Yes. And then the wizards die. But .. you do realise that I'm making a point, yes? Even without technology, technology wins. Just because of numbers.
Say you wish for 3000 tanks. I will grant you this: You're moving the needle. But do you have 3000 tank crews? Do you even know you need tank crews. And even if, tanks lose hard in rock/tank/fighter jet. So you wish for fighter jets. And pilots. Oh, and runways. And fuel. Ammo. Oh darn, you also need radars, and communications.
I mean ... do you see it? You need bases, air traffic control, you need sattelites, ground to air missiles. You're just never going to get there. It cannot reasonably be done.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
The only way wizards can win is if they don’t use brute force, it doesn’t matter how strong they are, 8 BILLION people is obscene, they would have a far better chance if it was 1 BILLION against 125,000 wizards, as even though both populations have been turned into 1/8 of the original post, the wizards are now far closer in numbers.
Once the population crosses a certain level, it’s practically impossible for the wizards to win with brute force. There’s one method that has not really been discussed in this post, why not destroy the environment instead? Most spellcasters at a high enough level can sustain themselves and others, so have them group up together with a cast capable of casting demiplane or something similar before they all start casting spells like control weather, insect plague or create undead in isolated villages.
That way, the wizards could relax for a while as the usual consequences of spells like fireball are used to their advantages, the strength of a spellcaster is not their raw firepower or reality warping, this isn’t Dragonball, what they do have is easily replenishable resources comparable to powerful explosives, top of the class reconnaissance and manipulation of all manners.
Well that point wasn’t really clarified, if the original poster could come up and tell us if it’s just to disable the military or not, it would clarify a lot. If it was military I would actually be on the fence about it.
I mean, It's not really the entire world against the wizards, just the military.
It's technology. And my point isn't about mobilising every human being from toddler to gibbering ancient - it's about sharpened sticks.
Also, as Jurmundur pointed out, magic only really starts moving the needle when it starts using technology. I mean I'm not sure that was his point, but that's my interpretation =)
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Yes. And then the wizards die. But .. you do realise that I'm making a point, yes? Even without technology, technology wins. Just because of numbers.
Say you wish for 3000 tanks. I will grant you this: You're moving the needle. But do you have 3000 tank crews? Do you even know you need tank crews. And even if, tanks lose hard in rock/tank/fighter jet. So you wish for fighter jets. And pilots. Oh, and runways. And fuel. Ammo. Oh darn, you also need radars, and communications.
I mean ... do you see it? You need bases, air traffic control, you need sattelites, ground to air missiles. You're just never going to get there. It cannot reasonably be done.
I don't think that's even a tactic that would be used: "Finally, these government officials don't want to simply nuke major cities and kill people. Lowest bloodshed, people."
Even if 8 billion people charged at the wizards with sharpened sticks, the wizards would win. Whenever they get low on spell slots, they can use wall spells and rope trick to rest, and go out to kill another 100-10,000 people each (based on what spell slots they have).
A bit off topic but here is how many magic missiles could be cast in one volley if they all use their spell slots. This is all rough estimation pretty much.
Level 1. 4 (spell slots, as most wizards have this many) *1 million wizards *3 darts = 12 million.
Level 2. 3*500,000*4 = 6 million
Level 3. 3*250,000*5* = 3 million 750 thousand (3750000)
Level 4. 3*125,000*6 = 2 million 250 thousand (2250000)
level 5. 2(because they mostly have two spell slots)*62500*7 = 875 thousand (875000)
Level 6. 1 (because now it's going to be mostly 1)*31,250*8 =250 thousand (250000)
Level 7. 15625*9= 140625
Level 8. 5000*10 =50000
Level 9. 1000*11 = 11000
There was probably an easier way to do all this. I just wanted to get into detail.
Grand total of: 25326625 AKA Twenty Five Million Three Hundred Twenty Six Thousand Six Hundred Twenty Five Bolts.
Also something to add. 1000 of the Level Nine Casters could have Spell Mastery with Magic Missile, basically giving them infinite uses of the level 1 version. In theory if they just keep spamming it, that is around 18000 bolts a minute (depends on how long you think an action takes.) Also, each bolt is either killing or injuring average humans.
