When "fun" just isn't enough.

[Reynard]

The problem with per day is that your knowledge of what is going to happen that day is very, very limited. So, because of that limitation, you are forced to take the most bland, widest application spells you can. Is it Fly or Fireball? Because it most certainly won't be Sepia Snake Sigil.

It depends on a number of factors. How much "research" have the characters done while prepping for their adventure? How important is versimilitude to the DM? How random are the random encounter tables being used? And, of course, location and terrain and "dungeon archetype" are all important. Ostensibly, the PCs would prepare differently for going into a rotting tomb than they would for an underdark excusrion than they would for a day's travel through untamed forests. That's part of the oft dismissed "operational" play. Certainly, it isn't for everyone, but I don't think it is as unfun as the designers make it out to be -- otherwise, D&D would have died a slow death a long time ago.

 

[Hussar]

It depends on a number of factors. How much "research" have the characters done while prepping for their adventure? How important is versimilitude to the DM? How random are the random encounter tables being used? And, of course, location and terrain and "dungeon archetype" are all important. Ostensibly, the PCs would prepare differently for going into a rotting tomb than they would for an underdark excusrion than they would for a day's travel through untamed forests. That's part of the oft dismissed "operational" play. Certainly, it isn't for everyone, but I don't think it is as unfun as the designers make it out to be -- otherwise, D&D would have died a slow death a long time ago.

Oh, sure, if there are obvious elements then spell choice comes up. If you're heading into that Lost Tomb, then some spells vs undead isn't a bad idea.

But, day to day, you don't have that kind of prep. Even well researched dungeon crawls won't tell you what every encounter will be. Likely it won't tell you much more than a small fraction of potential encounters.

Considering the game is filled with spells that have very, very limited use, it's not a surprise that players are going to focus on big ticket spells. Given the choice between fireball and Sepia Snake Sigil, you know what players are going to choose. Every time.

That's because if you choose badly, your choice is entirely useless for that entire game day. If you take Water Breathing, for example, and don't find a deep pond, then you've wasted a 3rd level cleric spell. So, no one ever memorizes water breathing, and, if it becomes needed, they rest for the day.

 

[Reynard]

That's because if you choose badly, your choice is entirely useless for that entire game day. If you take Water Breathing, for example, and don't find a deep pond, then you've wasted a 3rd level cleric spell. So, no one ever memorizes water breathing, and, if it becomes needed, they rest for the day.

IME they don't do that so much as use other kinds of resources for those events: potions and scrolls and wands. Even in 1E where you couldn't necessarily go out and purchase most single use items, you still hoarded that stuff when you found it because you never knew when you were going to need that sort of thing.

Besides, that whole "click the rest button" attitude only happens if the DMs makes camping out consequence free. Even a single interruption in that rest ruins the casters' ability to re-prep spells.