Thread by @AlexandraErin

D&D players, how do you feel about the importance of Wizards preparing spells instead of learning them outright?

A - It's what makes them Wizards.
B - It's a key balance consideration.
C - Honestly take it or leave it.
D - The key thing is that the spellbook figures in somewhere

Couple of notes - one, I'm mainly aiming this at people who already know the situation and have an opinion on it. While I don't mind answering D&D questions, it's fine if you don't have an opinion because you don't know the terms being used.

And two is I'm mainly looking at this in the lens of 5E, where the distinction between prepared/learned has been diminished and everybody is "casting spontaneously", it's just a question of how often the list they cast from is generated and how often it can be changed.

And I guess three is that I'm surprised yet gratified that D is winning so far as I kind of expected it to be a minority opinion?

But thematically it's what I think - the really important thing that D&D got right is Wizards have books.

And while I wasn't sold on the fiddliness of having Sorcerers and Wizards as separate types of "mage" in 3E, I've come to love just the embodiment of natural magical gifts vs. hard-won magical nerdery...

...and while a small number of inherent spells vs. a large number of modular spell options is a very effective way of selling that divide and the pros/cons, I'm also curious about other ways.

This is honestly going the exact opposite way I expected and yet exactly the way I would order the choices.