Where did the stereotype that magic users should be bad at swordfighting

>>54406528
Specialization. Magic is often implied to be very time-consuming or require a lot of focus to practice, and in general, the main benefit of living in a civilization where not every member of society has to devote all of their time to making food so they won't die is that others can specialize and therefore become more efficient/developed in those fields. Essentially, it's for the same reason that most PHD astrophysicists aren't FBI or SWAT. They just have spent their time and attention on a different field.

That said, there ARE clearly exceptions, and people with overlap. For example, most editions of DnD allow for multiclassing or swordmage/gish type classes. Do you have trouble grasping these concepts or do you just want a character who is the best at everything all the time?

>>54406528
from classic western folk stories? do you even live in a western country or are you from the middle east?

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ENCHANTED SWORD MOTHERFUCKER

The real question is why dont wizards use their swords AS magic staffs

>>54406686

Dude, even Gandalf was running around with swords. Sorcerers in asia or middle east would often use swords.

>>54406528
>D&D class balancing?
Hah. Well no. Unbalancing actually.

Gygax was trying to unbalance wizards back in edition 0, because he didn't like the idea as much as playing a Conan like character.

They aren't even bad at fighting in D&D, they're just not as good at it as people who spend more time learning how to fight.

>>54406528
Most basic answer? It's not their job. You wouldn't expect a farrier to do a tailor's work, would you?

D&D is a suspect but it's got shit to do with class balance and more to do with the paths set for each class in 1e. Short version is that Magic-Users are NEET bookworms who are going to stay NEET bookworms (with phenomenal cosmic power, perhaps) so why the fuck would they have muscles and swing a sword around? It's a totally different skill set, like giving J. Robert Oppenheimer a machine gun to contribute to the war with.

Remember, though, that in terms of fantasy tropes D&D was hugely influential but it largely remixed, recombined, and popularized what already existed. Go back to Robert E Howard and magicians are strange esoterics either calling on dark gods and evil powers or full of knowledge and research. Either way they're generally NEET shutins, with only a few of the most potent able to stand as exceptions and get shit done in the world personally.

Older still and you find the real-life roots of many mage tropes: Hermetics and alchemists. They spend their days in the study, the laboratory, and the library. Physical fighting is a skill you have to practice regularly to keep up with and they have neither cause nor inclination to disrupt their other work to do so. In short: It's not their job.

Generally Gish types (those who wield both sword and sorcery) are more fighters with a lot of magic trinkets, or in a universe where magic doesn't take intensive academic study to use at least a little of, augmenting swordplay with some mild to moderate cool tricks like flaming sword strikes and shit. They follow most of the patterns of the Fighter and virtually none of those of the dedicated Magic User

>>54406528
>>Is it just the fault of D&D class balancing?
Actually Gary's fault. He hated spellcasters so much that I'm 99% sure he was a fucking Cleric of Khorne, and then Vecna righted that wrong, bringing up 3.5 ad unleashing a flood of cosmic revenge Karma upon the tabletop community in the process
https://youtu.be/7UjXi1HKjms

>>54406528
>balancing
>D&D
That said, it's mostly a conceit of the game that you HAVE TO be one over specialized class.
>>54406937
Gygax was right though. Magic users as PCs usually cause long-term issues with game balance and design because magic is a do anything button in public consciousness.

>>54406528
Kill yourself weeb dogshit

>>54406908
To be fair, wasn't Gandalf's species essentially god-like beings in terms of power?

>>54406908
Gandalf isn't a wizard, he's a fucking angel

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>>54406528

I don´t know.

>>54407038
>Gygax was right though. Magic users as PCs usually cause long-term issues with game balance and design because magic is a do anything button in public consciousness.

To be fair, the solution of "have the DM give them only what buttons he thinks they should have" worked pretty well.

Using stricter specializations instead of "EVERYTHING MAGIC!" also works, for a similar reason.