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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 5901956" data-attributes="member: 87792">Honestly, the example was a bad one.  The first thing any newbie playing a wizard should do if he wants to be poweful is specialise.  I don't care what in - or whether he gets no damage at all.  The only spell worth taking in the entire Evocation domain in the SRD is Contingency and a caster who's a focussed specialist in Evocation having dropped Conjuration, Transmutation, and something else, he probably isn't any more powerful than a fighter.I exaggerate for effect.  But not very much.To illustrate, let's take the humble <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fireball.htm" target="_blank">fireball</a> spell.  It's great for clearing out chaff.  And dead is the best control condition there is.  But if all 8 targets survived, all 8 get to hit back at the fighter.  Say instead that the wizard had cast <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/stinkingCloud.htm" target="_blank">Stinking Cloud</a>.  Anyone who fails their save against that is out of the fight for an average of four and a half rounds (one round to leave and a further three and a half afterwards) and a minimum of three.  That's a minimum of three rounds the party is either able to ignore them or treat them like pinatas.  More on average or if you can trap the poor suckers in there.  Even if you assume the cloud had only 75% of the effectiveness of the evocation as fortitude is normally higher than reflex (i.e. two saved against the stinking cloud) that's still six out of the eight that are out of the fight rather than hitting back until someone gets round to putting the boot in.After the stinking cloud goes down the rest becomes a mopping up excercise.  Which the fighter can be pretty good at.  But it's still mopping up.It's not about being monoclassed. Fighter, Wizard, Cleric > Fighter, Fighter, FighterCleric, Cleric, Cleric > Fighter, Wizard, ClericDruid, Wizard, Cleric > Fighter, Wizard, ClericCleric, Wizard, Cleric > Cleric, Cleric, Cleric, > Fighter, Wizard, Cleric > Fighter, Fighter, FighterIf we want to be insulting,Bard, Wizard, Druid > Fighter, Wizard, DruidThe core problem is that when it comes to absorbing damage (the only serious method of tanking 3.X has), the ability to cast Cure Light Wounds on yourself is enough to make you more resilient than a figher.  And especially so is a druid level animal companion.  And polymorph or serious cleric buffs mean you can challenge the fighter at what he does.And CoDzilla is still at full strength in that last case.  And kicking ass in the antimagic zone.If you're running the right save-or-suck spells, the wizard can last a looooong time.  See my Solid Fog example.If I'm playing an 11th level specialist conjurer with effective Int 22 (or more), I have:Three 6th level spellsFour 5th level spellsFive 4th level spells,Six 3rd level spells,Seven 2nd level spells, andSeven 1st level spells.AoE fight winners start at second level (<a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glitterdust.htm" target="_blank">Glitterdust</a>).  And even <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/colorSpray.htm" target="_blank">Colour Spray</a> might be relevant if there's chaff around of less than four hit dice.  So let's ignore the first level spells for now.  I have twenty five spells of second level or above.  Assume I kept five back for buffs and utility.This leaves me with twenty spells.  I think I can get by on casting and average of two spells that turn groups of enemies into pinatas per fight, and still pull my weight.  Or combine Stinking Cloud with something like <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/web.htm" target="_blank">Web</a> to keep them in the cloud until we can be bothered to deal with them.  (And before you mention spell resistance/immunity, most conjurations including Glitterdust, Solid Fog, and <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/blackTentacles.htm" target="_blank">Evard's Black Tentacles</a> ignore SR and Spell Immunity). So twenty spells at two chances to turn a mass of people into pinatas per fight gives me ten back go back fights in a day.  If I need more than that I'm going to be very bored of combat and wonder what the DM is playing at.(If using Complete Mage I can be a focussed specialist in conjuration for an extra spell per level making me last even longer)And what exactly was your party scout doing?  Why let yourselves be surprised?  The precautions you take are under your control.Or if you do try 4e.  We don't need magic items for clas balance.</blockquote>

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