To test backwards compatibility in the most vanilla setting I could think of so we started a romp through WLD. My character is an elven evoker named Dealann. We used a 20 point build and had access to the PFPRG Beta and all of the web enhancements. The party consists of my wizard, a dwarf cleric of Torag (artifice, earth), a half eleven paladin of Iomadae, and a halfing rogue. For my feat I took point blank shot. Prohibited schools are enchantment and necromancy.
The first 10 rooms contain mostly fiendish dire rats and dark mantles. My evoker claimed over half of the kills. I lead with fire from my energy ray to find out fiendish grants fire resistane of 5. So I switched to electical. Unlimited energy rays is a termendous boon to a low level wizard as is unlimited light. Sure we can't sneak up on anything but we have not seen it as a problem yet. The first time we got into trouble was with the rat swarm. I was forced to put up protection from evil just for the the +2 to AC. Decided during that combat Dealann would take burning hands for his specialist bonus spell at 2nd level. Swarms are nasty witout any area effect spells on line. My prepared spells were magic missile and protection from evil. While the dark mantles and dire rats were only minor problems, the swarm cost us a lot of hit points. The racial hit points and the channel positive energy allowed us to recover and continue. We continued through about 25 rooms before we finally needed to rest. We wanted to be prpeared before we sttacked the goblins.
The 1st play session was remarkable. I have been playing wizards since 1977 and the simple addition of specialist ability and at will cantrips have made the wizard so much more fun to play at low levels. The challenge for me in latter levels of WLD will be the limitation of evocation magic. When we finally face the World Eater, an advanced night crawler, I probably will not be able to do more than tickle it. A meteor swarm just doesn't do much to a 1000+ hp opponent.
Doug
A meteor swarm just doesn't do much to a 1000+ hp opponent.
Neither does a longsword.
Just settle in for the long grind.
And if you know in advance what you're up against, which evidently you do, you can prepare ahead of time with just those perfect spells that really take advantage of a night crawler's weaknesses.