Wizards: Why so Weak?

[Cruiser1]

I like D&D, where most of the classes are reasonably balanced with each other or at least have their own unique role. One serious exception to this is the Wizard class, which is grossly underpowered. The Wizard supposedly fills the "mage" role. Unfortunately, it's by far the weakest spellcaster. For example:

• Clerics: They can cast like Wizards, however they can also heal. Clerics also have more hp and can wear plate armor.
• Druids: They can cast like Wizards, can heal like Clerics, and wear at least some armor. They also come with a powerful animal companion that can be a good source of damage.
• Sorcerer: They can cast more spells per day than Wizards (so they don't run out) and can cast spontaneously (so they have the right spell for the occasion).

People sometimes think Sorcerers are weak because of few spells known, however they actually know almost as many as the Wizard. A Sorcerer automatically knows about 2 spells per level (one of their highest level and another of the next highest). In this table, a Sorcerer 20 knows 34 spells between spell levels 1-9. The Sorcerer's ability to exchange known spells for others is also a nice ability. Wizards however also learn just 2 spells per level. Counting the 5 spells at level 1, a Wizard 20 knows 43 spells, which is hardly better than the Sorcerer. Besides, a Sorcerer can easily gain access to additional spells by using Runestaves from the Magic Item Compendium. Fewer spells per day combined with having to prepare (and frequently guessing wrong about what you need) means the Wizard is all but useless very quickly.

Yes, Wizards can add new spells to their spellbooks, however this is very expensive. First you have to buy a scroll, where high level scrolls are very expensive (3825 gold for most 9th levels). You lose the scroll when scribing from it, and you also have to pay 100 gold (per page) to actually add it to your spellbook. And all this assumes a high magic campaign where magic scroll shops are available to begin with. If a Wizard wants to know an acceptable number of spells, they need to spend a lot of their wealth on it, instead of gear to keep themselves alive. This brings us to:

Wizards have an Achilles' heel that can easily be taken advantage of. Steal their spellbook, and all the Wizards abilities (and most of their wealth) are gone as fast as Superman's abilities when he's exposed to Kryptonite. No other class can be neutralized as easy, where playing a Wizard requires bribing and begging the DM not to make you useless. A naked Fighter can still pick up a log, grapple enemies, or even do decent unarmed damage with their Strength bonus. A naked Wizard is nothing but a commoner and a drain on the party's trail rations.

Magic is very powerful in D&D. I'm not denying that. However every class has access to magic. The Wizard's magic abilities are limited, and can easily be equaled or exceed by other classes. Rogues make use of Use Magic Device, and every class can have use-activated and command word activated magic items. Sources like the Magic Item Compendium allow any character to spend their wealth on quality magic items and become a magic user.

In the duel contests held in the Battle of the Core Classes thread, the melee classes tend to win out over wimpy spellcasters. For example, the Fighter would win by using his WBL to buy magic items such as a Necklace of Fireballs, which he'd then throw at enemies to quickly kill them. A Wizard can buy a Necklace of Fireballs too, however the Fighter has more hp and better saves. Ergo, Fighter beats Wizard in duels.

Wizards aren't even that fun to play. It's annoying to have to pick spells to add to your spellbook, and then have to pick spells again each morning to prepare. A Sorcerer has to pick spells to know, but they can cast spontaneously. A Cleric or Druid has to pick spells to prepare, but they automatically have access to all spells. Only the Wizard is forced to choose in both cases. Although a Wizard may look interesting on paper, when actually played in a real game this "double whammy" makes it so the Wizard is rarely prepared for the situation.

Even a Wizard's so-called class "features" seem designed to make them weaker. For example, the familiar is easily killed, where its death makes you lose XP. Every other class only drops one level when dying. A TPK involving a Wizard can make the Wizard lose two levels, with their own death plus loss of XP from the familiar. This brings us to:

Wizards are simply fragile. Low hp, low saves, and no armor makes them an easy target. Intelligent monsters will target weak characters like the Wizard in order to reduce the number of players faster, meaning Wizards frequently tank monsters and take hits more often than melee characters. When the group is targeted with area effects, the Wizard is the first to fall. In other words, even if the Wizard was equal to other classes, the fact that the Wizard is usually a few levels behind the rest of the party due to dying so often negates that.

To restore class balance to our beloved game, I propose the following house rules to make the Wizard class not so underpowered:

• Wizards automatically have access to all spells on their spell list, like Clerics and Druids. Wizards no longer have spellbooks that hog up wealth and can be stolen.
• Wizards gain XP at a rate 50% faster than other classes, to help counteract how often they die.
• Wizard familiar death no longer results in loss of XP, where a new familiar can be summoned each day for free after a one minute casting time.
• Increase Wizard HD to d8, to keep them alive a little longer since every enemy seems to want to attack them.
• Allow Wizards to wear at least light armor and cast without arcane spell failure like Druids.

