Illusion vs Necromancy Question

[Teambanzai]

I am going to be in a low magic campaign very shortly and will be running a halfling conjurer (I know halfling is not a prime choice for a wizard, but it's in the campaign flavor). Spells should not be a problem to aquire, but magic items will be.

I have not run a wizard since 2nd Edition (heck maybe AD&D)
My debate is over whether being a Specialist Conjurer or a Focused Specialist Conjurer.

If I just Specialize in Conjuration I get
+ 1 Conj Spell per level
and drop Ench / Evo
(2 1st level spells at 1st level, 1 general, 1 Conj)


If I Focus on Conjuration I get
+ 2 Conj Spells per level but lose general spell slot
must drop one other school
(3 1st level conj spells and 0 general spells at 1st level)


I will have a general slot at 1st level due to a bonus spell, so there is no huge lose here.


The question is what 3rd school to drop - Illusion or Necromancy?
Illusion has some cool battlefield control spells and of course Invis and Shadow Evocation
Necro has some cool debuffing spells with Rays and Enervation.
Which school is easier for opponents to counter?
Or should I just forget the Focus and keep fewer spells but more diversity? Thoughts?

 

[Dandu]

Ultimately, it depends on what your role is in the party. You can certainly get by with three fewer schools of magic - if your party can cover it.

Both are good schools, but they are suited towards different playstyles.

I'd drop Necromancy if you think you can make good use of illusions. A properly placed Silent Image spell can do wonders. Conversely, if you really do want to drain levels, then drop Illusion.

 

[Imaculata]

Illusions can be fantastic, and promote clever thinking. But if the campaign is very heavy on undead (and other monsters that ignore mind affecting spells completely), they will be completely useless. Illusions are definitely the more interesting school of the two. But make sure that you can actually use the spells. Check with your DM.

 

[Greenfield]

Remember that Golems, slimes, constructs and and Undead can be fooled by Illusion/Figment type spells, so Illusions aren't completely useless against them.

Silent Image, Ghost Sound, Invisibility, Disguise Self all work even when the opponent is "mindless", or otherwise considered "immune", because these aren't "mind affecting".

And yes, Illusions can be incredibly versatile in the hands of the right player. (Just putting in my 0.02 for my favorite spell school).

 

[Grogg of the North]

Is there going to be another arcane caster in the group? If so, focus away. But if it is just you, you don't want to wind up in a situation where you really need spell X but you can't cast it.

I would probably drop Necromancy. If you pick up Shadow Evocation, an illusion spell, you can "recover" one of your barred schools.