Okay, I've dealt with balance issues in almost every game I've DMed, most of them ending well before the uber abilities of Wizards and Clerics destabilized the world.
I understand the issue, spell-casting classes are more varied and powerful than any other class from about 11th level on.
The question becomes how to address this? There are different ways to do so. Some suggest we bump up the non spell-casters to be in line. I don't think this would work. I agree that balance is a serious issue, but if you bump up Fighters and Rogues too much, you ruin the flavor of the game and make it into "Super Sword Fighters" and like an MMORPG.
So I started looking through my RPG materials for a solution and I think I've come up with a two-front solution. I believe that giving Fighters and Rogues more abilities that make sense for them is a start. Give them more variety and choice.
Example: Each Weapon Group and Armor Group that is chosen for Weapon Training or Armor Training should grant some benefit besides the +1 bonus. Something that is uniquely a Fighter ability because it is a weapon or armor being used in an exceptional way.
The second front of the solution is to slightly depower Wizard and Cleric abilities. Leave their number of spells per day the same. But go back, way back, to the early days of D&D when some spells could be used in a more ritualized way and add longer cast-times and more restrictions on material cost for spells.
Ex: Disintegrate is a powerful weapon. It should be something that is developed as a last line of defense or ultimate weapon for a Wizard, not something they can do three or four times a day. I suggest a very expensive (level-equivalent) material component for each use of spells like this. If the material component strikes some as too much, perhaps a HP or EXP investment to reflect the personal energy invested in powerful spell casting. (Everyone should remember that famous gold-skinned, hourglass-irised magic-user who wrecked his health for the sake of magical power)
I think all sixth - ninth level spells should have some kind of restriction attached to them. Either a ritualized part, expensive spell component, or HP / EXP investment to cast. It doesn't depower Wizards and Clerics too much, IMO.
If you combine this with the Pathfinder version of Fighters and Rogues, you are a lot closer to a balance of classes. Let me know what you all think,
Coledar
