Who would want to play a non-caster?

[Borthos]

Meh. Just doesn't have the same visceral appeal.

Exactly. Earlier last year when I bought the game "Darksiders," I was talking to my friend General about the God of War series, how I loved them because you can tear a dude's arm off and cut him in half with it. The guy behind the counter offered me a code to download the demo or something, which was the killing of Helios, to which I said "You know what? Normally I would. But with God of War, I want to wait and be able to have that visceral feeling of tearing the head off of a god." The girl behind the counter with him was like "Uhhh....O....kay then...."

Its the same deal with the spectral hand. Sure I could do it from 30 feet away, probably safely, but why not be the badass in the melee who kicks the guy off his sword on top of a hill while a storm rages on and lightning keeps striking?

 

[Plane Sailing]

Given all that casters can do, what rational person would want to play a non-caster. Given that casters can fly, teleport, shapechange etc. etc. etc. and basically alter reality who would choose to play a non-caster?

A real world example being who would choose to be a manual laborer when they can be a CEO.

All kinds of rational people!

People will want to play rogues and fighters - always have done, always will do.



To take a more realistic real world example, who would choose to have a relatively safe and secure life rather than spending a year or so in a dangerous area with 'kill me' written on their back?

It could be darned hard to get a wizard even up to 5th level - they are so fragile!

 

[Dandu]

To take a more realistic real world example, who would choose to have a relatively safe and secure life rather than spending a year or so in a dangerous area with 'kill me' written on their back?

John McCain?

 

[Alexander123]

To take a more realistic real world example, who would choose to have a relatively safe and secure life rather than spending a year or so in a dangerous area with 'kill me' written on their back?

It could be darned hard to get a wizard even up to 5th level - they are so fragile!

I don't think that being a caster is to live a relatively safe and secure life. I think that a caster class offers many opportunities for adventure and danger, it's just that it's more rewarding seeing as how you get higher returns for your time and the effort that you put into a character.

In D&D we can play many different characters and classes but if you were going to make a choice and be stuck with that choice for life then I think many people would reconsider whether to play a caster class or not.

 

[Ranes]

Exactly. Earlier last year when I bought the game "Darksiders," I was talking to my friend General about the God of War series, how I loved them because you can tear a dude's arm off and cut him in half with it. The guy behind the counter offered me a code to download the demo or something, which was the killing of Helios, to which I said "You know what? Normally I would. But with God of War, I want to wait and be able to have that visceral feeling of tearing the head off of a god." The girl behind the counter with him was like "Uhhh....O....kay then...."

Its the same deal with the spectral hand. Sure I could do it from 30 feet away, probably safely, but why not be the badass in the melee who kicks the guy off his sword on top of a hill while a storm rages on and lightning keeps striking?

I think it was Pratchett who said something about the wisdom of wearing copper armour while standing on a hilltop in the middle of a storm, screaming, "All gods are bastards!"

 

[GreyLord]

To be fair, most classes stand a fair chance of dying at low levels. A cleric with d8 hit dice has as much HP as a monk or ranger, and more than a rogue or bard would.

Problem being a Cleric is this small thing called...you're expected to be a team player. If you don't heal the rest of the party up, typically they'll either kick you out of the group...or kill your character and have someone else who is a team player be the healer...with or without you.

It's sort of like how people expect the fighter to go up and fight things, perhaps even protect some of the other characters and that the mage will actually cast spells that hurt the enemies and don't target players.

Teamplayers and all that stuff. Which is why I find that MANY don't like playing the characters with healing capabilities...the rest of the party expects them to use it to help the party out. It's a team thing. In fact the team thing plays into the dynamic of why some play melee instead of casters.

THAT'S ONE BIG REASON some don't play casters, especially at lower levels when most can't be the big one shot themselves and spells are much more limited. They are expected to do certain things, such as the cleric or even the Druid (or if no one plays those...in 3.X the Bard) to be the healer and use their valuable spells healing up the party.

Or, for the Mage to be able to do certain things with their spells such as take out a large group of bad guys in at least one encounter...

Or the Bard to do something that benefits the party...

Whereas a warrior, except for having to bash bad guys...typically can be a tad more selfish and do what they want...not as many party expectations. Still have to be team players...but they don't have to expend much of their daily power to be one.

I suppose that means at lower levels at least...that the warrior types have more freedom in what they are expected to do.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I don't think that being a caster is to live a relatively safe and secure life. I think that a caster class offers many opportunities for adventure and danger, it's just that it's more rewarding seeing as how you get higher returns for your time and the effort that you put into a character.

You misunderstand my illustration - the fighter and cleric have a relatively safe and secure life. Anyone choosing to be a wizard is likely to have a short one! Unless you let people create high level wizards from the start, in which case all bets are off, naturally.

 

[Alexander123]

First, no one wants to play a healbot and a cleric has much more potential than that to waste it on being a healbot for the party.

Here is a guide to healing without a cleric Whoops! Browser Settings Incompatible. <-- It says browser settings incompatible on my screen, not sure what that means but if the link doesn't work you can find the guide manually on the 6th page of the BG handbooks page here http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=dq6s83igda1rvtnmjjh2c7kip6&board=22.0.

 

[Alexander123]

You misunderstand my illustration - the fighter and cleric have a relatively safe and secure life. Anyone choosing to be a wizard is likely to have a short one! Unless you let people create high level wizards from the start, in which case all bets are off, naturally.

It seems I did. Although we usually assume that a wizard is playing in a party of adventurers and I think it is possible under those circumstances to have a good chance of making it to the high levels.

 

[Diamond Cross]

I often play fighters.

I also play psionicists, who are technically, non casters.

But I personally do consider this a troll thread. The only purpose of this kind of thread is to be inflammatory. Can't we give this topic a rest please?