PS: Happy April Fool's Day everyone! ;)

[Grey Paladin]

RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Skjaldbakka]

hmmmph . . .

you're kidding, right? This is totally an April Fool's joke. I hope.

[Tempest Fennac]

I'm assuming this is an April Fools joke (mainly because of the white text at the bottom of the page). I'm going to act as though it isn;t because there would be no fun in ignoring it. While some of those are interesting points, a sane Wizard would stay away from danger as much as possible, and DMs usually don't screw with Wizard's spellbooks if they are any good due to how annoying it would be for everyone if that happened. Also, being able to pick spells can make them much more versatile then a Sorcerer (eg: a Wizard could chose to store 1 Break Curse if s/he thought they would need it, but a Sorcerer would need a scroll (learning the spell would be suboptimal unless it was needed a lot).

[Skjaldbakka]

huh. I missed that. I do occasionally mess with the wizard's spellbook, but not very often. If I do, it is meant to be a plot point, and I usually have an easy way to get a spellbook. The wizards spends a plot arc using a different set of spells than he usually does, then he gets his spellbook back, and winds up with a few new spells from the spellbook he had to "borrow".

Since they get new spells, and I am somewhat difficult when it comes to finding new spells, my players don't mind too much, as long as it doesn't happen often.

I ran one plot arc where spellcasters didn't recover spells for a few days. That didn't go over so well.

[Swordguy]

Ah, I see you read the article from Wizards.com about how they're planning to improve the Wizard class in 4th edition too. It's about time, frankly. I mean, the company is named after the class - you'd expect the class to reflect that singular honor by being able to pull its own weight.

[Nebo_]

It would have been funnier if it was subtle.

[Tempest Fennac]

I can see why that didn't get over, Skjaldbakka (unless your players hardly ever used spells or everyone was fine with waiting around for days in the middle of missions, it would get annoying). Admittedly, your spellbook idea sounds quite interesting. I've thought og another way to "rebalance" Wizards: make them use the Recharging Magic class variant: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/ma...hargeMagic.htm (it's the opposite of the spellcasters only being able to recover spells every few days).

[Cubey]

It would have been funnier if it was subtle.

It was subtle for me until I've read the proposed fixes.

[Rad]

Unfortunately the game balance is not perfect and some classes are just better than others. Getting some of the TWF abilities from the CW Samuray could be a better fix that allows you to preserve the great flavour tied to D&D spellcasting system.

[tyckspoon]

I like how there's just enough true stuff mixed in (like the overly harsh rules for a dead or even voluntarily dismissed familiar) with the exaggerations and mostly-lies to keep you guessing. A little obvious because of the length and references to the most-repeated arguments, but good show.

BTW, everybody knows the familiar penalties and near complete lack of penalties for lost animal companions.. hands up anybody who can say what the penalty for having a Paladin's Special Mount die is without going and looking it up.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

I can.

Also, I HATE this day.

[Skjaldbakka]

Well, it was only a few days because the resolved the plot in a few days. If they'd just waited, it wouldn't have fixed anything.

[Talic]

Unfortunately the game balance is not perfect and some classes are just better than others. Getting some of the TWF abilities from the CW Samuray could be a better fix that allows you to preserve the great flavour tied to D&D spellcasting system.

Hush your mouth! Core D&D is perfectly balanced in all classes and feats. Skill focus: Knowledge(nobility & Royalty), that's every bit as viable as feats like Power Attack.

Further, every class is perfectly balanced for use in both PvP and adventuring. I can't think of one class that has a less than average survival chance when played intelligently, with good use of skills and wealth by level.

[toysailor]

There are some legitimate points made until you got to your proposed improvements. It didn't seem plausible that its a serious post after that =)

I hate spell-book stealing DMs and crazy 1st-lvl-wizard-slaying housecats ><

Happy April's Fool =)

[Khanderas]

It would have been funnier if it was subtle.

Subtle don't work on the internet.
True story.

[Chronicled]

While your proposed fixes are admirable, I don't think that they do enough. Remember, even in core a wizard has to compete against classes like the monk. I think that, to keep pace with the monk, a wizard should get access to Polymorph and Divine Power at level 3. If that still seems underpowered, giving a wizard a free True Resurrection every level might help it compare to a monk's powerful class features of Use Magic Device and Diplomacy.

"Keep pace"--did you see what I did there? ... All right, bad pun.

[Kurald Galain]

It would have been funnier if it was subtle.

+1.

yadda yadda minimum letter count.

[bugsysservant]

Actually, there really are some valid points in there. Yes, it was a joke, but the wizard class really does have some Achilles heels. For instance, the XP that wizards are expected to spend often puts them behind in levels. Also, Wizard class features suck. Is it any wonder that virtually everyone PrC's out of wizard as soon as they can? Hell, WoTC even realized that and started making lower level PrCs, such as master specialist, so that people don't have to stay in the class as long. Personally, I'm in favor of merging the class features of wizard, and one of the most commonly taken PrC: incantrix. Not only would this provide incentive to remain in the class till at least level fifteen, but you're not nerfing yourself by doing so.

