[Neo the Warrior Cat]

Watch out for conflicting alignments. Paladins and Red Wizards do not mix well...

But about backup mages, even Edwin doesn't have infinite spell slots. Against tough opponents you are very likely to use aroun 25-50% of your spellbook depending on playing style, spell selection, etc. Then there are regular fights and you might only use 1 or 2 spells, maybe more if you have a high concentration of Arcane/Divine spellcasters. So always have more than one person to take on the magical load.