Thought experiment: how many arcane spellcasters in a fantasy combined arms army

[Maat Mons]

If we look at Pathfinder, training individuals up to high level can be fairly low-risk. No method of resurrection in Pathfinder results in permanent level loss, so you can always use the cheapest method available... except Reincarnate, which is just a crappy thing to do to anyone in any system. "Bob, I know you're used to seeing a human when you look in the mirror, but you're an orc lady now. Hope that doesn't up-end your life too badly."

Anyway, the cheapest form of resurrection is an 18th-level Witch using the Death Interrupted Grand Hex. If you've got one of those around, they can resurrect people for free, subject only to the limitation that any given individual can only be resurrected once per day. Well, okay, there's the "some small portion of the creature’s body must still exist" limitation and the "soul must be free and willing to return" limitation. But those usually aren't going to be a problem.

You could have your trainees engage in daily battle royales to the death, and you wouldn't actually lose anyone permanently. It would be great practice for them, and great entertainment for everyone else.



On the subject of training costs, Pathfinder opens up a few more low-cost casters. Witches are Intelligence-based casters who store spells in their familiars instead of a spellbook. It's free for the familiar to gain new spells, you just need another witch's familiar that already knows it. No cost except time, and the Witches doesn't even actually need to be around during that time. It's just the familiars who need to take the time.

On the Charisma side, Pathfinder has archetypes for Cleric, Druid, and Witch that use Charisma as a casting stat. The Cleric archetype requires worshiping an Elder God and being either Chaotic Evil or Chaotic Neutral, so you probably shouldn't train a society full of those guys. But Druids and Witches are still good, low-cost options. Probably lean more towards Druid, for less overlap with your Intelligence-based casters, but you'll have some non-Neutral people who can't be Druids and will need to be Cha-based Witches instead.

On the Wisdom side of things, there's Cleric, Druid, and Shaman. I'm partial to Shaman, since Clerics can get a little pushy about their views and Druid would overlap with your Cha-based characters. … Actually, Druids can be pushy about their view too. All the more reason to avoid them. … Well, maybe Urban Druids? No, then they'll just start advocating for the wellbeing of the rats that live in the streets.

You know what? Forget the Druids on the Charisma side too. The classes should be regular Witch, Cha-based Witch, and Shaman. Hexes for everyone! The Shamans know their entire spell list, because they're divine casters, and the Witches can trade spells with each other for no GP cost. Affordable spellcaster training across the board. … And no one with any pesky "beliefs."



Edit: For some reason, I thought Pathfinder had eliminated the GP cost of obtaining and replacing a Familiar. It looks like they only eliminated the one year waiting period, and the cost of obtaining it the first time. Though the elimination of the initial GP expenditure might just be like the free spellbook, a handwaving of a GP expenditure the character is assumed to have made with no effect on the player.

Well then, since none of the Witch archetypes that replace the Familiar with something else say they alter the cost, I guess those are all in the same boat. That only leaves Ley Line Guardian as a Witch archetype that doesn't have to worry about GP costs. Sadly, they're spontaneous casters, but what can you do? At least they don't have the lore of Pathfinder Sorcerers, saying they need to be born to special bloodlines, nor the lore of Oracles, saying they need to be specially chosen by deities.

Well, if spontaneous casters have to be part of the answer, I guess I should consider Psychic too. That leaves us at:

• Int: Psychic
• Wis: Shaman
• Cha: Ley Line Guardian Seducer Witch

Edit Edit: Oh right. Default Shaman needs a Familiar to prepare spells too. You need Speaker for the Past to free yourself from that.