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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 298757" data-attributes="member: 177">Um, logic failure - if he's fighting less often, or being stingy with spells, he's not doing the same thing without items as he would with them. This is exactly my point - the caster doesn't (or at least shouldn't, if you're measuring your threats properly) have enough spell slots to do everything.&nbsp; Even if he does have the slots, if you're running your fights properly he shouldn't have the time to spare.&nbsp; A caster with the usual load of magic items doesn't have as many choices to make - his own protection is partially handled before he casts a single spell.&nbsp; If he's smart, he's using items like wands and scrolls to store some of his offensive or defensive power ahead of time, leaving him the ability to pick and choose what spells he actually casts in combat with some breadth of possibilities and leisure.A caster without magic items has issues - his AC, attack bonus, Reflex, and Fortitude saves probably stink.&nbsp; He doesn't have many hit points.&nbsp; Her doesn't have magic bolstering his spell-casting stat, either.&nbsp; He has only what he's got in spell power, and a small number of rounds in which to use it.&nbsp; If he spends time covering his own butt, he's not stopping the enemy.&nbsp; If he tries to whallop the enemy, he leaves himself open to attack.&nbsp; Let us not confuse theory with practice - We say he can cast spell X, Y, and Z and thus be safe, but we say that knowing the threat, assuming he's prepared exactly the right spells, and has the time before the enemy gets to him.&nbsp; In a real adventure, the caster should rarely have those advantages.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 298757, member: 177"] Um, logic failure - if he's fighting less often, or being stingy with spells, he's not doing the same thing without items as he would with them. This is exactly my point - the caster doesn't (or at least shouldn't, if you're measuring your threats properly) have enough spell slots to do everything. Even if he does have the slots, if you're running your fights properly he shouldn't have the time to spare. A caster with the usual load of magic items doesn't have as many choices to make - his own protection is partially handled before he casts a single spell. If he's smart, he's using items like wands and scrolls to store some of his offensive or defensive power ahead of time, leaving him the ability to pick and choose what spells he actually casts in combat with some breadth of possibilities and leisure. A caster without magic items has issues - his AC, attack bonus, Reflex, and Fortitude saves probably stink. He doesn't have many hit points. Her doesn't have magic bolstering his spell-casting stat, either. He has only what he's got in spell power, and a small number of rounds in which to use it. If he spends time covering his own butt, he's not stopping the enemy. If he tries to whallop the enemy, he leaves himself open to attack. Let us not confuse theory with practice - We say he can cast spell X, Y, and Z and thus be safe, but we say that knowing the threat, assuming he's prepared exactly the right spells, and has the time before the enemy gets to him. In a real adventure, the caster should rarely have those advantages. [/QUOTE]

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