Don't Worry, I already fixed it...with MAGIC!
D&D is not all about combat. In fact, a lot of it is trying to get to the combat. Talking to people, finding hidden entrances, solving puzzles, and in each of these scenarios, casters are there to fix all of the problems.
Every character has a proficiency bonus. It starts at +2 and can get to +6 at max. Anything a character is proficient in, they get to add this number and are considered very skilled at it. Some characters are great at tracking, some at lying, lifting, acrobatics, history, etc. This feature truly allows all characters to feel real and experienced. But, it all comes crumbling down when casters are introduced into the equation.
Say the party if trying to find a criminal who just escaped into the crowd and is possibly a nearby building. A party could ask around or look for tracks, or the caster could just cast the Locate Creature or Locate Object spell. Instantly solving them problem or making it significantly easier. Say the party is trying to get intel once the criminal is found. They could trying intimidating or bribing the criminal, or the caster could just cast a charm spell and have them obey every command. Do you see where I'm going with this? Almost every problem can be solved with a simple spell. These are very basic situations and there are so many more examples.
It helps, kinda.
There are two classes that can kind of even this out. Ranger and Rogue. Ranger has multiple abilities that were improved upon in Tasha's that allow them to have much more utility. However, this falls into the same issue as Rangers are half-casters (their highest spells are 5th level). While they may have normal abilities that assist in utility, they still have access to quite a few of the same utility spells as full casters, so spells are once again here to fix everything.
And then there is Rogue. This martial class has an ability at level 1 which grants expertise. Expertise allows you to double your proficiency in selected skills. This definitely gives Rogues an edge and allows them to compete. But again, this falls apart in the face of casters. Not only do spells, again, have the capabilities to just fix the problem with the flick of a wrist, but Bards get expertise naturally as well, and there is a Feat (extra power ups anyone can take) that negates this advantage. There is a feat called Skill Expert, which allows anyone to gain a +1 to a single stat of their choice, proficiency in a skill, and expertise in a skill. Now anyone can gain expertise without multiclassing. This is both amazing and frustrating, as it gives a great buff to martial classes, but this same buff can go to casters as well.
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better
There is a term people like to throw around in the D&D community that I think is used a bit too loosely: "power-gamed". This means that a character has the most optimal build possible with no consideration for roleplay. I say this is used too often because I have heard people call characters who have the stats they are supposed to have high, well, high. The reason I bring this up is because martial classes truly do need to power game to at least try and keep up.
The worst caster is still often better than the best martial. A Light Domain Cleric can still blow a Rune Knight Fighter out of the water without any difficulty. Now, when a martial class is power-gamed with certain multiclassing options, they can at least come close to a caster's damage numbers. I can give a great example from personal experience. I once had a player make an Echo Knight Fighter multiclassed with a Hexblade Warlock, with the Great Weapon Master feat. He was hitting just as hard as the Bladesinger Wizard. But, he had to make that specific combination with very specific choices to get there, whereas the Wizard without any assistance was doing just as fine. But, this is just combat, pair that with the utility options and martial classes once again fall quite short.
Thumbnail: Art by Wizards of the Coast
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