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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 2147419" data-attributes="member: 3146">I had a fighter/mage who did that in one combat. It was a TPK--not because it was inherently too challenging though it was challenging. It was a TPK because the fighter/mage spent the first three rounds of combat not contributing.IME, most combats are over by after the first three rounds and about 50% are decided by something that happens in round 1. If a party member does nothing but buff for the first three rounds, he might as well not be there. One round is barely acceptable.My own take on the fighter/mage thing (though I've only done it at low levels in 3e and things were significantly different with a real shield spell and the extra haste action) is that he can be useful either by having long and mid duration buffs up ahead of time and/or by casting spells that buff the party as well as himself. So, for instance, a fighter/mage might have greater magic weapon, see invis, alter self, and heroism up when he enters a dangerous area and cast shield, polymorph, etc. before opening the door. In combat, he just casts blink or displacement and is ready to rumble.Alternatively, the fighter/mage can keep a number of swift or quickened spells prepped and just cast blink and be ready to rumble or make estensive use of still spell, and wear heavy armor so that he casts a stilled, extended wraithstrike and is ready to power attack on round 1.If he spends more than one round to prep, he's pretty much written himself out of the fight or at least its most crucial rounds.Casting a haste spell in round 1 probably doesn't count as a wasted round though since it also affects the rest of his party.Going invisible to start buffing, however, is a guaranteed loser. It's only worth casting invis if you're going to cast more than one buff spell (if you were only casting one buff spell, you'd cast it instead of invis), so in order to get two buff spells up, it guarantees no offensive action until round 4 at the earliest. If you're wading into combat only in round 4 with two buffs up, you might as well not be there.</blockquote>

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