Also, If they are all elves and can survive with spells like good berry and create water. Then they can take four hour rests, meaning that In in 24 hours the wizards are pretty much doing this 6 times a day.
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"Uh, I have Illusory Script. I think I can read that."
I don't think that's even a tactic that would be used: "Finally, these government officials don't want to simply nuke major cities and kill people. Lowest bloodshed, people."
Even if 8 billion people charged at the wizards with sharpened sticks, the wizards would win. Whenever they get low on spell slots, they can use wall spells and rope trick to rest, and go out to kill another 100-10,000 people each (based on what spell slots they have).
Even if they literally had *only* sticks - wizards would never, ever, get to replenish spells. Spears (technically sticks) can be thrown, and it takes time to climb. Walls can be broken.
But really, like I said, sticks is just an example. It's a metaphor to show that even if the technology side of this has no technology, the wizards lose on numbers alone.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Grand total of: 25326625 AKA Twenty Five Million Three Hundred Twenty Six Thousand Six Hundred Twenty Five Bolts.
Also something to add. 1000 of the Level Nine Casters could have Spell Mastery with Magic Missile, basically giving them infinite uses of the level 1 version. In theory if they just keep spamming it, that is around 18000 bolts a minute (depends on how long you think an action takes.) Also, each bolt is either killing or injuring average humans.
Blot out the sky in magic missiles lol, the only problem would be their range is kinda limited when compared to things like sniper rifles, which would probably act like heavy crossbows and longbows in terms of damage and range, not to mention if they spent that many spell slots on magic missile, it would leave them extremely vulnerable to getting swarmed by people with various weapons, be it guns to batons and tasers, and cantrips are not very well known for being good at dealing with large numbers.
Considering this is all over the world, the native humans could contend with that many bolts.
Well, My idea is that they save some spell slots and all take a 'Gate' Into a demi plane, recover, and repeat, dimension dooring to wherever they need to go. Also with the Spell Sniper feat you increase the range by 60 feet. Also you could sacrifice some wizard power for a bunch of mass healers. Honestly, It would be interesting to see 1 million wizards against every nation. It wouldn't be easy for either one, I think.
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"Uh, I have Illusory Script. I think I can read that."
Honestly if the spellcasters manage to focus into different cells and factions, it would make the fight a whole lot more interesting, like all the spellcasters take instructions from one of a higher spell casting and pass it to the others, the clerics create supplies and act as living shields that can make wizards harder to hit, impossible to target with sanctuary or eat the damage they take with warding bond.
In a real fight, the casters die so fast it's not even funny.
If it's not a fight - if the casters hide, like rats in a hole - then it can last substantially longer. In essence, a caster who doesn't want to be found, doesn't have to be found. Unlike dragons, in the other thread of this style, casters can blend in indefinitely. But then, they're basically just assimilated: They're now part of the tech side, and even if one of them manages to become president of the world .. that's tech winning.
Anyways, to my mind the questions is: Who'd win a fight. And the answer is tech. Magic isn't designed to have an answer to ... like, getting killed by a super sonic, target seeking missile launched more than 100km away. A levelled mage is more powerful than any one soldier, on an individual level. It just doesn't make any difference to the missile.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Anyways, to my mind the questions is: Who'd win a fight. And the answer is tech. Magic isn't designed to have an answer to ... like, getting killed by a super sonic, target seeking missile launched more than 100km away. A levelled mage is more powerful than any one soldier, on an individual level. It just doesn't make any difference to the missile.
The mage with wall of force, teleport, blink, contingency, death ward and resilient sphere?
To play devil's advocate, spellcasters are unlikely to go in large numbers together, seeing that their capabilities are maxed out as a squadron instead, meaning the only reason why a supersonic missile would ever come into play is if the spellcasters were already:
A. Exhausted of all resources
B. Have been stuck in a certain location reachable by the missile
and C. Do not have any contingency plans for such an event
If you know how stupidly paranoid a wizard gets in his old age, you know the nerd has a clone or teleport set to the location of people who could revive him. The only chances of a fully kitted out squad in such a vulnerable position is either getting ambushed in the open by soldiers with tear gas or being lured into a kill zone designed to obliterate a wizard that somehow cannot teleport.
