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Yes. PFS is a little hard on low level casters.
This is one of the reason that its usually choc full of melee.
You will probably have 4 "the scenario plans combat" encounters. You never know when the party is going to turn the tea service into a mosh pit or have a character belly rub a colossal ooze into submission instead of hurting it.
Cross bow may not be a bad idea for a few levels. Most people have played casters. They understand.
Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento
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Alternately, I am not sure if mesmerists have access to any offensive cantrips, but I know I have a few characters who have fallen back on acid splash at first level.
Adventure day wise, there are scenarios where there is one combat encounter, then a week of travel, then a combat, then a week of travel. There are encounters that have 5 combats within half an hour (Though usually at least one of those can be bypassed.)
Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
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Part of the art of playing a caster is knowing how to divvy up your spells in encounters. It's tightest at levels 1-2 but never really goes away; you'll always have to worry if you should really use all your highest level spells in a single encounter.
An important realization is that you don't have to cast a "real" spell every round. It's good to do something useful every round, but try to use spells only when it seems either like it's absolutely necessary (someone is in danger) or when it could make a big difference (one well-placed Create Pit can wreck the enemy team's tactics; a Color Spray can halve an encounter; Burning Hands to take down a swarm).
Focus on spells that provide an effect that's hard to replicate for a melee type; no need for you to do what they can do cheaper. Magic Missile is not a great spell at level 1. Color Spray is good for taking down dumb brutes, and Grease for restricting the mobility of big clumsy brutes.
So when you're not casting your Big Shot spells, what else can you do in a combat round?
- Fire a bow or crossbow or sling; often hard because of cover/shooting into melee penalties.
- Fire an Acid Splash. If you use an Acid Flask as Alchemical Focus Component (requires the Adventurer's Armory book) you get +1 damage. 1d3+1 damage isn't a lot but aiming at Touch AC helps.
- Enemies often carry acid flasks, alchemist's fire and so forth. Loot it, use it; you don't have to pay for it.
- Take a longspear and use Aid Another to help allies.
- Use your throwaway level 1 domain/bloodline powers that you get Score+3 times per day. They're often not impressive but they're also affordable.
- Open/Close doors (with Open/Close cantrip) so that other people don't have to spend actions on it; if an ally gets off an additional attack because if it, it's good use of a turn.
- Drag fallen PCs back to safety.
- Use a wand of Cure Light Wounds or Infernal Healing for first aid. Or even a potion that you've already drawn.
- Use your Knowledges. If the party wastes one less round using the wrong weapons because you did well on initiative and told them how to get trough DR, you've just achieved quite a lot with only free actions.
- Slap PCs out of Fascinated and Asleep conditions. Spend actions to disbelieve illusions and then coach other PCs with their saves (worth a +4 bonus!)
- Buy just one Wand of Magic Missile and use it to pick off enemies that the GM hints are on their last legs. Use it recklessly and burn through it before you get to level 4 , by then you have enough real spells.
- Buy one or two level 1 pearls of power. They're well-priced and having a few more spell slots makes a big difference.
- Use a Wand of Mage Armor so you don't have to spend a spell slot. Also use it on any monks in the party, they'll love you.
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buy a couple of 1st level offensive scrolls at 25 gold each, use them if things get sticky.
PFS does give you a nice 150 gold to start, so 3-4 extra scrolls starting at level one IS possible.
I do like the cantrip and aid another idea. Aid another is easier for a druid, since their AC is better than a wizard. Remember for aid another you have to threaten the bad guy.
An other reason the spear example above is such a good one. You threaten without being next to the bad guy.
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An other reason the spear example above is such a good one. You threaten without being next to the bad guy.
And if the opponent has reach, you're not stepping into the 'danger zone', either. 'win-win'.
I've got a bard that announces he's a 'wand caddy' for everyone's healing needs (and undead poking) and contributes on top of that with a nice wand of Grease.
Because nothing says 'I love you guys' like the smell of bacon making your opponent drop their main weapon in the middle of a fight.
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I'd have to agree on the wand of magic missile as a decent use of 2PP, though if playing an evoked you'll have plenty of force missiles in most cases. I tend to prefer to use my scroll purchases as Mage armor, for example, instead of offensive spells, because the defensive spells don't have saves, and the 1 hour duration is usually plenty, early on.
If it is on your spell list, have an offensive cantrip (acid splash, ray of frost, daze). Gives you a chance to attack, and not as spendy as a crossbow, and targets touch (or is a save).
As for grease... Very versatile, but I would rather have a DC16 (INT 18, spell focus) from my conjured than an 11. Save the wands for things that don't have saves.
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I'd go for scrolls of utility spells like mage armor instead of offensive spells. Since the scrolls will be at minimum caster level and minimum casting stat, you will get none of your bonuses to the DC.
I also agree with the wand of grease and/or mage armor. One of the best uses of grease is escaping a grapple: you can cast it on yourself or on a teammate.
A lot of times, you can get an offensive school/domain power like hand of the apprentice or force missile which will more than make up for your two spell slots.
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DISCLAIMER: This is a quick copy/paste of a comment I made on Facebook a while ago in response to a poster complaining about how a low level caster couldn't survive in PFS. He was focused on trying to sling damage dealing spells as a 1st level wizard, but a lot of these points are geared towards saving your spell slots so you can modify or disregard as needed.
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1) Don't blow through 50%-75% of your daily allotment of spells at 1st level in the 1st encounter unless absolutely necessary.
2) Your arcane school probably provides a low damage ranged touch attack zap with several uses per day.
3) You get 150gp at 1st in PFS; buy the light crossbow and use it liberally.
4) Flasks of oil and torches are cheap.
5) Acid Splash and Ray of Frost are unlimited use, ranged touch attack zaps that do energy damage; prepare one of them. Daze looks good on paper but it does nothing if they make the save.
6) 1st level scrolls of Mage Armor are cheap and last 1 hour. Precast it when you are expecting trouble and save yourself spell slots on the day.
7) I prefer the bonded item (spontaneously prepare any spell known 1/day) over the familiar, YMMV.
8) Specializing in an arcane school gives you one addtional spell slot to prepare a spell from that school, essentially +1 spell per day at 1st.
9) Invest in a 1st level wand of Magic Missile ASAP. Spending 2 presitge points is a great option. Most PFS players spend 2 PP on a wand of cure light wounds but as a wizard you should neither be exposing yourself to damage nor do you even have that many hit points to heal anyway, so you can get by on potions and the kindness of others.
10) Tanglefoot bags, flasks of acid, alchemist's fire and other consumables / alchemical weapons are other good alternatives to casting spells at low levels, although they are somewhat expensive so use wisely.
If you're playing a wizard because you like to blast things repeatedly in combat, you might want to consider a sorcerer or bomb-focused alchemist instead.
Good luck!
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