about magic

[harryw woolley]

I'm a DM but I have a problem about magic ruining my game say I attack a group of pcs with a load of orcs there wizard blasts them with a area fire and kills them all they are only 5th level players are 5&6 level not much different can I put a area protection spell on the as there is not a problem with there spell but makes the game start to be boring thanks from a baffled DM.harry

[Sir Jerden]

It happens. That's why people like these sorts of spells, they're very good for taking out lots of enemies at once.
Fireball is less good against a single stronger enemy (like, say, an orc chief with lots of HP and better saves), or against lots of very spread out enemies (like a group of orc archers), so I'd recommend using more variety in your encounters if this seems like a problem. Energy immunity and resistance can limit the power of spells, but as you said there's a fine line between making something challenging again and just making the game boring.

However, I'd say the best advice to give you is just to not worry too much if the PCs do better than you expect them to. Also, punctuate more, it makes text easier to read.

[Wheldrake]

Like Sir Jerden said: vary your encounters. So a few encounters are easily overcome by a PC's fireball. Good for him! Let him soak up the glory! But use terrain and make some encounters less likely to be solved by blasting.

Also, don't forget to have the enemy use the PC's clever tactics right back at him, from time to time. <g>

[Eltacolibre]

It's good.
If someone pick a tool...he basically expect to use them.

A bunch of nameless Orcs killed in one fireball is fine...that what fireball is supposed to do. The goal of encounters in general is to expend some players resources, if he used one fireball that's still some resources spent.

Have the lieutenants, bosses and other named npcs react appropriately later on. It cost too much resources and money in general to tweak horde of faceless minions against a pc but liuetenants, bosses, demi bosses etc...will definitely come prepare if they know of the characters tactics.

Sir Magnificent Philips is a well known mage for his powerful fireball...then yeah the enemy boss, lieutenant, or demi boss would at least come prepare for that. On top of it, it makes your world feel alive that enemies react intelligently to their foes.

[Pizza Lord]

Not to just jump onto the pile, but I agree with the others in this case. This is perfectly fine. You will run into stuff later where magic might cause problems with a good encounter, but this isn't it. Fireballing weak enemies and wiping them out (even if they save) is all good. Don't have them all in one spot, so at least a couple get through (and the other PCs can cut them down.) Later on, resist energy and protection from energy spells will be more common (maybe even the mass or communal versions) and globes of invulnerability will hedge out lower-level spells.

I wouldn't worry about this too much, this is the level where PCs start getting the good blasting spells and the bad guys are still vulnerable.