BRP vs. D&D: An Observation

[Guest Vile Traveller]

6 hours ago, Mugen said:

And while 5th edition surely does a better job at this than any prior edition except 4th, you still have fighters which are just good at dealing damage on one hand, and wizards that can fly, become invisible, read minds, and are not bad at dealing damage too on the other hand.

There are two issues at play, here. Firstly, specifically in 5E, all classes have the option to specialise in a magic-using archetype so everyone can use magic in some form if they wish. Secondly, magic-users (now wizards, sorcerers, etc.) have always been the glass cannons while the main job of fighters has been dealing with minions and protecting the magic-users.

D&D has never really assumed class equivalency, each class is specialised in supporting the party as a whole in some way (though the 5E archetypes allow a lot of variation). In BRP we might see specialists, but in my experience most players prefer to develop their characters as generalists first, perhaps (but not that often) with one or two areas of specialisation such as alchemy or traps or the like.

[Mugen]

19 hours ago, Vile Traveller said:

There are two issues at play, here. Firstly, specifically in 5E, all classes have the option to specialise in a magic-using archetype so everyone can use magic in some form if they wish. Secondly, magic-users (now wizards, sorcerers, etc.) have always been the glass cannons while the main job of fighters has been dealing with minions and protecting the magic-users.

D&D has never really assumed class equivalency, each class is specialised in supporting the party as a whole in some way (though the 5E archetypes allow a lot of variation). In BRP we might see specialists, but in my experience most players prefer to develop their characters as generalists first, perhaps (but not that often) with one or two areas of specialisation such as alchemy or traps or the like.

I was answering to the idea level was a good indicator of one's power level, which is not true in any edition of D&D. 

Concerning classes and roles, Fighters, in editions previous to 4th, are only needed at low levels, when Magic-Users and Clerics don't have many spells to use. They also didn't have much mechanical tools to fulfil their role.

And while 5e high level casters can cast far less spells per day, Fighters are outshined by Paladins as defenders.