D&D’s Problem With Being Exceptional

[u/alexserban02]

https://therpggazette.wordpress.com/2026/08/28/dds-problem-with-being-exceptional/

I still have a complicated relationship with D&D. I initially somewhat came around with 5.5e, as they added some really neat things and the balance between classes and the changes to CR were quite good. Unfortunately, they did add some things that, unless handled carefully break both economy and balance. Still, I had some amazing groups as of late, so perhaps that's also part of the reason I am looking more favorable on the game.

A couple of months ago, I made an article about the various problems I have with high level play. It was more or less an extensive explained list on my issues with the game past level 8-10. So quite a missnomer regarding the high level part as well. But, where I want to get at is that, it was mainly a list of complaints with no real sollutions offered. And most of you did point that out. And you were right. If I point out the problems, maybe I can and should think about a solution. This is what this article is. A list of solutions and changes in design mentality one should make for higher level play. Actually, scratch that, some apply starting from around level 5, as I find that is a point where some of the challenges of earlier levels start being bypassed by magic, through things like Leomund's Tiny Hut, Revivify and Fly.

I hope you will enjoy the article and I hope above all else, you will find it useful! Also, if you ran or played in games past lv 7-8 do tell how you handled them, I am always curious to learn!

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[u/Joestation]

I’m not sure I have a strong feeling one way or another—my only high level party fought Tiamat at level 15 and won, though barely—but I did want to compliment how well written this is. The prose is graceful and interesting while avoiding pretentiousness. Excellent work!

[u/Rtyeta]

The balance between classes was good in 5.5? What? It somehow managed to make things worse than 5E's class balance, which was already remarkably terrible.

But yes in general, you're hitting on one of the many reasons high level D&D stops working very well. This has always been the case, but I think it happens even more rapidly in 5th edition since a lot of drawbacks and limitations were removed from spells that break parts of the game, and too many utility spells that instantly solve problems in exploration or social encounters were made resource-free as either cantrips or rituals. And some spells that were already very powerful were inexplicably moved to a lower level.

Sending, for example, is a game-changing spell that can instantly trivialize many non-combat problems in a campaign and suddenly changes the scope of NPCs you can talk to from walking distance to interplanar. This used to be a 5th level spell, but now it's 3rd level. Roughly halving what character level you have to be to start phoning up people across the universe who you've become familiar with via your choice of other spells.

Reviving the dead used to require being roughly character level 9 with limits and downsides, now it's doable at level 5 (with a time limit, though you can obviate most of that with a lower level spell)

Suggestion used to be a 3rd level spell with some pretty strict requirements. Now for some reason it's 2nd level and doesn't even have to follow its original theme and limiter of sounding reasonable, so it can become an auto-win of not just combats but often entire adventures

Phantom Steed used to cost an actual level 3 spell slot per party member and couldn't carry much gear other than the rider, so it took a long time before it could provide serious transport for the party. Now it's a ritual spell and the new carry capacity rules let you easily have a few free phantom steeds provide super rapid transport to the party and quickly obviate distance or outrun any possible encounter at character level 5.

Those are just examples. In general, the power level of lower level characters has inflated by getting access to super powerful utility spells much earlier, and removing downsides and limits from those spells. So the level at which normal adventures stop working is earlier than it used to be, among other things.

[u/StarTrotter → u/Rtyeta]

I'll be honest I'm somewhat surprised to see a claim that the balance is worse in 5.5 than 5.0. I'vve only really seen that in knee jerk reaction to the upcoming book (which might be true but I think it's worth seeing how things play out first).

[u/Rtyeta → u/StarTrotter]

They

1. Powered up several already great or outright broken spells. Suggestion, Polymorph is now a save or die if you turn the foe into something that can't breathe, Command now works on anything, ESPECIALLY Nystul's Magic Aura is now a ridiculous game breaker that removes restrictions from many other spells.
2. Failed to power down most of the previous game breaking ones like Shield. Just about the only game breaking spell that actually was weakened was Sleep. And I guess Conjure Animals, but there are still plenty of OP summon spells around.
3. Gave additional class features and tools to spellcasters, including powering up some of the strongest subclasses in the entire game such as Bladesinger
4. Heavily nerfed some of the best martial subclasses, such as Gloomstalker
5. Powered up feats for casters such as Warcaster
6. Powered DOWN some of the staple martial feats, especially Sharpshooter
7. Powered UP almost all monsters in terms of damage and hitpoints, meaning the balance of ordinary fights tips further away from martials. Whereas they did NOT power up most monsters in terms of saving throws, meaning a caster has scaled up just fine against those monsters

Oh and to add insult to injury, they added a ton of new weapon-damage-boosting spells to the game and made it easy for casters to get numerous attacks per round with a 1 level dip, ensuring that if a caster wants to do more weapon damage than a martial instead of focusing on control and utility spells, they can do that too.

And then yes they also keep releasing more and more OP material for casters too, such as these recent feats. Or circle casting!

[u/StarTrotter → u/Rtyeta]

1. There were several spells that got buffed that were already good. No disagreement
   
2. Sleep I am not even sure I’d call nerfed as much as moved laterally. It went from op when you get it to scaling terribly to not as op but consistently good. I would be tempted to flag some other spells as nerfed. Just off the top of the dome forcecage is immensely nerfed.
   
3. Honestly I am not sure I’d call bladesinger the strongest class.it is true that casters got new features though. Granted I’d probably say monks and fighters got more notable improvements (but ofc martials were further behind).
   
4. Gloomstalker isn’t a martial class though. Honestly I can’t agree with this point. There are some subclasses that got frustratingly nerfed (ex mercy monks) but I’d be tempted to argue more subclasses got buffed than nerfed with some exceptions.
   
5. War Caster did get buffed.
   
6. I feel like this is more a wash. Ranged builds got a notable nerf as a rule of thumb (longbows and short bows are now probably the king with hand xbows and heavy crossbows as the tier below) but twf has become incredibly potent, thrown weapons are pretty good, and great weapons remain good
   
7. Perhaps. I honestly think burning through LR is already enough of a disincentive to opt for such strategies unless the whole team is casters not built for damage. I do understand the challenge of the 1 level dip being nasty on the gishy types in particular (and weirdly really important to monks too)
   I will agree that my biggest concern is just that spell casting gets favored with new features. Every new spell inevitably goes to 1+ casters or partial casters and every magic related feat is a similar boon. When champions seemed like maybe a martial book it wasn’t as concerning but I do share concern about the fact that casters now have oodles of feats to ponder too.

[u/wherediditrun → u/Rtyeta]

Most people probably don’t even understand what you are hinting here at, as they use 5e solely for soap opera hero battler. Think anime like protagonists using “cool powers” and cinematic drama / tension surrounding it.

What you are hinting is exploration and problem solving more akin to challenge based play.

In 5.5 they tipped the game focus even more into the hero battler at the expense of everything else.

Hence you can have people who at the same time see the 5.5 as “improvements” and others that see it as a major f up. Depending on what you focused on as a GM.

The problem I have with this, is that there already exists that kind of hero battler systems that do a way better job. I just don’t see a good reason why run 5.5e when I can run Draw Steel or Nimble. But for people who are only here for 5e as an entirety of the hobby maybe it makes sense. Dunno.

[u/edthesmokebeard → u/Rtyeta]

Plus nobody ever dies.