Having always played a Wizard, Sorcerer and then Warlock ( since the introduction several years ago ), i supposed that it's difficult to change my mindset since i've most probably squeeze what they could possibly do and the only reason i stick to Warlock after their introduction is because as most of you probably agree, they've infinite haste and is actually fun to play because of major QOL despite having borderline damage in both PVE and PVP ( compared to True flame(previously) and now, Elementalist )
Perhaps the reason that i find mundane is much harsher to play is because i'm too used to playing spellcasters. I've just begun a mundane class, i think, sometime 6 months ago. The build that Jen wrote above, i didn't go for DD but go for Rogue / Loremaster / Fighter instead, you can go for Rogue / Weaponmaster / Fighter as well and achieve about 60AC ( pre-expertise ) and do insane damage as well with 48 AB to 50 AB pre battle buff like ( prayer / battle tide etc )
Though even with that build, making use of Hide/MS and sneak corner, I find it difficult to beat some other dungeons that i used to be able to as a spellcaster. That's probably what made me wrote all these.
When facing group of monsters, it's incredible to just toss a 'fear' spell when hidden and let your summoned creature do the work or grease spell / entangle to slow them down and let your monster do the work...or even confusion.
1 CC spell per engagement (you begin first ) before deploying your summon forward is the way to go, especially when you're hidden. It makes a huge and absolutely big difference.
Whether you choose to toss magic damaging spell next or so, depends on how you work around it ofc.
As for the Paush thingy, i still believe wizard / sorc can do it. It's just that my current PC story has not ended and i'm liking him very much so, i'll postpone the trial and error until then. I mean...we're fighting against NPCs...they follow AI pattern and it's not hard to manipulate unless DM decides to intervene of course...and i had that happened to me before. ( whoever that DM was, my undying orog had fun, it's real. )
Edit : Regarding the AI thing that i wrote above, some may argue that if you can manipulate AI as a spellcaster, you can equally do so as a Mundane. But...it's not true because, you need actual summons to control and do all sorts of command to keep enemies 'occupied'. The more number of summons that you have, the better it is against AI.
A spellcaster with summon should not be fighting like a Mundane do.
And...a pseudo warrior with a summon? That's even more badass.
And finally, multiple cast of summons are important, Gate / Summon IX, Conduit or even Elemental Meteor ( EDK ).
Even my melee PC cheap as hell. All wards beside Shadow SHield and Barskin come from magic items. So i even do not spend money for wardings. Beside than pot, at cost of... 84 gold?.. And Shadow Shield FOR REALLY BIG FIGHTS. Which is cost for... 1k per scroll? For 15min duration.
I mean...magic items are not cheap. Potion of Bull strength, Cat's Grace, Bear's Endurance and Wands of it...Wand of Barkskin, Potion of Aid, Potion of Shield, Improved Invisibility Wand...Death Ward Wand, Potion of Freedom, Potion of True strike...just check every shops in Arelith, all the brewed potions are there for a reason and all for mundane.
I can't fathom how you think that it's cheap for Mundane when clearly, there're market specifically THERE just for them.
ATM my wizard spend more time and moeny for warding my summons.
Coz warding your summons now blocked behind artcrafting and other things.
...I'm just speechless here. I don't even want to go on this part.
If you are spending more money on warding your summon(s) than a mundane spend on themselves.
Are you playing in the same Arelith as i am?
And to what Xerah wrote above about Summons able to allow the Spellcaster to escape? It's definitely real because...that's how AI are. Even a small animate dead or summon creature III can do wonder if you use it right.
Is that cheesing? Maybe. But when you're out of spell or caught in some places that you like to reserve your spells etc, there're so many arsenal at your control as a spellcaster.