Improving Wizards... Effective or Overboard?

[Kyutaru]

I have a group of heavy roleplayers, deeply enthralled by the various fantasy literature and films that have come about over the year. One thing that was ever the issue in 3rd edition was the fact that metamagics effectively were hit or miss and offered too little a boost for some powers to be worth the spell slot. But they existed too as a balancing point for certain features like arcane spell failure.

Now those weaknesses are gone and replaced by a much dwarfed spell slot pool. The importance of such metamagics has become more about the flavor than the power, at least so argues the wizard player. Supplying examples such as Gandalf and Harry Potter in showing off what a wizard should be able to do, the following suggestions were offered that I'm uncertain on.

Is this too much power for a Wizard? Or does it simply let him roleplay an advanced attunement with magic?

New Class Features
Level 5: Auto-Metamagic Eschew Materials
- At fifth level, a Wizard no longer has any need of collecting berries and bat poop. He fuels his spells with pure raw energy. A complex gesture and a few spoken words are all he requires.
Level 10: Auto-Metamagic Silent Spell
- At tenth level, a Wizard no longer requires a verbal component for his spells. A simple flick of the wrist, an arcane gesture, and the spell forms into being. Provides more time for his monologue so he may taunt the enemy with his obscene intelligence.
Level 15: Auto-Metamagic Still Spell
- At fifteenth level, a Wizard no longer requires a somatic component for his spells. Wizards of this caliber are capable of manifesting magic purely through thought and concentration. Even bound and gagged, such an Archmage is still a formidable opponent and it requires more than simple means to deprive the wizard of his arcane faculties.

[fishyfishyfishy]

Wizards in fantasy literature are not always the same as wizards in D&D. If your player wants to use metamagic effects let them rebuild their character as a sorcerer. It's much closer in the fluff to how he/she envisions their character. I advise against the abilities presented in your post as homebrew in this early stage-before we even have the dmg- is unlikely to be balanced due to everyone being unfamiliar with this new system.

EDIT: To expand on my point a bit, Wizards in Harry Potter have inborn magical power. They must be taught to use their magic effectively and hone their skill, but it is not something just anyone can try to master. You have to be born with the power. That's very much like a D&D sorcerer.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

those are pretty powerful, since Silence, Restrained, and similar effects are intended ways to combat wizards.

RP wise its very dangerous since its difficult to neutralize such a wizard- you have to kill them.

Also, pretty sure Gandalf and Harry Potter both did motions and verbiage...

if spell components are a sticking point, the character can always use an Arcane Focus instead.

[Uldric]

An Arcane Focus were also important in Harry Potter (wands) and to Gandalf (staff).

[MadGrady]

I have a group of heavy roleplayers, deeply enthralled by the various fantasy literature and films that have come about over the year. One thing that was ever the issue in 3rd edition was the fact that metamagics effectively were hit or miss and offered too little a boost for some powers to be worth the spell slot. But they existed too as a balancing point for certain features like arcane spell failure.

Now those weaknesses are gone and replaced by a much dwarfed spell slot pool. The importance of such metamagics has become more about the flavor than the power, at least so argues the wizard player. Supplying examples such as Gandalf and Harry Potter in showing off what a wizard should be able to do, the following suggestions were offered that I'm uncertain on.

Is this too much power for a Wizard? Or does it simply let him roleplay an advanced attunement with magic?

New Class Features
Level 5: Auto-Metamagic Eschew Materials
- At fifth level, a Wizard no longer has any need of collecting berries and bat poop. He fuels his spells with pure raw energy. A complex gesture and a few spoken words are all he requires.
Level 10: Auto-Metamagic Silent Spell
- At tenth level, a Wizard no longer requires a verbal component for his spells. A simple flick of the wrist, an arcane gesture, and the spell forms into being. Provides more time for his monologue so he may taunt the enemy with his obscene intelligence.
Level 15: Auto-Metamagic Still Spell
- At fifteenth level, a Wizard no longer requires a somatic component for his spells. Wizards of this caliber are capable of manifesting magic purely through thought and concentration. Even bound and gagged, such an Archmage is still a formidable opponent and it requires more than simple means to deprive the wizard of his arcane faculties.

The 5th level one is not really required if the player chooses to use an arcane focus - which replaces material components. This is upheld in literature (Gandalf had his staff, Harry had his wand, etc).

Removing somatic components is not as big an issue (imho) as removing the verbal components. Even Harry had to speak his spells, and Gandalf always whispered something as he was about to cast a spell (with some exceptions).

RAW already has that the somatic components can be used with the same hand as the material/arcane focus, so just flavor that away.

I would keep the verbal requirement, however.

[Kaiisaxo]

I have a group of heavy roleplayers, deeply enthralled by the various fantasy literature and films that have come about over the year. One thing that was ever the issue in 3rd edition was the fact that metamagics effectively were hit or miss and offered too little a boost for some powers to be worth the spell slot. But they existed too as a balancing point for certain features like arcane spell failure.

