[EEWorzelle]

ChaosTheorist, I did not think you were patronizing at all. I assumed you were, and are, genuine in what you say. I'm not that clever. If you ever really do want to insult me you have to be direct, otherwise I will assume the best.

Those characters were about Level 22 or 23. Throughout the entire game, in almost all my games, enemies are taken out with magic. Melee and ranged are for bosses and cleanup, mostly. The high Powercast levels comes from getting it early, +3 at level-ups thereafter, up to 75, and constantly using spells the whole game. Any Alchemist who get Powercast fairly early, puts +3 in at level-ups and casts spells the whole game should see Powercast levels like that. The 100-110 Powercast comes from an Amulet that give +10 Powercast. I think my Mage was wearing it.

"So it's rare but not uncommon; got it"

Sorry about the lack of clarity there. 1000+ damage per character round is not uncommon, 1300 and 1300+ are rare. The Tsunami spell and others like it top out a bit over 100. Banish is another good one. Once casting is at Power-Level 7, the only thing that can raise it further, directly is caster level, but this is not as big an effect as taking it up in Power-Level.

Regarding Earthquake versus Tsunami, I agree. Tsumami is my favorite spell and Water realm happens to be very powerful in this game. The Mage and Blizzard are not far behind. Blizzard is a great level 6 spell. Although Earthquake only gives like 70 damage per, I think it has greater potential in really large battles because so many are potentially exposed to it.

"And this is where I'd use a high-level Death Cloud if available."

You see, that's exactly what I am referring to, and 99% of Wizardry 8 players would probably do the same. It doesn't hurt anything, but for the style I am referring to it doesn't help, either. In terms of what it takes to do the job measured in required spell points and rounds, it is entirely irrelevant whether I am damaging 20 or 6 enemies. Reducing that 20 downward in number does no more than make the spells less efficient. Use those spell points that would have been used to cast that cloud for something instead that damages them all, even if it is just a little, like Acid Bomb. Every little bit helps but killing enemies one at a time, or all simultaneously, a bit at a time are like oil and water, they do not mix well.

A lot of "conventional" wisdoms as they would apply to Melee-orientated parties simply does not apply if one is using magic damage for killing. For example, if you are coming up to two enemy parties it might be smarter to take them both on at once, rather than one at a time. The reason is it makes more efficient use of your limited magical energies.

Actually, some players with really high Powercast prefer Death Wish type spells and claim, in some cases, they can pretty much get all of the enemies that way, apparently. I cannot speak to that either way because I never bother with those spells. I go right for the damage generating ones. So not all Magic-Heavy parties use the strategies I'm describing.

About the Bards and Gadgeteers not benefiting from Powercast, yeah, it is disappointing. In one party, early on, I actually, naively, went for Powercast with both. What happened was no increases through use. I could put +3 in at level-ups (and I did so) but there was no noticable impact and I think the fact there were no increases at all through use of their music/gadgets means Powercast is not being used by them. In a way, I'm glad, at least in the case of the Bard. Instead of Powercast I go for Powerstrike and the Bard becomes very powerful in Melee. With her shield she is the tank of the party, responsible for cleanup and bosses, as well as her Bard duties, such as Haste. healing, restoration, etc.