First, the last statement was a general mention - not for you specifically. Not everyone is familiar with every bit of 3.5. Seeing as how it has so many rules/abilities/etc. I've been playing for over 13 years now and I am still constantly surprised by things I didn't know about or forgot about. So, chill.<br/><br/>Secondly, yes, Casting Defensively is indeed a common assumption. Most players and GM's assume a caster is casting defensively for the very reason that most casters (Clerics aside), cannot afford to get hit - lest they up and die or come near it. Especially since most Monsters and or PC melee oriented types tend to deal specked damage. I certainly run my NPC's with as much damage as they can because the PC's sure as hell will be. Thus to assume that someone is not casting defensively would garner its fair share of, "What?", from everyone involved. Having an NPC Mage(s) not casting defensively, automatically, is a sure way to have that caster wrecked right quick against a party of PC's.