Are Wizards Overpowered

This a question akin to asking whether your offensive lineman or your running back is more 'powerful'. They've each got a role to play and the team works better if they're both doing it.

If you're playing a level 20 one-shot, perhaps the single most powerful ability in the game is the origin feat Alert - coupled with a Dex-based character who generally has additional Initiative bonuses. Being able to pick who goes first is enormously important because you'll be facing enemies that incapacitate almost anyone in your party before they can even act.

However, "Alert guy" - the guy who invested all that effort into a high Initiative roll - is rarely the one you want going forward. A Dex-based Battle Master isn't likely to strike down Vecna with a single blow. But he's likely to be able to survive whatever Vecna can do because he's got hit points, AC, saves, etc. In contrast, that Wizard has all sorts of tools to shape the battlefield - tools they'll never be able to use unless they can act before Vecna does.

Think about how an Arcane Trickster and a Wizard dovetail well together. The Trickster can burn through Legendary Resistance at an exceptional rate due to Devious/Improved Cunning Strikes. Then they can take a scroll the Wizard scribed - using the Wizard's spellcasting ability and spellcaster level - to throw an offensive spell that the enemies will be forced to save at Disadvantage. The spell itself is dependent on the Wizard, but the Rogue is setting it up to make it useful.

So while it might make some sense to ask "How do a Wizard and a Sorcerer compare at filling the role of the pure caster?", it really doesn't make much sense to compare a Wizard and a Fighter - other than to note the obvious that Wizards suck at being Fighters and Fighters suck at being Wizards.

I personally think Wizards are one of the worst classes. Sure you have lots of versatility with spells, but in game play you have to deal with concentration which means you can have one defensive/utility/condition spell and then just toss damage spells. Get hit, lose concentration, lose a spell. With very limited spell slots that can hurt a lot. Secondly, at high levels you run into a fair number of enemy bosses who all can auto save, so no powerful spells or they just auto save. Want to learn more spells, spend a ton of money. Also several spells cost money to cast. Want to be a diviner? Cast divination and spend 25 gold each time. Compare to other classes and to be equivalent they would have to spend money to use their powers, would have enemies that just say "You auto miss". Get hit and you have to make a concentration point or lose your actions. Etcetera. Having now played a high level Wizard I would never play one again.

Quote from xXDarkishDemonXx >>

Due to extreme luck I am a level 1 wizard and have 20 in INT. rolling for stats: 17 +2 (Criminal Background) +1 (Standard Human) And I wasn't planning on it at all it just happened. I was planning on being a criminal, human, wizard and now this happened

 

 that is good, but it doesn't work. the 2024 backgrounds override speicies bonuses, so you should just have 19. still amazing though.

Quote from Babawonga1 >>

I personally think Wizards are one of the worst classes. Sure you have lots of versatility with spells, but in game play you have to deal with concentration which means you can have one defensive/utility/condition spell and then just toss damage spells. Get hit, lose concentration, lose a spell. With very limited spell slots that can hurt a lot. Secondly, at high levels you run into a fair number of enemy bosses who all can auto save, so no powerful spells or they just auto save. Want to learn more spells, spend a ton of money. Also several spells cost money to cast. Want to be a diviner? Cast divination and spend 25 gold each time. Compare to other classes and to be equivalent they would have to spend money to use their powers, would have enemies that just say "You auto miss". Get hit and you have to make a concentration point or lose your actions. Etcetera. Having now played a high level Wizard I would never play one again.

 All spellcasters have to worry about Concentration and saving throws. Granted, Wizards are more likely to lose concentration, but they have more powerful spells.

Concentration is not an issue if you go War Caster and Resilient (CON). But Wizards are still not OP, because Dispel Magic, Magical Resistance and Legendary Resistances. No such thing as a "Legendary Armor" that makes the Barbarian's attacks automatically miss, but Wizards won't get a control spell or particularly damaging one against a boss until these are depleted, and by the time this happens, the rest of the party has already got them down to 50HP, or they're already dead. Monsters' Damage Resistances also almost never include physical damage.

Quote from VerilyRaze >>

This a question akin to asking whether your offensive lineman or your running back is more 'powerful'. They've each got a role to play and the team works better if they're both doing it.

 

 

 
This post has the truth ...

My fave for legendary resistance is Tashas Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter. A 1st level spell that disables the bad for duration, they will burn LR to avoid a failed save. I think it's good economy to use 1st levels for LR. What do other folks use?

Quote from Natrel >>

Concentration is not an issue if you go War Caster and Resilient (CON). But Wizards are still not OP, because Dispel Magic, Magical Resistance and Legendary Resistances. No such thing as a "Legendary Armor" that makes the Barbarian's attacks automatically miss, but Wizards won't get a control spell or particularly damaging one against a boss until these are depleted, and by the time this happens, the rest of the party has already got them down to 50HP, or they're already dead. Monsters' Damage Resistances also almost never include physical damage.

Most of a Wizard's job once you get to the level where Legendary Resistances are really making an appearance is setting up the battlefield rather than blasting away. You want to create an environment where it's nearly impossible for your opponents to operate but your allies can still function effectively (mostly because they were focused on building exactly that character).

Ultimately, once you're out of the early levels damage is mostly something that happens after you've already won the fight. The actual fight is setting up the battle space so victory is inevitable.

Quote from Estaln >>

Quote from VerilyRaze >>

This a question akin to asking whether your offensive lineman or your running back is more 'powerful'. They've each got a role to play and the team works better if they're both doing it.

 

 

 
This post has the truth ...

My fave for legendary resistance is Tashas Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter. A 1st level spell that disables the bad for duration, they will burn LR to avoid a failed save. I think it's good economy to use 1st levels for LR. What do other folks use?

 

 

i guess if you think the fight is going to go 6+ rounds i might use throwaway spells to burn a legendary resistance. 

Quote from VerilyRaze >>

Quote from Natrel >>

Concentration is not an issue if you go War Caster and Resilient (CON). But Wizards are still not OP, because Dispel Magic, Magical Resistance and Legendary Resistances. No such thing as a "Legendary Armor" that makes the Barbarian's attacks automatically miss, but Wizards won't get a control spell or particularly damaging one against a boss until these are depleted, and by the time this happens, the rest of the party has already got them down to 50HP, or they're already dead. Monsters' Damage Resistances also almost never include physical damage.

Most of a Wizard's job once you get to the level where Legendary Resistances are really making an appearance is setting up the battlefield rather than blasting away. You want to create an environment where it's nearly impossible for your opponents to operate but your allies can still function effectively (mostly because they were focused on building exactly that character).

Ultimately, once you're out of the early levels damage is mostly something that happens after you've already won the fight. The actual fight is setting up the battle space so victory is inevitable.

okay what spells do that and are not blocked by legendary resistance. Sure I can think of a couple that have effects without saves like wall of force or a save still hurts like wall of fire. But its a pretty limited range

Well I'll be the Devil's advocate for a second here and say that you could always bring a True Polymorphed Simulacrum into the fight. Something that only Wizards can do and depending on the chosen creature, can be utterly broken. But that's something you can only do in tier 4 where pretty much everybody is OP anyway, and what you can Polymorph into is limited by the creatures you've seen...
Another potentially OP strategy is to start popping Rope Tricks all over the map, provided you have enough rope, but that's something Arcane Trickers and Eldritch Knights can also do, since it's only a level 2 spell. Plus, cheesing fights is rarely considered "playing your character".