Specialist Wizards: Where's da Oomph?

[IanB]

I dropped illusion and necromancy with my specialist enchanter, and I haven't particularly missed them.

Getting to near-sorcerer levels of spells per day though? Awesome.

 

[Mistwell]

It's not just arcane casters and it's not just NPCs. Anyone who looks like they can get a spell (or psionic power or monster special attack) off is liable to be on the receiving end of the dogpile in our game (both by the PCs and by intelligent NPCs). Hit point damage from a combatant type can be easily healed. Spell, spell like, or supernatural effects sometimes take a lot more effort.

All true. Glad to know it's not just our DM being evil...

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

In case of the Bodaks, it was indeed a surprise situation ... And 30 ft aren't much in an dungeon enviroment. A spellcaster needs line of effect...

Yeah, you are probably right. In our games, if the NPCs even see someone dressed like they might be an arcane caster, it can become a dogpile and the guy in a funny hat moment! And hidden attacks often come from behind and in front of the party at the same time in an ambush. So, if our casters don't have a good AC, concealment or cover, lots of hit points, or some other way of avoiding melee death, they will be toast pretty quickly. And, even if they do have those things, it still sometimes means they go down (usually faster than anyone else).

I wonder why a high level ambusher / surprise attacker isn't preparing a see invisiblity spell (or invisibility puge) then (or using UMD to cast it from scroll)?
In a dungeon enviroment, part of the advancement tactic is usually to keep the back free. That's why you really ought to clear each level...
But ambush situations are certainly a high-risk factor, and invisiblity would help. But it can work without it. And against area attacks, invisiblity doesn't protect, either.

It's not just arcane casters and it's not just NPCs. Anyone who looks like they can get a spell (or psionic power or monster special attack) off is liable to be on the receiving end of the dogpile in our game (both by the PCs and by intelligent NPCs). Hit point damage from a combatant type can be easily healed. Spell, spell like, or supernatural effects sometimes take a lot more effort.

Being dead due to hp damage takes the most effort to heal. Curses, Petrification, Temporal Stasis or what ever else as debilating effects you might come up with can be fixed without lasting penalties (like level or constutition loss) and usually cheaper, too.
Losing a magic weapon or shield to sunder is also expensive and also reduces your ability to harm the robed guy with hat...

 

[KarinsDad]

Being dead due to hp damage takes the most effort to heal. Curses, Petrification, Temporal Stasis or what ever else as debilating effects you might come up with can be fixed without lasting penalties (like level or constutition loss) and usually cheaper, too.

While this is true, the amount of damage taken from a weapon (natural or not) tends to be a lot less than from a damaging spell. Plus, a single spell can take an opponent out completely whereas a single damaging weapon attack (or even mutliple attacks from a full round attack) typically does not.

Hence the reason there are a limited number of spells per day, but a very large possible number of weapon attacks per day.

Attack spells are just plain more potent than weapon attacks and so those who can cast them tend to be the first target du jour.