D&D 3E/3.5 Best Wizard School Specialization in 3.5?

Conjuration is the most disgustingly powerful school, and only got better with splat books (orb spells, Abrupt Jump up and down giddily over what balance the game once had Jaunt, etc...), it's by far the best specialization unless you're really dead set on only losing one school, then Divination I guess. Transmuation has the most spells, but I've never seen a single caster who had any use for the majority of them in a given campaign. Transmutation's more the "something useful for every archetype" school, IMO. It's still a great school of course, definitely 2nd behind Conjuration.

It's unfortunate, but Enchantment really is the worst... Even with all the splat books, it has a grand total of ONE offensive spell that's not mind affecting! And aside from the Power Words which aren't amazing anyway and Otto's Irresistible Dance (which is amazing, but comes too late to redeem the school all on its own), they're just about all Will Save = No Effect At All. I also have to say after getting fed up with my current enchantment-focused Beguiler: Even when his spells were working half of the time, that was enough to make him probably the most powerful person in the party, basically ending a combat on a single roll. But...even when it did work out, it wasn't particularly fun for me. I either sucked the whole combat because things made their saves, or I ended the combat in grossly anticlimactic fashion in an instant. Not my cup of tea...
Oh and yeah, Mind Blank, Undead, Constructs, Vermin, Oozes, most swarms, etc... all rape the school pretty badly.

StreamOfTheSky said:

Conjuration is the most disgustingly powerful school, and only got better with splat books (orb spells, Abrupt Jump up and down giddily over what balance the game once had Jaunt, etc...), it's by far the best specialization unless you're really dead set on only losing one school, then Divination I guess.

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Conjuration is definitely the most powerful, but the option to only lose one school still makes Divination a better one to specialize in. This mechanical artifact actually becomes more noticeable as you add in more splat books. The more spells you have access to, the more likely it is that you will find one you want in a banned school.

Divination followed closely by Transmutation are my personal preferences.

Dandu said:

That's odd, because I'd have pegged you down as a Necromancer.

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i see what you did there....

I personally believe the best is: Wizard [Transmuter] Master Specialist Arch Mage.

My character is proof of this:

Class: Transmuter 6, Specialist 10, Arch Mage 4
Race: Draconic Human (+1 Lv Adjustment)
Alignment: LE
Deity: "The All" (part of my campaign)
Size: M
Gender: M

Ability Scores

Str: 17
Dex: 20
Con: 18 -- 20 with item
Int: 30 -- 36 with item
Wis: 20
Cha: 20

(unnaturally high scores, but he's done a lot to earn them)

HP: 123
AC: 34 (Bracers +8; +5 Dex; Nat +1; Deflection +5; Misc +5)
Touch: 25
F-footed: 29

Speed: 30
Init: +5

Fort: 19
Ref: 19
Will: 29

BaB: 10/5
Grapple: 13
SR: 18

Skills

Appraise
Bluff (bought)
Concentration
Craft (Metalsmithing)
Craft (Sculpting)
Craft (Alchemy)
Decipher Script
Diplomacy
Disable Device (Learned from Party Rogue)
Forgery (Learned from Party Rogue)
Intimidate (Learned from Party Paladin)
Knowledge (Arcana)
Knowledge (Planes)
Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty)
Knowledge (History)
Knowledge (Nature)
Listen (Bought)
Perform ("Creation'; essentially magic trick)
Profession (Duke)
Profession (Arch Mage)
Profession (unfilled)
Search
Sleight of Hand (Learned from Paladin, surprisingly--she was a kleptomaniac)
Spellcraft
Survival (Earned through intense travel accommodations)

Feats

Scribe Scroll
Spell Focus (Transmutation)
Skill Focus (Spellcraft)
Greater Spell Focus (Transmutation)
Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Quicken Spell
Energy Admixture (Acid)
Craft Wondrous Items
Weapon Focus (Ranged Spells)
Ranged Spell Specialization
Spell Penetration
Silent Spell

Special Abilities

Darkvision 60'
Low-light Vision
+4 on saves against Sleep and Paralysis
Summon Familiar
Expanded Spellbook
Minor, Moderate and Major Esoterica
CL Increase +2
Teleport 3/day
Arcane Reach 30'
Mastery of Elements
Mastery of Shaping
Telekinesis, at will
True Seeing, at will

Possessions

Ring of Telikinesis
Boots of Teleportation
Earring of Charisma
Robes of the Arch Mage
Ioun Stone
Ioun Stone
Amulet of the Planes
Brass Codex and Arcanabula (Field and Spellbook)
Monocle of True Seeing
2 Gloves of Storing
Heward's Handy Haversack
Staff of Transmutation
Wand of Cure Critical Wounds
6'x9' Carpet of Flying
3 Iron Golem Manuals

Etc., etc.

I liked my conjurer. It was fun and had the advantage of being two things: a summoner and a conjurer, allowing for some neat blaster magic and creation spells.

Necromancy! Especially since this thread can be necro'd twice!