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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Xaelvaen" data-source="post: 6744833" data-attributes="member: 6681906">Spellcasting can circumnavigate a lot of mundane gameplay, granted.  I have a simple method for dealing with this, however, that leaves me satisfied with the investigative portion of my adventures, and still leaves my magic-using characters feeling a great accomplishment through their spell choices.Its called layering.So you have NPC (we'll call him Bob) who is in the big bad Headquarters.  Instinctively, your party will want to go straight to the source and get to Bob.  What I want to do, is have it so the players are convinced to use their magic on Ed instead.  During the simple investigation, perhaps they are misled to pay attention to Ed.  Better yet, Ed is Bob's twin and it causes spells to go a little screwy.  Now the party had to use investigation to even discover Ed exists.  Now your magic user may want to use spells to find Ed quickly, but all that occurs from finding Ed, is that he tells you Bob is really the guy you're looking for.  Now the caster can use even -more- magic and do the same thing for Bob, but using two spell slots usually invokes more second-guessing than one.Another method I use for layering is the rumor mill.  If the whole town thinks that the Headquarters where Bob has been taken to is filled with 'Great horned demons by the score' (CR 20 Balors), no sane cleric will burn up their spells when a simple investigation can take place.  Even if the encounter at the end of the rainbow turns out to be 20 shocker lizards instead, the investigation still took place, and players will feel accomplished, and rather amused at the simple-minded nature of the townsfolk.Finally, I use a layering method of making the adventure harder or easier, based on magic use.  In example, I'll throw in a clue that will convince the cleric to use his divination spells to uncover a related, but different event that will somehow make the adventure that much easier.  In example, Bob was taken to the headquarters, but his sister Margaret is missing.  You convince the cleric that while Margaret may not be the primary mission, or the primary target, finding her would be incredibly useful - such as her having a means of communicating with Bob over vast distances.  Of course, Bob may not answer once she's found, or he may not know exactly where he is, but can describe the massive pack of Ogres guarding him.  In any event, the party receives a reward to alter the encounter significantly for their 'side' efforts.Typically, I try to use all three methods liberally, well organized as to seem like its all going in a straight line, when in truth, the players are more making circles.  In my experience, once a spell caster has used his magic productively for the advancement of the investigation one or two minor times, they'll be fine with letting the more mundane investigation continue on its course.  That way, everyone has played to their strengths.</blockquote>

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