Quote Originally Posted by clash View Post
This may sound controversial but hear me out.

Casters can do a lot out of combat. They can teleport past obstacles, plane shift, open locked doors, fly etc.

But do these options actually matter? If you need to get to the plane of fire as part of the campaign there will be a way to get to the plane of fire that didn't rely on class abilities or make assumptions. Anytime you need to fly to overcome an obstacle there's either a way to fly or another way to overcome it or the only reason flight is required is because you have it. The same can be said of any of those spells. So are those spells as game altering as they seem or are they just good for making you feel useful when in reality they were not required.
Oh damn, I'm late to such a tasty thread question.

Yes, yes they do a whole lot. It's not about what's required, it's about what your players can do to affect the situation around them. Yes, if your party of Fighter, Rogue, Barbarian and Paladin cannot Plane Shift and that is also somehow absolutely required by the plot you have in mind, you'll have to provide it - or cut the subplot of planar travel. However, if your party has Plane Shift by default, the dynamic changes. The players feel like they're in charge of how to proceed, and also can be sure that they can return at almost any time, or go to any plane they need, rather than hope the GM provides the means for them. Also, any costs of such solutions now boil down to "1 spell slot now and 1 spell slot later" rather than "do this sidequest to procure a couple charges of Plane Shift".

The same applies to the rest of out-of-combat options, because if they don't matter, that means the players either don't use them, or the players using them don't get any positive feedback from that, which in turn means the GM is shutting them down every single time. Which would mean the issue is with the GM, not with spell access.

Consider that Plane Shift can be useful not only to go to a planar dungeon, but also to visit multiplanar metropolises to make contacts and procure magic gear, or seek solutions to a problem that could be solved without planar travel (but the other plane can have methods for it that are much faster or easier!). Consider that Wall of Stone is okay in combat, but it also lets players build basic fortifications with unmatched speed. Consider that Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion can feed several hundred people per day if the food inside is rationed properly. Consider that Speak with Dead sometimes might outright circumvent a murder mystery or a "oh no, X died and didn't tell us crucial info" subplot. Consider that Teleport reduces travel times between civilized cities to exactly zero or at worst 24 hours, when the trek might take a month or two normally. The list goes on.

If the players can't find a way to use their spells to their non-combat advantage where there would be none without a spell, either their spell selection is very combat-focused, or the spell usage is being stifled by the GM. And the second part of this equation is that if you don't have spells, you don't get anything in return, non-combat-wise.