Do caster out of combat options matter?

[Mastikator]

It doesn't. No matter what path they take, they will always face the same 4 encounters.



No, it doesn't. You're still facing ten orcs in a square room. The situation is exactly the same, your approach does not change that. The advice you're giving is simply wrong.

I think this is a prime example of why out of combat options not mattering is sure sign of bad campaign. If you got passwall and clairvoyance and can't ever possibly use it to skip an encounter, then the campaign is trash. Honestly. It's a railroad and the train carts are full of trash.