D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5]Changing Wizard Specialization

[Pants]

I've toyed with the idea of changing Wizard Specialization Rules, as I've never been totally happy with them, especially in 3.5. So I came up with the following changes to the rules:

- A specialized wizard must choose two other schools of magic as his opposed schools (Note: I got rid of that whole 'You cannot choose Divination crap). Diviners can choose only one opposed school.

A specialized wizard gains the following benefits for specializing:
- Upon gaining a level, a specialized wizard may learn one bonus spell from his specialized school.
- A wizard may prepare one extra spell per day, per spell level, but the extra spell must be from his specialized school.
- A specialized wizard gets a +2 bonus to Spellcraft checks used to identify or learn spells from his specialized school.

A Specialist Wizard also recieves the following disadvantages for specializing:
- A specialized wizard's caster level is consider 2 lower when casting and learning spells of his opposing schools (for the purpose of range, duration, damage, etc.). Thus, a 5th Level Evoker with the opposed schools of conjuration and enchantment, would be a 3rd Level caster for the purpose of learning and casting Conjuration and Enchantment spells.
- A specialized wizard gets a -2 penalty to the save DC's for spells from his opposing school.
- A specialized wizard gets a -2 penalty to saving throws against spells from his opposing schools.
- A specialized wizard gets a -2 penalty to Spellcraft checks when identifying or casting spells of his opposing schools.
- A specialized wizard gets a -2 penalty to dispel checks against his opposing schools.
- A specialist wizard is prohibited from taking Spell Focus in either of his prohibited schools. (Not too sure about this one...)

Any thoughts? Comments?

EDIT: Revamped it a bit. The new parts are bolded.

 

[nameless]

I don't like this implementation. It makes the drawbacks of specialization almost nothing, since you could easily drop schools like Necromancy and Conjuration and still have all the offensive power schools, with the utility schools (and schools with no-save attack spells) at your disposal.

You did give me an idea though. A general feat called something like "Arcane Fabrication"

Benefit: You may add spells to your spellbook as a different school than they appear in their original form. Changing the school of a spell causes the scribing time to be doubled. Add one to the spell level of any spell thus altered. You may not alter Evocation, Transmutation, and Conjuration spells to be in the Enchantment, Necromancy, or Illusion schools, and vice versa. The effective school is changed for all purposes, including Spell Focus, school specialization, and further copying of the spell.

Special: This allows a wizard to copy a spell from a banned school and change it into a school he has access to.

I was toying with making it add two levels, but I think that may be too harsh. What do you think of this as a solution?

 

[Pants]

I don't like this implementation. It makes the drawbacks of specialization almost nothing, since you could easily drop schools like Necromancy and Conjuration and still have all the offensive power schools, with the utility schools (and schools with no-save attack spells) at your disposal.

Someone on the board here said it best, "It's strange to think that a wizard could multiclass into a Druid, Bard, or Cleric, but can never, ever cast any of his prohibited spells." I never really liked the specialization rules, seemed far too weak. However, my idea is probably overpowered, but that's why I posted it here.

You did give me an idea though. A general feat called something like "Arcane Fabrication"

Benefit: You may add spells to your spellbook as a different school than they appear in their original form. Changing the school of a spell causes the scribing time to be doubled. Add one to the spell level of any spell thus altered. You may not alter Evocation, Transmutation, and Conjuration spells to be in the Enchantment, Necromancy, or Illusion schools, and vice versa. The effective school is changed for all purposes, including Spell Focus, school specialization, and further copying of the spell.

Special: This allows a wizard to copy a spell from a banned school and change it into a school he has access to.

I was toying with making it add two levels, but I think that may be too harsh. What do you think of this as a solution?

I do kinda like that idea and it does seem balanced.

Made addendums to my original post

 

[Hashmalum]

The "arcane fabrication" feat reminded me of an epic feat I came up with under 3.0E:

Grand Unified Theory [Epic, Spell]
You have learned how to unify two schools of magic into one.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast two or more different 9th level arcane spells in both schools, Epic Spellcasting, Magical Researcher or the ability to spontaneously cast 9th level arcane spells in both schools, Spell Focus (both schools), Knowledge (arcana) 24 ranks, Spellcraft 24 ranks, Int 25.
Benefit: Choose two schools of magic from the lists below; you may not choose two first tier schools, or one first tier school and one second tier school. Whenever casting, learning, or preparing spells from one of the chosen schools, you receive any benefits you may have to casting, learning, or preparing spells of the other chosen school.

First Tier
Conjuration, Evocation, Transmutation
Second Tier
Abjuration, Enchantment, Illusion
Third Tier
Divination, Necromancy

For example, suppose that a wizard specialized in transmutations and having the feats Spell Focus (transmutation), Spell Focus (necromancy), and Greater Spell Focus (transmutation) takes the feat Grand Unified Theory (necromancy, transmutation). The example wizard would receive the benefits of specialization to both transmutation and necromancy spells and would be treated as if having Greater Spell Focus in both schools. He would be able to prepare either transmutation or necromancy spells in the bonus spell slots he has by virtue of being a specialist wizard, and would receive a +2 bonus due to specialization on Spellcraft checks to learn new necromancy or transmutation spells.

The "spell" feat type is one of my own creation; basically, it's the same as a general feat, but with the requirement that you be able to cast spells and it includes things like Spell Focus. (I created it because I thought it was silly that you could take a feat like Spell Focus without being able to cast spells--how on earth are you going to learn to get really good at casting a specific type of spells when you can't cast any spells at all?) Magical Researcher just gives a +4 bonus to Spellcraft checks to create a new spell.