spellcasting BBEG

[Dreaddisease]

For Wizards, Clerics and druids that your PCs are facing how many of you specialize their spell selection to meet the characters with full force? Or how many of you cop out with Sorcerers?

I ask this because my characters had gone up against a lich who was a necromancer, but I had some of his spells used for the day. The PCs had a rough time considering the CR was 4 above them but they actually defeated the fool with some interesting tactics. But I've noticed that whenever we meet up with their BBEG who may be a few CRs above us it is always a sorcerer, and with a nice spell selection may I add. This began to irk me. No spells cast beforehand and the best spell selection EVER for defeating our characters. Anyways. Comments?

 

[Dreaddisease]

Also do you have them always start out with 18s in their spellcasting stat? I guess this a typical outcome of modern day villans, where they are bigger, badder and meaner than ever. But I don't see all villans as "the most powerful person on the planet" so far. In fact I would say that 97.3% of all villans would not start with an 18 (Depending on what stat rolling method you used).

Rant mode off

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

Abjuration is nice for an evil wizard. Some of those defensive spells have long durations as well, so it's reasonable to say the bad guy casts them every day. A favorite encounter of mine to toss out at players is a troll low-level cleric who casts Endure Elements for fire and acid every morning. The spell (at least in 3e) is 24 hours, so why wouldn't the troll cover his butt that way?