In a world where the quadratic wizard could exist, the quadratic wizard wouldn't...

[Kaodi]

Military scientists (which is essentially what many wizards are) can and do get murdered in the real world. However, rarely is there an epidemic of such murders.

In any case, it is kind of interesting that under 3.X assumptions, even the dumbest person (Int 3) will eventually be able to cast 9th level wizard spells if they rise to high enough level and put all of their resources into boosting their Int. In fact, I think this will be the animating idea for the next character I stat...

 

[DEFCON 1]

Let's also not forget that in a world with gods who can walk the prime plane, demons, devils, angels, dragons, liches, mind flayers etc. etc... even the best wizards are pretty weak in comparison.

Wizards might be able to lord over the others of their race... but they certainly are not the end-all-and-be-all of power in pretty much any campaign world.

There's always a bigger fish.

 

[Yora]

We don't murder all politicians, even though everyone agrees that they only cause damage. So why would people want to kill all wizards?

 

[Kaodi]

Politicians are a weak comparison. Kill one, and another takes that position. Wizards, on the other hand, are not automatically replaced.

Wizards are more like people who invent and build all sorts of weapons of mass destruction.

 

[delericho]

Personally, I have yet to comprehend how a high level wizard could take out a small army, much less a large one.

Well, if we're talking about a 3e-style quadratic wizard, it's not that tough. A well-placed fireball will destroy a smallish infantry unit by itself, and that's a relatively low-level spell. Combine fly, improved invisibility and a handful of destructive spells, and you get mobile artillery that requires magic to counter.

However, only a rather stupid wizard would even let it get that far. Far better to dominate the enemy commanders and then take advantage of the chaos that ensues. Or, indeed, manipulate both of the great powers (let's call them the Republic and the Separatists...) from the shadows, and let them wipe each other out. Basically, mass destruction is for amateurs.

 

[Mattachine]

Personally, I have yet to comprehend how a high level wizard could take out a small army, much less a large one.

There far too much hyperbole involved in this claim, IMHO. And perhaps not a bit of class warfare (as shown by that last comment)

People shouldn't focus on what others have and get jealous, it's not very productive.

In my AD&D campaign from high school, I had a 21st level wizard take out a small army, as well as a 13th level druid--and the druid was far more terrifying (conjured elementals without need for control/concentration).

How does it work?

Wizard: flight+invisibility, summoned monsters, wall of fire, cloudkill, incendiary cloud, and meteor swarm

Druid: wall of fire (mobile ring), chariot of sustarre, conjure elemental, summoned/enlarged animals, wild shape

For both, through in appropriate magic for high level PCs, and they are good to go.

 

[Dausuul]

However, only a rather stupid wizard would even let it get that far. Far better to dominate the enemy commanders and then take advantage of the chaos that ensues. Or, indeed, manipulate both of the great powers (let's call them the Republic and the Separatists...) from the shadows, and let them wipe each other out. Basically, mass destruction is for amateurs.

Yeah, this. Tackling a big army head-on is challenging, even for an archmage. However, hijacking the army's chain of command or attacking its logistical support is child's play. Use illusions to impersonate a commanding officer and give false orders, or mind control magic to enslave that officer to your will. Scry-and-die key personnel. Blow up their baggage train and sabotage their supply lines. Use contagion to give the cooks blinding sickness, which spreads through tainted water, then give them a suggestion that a big pot of soup is just the thing to boost morale tonight. Put illusions in front of their scouts, while monitoring their progress in your crystal ball--fog of war for thee but not for me. And so on, and on.

An army facing a sustained attack of this kind from a powerful wizard would disintegrate in short order without ever being defeated in the field. In fact, I suspect this would hold true even if the army had an equally powerful wizard defending it. When one has access to teleportation more or less at will, the advantage is overwhelmingly with the attacker. It may well be that big armies are simply unworkable in quadratic-wizard-world.

 

[steeldragons]

What is a "quadratic wizard" anyways?

So, the guys' got four sides. Big deal.

 

[Dausuul]

What is a "quadratic wizard" anyways?

I can't tell if this is a serious question or not, but if it is: Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards - Television Tropes & Idioms

 

[Mattachine]

What is a "quadratic wizard" anyways?

So, the guys' got four sides. Big deal.

You were thinking of the quadrilateral wizard. Completely different situation.