Wizard Subclass Modifications

As an avowed wizard lover, I acknowledge my bias in offering the following.

All classes (not just wizards) get subclass abilities added at levels 3, 6, 10 and 14 and I think quite a few abilities are either somewhat dull and/or received too late to be consequential.  All level 14 abilities are received when the vast majority of campaigns have already ended (it is often commented that most campaigns end around level 12 or 13).  As a result I'd suggest that quite a few abilities should be brought online earlier and in doing so it would bring subclasses into the limelight more effectively (and create more fun).  I'll use the Abjurer, Bladesinger, Conjurer and Diviner as examples.

Abjurer:

Level 3 Arcane Ward, add the level 6 ability Projected Ward to the level 3 ability (or do away with it altogether).

Move the level 10 ability Spell breaker to level 6 and the level 14 ability Spell Resistance to level 10.

Bladesinger:

Move the level 14 ability Song of Victory to level 10 and ditch the level 10 ability Song of Defense altogether.

Conjurer:

Ditch the level 3 and 6 abilities (Transpositions) and place the level 6 ability Durable Summons at level 3 (they are summoners!), the level 10 ability Focused Conjuration at level 6 and the level 14 ability Splintered summons at level 10.

Diviner:

Ditch the level 6 ability Expert Divination and replace it with the level 10 ability The Third Eye and bring in the level 14 ability Greater Portent to level 10.

I'm sure similar things could be done for the other wizard subclasses as well as for those of the other classes.  Aside from being more fun, it allows players to really be the subclass.

Quote from Black__Adder >>

As an avowed wizard lover, I acknowledge my bias in offering the following.

All classes (not just wizards) get subclass abilities added at levels 3, 6, 10 and 14 and I think quite a few abilities are either somewhat dull and/or received too late to be consequential.  All level 14 abilities are received when the vast majority of campaigns have already ended (it is often commented that most campaigns end around level 12 or 13).  As a result I'd suggest that quite a few abilities should be brought online earlier and in doing so it would bring subclasses into the limelight more effectively (and create more fun).  I'll use the Abjurer, Bladesinger, Conjurer and Diviner as examples.

 With just the suggestions that you have laid out, the subclasses would have no features after level 10. That would feel kind of....anticlimactic in a high-level campaign. Especially if you are starting at higher levels. Something like Vecna - Eve of Ruin, which is designed for levels 10-20, would leave your Wizards getting no new subclass features after character creation.

By all means add another ability at level 14 (preferably one relevant to the subclass), but my point was give them subclass defining abilities when we players will actually get a chance to use them.

If you’re going to do this for wizards, it seems like you’d need to do it for everyone. But fine, let’s say we do it for everyone. 
If we move the level 14 powers down, and then make new level 14 powers, it doesn’t seem like we’ve fixed the problem. We’ve just created a different set of abilities no one actually plays with.

I get wanting those higher level abilities. We all do. But it seems the easier solution is to have a session 0 talk and get the players and  DM to buy in to a high level campaign. And then convince all the players to stick with it, and not drop out over the 2-4 years it can take irl to get there. Or start at a higher level.

The other is to re-tool the whole game to cap at level 10 or 12 or 15, maybe. But that’s more of a 6e solution than something realistic to do now.