Also technology is just magic but explainable, thus wizards win because all science is just funny magic, the argument being swapped around makes no sense, so does this version, if you wanted to compare technology of the modern day vs magic of D&D, basing it off how well it is used to murder a person isn’t a very good metric.
In a real fight, the casters die so fast it's not even funny.
If it's not a fight - if the casters hide, like rats in a hole - then it can last substantially longer. In essence, a caster who doesn't want to be found, doesn't have to be found. Unlike dragons, in the other thread of this style, casters can blend in indefinitely. But then, they're basically just assimilated: They're now part of the tech side, and even if one of them manages to become president of the world .. that's tech winning.
Anyways, to my mind the questions is: Who'd win a fight. And the answer is tech. Magic isn't designed to have an answer to ... like, getting killed by a super sonic, target seeking missile launched more than 100km away. A levelled mage is more powerful than any one soldier, on an individual level. It just doesn't make any difference to the missile.
I don't get why you'd think that hiding is considered tech. I already explained that they can literally go into a different plane of existence to recover and then come back and spam spells. They can cast greater invisibility, mixed with spell sniper feat, and cast things like magic missile, and delayed fireball.
Also, Missiles are cool, but can be blocked with all sorts of spells. You also have to acknowledge wish, which can for sure create an anti-missile force field and EMPs. If you want to argue that that is tech, go ahead, but it was made with magic. Technically clothing is technology, books are technology. The actual question is would a group of wizards beat a modern army even when severely outnumbered.
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"Uh, I have Illusory Script. I think I can read that."
The mage with wall of force, teleport, blink, contingency, death ward and resilient sphere?
Yes. That mage. Just outwait the duration, kill the mage. It's not a problem. A high level wizard may be able to pull off a lot of tricks before dying, but eventually, something as banal as a rifle bullet will end him. Or her.
If you know how stupidly paranoid a wizard gets in his old age.
Wizards do not exist. There are no truths about how they behave when old, or young, or middle-aged. The rules dictate a level of ressources at their disposal. Powerful on the individual level, but nothing a concerted and deliberate effort cannot work through until the end.
A single failed prediction, bad initiative or perception roll - and it's curtains. Wizards can't win. There's enough of us, and our powers of observation, information gathering and destruction aren't such that wizards can hope to survive long enough to win.
I don't get why you'd think that hiding is considered tech. I already explained that they can literally go into a different plane of existence to recover and then come back and spam spells. They can cast greater invisibility, mixed with spell sniper feat, and cast things like magic missile, and delayed fireball.
Also, Missiles are cool, but can be blocked with all sorts of spells. You also have to acknowledge wish, which can for sure create an anti-missile force field and EMPs. If you want to argue that that is tech, go ahead, but it was made with magic. Technically clothing is technology, books are technology. The actual question is would a group of wizards beat a modern army even when severely outnumbered.
Hiding isn't tech. Getting assimilated is. Anyways, that part of my argument was facetious. Kind of, 'the irony is that ...' if the wizards hide long enough, eventually they'll be fighting for the technology side, not the magic side.
Maybe you can 'go to another plane'. It's not impossible that this can succeed, for some, sometimes. But mostly, there's a fight, you get targeted, and then you die. And you don't know you're about to die, it just happens: One moment you're just about to cast ... whatever, invisibility, or meteor swarm, or some third thing that also doesn't matter, and the next a missile hits you, or a thermobaric weapon flattens the building you're in, or a sniper round passes through your skull leaving behind little spellcasting ability.
War is not a sport humans should be participating in. Wizards are humans. They cannot survive the kinetic energies involved. They have some very neat tricks, but those tricks expire, eventually.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Yes they can, also look at the tomb of horrors, while made by a lich. A lich that was originally a humanoid, and tell me that doesn’t look like it would be the mentality of a centuries old mage who constantly has to keep on their toes or get murdered. Cause you would just have the mages make mobile tomb of horrors of you pressured them enough.
