Spells used each day.

[Roc Ness]

Assume a 20th level Wizard, Sorcerer, or otherwise powerful full caster. How many high level spells slots do you expect them to burn through each day? (where high level spell slots is > level 6). All of them? Or are only a few 8th/9th level spells enough to end every encounter for the day? :smallconfused:

I know this is more of a situational question, but I'm hoping there might be some agreed upon average-rate-of-spell-consumption out there.

[Divide by Zero]

One per encounter, unless we're going up against enemy casters.

[Tr011]

Assuming level 20 and 28-35 Int you will have 4+1 (from ability) + 1 (from specialization/domain slots) 9th level slots as a Wizard. Now you should use the situational spells first and keep 2 open so you have still something left when it comes to a battle or something like that before you can finish your next resting. But there won't be any need (regulary) to save more 9th level spells. Also some (maybe 3) 6th-8th level spells should be also kept opened to make minor encounters that could come up. That's 5 high level spells in total and I don't think you'll need more above the expected amount of challanges.

A sorcerer is kinda the same way, but he can expand more until he has only 5-6 high lvl spells left.

Also, this whole thing depends very much on your DM, if he likely never surprisingly gives you the need of casting in the end of the day, but has very tough challanges for ya, you should get some scrolls with backup-spells and feel free to use up all spell slots.

/edit: also keep in mind that f.e. a wizard with this feat to cast 1 spell/day spontaneously could use up more spells/day because he has a more efficient backup.

[Feytalist]

Any spell not cast per day is essentially wasted. Unless your mage is a manic scroll/staff/etc maker, there is no point to storing spells to the next day, so go wild with your casting abilities.

That said, the last fight of the day is generally the most difficult (if your DM is anything like mine, anyway), so it's generally a good idea to keep you big guns in reserve until then.

But, like Divide by Zero said, if you go up against enemy casters, you're going to have to burn through spells quickly anyway. Depends on your game, I guess.

I generally expect my casters to go through all their level 5+ spells in a day, including navigating obstacles, non-combat situations etc.

[Big Fau]

I actually expect them to have over half of their spells/day left at the end of the standard 4 Encounters/Day, so I go overboard on daily encounters and try to get them to use up everything they can. At least in PBP.

IRL, my players don't know how to do proper Battlefield Control or buffs, so they end up using a lot more spells per encounter.

[Roc Ness]

So I guess the consensus is that high level casters don't really use that many spells at all unless they have to fight enemy casters or the DM is out to make them use them?

[Big Fau]

So I guess the consensus is that high level casters don't really use that many spells at all unless they have to fight enemy casters or the DM is out to make them use them?

In all honesty, you could remove bonus spells from the Full Casters and they wouldn't even notice in terms of power.