Overrated by who?

Guide writers? Maybe, if they think their description of how the class is at absolute full power is how the class always is for everyone. Certainly anyone who reads it without distinguishing between the two is probably gonna overrate a class.

Most people here? I think most people here are aware that there's many different players and many different tables; that the potential power level disparities are different between levels; and other such things. Maybe people lose sight of that in theoretical arguments - or seem to - but I don't think they forget how it actually works

The community as a whole? Dunno, never met them, although my best guess is the popularity of E6 as a balanced form of D&D says that a lot of people think like here.


Are Tier 3 and lower characters underrated? I feel like people here, there and everywhere rave about Tier 3 tbh. Tier 4 and below gets a bad name, maybe. Deserved? Tbh, I dislike a lot of Tier 4s as I hate having only one thing to do at a table. Doesn't mean someone else mightn't have a good time with them, or that I can't find Tier 4s that fulfil my need for some sort of flexibility.


As for multiclassing Martials with Full Casters... YMMV but I don't see the point. Either you enjoy playing a lower level caster and there's no dramas, or you don't but are gritting your teeth to go Real Ultimate Power, in which case why waste levels? Personally, I had a lovely time as a level 1 Gnome Sorcerer using Colour Spray, Diplomacy and a few other things. If you want to be a caster with a real back-up activity when the spell slots are gone, you might as well pick Cleric/Druid/Bard and get more spells to use before truncheoning things in the face.