Now those weaknesses are gone and replaced by a much dwarfed spell slot pool. The importance of such metamagics has become more about the flavor than the power, at least so argues the wizard player. Supplying examples such as Gandalf and Harry Potter in showing off what a wizard should be able to do, the following suggestions were offered that I'm uncertain on.

Is this too much power for a Wizard? Or does it simply let him roleplay an advanced attunement with magic?

New Class Features
Level 5: Auto-Metamagic Eschew Materials
- At fifth level, a Wizard no longer has any need of collecting berries and bat poop. He fuels his spells with pure raw energy. A complex gesture and a few spoken words are all he requires.
Level 10: Auto-Metamagic Silent Spell
- At tenth level, a Wizard no longer requires a verbal component for his spells. A simple flick of the wrist, an arcane gesture, and the spell forms into being. Provides more time for his monologue so he may taunt the enemy with his obscene intelligence.
Level 15: Auto-Metamagic Still Spell
- At fifteenth level, a Wizard no longer requires a somatic component for his spells. Wizards of this caliber are capable of manifesting magic purely through thought and concentration. Even bound and gagged, such an Archmage is still a formidable opponent and it requires more than simple means to deprive the wizard of his arcane faculties.

Sorry, but that is already infringing on the sorcerer's schtick. You know the only class that was allowed to remove spell components, but can only do it a few times a day, and needs that same resource to power up all other unique abilities and slot recovery unlike a wizard who has all that for free, and gave up 29+ extra spells known, the ability to ever learn more, at will magic at higher levels and lots of utility spells in order to be able to do that. The ability to cast nonstop while bound and gagged has been traditionally been a sorcerous thing to do -along with the ability to just beat a wizard with a spear that was taken away this edition-

Not that it matters much in your particular table, but if you give in to this you are basically makingthe sorcerer moot, so you better remove it too.

[Dark Tira]

If you're going to implement this I'd suggest having it replace Arcane Recovery. It puts it on a more even footing with the sorcerer in trading spell slots for metamagic-like effects.

[Easy_Lee]

Bear in mind wizards are the most powerful individual entities (besides big bads) in both Harry Potter and LoTR. Might not be the best way to balance your wizards.

Some might argue wizards need more spell slots, or a wider selection of spells in certain schools. I'd be more agreeable to something like that than giving them more class features.

[MadGrady]

Bear in mind wizards are the most powerful individual entities (besides big bads) in both Harry Potter and LoTR. Might not be the best way to balance your wizards.

Some might argue wizards need more spell slots, or a wider selection of spells in certain schools. I'd be more agreeable to something like that than giving them more class features.

Agree - I would love to see something like domain slots for chosen arcane schools as a representation of there more extensive study in that area

[Easy_Lee]

Agree - I would love to see something like domain slots for chosen arcane schools as a representation of there more extensive study in that area

That'd be a fantastic idea.

[EvilAnagram]

Is this too much power for a Wizard? Or does it simply let him roleplay an advanced attunement with magic?

First, yes, it's too powerful. He's asking not only to gain Sorcerer metamagic options at no cost, but to ignore the opportunity costs associated with those abilities. This is on top of the fact that the Wizard is arguably the most powerful class in 5e anyways.

If he wants to roleplay someone who has gained a natural atunement to magic and can use metamagic, then he can multiclass into sorcerer. This isn't just a neat RP mechanic. It's him asking to be broken as hell for munchkining.

[Slipperychicken]

Level 5: Auto-Metamagic Eschew Materials
- At fifth level, a Wizard no longer has any need of collecting berries and bat poop. He fuels his spells with pure raw energy. A complex gesture and a few spoken words are all he requires.

They never needed to do that anyway in 5e. Arcane foci (i.e. wand or staff) let them cast without inexpensive components.

[edge2054]

As others have pointed out the Arcane Focus already covers not using material components. If he wants to use magic without other components he can dip sorcerer to grab metamagic or you could just let him reroll Sorcerer as it seems to fit his ideas better.

Alternatively, let him pick up two metamagic abilities and a single sorcery point via a feat. Let him recover the sorcery point on a short or long rest. (This is basically copying the Martial Adept feat).

But I certainly wouldn't give it to him for free. Wizards are the swiss army knife and in the hands of a capable player are one of the strongest classes in the game.

As an aside, Gandalf is a Maia and not a mortal being. Essentially a lesser angel or nature spirit. If I sat down and put stats to him I'd probably use Druid or Sorcerer to represent his divine nature, rather than Wizard.

[MaxWilson]

If you wanted to make this a separate school of magic (Metamagic, as opposed to Divination/Necromancy/etc.) I'd say "Go for it!" Seems fairly balanced as long as the 5th level ability isn't eliminating the need for specialized material components that cost gp. If you wanted to make this stack on TOP of wizards' school specialization, I'd say, "Why do you think you should get three free class features for nothing?"