The Design Philosophy: "Only Spellcasters Can Perform Supernatural Feats"

English is not my native language, so please forgive any awkward phrasing.

Recently, there has been renewed interest in expanding the options available to martial characters, such as the Battle Master.

Whenever the capabilities of martial characters versus spellcasters are debated, certain arguments inevitably arise (I will omit the view that "there is no disparity between martial characters and spellcasters at my table"—sorry about that).

・Some players who prefer martial characters actually like the simple mechanics currently in place (so, please don't add complex subsystems).

・Adding a wide variety of maneuvers to martial characters—like those found in 4th Edition—creates a world where "everyone is a wizard." Such a world doesn't feel like "good old" D&D.

In short, there is a persistent desire to maintain a design where "only spellcasters can perform supernatural feats." At the heart of this is the argument that if martial characters start performing supernatural acts or anime-style spectacles, the D&D world rapidly loses its authentic feel.

I disagree with this view. However, I do think there is some truth to the argument—provided the game prioritizes realism and operates on the premise (like \The Lord of the Rings\) that non-magical humans remain within the bounds of relatively realistic capabilities.

D&D 5e is a game where characters level up and eventually become superheroes who rival—or even surpass—gods. Characters should gain new, cool options as they level up. Spellcasters already achieve this. If one accepts a worldview where only spellcasters can perform supernatural feats, then the current design—where options steadily increase from level 1 to 20—is perfect.

Yet, because of this design, martial characters remain perpetually restricted. Even as they level up, martial characters do not gain a wider range of capabilities. They receive almost no additions comparable to the amazing options spellcasters get. Why is that? It is likely because of the premise that "only spellcasters can perform supernatural feats." After all, the only ones capable of challenging gods are spellcasters—or ordinary people wielding magic swords crafted by spellcasters.

To summarize:

The design principle that "only spellcasters can perform supernatural feats" works well in systems that lack level progression. Think of skill-based systems like \Call of Cthulhu\, or games like \Traveller\ where characters start out competent and their power levels remain relatively static. In such worlds, even without "supernatural" abilities, a character might wield powerful weaponry, own a starship, or possess expert espionage skills—allowing them to do things a spellcaster cannot. However... in \D&D 5e\, where spellcasters gain an ever-increasing arsenal of spells as they level up, this model simply does not work.

Personally, I believe \D&D\ should either abandon the notion that "only spellcasters can perform supernatural feats" or rethink the design where "spellcasters gain more spells as they level up." Alternatively, if there is no desire to alter the current design, players must simply accept that \D&D\ is a world where the capabilities of martial characters are deliberately constrained to preserve the "authenticity" of the wizard.

Yes, I realize many people find this setting—and the spellcaster archetype—appealing, but still...

Perhaps it is time to acknowledge that the concept of leveling up from zero to superhero is fundamentally incompatible with a world where "martial characters don't do supernatural or anime-style things."

I would like to thank everyone who read this long post to the end and indulged me in this well-worn topic.