D&D 5th Editon Discussion: 6th thread and counting

[Dienekes]

It's a balancing issue. One of the reasons casters were so broken in 3.x was that in addition to the fact that they got new, more powerful abilities every level, their old abilities got more powerful as well, so that by the time they reached double digits they had dozens of spells they could use, while other classes only had one or two abilities.

By making it so spells don't scale up, they have reduced that problem. A level 10 wizard won't have much use for their level 1 spells save beyond a little utility and as a back up when they run out(and the status inducing spells won't even work on foes by then). So while casters to get more and and more abilities, only their highest couple of spell levels will be truly relevant in most situations(but their lower levels spells are still there). I think it's a good balance, it's better than the alternative.

Oh I understand the balance of it. However, I personally would have preferred fewer scaling spells to a huge amount of non-scaling ones. I don't get excited picking up: Lesser Flame Strike, Flame Strike, Greater Flame Strike, Lesser Fireball, Fireball, and Greater Fireball when it's all really the same thing with bigger numbers. I'd rather pick up just Fireball.

Now there are a few ups and downs to each method. My way, all else being equal, would make Wizards slightly weaker at earlier levels since they won't get a bunch of the weaker spells for their utility instead gaining it as they level up.

Personally I like that unintended consequence as well, but then I've always been up for hitting spellcasters with a nerfbat.

What do people think about the idea of spell prerequisites? Like how feats have trees, so should spells--lower-level spells lead to higher-level versions of the same theme. I think that would help balance some, and I like the flavour of it better. As it is now, I can spend eight levels practicing throwing fireballs, and then at my next level I can suddenly raise a sizable number of undead, with no previous practice raising even the weakest undead.
This would go better with non-scaling spells, I think.

Personally, I have nothing against the idea of prerequisites as long as their fair. But I have to say, I really wish they tone down some of the prereqs for feats from 3.5 (don't remember how it's handled in 4e). A lot of good feats are ruined by the unnecessary and useless prereqs (sup whirlwind attack). If they have to do prereqs I'd personally follow the ToB route and make feats/spells into groups or styles and say you need X of these types of feat/spells to advance. For spells they can just use the schools they already have. For feats they'll have to invent groupings, maybe Power style for things like power attack, Defender style, Assassin style, and so forth but there needs to be enough feats per style to make it worthwhile.