Also why are you arguing about how wizards don’t exist when the argument is about which side would win and why, that’s like asking why Goku would defeat the military and someone responding that the military is real and that Goku isn’t, it’s kinda obvious that we are talking about a scenario where they are real.
At high enough levels you can’t kill a mage with a single bullet, at high enough levels, these are the same dudes who can survive critical hits from a giant, a single beam capable of turning them into dust and some prick dropping an entire ship on them, sure a bullet does more damage in a smaller area, but your gonna be about as dead if a man decided to remove the moisture from your body, these aren’t real life humans, these are D&D humanoids.
Which translates to, these guys absolutely can eat a few bullets and live, that’s why murdering them isn’t the optimal solution. Subduing them, tase em, force them into traps and the like, these guys suck at anything that isn’t magic based saves, so net them up, throw in tear gas and you got yourself a mage in custody. The only way to beat a competent mage is to surprise and out think them, this isn’t a game of brute force and bombs, this is 4D chess between two highly different sides.
Both sides can only create their own version of a stalemate, the military has too many men to kill off properly and the spellcasters are too hard to catch and kill.
Also, With all the casters, resurrection, raise dead, revivify, and even cure wounds if they are just downed, can all be used to negate massive attacks. I don't think it would be a stalemate, I think it would just take a long long time.
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"Uh, I have Illusory Script. I think I can read that."
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Yes. And then the wizards die. But .. you do realise that I'm making a point, yes? Even without technology, technology wins. Just because of numbers.
Say you wish for 3000 tanks. I will grant you this: You're moving the needle. But do you have 3000 tank crews? Do you even know you need tank crews. And even if, tanks lose hard in rock/tank/fighter jet. So you wish for fighter jets. And pilots. Oh, and runways. And fuel. Ammo. Oh darn, you also need radars, and communications.
I mean ... do you see it? You need bases, air traffic control, you need sattelites, ground to air missiles. You're just never going to get there. It cannot reasonably be done.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
The only way wizards can win is if they don’t use brute force, it doesn’t matter how strong they are, 8 BILLION people is obscene, they would have a far better chance if it was 1 BILLION against 125,000 wizards, as even though both populations have been turned into 1/8 of the original post, the wizards are now far closer in numbers.
Once the population crosses a certain level, it’s practically impossible for the wizards to win with brute force. There’s one method that has not really been discussed in this post, why not destroy the environment instead? Most spellcasters at a high enough level can sustain themselves and others, so have them group up together with a cast capable of casting demiplane or something similar before they all start casting spells like control weather, insect plague or create undead in isolated villages.
That way, the wizards could relax for a while as the usual consequences of spells like fireball are used to their advantages, the strength of a spellcaster is not their raw firepower or reality warping, this isn’t Dragonball, what they do have is easily replenishable resources comparable to powerful explosives, top of the class reconnaissance and manipulation of all manners.
I mean, It's not really the entire world against the wizards, just the military.
"Uh, I have Illusory Script. I think I can read that."
Well that point wasn’t really clarified, if the original poster could come up and tell us if it’s just to disable the military or not, it would clarify a lot. If it was military I would actually be on the fence about it.
It's technology. And my point isn't about mobilising every human being from toddler to gibbering ancient - it's about sharpened sticks.
Also, as Jurmundur pointed out, magic only really starts moving the needle when it starts using technology. I mean I'm not sure that was his point, but that's my interpretation =)
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I don't think that's even a tactic that would be used: "Finally, these government officials don't want to simply nuke major cities and kill people. Lowest bloodshed, people."
Even if 8 billion people charged at the wizards with sharpened sticks, the wizards would win. Whenever they get low on spell slots, they can use wall spells and rope trick to rest, and go out to kill another 100-10,000 people each (based on what spell slots they have).
A bit off topic but here is how many magic missiles could be cast in one volley if they all use their spell slots. This is all rough estimation pretty much.
