I always felt like magic in 5th edition D&D was somewhat…you know…eh.
Boring!
Sure, when you get to be high enough level, some spells can give you the feeling of bending reality, of bringing to bear some truly impressive and memorable effects.
Often time, however, you are just effectively using an Ability.
Just like the Cleric can channel divinity, or the rogue can act cunningly, or even just like the barbarian can hit things really, really hard, these are just Abilities:
You use an action, you get some value out of it: damage, healing, cool effects.
Whatever it is you get, it will necessarily be balanced for how much effort you put into it (A bonus action is less “expensive” than a normal action) and the level you got the ability at.
Well, what’s wrong with balance?
Nothing!
D&D is a wonderful game, one that is based on streamlining a system that was both iconic and outdated. It prides itself in an incredibly neat progression curve: The Balance is tight. Firstly a lot of variable numbers were cut from the 3rd edition and bundled into the Proficiency bonus.
Secondly (and importantly for us) spells were toned down, in a lot of ways. For example, Concentration means you can have only one cool toy at a time, they very rarely last more than a few hours, and never create anything permanent. I could go on. Balance makes for a well-rounded experience, one where the difference between a Wizard and a Barbarian is negligible (except at super high levels).
But what if you were willing to sacrifice some of that balance to get a lot of awesome?
What if you wanted the Wizard to feel not just like a frail Barbarian that can double attack a room twice per long rest (fireball) and some utility, but like an actual freakin’ Wizard?