Low Level spellcasters -- what use are they?

[Ridley's Cohort]

A light crossbow is 6lbs. 20 bolts is 2lbs. A gnome with 6 str can carry 15 lbs without penalty. What else does he need besides the crossbow? Clothes only weight 2lbs if you pick wear a monks outfit. A dagger only weighs 1lb. A backpack weighs 2lbs. Assuming that your food is kept on your mount, or carried by another party member, that leaves 3lbs to spare. Not much, but worth it for combat effectiveness.

You forgot that some items are much lighter when made for small humanoids.

Allow me to make some simple corrections:

Worn clothes have zero encumbrance
light crossbow 6 lbs.
20 bolts 2 lbs.
backpack, small 1/2 lb.
spellbook, small 3/4 lb.
spell component pouch, small 3/4 lb.
dagger 1 lb.

That totals to 11 lbs. exactly. You have enough weight left to carry:
bedroll, small 1 1/4 lbs.
waterskins, small, 2 2 x 1 lb.
trail rations, 4 days 1 lb.
pouch, belt, small 3/4 lb.

Now the total is 16 lbs. You can have 4 lbs. left. What's the problem?

The funny thing is that a 6 Str gnome will have fewer encumbrance problems than an 8 Str Human.

 

[SamuraiY]

There is a spell called "Silent Sound" in Monte Cook's excellent "Book of Eldritch Might"that is really almost perfect for this. Might be too powerful though... I'd post its stats, but i don't think thats legal... Sleep is definately the way to go apart from that. With the right angeling its almost always possible to get it to effect just the monsters.
As far as tactics for non spell attacks go, I have to agree with the above posts. The Crossbow may actually weigh less than the sling, depending on how many stones he has. Just my little bit of advice. If anybody knows whether it's legal for me to post that spell please say so.

 

[Melriken]

hmm, I play wizards almost exclusively, I am currently playing my first wizard with less than a 10 str, and he has an 8 (we use point buy, so 8 is as low as it can go) Thanks to spells like Shield, Mage Armor, Cat's Grace (not too good untell 5th+ level when it lasts longer, but even 2-3 hours is good if you rest after that) my AC is usually the best in the party. I may not have the best attack bonus, but I do move into melee range to knock some heads together (well to give the fighter a flanking bonus) and toss off a few spells that are either touch attacks or use me as a point of origine (spelled wrong, sorry)

I have played a wizard (elf with longsword) who started at level 1, and played to level 15, that entered Melee combat almost every fight, and swung his sword, and hit stuff. At very low levels you have a disadvantage, but your AC meens that you are never hit, at mid levels you are still rarely hit, and when you are it is most often a mirror image. You can cast bull strength on yourself, use a bow (with your moderate dex and cat's grace) or any number of other things. Fireing into melee with a bow just means -4 to hit, I have played wizards where this was not too bad, thanks to high dex (again with the buffs) the attack bonus still was within reason. I encurage clerics not to heal with everything they have, but only as needed to survive, and usually outside of combat. and I encurage wizards to be more willing to put their high AC on the line in close combat. Atleast at low levels, at higher ones nothing should survive to get into close combat with you.

look at the board (assuming you play with miniatures) and the shape of your spell, then figure out where it needs to be centered to not hit your party... then figure out where you need to be to center it there. shouldnt be too hard, the current mage I am playing has only hit a party member with a spell once, and that was hitting myself with a fireball, I made the save, the monsters didn't... the same theory applied to Sleep when I was lower level (keep in mind that elfs dont count in the area of sleep, they are immune) or color spray (had I used it).

I like elfs for wizards for the fact that they move faster than gnomes, and they get proficency with longsword and bows.

I play wizards and I am not afraid to mix it up in melee with them, I also have never had one die on me lower than 10th level.

and a parting piece of advice, just because you can't hit doesn't mean you can't flank...