Wizards - Too Powerful?

[Dagger75]

In my long dead high level game I had the misfortune of having a 20th Druid AND Cleric and a fighter/barbain in the party. The Druid and the cleric where very powerful. A 20th level druid could beat a 20th level Cleric INHO.

BUT

A 15th level Wizard nearly destroyed this group. High level wizards are powerful but as a player and a DM I expect this. Wizards have always been very powerful. But it VERY hard to get that kind of power.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

A wizard (or any other PC) is only as dangerous as the player running it makes it and the DM permits.

And even though Wizards can be easy to abuse, a smart DM or player can counter them, sometimes with ease, if properly prepared.

Things almost all Wizards hate to encounter:

Invisible Assassins

Magical Silence

Opponents that shrug off magic

Opponents that can get close to them

other Wizards

Why? because any one of those could kill them quickly.

 

[Crothian]

A wizard (or any other PC) is only as dangerous as the player running it makes it and the DM permits.

And even though Wizards can be easy to abuse, a smart DM or player can counter them, sometimes with ease, if properly prepared.

That's true for any class though. Lots of people seem to think X is too good or too weak, but they rarely see the varibles that are the people playing, the campaign being played in, and the DM's style. All three facotrs can make calsses too strong and too weak. And just comparing the classes without those three varibles is useless since you can't play a game without them.

 

[Thanee]

The trick in comparing them is to leave the variables in, but to keep them variable.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Celebrim]

I've never had a Wizard survive long enough to become a problem. Wizards just simply break too easily. Also, I've heard complaints that Wizards have to burn too much XP to be viable, causing them to lag other classes.

In 3.0 I'm fairly certain that Cleric was the most powerful class hands down. Lately, the people that play 3.5 tell me that Druid is the new most powerful class.

At low levels, Fighter is the most important class in the party, but fighter starts to fade around 9th level or so and eventually gets passed by the spell casting classes. I here alot of complaints that high level fighters just can't compete. I see ALOT of fighter/rogue mixes - usually leaning heavily on one class and splashing the other.

 

[ThirdWizard]

The death of the fighter is highly exagerated.

Though, I will admit that because of a lack of high level feats, eventually they peter out unless you either create new feats for them or go into other books with new feats. And, they gain a lot from multiclassing past level 8 or so. Enough to make it manditory? No, but I admit it is very appealing.

The group I DMed for had a fighter cohort in a game back in 3.0 who we forgot to level habitually, and he still performed very well. I would say the wizard character died 3x as often as that fighter.

Wizards just die randomly...

 

[Space monkey]

At low levels, Fighter is the most important class in the party, but fighter starts to fade around 9th level or so and eventually gets passed by the spell casting classes. I here alot of complaints that high level fighters just can't compete. I see ALOT of fighter/rogue mixes - usually leaning heavily on one class and splashing the other.

I'm fairly certan that it would depend on what the fighter did, if he just used reguler weapons and such then yes he would get weak but once you start giving him magic armer and weapons and such. he can cut down a high level mage. who can't wear the armour or wield those weapons. give him armour that negates magic and a sword that gives him all sorts of fun things and see where he goes.

in the Dragonlance(chronicles) novels it says something aloung the lines of mages need to rest, to read there spell books and an army does not. in this case a group of fighters can beat a group of mages. that and fighters are more commen, easer to come by.

In truth the most powerfull thing is a well ballanced party

 

[Seeten]

My WIzard has brutally effective self preservation techniques, like Form of the Zombie, Kiss of the Vampire, Invisibility, Improved Invisibility, Fly, and a host of others. Starting off all serious fights with form of the zombie has been wildly effective, as has, 1) Hiding under the Wagon 2) surrounding myself with zombie/skeleton protectors 3) Having a Cleric Cohort dedicated to healing me and buffing me

Honestly, if you work the system, you are practically invincible. =)

 

[beaver1024]

That's true for any class though. Lots of people seem to think X is too good or too weak, but they rarely see the varibles that are the people playing, the campaign being played in, and the DM's style. All three facotrs can make calsses too strong and too weak. And just comparing the classes without those three varibles is useless since you can't play a game without them.

Not to mention how far from core rules their campaign deviates. I mean if you have a house that says fighters gets XPs at 150% the rate of everyone else would you say that fighters are overpowered?

 

[Aust Diamondew]

While wizards are quite powerful I have 3 words for you: Cleric and Druid. They are more versatile and just as powerful spell wise as a wizard is.

Though I feel all of the other classes still have their nitch more or less.