Do caster out of combat options matter?

[Dr.Samurai]

If that point of failure is PC creation it's a big ol failure in my book. it's shifting all the decisions to non game elements and onto rules. I don't consider anything you do prior to the point character are making in game choices as actual game play. You shouldn't exclude over half the classes from a core part of the setting just because they don't have spells.

I agree with this.

And I again take issue with the framing that this is some sort of failure on the part of the player. There is no "game" without the DM and players, so there is no default assumption that you're going to have a utility spellcaster in the party.

It's so easy for people to say "you don't need a healer in 5E" and "you don't need a tank in 5E".

But the utility caster... all of a sudden you're changing world lore, you're being a burden on the DM, you have no agency!!!!