What's a Caster Without Spells To Do?

TwoSix · Feb 6, 2013

To be on topic, I really don't remember it happening past level 4 or 5.

1) Wizards should be Focused Specialists.
2) Low-level items from Magic Item Compendium are fun.
3) Reserve feats can help if you can spare a feat slot.
4) Divine casters can melee.
5) Multiclass. Not power optimal, but in my last campaign, my beguiler/wizard/ultimate magus NEVER ran out of spells, and really never got close. Warlock/caster/eldritch X also has staying power.

Sekhmet · Feb 6, 2013

Personally, at lower levels when it is an issue, I almost exclusively use Aid Another to support a hireling or another party member. Once level 4 or so rolls around, I start looking at getting a few low level wands for things like Sleep, Summon Monster, Charm, or the like, to ease the burden of combat from other players.

Grogg of the North · Feb 6, 2013

I assume you're thinking more along the lines as a wizard/sorc. As a cleric you've got the hp and armor to wade into the thick of things.

Things to do:

1) Use items like scrolls, wands, and at higher levels staffs. As a pack rat of a caster, I always tend to have a weird mix of scrolls, wands and such that I found as loot and was saving for a rainy day.

2) Aid-Another to defense/attack for another character. You can even get brave and flank.

3) Crossbow/Bow support. Pew pew pew!

Empirate · Feb 6, 2013

My Evoker has maxed out Intimidate (cross-class, but good Cha), and can often apply a 1-round-debuff on a single enemy that's a little better than just aiding another. If my spells run out, that is, which has happened maybe twice in the campaign, and I was lower level then than I am now. I don't expect my spells to ever run out by this point, and if they do, that's what I have my scrollcase for.

Also, being Mr. Knowitall has its perks: if you alone know what kind of... thing it is your group is currently fighting, telling the others what will work and what won't can make a huge difference.

Finally, meleeing it out can be good, depending on the circumstances. If I can pick up an enemy so the guys who can actually still do something don't get dropped this round, that is good. My Evoker never felt above taking one for the team! Good Con and possible Mirror Images help with this, of course.
(OTOH, if the best tactical option is to nuke the Sorceress along with the BBEG... I've been known to take the shot. Shoot the hostage and all that...)

stevelabny · Feb 6, 2013

Take out your crossbow
Take out your sword and possibly put on your armor.
Diplomacy.
Hide.
Do something else during combat. Like evacuating the civilians, or untying the prisoners or looting the room.
FIRE. it isnt always magical, you know.

What to do when you can't do what you do best is kinda the whole point of making a CHARACTER and not a sack of hit points and combat abilities.

Dannyalcatraz · Feb 6, 2013

In our group, the guy who runs Wizards 85% of the time (since 1986) doesn't cast spells every round, he casts enough to be effective. So he almost never runs out. When he is not casting spells- functionally the same as being a caster without spells- he used his skills to gather info (or whatever); he used crossbows/daggers/darts/staves/alchemical weapons to do coup-de-graces, control the battlefield or guard the rear, etc.

Empirate · Feb 6, 2013

Dannyalcatraz said:
In our group, the guy who runs Wizards 85% of the time (since 1986) doesn't cast spells every round, he casts enough to be effective. So he almost never runs out. When he is not casting spells- functionally the same as being a caster without spells- he used his skills to gather info (or whatever); he used crossbows/daggers/darts/staves/alchemical weapons to do coup-de-graces, control the battlefield or guard the rear, etc.

Yeah, that reminds me of the fight when I (accidentally! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!) nuked said Sorceress. I spent three rounds hanging in the air, invisible, doing nothing, waiting until the similarly invisible big bad would appear (no See Invisible for either one of us). Rest of the group was busy taking out a bunch of mooks, I was saving the big guns for the BBEG. Doing nothing can be surprisingly effective if it means you get the first shot in against an unprepared BBEG who didn't see you coming. If you can make sure that first shot is also the last...

RUMBLETiGER · Feb 6, 2013

Thanks for all the input guys!

I'm playing a Wizard for the second time (And the first time I played a selfish NN Gnome, a bit of an annoying jerk really), I'm used to playing classes with diverse roles and abilities (Factotum, Druid, Warlock) so a character build around one class feature (admittedly, a power class feature, those Arcane spells...) is kinda new to me. This PC will progress into War Weaver, so I expect to have plenty of spells at higher levels, still doesn't hurt to be prepared.

I had a number of ideas as to how to unfold his development, but definitely wanted all of your input! Appreciate it!

Suggestions I'd like to implement:

-Crafting my own level 1 pearls of power. As the game progresses, see about making higher level ones, but just recycling really good level 1 spells (Grease, Magic Missile, Mage Armor, Nerveskitter, etc) will be useful. As a War Weaver, more spells to cast into the weave will likely trump casting out of wands (since I don't think I can cast a wand spell into a weave). This is helping be decide between picking Craft Wondrous Items and Craft Wand feats.

-investigate just how useful a crossbow is.

-Investigate Craft (Alchemy)

-Buy dogs. That actually sounds really useful.

-Figure nifty applications for Knowledge skills. I know they're out there.

-Use mundane fire. That's an awesome suggestion.

-Wait patiently, use ready actions.