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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pauper" data-source="post: 7682356" data-attributes="member: 17607">I'm not sure people that express this sentiment really grok the ways in which the 5E system doesn't really penalize you for choosing to cast lower-level spells with higher-level slots. Let me give you an example:Delayed Blast Fireball is a 7th level spell that does 12d6 of base damage. If you're not going to use the 'delay the blast to power up' mechanic, you get 12d6 of fire damage, period. However, casting Fireball using a 7th level slot does 8d6 fire damage +1d6 for each level above the base 3rd level slot required by the spell -- for a total of 12d6 fire damage.Delayed Blast Fireball is still 'better' than Fireball in the sense that a caster can do something with DBF that can't be done with Fireball -- but the benefit is situational, and so depending on your game and the circumstances of your combats, you might do just as well with Fireball than you would with DBF. It's a difference that usually won't make a difference.There are really only a few spells that are so much better than their lower level counterparts that not having access to them is a potential issue (Heal vs Mass Heal is a good example). If those spells are important to you, then being a straight-class caster is important to you. Otherwise, not so much.</blockquote>