is a game with lots of non-magical subclasses: you might want your players to not have cool stunts, but your players sure do.

And the 4E debacle has clearly shown that "it's magic" is the most acceptable way to accomplish that.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Magic has been more or less ubiquitous since the release of 3E so we shouldn't be surprised that 5E continues in this direction. I enjoy old school play, and now that D&D classics has every TSR system and support material available for non-collector prices, there really isn't any reason why we all can't play the system we want when we want.

Yeah I would have done 5E a bit differently but its no use trying to change it. When I want magic to feel a bit more rare and special I have OD&D, B/X, and AD&D ready to play. WOTC is no longer holding the classic editions behind closed doors. New material for these old systems is being produced by OSR publishers all the time. This is a great time to be a gamer because of the wealth of options we all have to choose from.

So I say let 5E drip with ubiquitous magic! Let every character attack with fireballs from their eyes and bolts of lightning from their arse. There are other games that provide different play experiences. Those of us looking for those experiences can play them.

 

[Hussar]

Because you can make any effect you want without needing to figure out why. You don't need to figure out why you can launch a Fireball or summon a bunch of animals. You teleport into a shadow because it's fun, and don't need to justify it.

I wonder how much of this is the point. It's just so much easier to make everyone a caster and not have to worry about people getting huffy about where the effects come from. A cleric dropping Bless seems to be a lot less objectionable than a class that non-magically buffs allies.

But for the love of god I don't want to turn this into a Warlord thing. A caster that causes enemies to move is fine. A fighter doing the same thing causes all kinds of angst.

 

[mellored]

I don't mind pew-pew wizards; my only complaint is that for me 5e really wrecked Paladin & Ranger by giving them spells from 2nd level. The spell-less 4e Ranger I loved, as I did C&C's spell-less Bard, Paladin & Ranger. 4e Paladin good too, it uses divine powers but doesn't feel like a 'spellcaster' the way my 5e Paladin does. I hate it that I feel I should be choosing a spell load-out every day as if I was a Cleric; it's extremely un-Paladiny. I use 90% of my spell-slots for Smiting but then I worry I'm not pulling my weight in the party by buffing (Bless), healing etc - I worry my 5e Paladin isn't being a good Cleric, because WotC built him as a Cleric with a side-order of fighty.

I agree. They missed some opportunities by making so many use magic in a daily / slot /spell fashion. A ranger and paladin closer to a monk or warlock would of fit better.

Still uses "magic" as an excuse, but they feel much different to play.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

I think it's a matter of focus and identity.

In Game of Thrones, mages are exciting because the scene only has to focus on them at those rare times when they are casting big, flashy spells. Their identity as mages is clear.

In D&D, you're playing your mage all the time. The scene doesn't cut to another character for all those rounds and hours and days when your mage isn't casting spells. So in order to feel like you're playing a mage, you've got to be casting spells all the time. D&D (and other fantasy games) are just getting better at recognizing this distinction between what they do and what books and movies do.