Comment from discussion Mike, thank you for being so engaged in the community. It seems like some classes are generally liked by the development staff while others are treated like the red-headed stepchildren. I’ve often heard this is to avoid power-creep, but there are several classes that are generally accepted to be a tier above the rest. How do you score classes when designing them to ensure there isn’t huge power disparity between builds?
mikemearls6 points21 days ago
Power disparity between builds is something we try to avoid, but we also have to compare the class to the game as a whole. If a class lags, or an archtype is tough to pull off, we can compare a subclass to a stronger overall class (like wizard) rather than restrict it to its current boundaries. We don’t do this often, but in some cases it makes sense.
We primarily rely on playtests to fine tune things. One thing to keep in mind is that we do see a sometimes big disparity in how a more detailed, mathematical analysis might show as compared to actual play. AMA: Mike Mearls, D&D Creative Director
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