Level 1. 4 (spell slots, as most wizards have this many) *1 million wizards *3 darts = 12 million.
Level 2. 3*500,000*4 = 6 million
Level 3. 3*250,000*5* = 3 million 750 thousand (3750000)
Level 4. 3*125,000*6 = 2 million 250 thousand (2250000)
level 5. 2(because they mostly have two spell slots)*62500*7 = 875 thousand (875000)
Level 6. 1 (because now it's going to be mostly 1)*31,250*8 =250 thousand (250000)
Level 7. 15625*9= 140625
Level 8. 5000*10 =50000
Level 9. 1000*11 = 11000
There was probably an easier way to do all this. I just wanted to get into detail.
Grand total of: 25326625 AKA Twenty Five Million Three Hundred Twenty Six Thousand Six Hundred Twenty Five Bolts.
Also something to add. 1000 of the Level Nine Casters could have Spell Mastery with Magic Missile, basically giving them infinite uses of the level 1 version. In theory if they just keep spamming it, that is around 18000 bolts a minute (depends on how long you think an action takes.) Also, each bolt is either killing or injuring average humans.
Also, If they are all elves and can survive with spells like good berry and create water. Then they can take four hour rests, meaning that In in 24 hours the wizards are pretty much doing this 6 times a day.
"Uh, I have Illusory Script. I think I can read that."
Even if they literally had *only* sticks - wizards would never, ever, get to replenish spells. Spears (technically sticks) can be thrown, and it takes time to climb. Walls can be broken.
But really, like I said, sticks is just an example. It's a metaphor to show that even if the technology side of this has no technology, the wizards lose on numbers alone.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Blot out the sky in magic missiles lol, the only problem would be their range is kinda limited when compared to things like sniper rifles, which would probably act like heavy crossbows and longbows in terms of damage and range, not to mention if they spent that many spell slots on magic missile, it would leave them extremely vulnerable to getting swarmed by people with various weapons, be it guns to batons and tasers, and cantrips are not very well known for being good at dealing with large numbers.
Considering this is all over the world, the native humans could contend with that many bolts.
Well, My idea is that they save some spell slots and all take a 'Gate' Into a demi plane, recover, and repeat, dimension dooring to wherever they need to go. Also with the Spell Sniper feat you increase the range by 60 feet. Also you could sacrifice some wizard power for a bunch of mass healers. Honestly, It would be interesting to see 1 million wizards against every nation. It wouldn't be easy for either one, I think.
"Uh, I have Illusory Script. I think I can read that."
Honestly if the spellcasters manage to focus into different cells and factions, it would make the fight a whole lot more interesting, like all the spellcasters take instructions from one of a higher spell casting and pass it to the others, the clerics create supplies and act as living shields that can make wizards harder to hit, impossible to target with sanctuary or eat the damage they take with warding bond.
In a real fight, the casters die so fast it's not even funny.
If it's not a fight - if the casters hide, like rats in a hole - then it can last substantially longer. In essence, a caster who doesn't want to be found, doesn't have to be found. Unlike dragons, in the other thread of this style, casters can blend in indefinitely. But then, they're basically just assimilated: They're now part of the tech side, and even if one of them manages to become president of the world .. that's tech winning.
Anyways, to my mind the questions is: Who'd win a fight. And the answer is tech. Magic isn't designed to have an answer to ... like, getting killed by a super sonic, target seeking missile launched more than 100km away. A levelled mage is more powerful than any one soldier, on an individual level. It just doesn't make any difference to the missile.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
The mage with wall of force, teleport, blink, contingency, death ward and resilient sphere?
To play devil's advocate, spellcasters are unlikely to go in large numbers together, seeing that their capabilities are maxed out as a squadron instead, meaning the only reason why a supersonic missile would ever come into play is if the spellcasters were already:
A. Exhausted of all resources
B. Have been stuck in a certain location reachable by the missile
and C. Do not have any contingency plans for such an event
If you know how stupidly paranoid a wizard gets in his old age, you know the nerd has a clone or teleport set to the location of people who could revive him. The only chances of a fully kitted out squad in such a vulnerable position is either getting ambushed in the open by soldiers with tear gas or being lured into a kill zone designed to obliterate a wizard that somehow cannot teleport.
