Rebalancing Spellcasting 5e

[Pex]

There is a fine line between this being appropriate and this being an inappropriate and monumentally selfish approach.

It is fine as long as a casters big thing does not diminish what another players big thing is. If another player's big thing is doing damage and meteor swarm overshadows that then one players big thing is spoiling the experience if someone else. If a players big thing is absorbing damage and a high level spell stops that damage then one player being inconsiderate spoils the fun of another player. If a player plays a ranger to guide the party accross the wilderness and that gets skipped through a teleport spell then that player doing their thing is taking away from the fun of someone else at the table.

Any analysis that only looks at that one player and what that player wants is bound to be flawed. Likewise an analysis that looks at the encounter that was, rather than the encounter that would be in the absence of high level spells is similarly problematic.

It isn't just winning or losing but ensuring that every player has a chance to shine during that process but also that they have a chance to shine at equally dramatic and narratively important points. Who ever is running the game needs to look after the fun of the whole table and not just one player.

Wizard casts Meteor Swarm? Wonderful. All the hoard of mooks are dead. The BBEG and Lieutenants of the fight are singed. The barbarian rages and attacks one, getting in its face and pummeling it probably with great weapon master. The paladin charges at another one smiting it to death. The fighter goes after a third one using his Maneuvers and Action Surge. The ranger snipes away with his bow picking off any of the BBEGS or Lieutenants who somehow survive the warriors' wrath. The rogues kites in and sneaks attack one. The monk runs in stunning one, perhaps to help the paladin land his smite blows.

Maybe the wizard Mazes the BBEG of the fight. Wonderful. Everyone else kills the mooks and all pummel the BBEG when he returns. Hooray, the wizard was MVP of that fight. Everyone is happy. The wizard player is allowed to be MVP of a fight. In another fight it will be another player. There's no reason to resent spellcasters having their turn in the limelight.