My opinion is definitive. After several sessions as both player and DM, I believe the latest D&D 5th Edition1 deploys overpowered characters, classes with silly abilities, and spellcasting is a commodity available to almost everyone.
Am I the only one feeling this way? Apparently not. After reading countless discussions online, it seems many players share the same concerns. These issues appear in Reddit threads, blog posts, and reviews again and again. With the help of ChatGPT, I’ve reviewed dozens of sources, and the main critiques of 5e seem to fall into six categories.
Hey! I Understand it, the fifth edition is a commercial product designed to appeal to a new generation and reflects a cultural shift. The game has become glamorous and iconic. Players now seek style: visually appealing characters, thrilling moments, and cinematic storytelling. It’s less about danger or discovery, and more about performance and eye-catching looks.
1️⃣ Overpowered Classes and Subclasses
Some classes and subclasses seem too powerful from first level. Certain class and feat combinations allow characters to do much more than seems reasonable, with no real drawbacks. For example, Rage is almost a pure advantage: extra damage, resistance to most physical damage, and no real consequences. In previous editions, Rage was risky: you could lose control, harm your allies, or collapse from exhaustion later. Now it’s all gain, no risk.
2️⃣ Spellcasting Is Too Easy and Too Common
Casters have too many tools and too much freedom. Wearing armor is barely a limitation, most spells rely on simple saving throws, and cantrips can be cast at will. Many characters can even cast multiple spells per round using Action and Bonus Action. Spell damage is often higher than any traditional weapon, leaving martial classes feeling secondary.
3️⃣ Feats and Multiclassing Cause Imbalance
Multiclassing was originally meant to let a fighter learn a few spells, or a wizard wield a sword occasionally, like Gandalf.
Now that almost every class already has access to magic, multiclassing often creates unbalanced synergies, producing near-demigod characters.
4️⃣ Silly or Odd Class Abilities
Some class features feel gimmicky or tone-breaking . Like Barbarians drawing energy from trees (Path of the Wild Heart) or Bards literally radiating glamour (College of Glamour).
Even the Ranger now starts with spellcasting as its first ability. For a rugged wilderness hunter, that feels off-tone. These overlap with other classes, and blur the spirit of the main class.
5️⃣ High-Level Play Loses Meaning
Characters are already powerful by level 3 or 5, especially spellcasters. At higher levels, challenges often become trivial. Many DMs struggle to design encounters that feel dangerous when heroes can storm a battlefield untouched.
6️⃣ “Too Safe”; Lack of Risk or Weight in Failure
5e often feels forgiving and predictable. Failure rarely matters, and danger is easily managed.
Old-school players grew up differently: characters were fragile, the world was brutal, and success depended more on player ingenuity than dice rolls. You survived through caution, not luck. Death was possible at every step, but that’s what made every victory meaningful.
To Be Fair, 5e Also Introduced Great Innovations, not everything is bad. The 5th Edition brought many improvements that even old-school fans appreciate: At-will cantrips — simple but elegant. Reorganized action economy — Action, Bonus Action, Movement. Clearer rulebooks and level progression. D&D Beyond — an excellent tool that makes character creation fast and accessible. And finally, the opportunity to create the character of your dreams, inspired by videogames, movies, or novels, something that appeals strongly to new generations.
That said, my next quest now begins. Creating a homebrew version of 5th Edition and rebalancing it to a style I like: old-school, low-magic, fearsome combat, and no hanky-panky features.
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Other posts of this series are available here:
- Dungeons & Dragons Culture Evolution
- What’s the difference between Board Games, Miniature Games, and Role-playing Games?
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- Here I’m referring to the 2024 Edition, aka 5.5ed. ↩︎
