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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nagol" data-source="post: 6272687" data-attributes="member: 23935">I  agree each class' ability set should be unique and need not cover the whole continuum of "things that can be done'.My thought experiment goes as follows: for any specific scenario, can a balanced group accomplish the mission?  If we swap any class for any other is the mission still accomplishable albeit differently?Suppose a mid to high level scenario calls for the PCs to discover the location of the big-bad, requires transport to his hidden lair deep in the pack ice of the Frozen Sea, and is expected to culminate in a battle in the villain's underwater complex.With a balanced (or magic-heavy) group, that's fine and dandy.  Some divinations to reveal the plot, a couple of others to narrow the field of action, a group transport, become immune to cold and able to breathe water and everyone is good to go.Without the casters, it will proceed very differently.If we assume little to no time pressure on the non-spellcasting group then the situation still looks possible.Spy masters and information specialists may replace the divinations at the expense of time and resources.Long-term overland/sea travel can replace the transport spell at the expense of time, risk, and resources.Heavy winter gear covers the cold-weather problem during travel at some additional risk.How do the non-spellcasters survive the icy water to reach the final confrontation?  There's the rub.  This is an impediment that mundane resources can't mitigate.  Access to magic whether resources inside the group or provided by allies is necessary to attempt the mission.The factors that act to shut down the non-spell caster are any obstacle that prevents forward action unless it is overcome and overcoming it lies inside the purview of magic.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Getting to a castle floating in a cloud </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Getting to other planes of existence</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Surviving a hostile environment like underwater or in a firestorm</li> </ul>Now these things can be overcome by DM fiat in an adventure path situation, of course.  One of more keys can be included in the scenario for each lock.</blockquote>

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