[RPG] How to balance an all-spellcaster party

balanceclassgm-techniquespartypathfinder-1e

This here campaign I'm about to unfold is going to feature 2-3 players, 2 of which definitely want to get spellcasting characters and the third is very likely to go down the same path.

Q: How do I negate the obvious complications caused by lack of mechanical balance within the party? For example, the party might find it difficult to engage numerous melee-oriented enemies. Stealth/melee/etc bases are, IMHO, tackled by their respective classes more efficiently.

Here are some suggestions I have:

  1. I could add non-spellcasting NPCs to the party. This will probably happen anyway, since it's a great story-driving element and many encounters are just not easily suited for such small parties.
  2. I could enhance the player characters' abilities by using custom spells, scrolls and various equipment. Occasionally, someone would be able to execute an action usually avoided by wizards and sorcerers, like using their stealth or fighting their fight in a gory melee. That would change the basic idea behind classes and shift my characters towards the all-around competent adventurers capable of using magic. My players aren't experienced with roleplaying games at all, so it shouldn't pose any extra difficulties due to re-learning.
  3. I could try and adjust the encounters in a way that would enable more fun and efficient hell-raising. For example, various objects like magic levers could be interacted with, leading to curious and rather destructive results; some monsters could be more vulnerable to a particular kind of magic (are goblins afraid of fire?) and be easier to deal with.
  4. I could encourage my players to be creative about their play and seek more unexpected but practical ways of doing things. After all, running around casting spells alone doesn't make a wizard – you'd better have something else stored in your head.

Best Answer

An all spell caster party already has balance built into it.

They can pretty much do whatever they want. Situation arises where they need a lot of meat shields? Summoning spells or animating the dead. A bunch of magical weapons and armor are coming their way and threatening to beat them dead? Dispel and Antimagic Zones. Lost of casters attacking them? Counterspell!

Spell casters are incredibly versatile. Because of this, balance is going to be based on how many spells they're casting per encounter, as well as the availability of wands, rods, scrolls and staves.

After that, just leave it up to them. You may find sending a half dozen orcs at them is a joke and they easily blow them away. So the next group staggers their approach to not get caught by AoE.

Ultimately, they're going to either breeze through situations by expending spells like crazy and saving nothing, or they'll think their way through problems and be conservative. The balance will happen. It just depends on how you run the encounters and whether or not they seek a resting zone when they're depleted, or just getting on towards depleted.