P.S. What the hell is April Fools day?

[Spiryt]

Unfortunately the game balance is not perfect and some classes are just better than others. Getting some of the TWF abilities from the CW Samuray could be a better fix that allows you to preserve the great flavour tied to D&D spellcasting system.

Bring in the Flurry of Blows!

[Lord Tataraus]

There are valid points in this argument, in fact look what wizards has to say about this topic as if pertains to 4e: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drdd/20080328

[Kraggi]

The problem is all those bonus feats fighters get, and how the monks get wisdom to AC. In a world with people using their fists and pieces of metal, fireball wielding folk don't stand a chance. But that's what happens when you put flavour and RPing over balance. It's a trade we all have to deal with.

[Zeful]

[...] Low hp, low saves, and no armor makes them an easy target. Intelligent monsters will target weak characters like the Wizard in order to reduce the number of players faster, meaning Wizards frequently tank monsters and take hits more often than melee characters.[...]

When you attribute intelligence to the player's enemies (and by extension the campaign world) the wizard class stops being a playable class.

[Tobrian]

Aw, I was cheering you on ("Damn straight! Preach it, sister!") until I came to the "To restore class balance to our beloved game..." part, then I realized it must be an April Fool's joke. I always fall for April Fool's jokes.


But seriously.... <rant> the wizard is the only class who who LOSES XP when he uses his class features: i.e. Scribing of Scrolls!
But the game designers explicitely stated in discussion of the classes that they screwed the wizard over and gave him less spells-per-day than any other full spellcasting class because wizards gets the Scribe Scroll feat for free, and they expect him to pick up the various magic item creation feats to supplement his magic.

What this boils down to then is, the wizard is stuck spending his hard-earned money and XP on making scrolls (single use items), wands and staffs (that run out), potions (another single-use item) and whatnot which mainly benefits the group while everyone else (maybe with the exception of the cleric, if said cleric took Brew Potion as a feat) spends their money on magic items. So if you play by-the-book, the wizard actually loses XP in a steady trickle, and falls behind. Unless he starts buying scrolls and wands from NPCs wizards, like his buddy the rogue does, but then what was the point of having all those crafting and scribing feats? Bleh. Hurray for Eternal Wands (from MIC); at least these work like an actual extra spell slots per day, filled with pre-selected spells.

Not to mention a DM can easily neutralize a wizard without stealing his spellbook: just use your DM powers to rul the wizard didn't get his 8 hours of uninterrupted quality-time sleep, oh sorry, "rest", or no hour to memorize afterwards. And there you have it.

</rant>

[Tempest Fennac]

Don't all classes use Exp. for making items except for Artificers to a degree? The difference is that Wizards get more feats, so they are more likely to pick item creation deats then a lot of other classes.

[Eldariel]

Hush your mouth! Core D&D is perfectly balanced in all classes and feats. Skill focus: Knowledge(nobility & Royalty), that's every bit as viable as feats like Power Attack.

Further, every class is perfectly balanced for use in both PvP and adventuring. I can't think of one class that has a less than average survival chance when played intelligently, with good use of skills and wealth by level.

Toughness beats them both though, which breaks the balance. And that's without even mentioning the brokenness that's Mobility! Also, Skill Focus: Knowledge (N&R) may be nearly as bad as Power Attack (I mean WTF, you lose To Hit for damage?! What good is damage if you don't hit?), Skill Focus: Decipher Script is totally broken. I mean, how is the DM supposed to hide anything from his players if they can decipher every piece of paper they get their hands on?

[Breaw]

Hush your mouth! Core D&D is perfectly balanced in all classes and feats. Skill focus: Knowledge(nobility & Royalty), that's every bit as viable as feats like Power Attack.

I know we're all being sarcastic and funny here, but I figured I should point out that in some campaigns I play roughly 50% of the time spent is political/detective work. Political situations specifically require successful Knowledge:nobility, bluff & diplomacy checks the first time.

+3 on a relevant role might not be as good as power attack, but I can certainly think of many worse ones (weapon focus for one :P )

To the OP: I think you underestimate some of the challenges druids go through in a typical gaming session. Sure being a lightning breathing dire bear might seem somewhat useful in combat settings, but what about town? Have you ever tried getting a clean room and a nice mug of beer at the local tavern as a a Lynx as all the mugs in the room glow white hot? It's not quite as easy as it sounds. And when the Barkeep has me escorted out of the building? I did the logical thing any druid would do! But did antiplant shell hold the villagers at bay? It didn't even slow them down! Maybe my DMs just a jerk.

Whatever, you should try a druid out some time, they can be pretty tough.

[Sir Giacomo]

Excellent OP!

From all imaginable perspectives!

- Giacomo

[KIDS]

It's teh Lightning Warrior, runz!!!

[Indon]

Who cares about the Wizard, they suck. Just use the Binder from Tome of Magic, they're everything the Wizard's supposed to be, and ten times more flavorful.