What to do when you aren't casting

[BasilVasil]

I wanted to play a full caster, but I am not sure what to have them do when they aren't casting major spells. Are you suppose to cast cantrips? Attack with a crossbow? At higher levels I am struggling with knowing what to do. I don't want to blow through all my spells right away.

[Cyiel]

Cantrips or Crossbow depends of what you are fighting (demons have DR or Immunity to elements). If you are playing with Real Time you can use right click on a cantrip to cast it continuously.

[pete3great]

You've pretty much got it. Some of those cantrips can even be potent at low levels.

Of course, if you're a witch or shaman or the like, you might be buffing and debuffing instead.

[gmwaddington]

If you're higher level, using a breath weapon when buffed with Dragon Kind III is an option.

[Drake]

Depends on your caster class. If you're a witch or shaman, spam hexes. If you're a wizard, druid or cleric, guidance is actually great, +1 bonus might not look that much, but you'll thank the spell when you succeed a roll by one point. There is also resistance, flare etc. They might not look powerful, but since you actually spam them there some instances when it works, and it's going to be better than using a crossbow that will always do 0 damage.

There is also scroll and wand casting. Especially scrolls, you have a lot of money, there are a lot of scrolls, use them as fodder spells, they're great.

[forkofspite]

Skip turn (turn-based). Might need a new space bar soon.

Disclaimer - I'm not exactly the best at playing casters

[Kinoringan]

What do you mean? If the enemies haven't died yet you gotta keep on casting till they all dead.

Choose mythic abundant casting and it's equivalent to increase your spell slots

There are also items that can increase spell slots

[Azure-Ghost]

Meanwhile my Brownfur Arcanist Lich runs around with a bardiche (reach weapon of which there is a unique one that scales on INT instead of Str like normal melee weapons do) boosts herself with buffs like transformation (full AB progression like a fighter but blocks spellcasting so not useable in fights you also want to cast) and smacks heads.

[Koveras]

I typically attack using cantrips. I think "Ray of Frost" looks pretty cool. I use Diviner's Fortune and its aura if the character is a divination specialist wizard. Suppose you could attack with those call lightning wands from Blackwater. They're pretty cool looking. Doesn't matter if it doesn't damage most of the enemies in the game.

[HydraLord]

Hi there.

As some said, in higher levels (cause of mythic abilities) it could prove difficult to run out of spells to cast; still demoralize ability is something you may want to autocast when you do not want your caster to be casting spells (at least it work for me, specially in early stages of the game).

Hope this help
Have fun

Hope this help

[elbentzo]

If you're running a trickster, you can use the the Completely Normal Spell metamagic feat to turn all your level 1 spells into cantrips. That means you can spam magic missile, and if you've got a good evocation DC, spam Ear-Piercing Scream. If you put on the necklace that removes the 5d6 cap, you can do A LOT of damage and stun luck enemies like there's no tomorrow. Seriously, you can do 50-100 damage and stun most enemies for 2 turns... with a cantrip. But it only works for tricksters. Otherwise, either use a crossbow, normal cantrips, or the best option -- get the abundant casting abilities and just be generous with your spells. You're here to use them, not save them for later.

[Adeptus Stark]

Lower level casters just go pew pew with D3 damage cantrips. Celebrate when your 2 damage actually kills an enemy in battle!

There is a cantrip item that gives +1 damage, but I always try and put it on a caster that it doesn't work with. (Divine I think)

[Gaius]

At lower and mid levels, you got it, ranged weapons or cantrips in auto-cast. At the starting area tavern you'll find gloves that give cantrips +1 DMG, this is actually a pretty solid item for full casters for a while.

Later either low level effective spells with abundant casting (even lv 1 magic missiles are a good damage source against high AC enemies) or buffs/debuffs (specially from hexes in classes that have them - . Remember heighten spell metamagic can make low level spells relevant all the way - and use a lot of slots you might be ignoring.

[jsaving]

Right, you carry the party when an encounter is difficult enough to require your higher-level spells and the party carries you when an encounter is easy enough not to need them.

A common mistake made by new players is to conclude, well, if I'm going to be shooting a crossbow most of the time then I should take the usual archery feats to improve my crossbow DPS. You want to make sure not to do that. Raising your crossbow damage from pitiful to slightly-more-than-pitiful is not even remotely worthwhile when you could instead be taking feats to improve your spells. Best wishes and good luck!

[Necropants]

Play a multiclass lich wizard with a huge two hander and vampiric weapon. XD
If you built it right it practically have Full spell casting progression while having full BAB

[PocketPsycho]

Originally posted by Koveras:

I typically attack using cantrips. I think "Ray of Frost" looks pretty cool. I use Diviner's Fortune and its aura if the character is a divination specialist wizard. Suppose you could attack with those call lightning wands from Blackwater. They're pretty cool looking. Doesn't matter if it doesn't damage most of the enemies in the game.

Personally prefer Acid Splash for cantrip spam, unlike Ray of Frost it's not affected by Spell resistance, so that's one less roll to worry about. Doesn't look as cool though :D