Admittedly there's alot of protecting of pure spellcasters in the early levels of IWD, (I prefer straight classes to multi) but with patience and diligence, you are duly rewarded with some lovely obliteration/area effect nastiness if that is indeed the avenue you pursue. [img]smile.gif[/img]
Straight plain power themed hack and slash would become slightly lacking in strategic depth for me - I couldn't live without the two mages I created for my previous outings through the game.
(A Necromancer and an Invoker before that)
I can assure you that they're worth it.
Still, a power themed party of fighters/archers and clerics would be worth investigating without magery. I completed Baldurs Gate the first time without one, but never considered doing it with IWD where usually more diverse heavy combat tactics are needed.
I tend to agree agree with Azred though, you need at least one in any "tr00 power" party.