Also technology is just magic but explainable, thus wizards win because all science is just funny magic, the argument being swapped around makes no sense, so does this version, if you wanted to compare technology of the modern day vs magic of D&D, basing it off how well it is used to murder a person isn’t a very good metric.
I don't get why you'd think that hiding is considered tech. I already explained that they can literally go into a different plane of existence to recover and then come back and spam spells. They can cast greater invisibility, mixed with spell sniper feat, and cast things like magic missile, and delayed fireball.
Also, Missiles are cool, but can be blocked with all sorts of spells. You also have to acknowledge wish, which can for sure create an anti-missile force field and EMPs. If you want to argue that that is tech, go ahead, but it was made with magic. Technically clothing is technology, books are technology. The actual question is would a group of wizards beat a modern army even when severely outnumbered.
"Uh, I have Illusory Script. I think I can read that."
Yes. That mage. Just outwait the duration, kill the mage. It's not a problem. A high level wizard may be able to pull off a lot of tricks before dying, but eventually, something as banal as a rifle bullet will end him. Or her.
Or a long range missile strike.
Wizards do not exist. There are no truths about how they behave when old, or young, or middle-aged. The rules dictate a level of ressources at their disposal. Powerful on the individual level, but nothing a concerted and deliberate effort cannot work through until the end.
A single failed prediction, bad initiative or perception roll - and it's curtains. Wizards can't win. There's enough of us, and our powers of observation, information gathering and destruction aren't such that wizards can hope to survive long enough to win.
Hiding isn't tech. Getting assimilated is. Anyways, that part of my argument was facetious. Kind of, 'the irony is that ...' if the wizards hide long enough, eventually they'll be fighting for the technology side, not the magic side.
Maybe you can 'go to another plane'. It's not impossible that this can succeed, for some, sometimes. But mostly, there's a fight, you get targeted, and then you die. And you don't know you're about to die, it just happens: One moment you're just about to cast ... whatever, invisibility, or meteor swarm, or some third thing that also doesn't matter, and the next a missile hits you, or a thermobaric weapon flattens the building you're in, or a sniper round passes through your skull leaving behind little spellcasting ability.
War is not a sport humans should be participating in. Wizards are humans. They cannot survive the kinetic energies involved. They have some very neat tricks, but those tricks expire, eventually.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Yes they can, also look at the tomb of horrors, while made by a lich. A lich that was originally a humanoid, and tell me that doesn’t look like it would be the mentality of a centuries old mage who constantly has to keep on their toes or get murdered. Cause you would just have the mages make mobile tomb of horrors of you pressured them enough.
Also why are you arguing about how wizards don’t exist when the argument is about which side would win and why, that’s like asking why Goku would defeat the military and someone responding that the military is real and that Goku isn’t, it’s kinda obvious that we are talking about a scenario where they are real.
At high enough levels you can’t kill a mage with a single bullet, at high enough levels, these are the same dudes who can survive critical hits from a giant, a single beam capable of turning them into dust and some prick dropping an entire ship on them, sure a bullet does more damage in a smaller area, but your gonna be about as dead if a man decided to remove the moisture from your body, these aren’t real life humans, these are D&D humanoids.
Which translates to, these guys absolutely can eat a few bullets and live, that’s why murdering them isn’t the optimal solution. Subduing them, tase em, force them into traps and the like, these guys suck at anything that isn’t magic based saves, so net them up, throw in tear gas and you got yourself a mage in custody. The only way to beat a competent mage is to surprise and out think them, this isn’t a game of brute force and bombs, this is 4D chess between two highly different sides.
Both sides can only create their own version of a stalemate, the military has too many men to kill off properly and the spellcasters are too hard to catch and kill.
Also, With all the casters, resurrection, raise dead, revivify, and even cure wounds if they are just downed, can all be used to negate massive attacks. I don't think it would be a stalemate, I think it would just take a long long time.
"Uh, I have Illusory Script. I think I can read that."