Need help with a new character!

[psychognome]

One of my players is planning on starting a campaign of his own, so now I'm asking you for help on my new character. Her stats as follows:
Female halfling wizard
Str 5, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 12
I want to make her a specialist in one of the following schools: Conjuration, Evocation or Transmutation.
Because of her low strength, her first investment will be a dog familiar to carry all the heavy gear for her in a set of pouches tied into the dog's sides.
For alignment, I intend to play her as either LG, LN or NG.
For skills I'll propably take the normal wizardry skills (Alchemy, Concentration and Spellcraft) and for taste I'll propably take Sense Motive. (nobody lies to me and gets away with it!) I've also been thinking of taking the Nobody's Fool feat, from the Dragon Magazine where there was stuff about halflings, to yet improve my Sense Motive. With 2 ranks in the skill + 1 for my Wis bonus + 2 for my dog familiar + whatever bonus Nobody's Fool gives, it'll be quite hard to pass a lie through her.
Now, I'm open to your suggestions: should I go Conjuration, Evocation or Transmutation? What do you think about my skill choices? What about my feat choice?

 

[NiTessine]

Depends a bit on the campaign. If it's traditional dungeon crawling, I think your best bet would be Evocation speciality, with something more combat-oriented for feats. Energy Substitution is a favorite of mine.
However, if it is oriented more towards city adventuring, I'd say your feats are sound, so are your skills, and Conjuration might be better for speciality.
In either case, I'd advise you to take a ranged weapon, but it's so obvious I won't bother.

 

[Valkys]

At higher levels of transmutation, you have access to polymorph self and shape change and the like. At that point, it really doesn't matter what your own stats are. If you wanted someone who could be on the frontline later on... well, trans is the way to go. Even at 3rd level, you'll get the second level spells that boost your stats. That's how I'd go in a dungeon crawl campaign.

I agree with NiTessine about a city campaign though. Conjuration would probably make more sense there. And your feat choice as well.

And not just any ranged weapon. It has to be a crossbow. But again, it's obvious.

 

[Quickbeam]

I love the character concept as posted for a city-based adventure, and would have to agree that conjuration is the way to go therein. I've played a conjurer specialist before, and they're damn fun -- especially considering the obvious flare you provide your PC's.

As a side note, though, I also think that the transmuter could prove to be mighty entertaining. Just don't play and evoker...anyone can kick butt with fireballs, but it takes someone special to whip the monster baddies with guile.

 

[Howling Coyote]

AAAARRRGGH!!! I have bad traumas about Conjurers. Our party mage once summoned a magmin, because it sounded fun, and was from the elemental plane of fire. What he didn’t check out was its stats! The whole party almost died from the heat it generated. Luckily the cleric managed to banish it before it was too late.

On the subject I would go for the transmuter, because the best (and the funniest) spells are transmutations.

 

[Darklone]

Yo

Another vote for the transmuter. You'll have enough artillery (light crossbow is advisable) and evocation... Well. If you wanna go fireball, play a sorcerer..

Conjurer: Naah... Transmutation is the fun!

 

[drnuncheon]

I'd go for either transmuter or conjurer.

Well, that's not true. I'd go for generalist wizard, because it's all about the flexibility. If I wanted to specialize I'd be a sorcerer. But if I had to choose, Transmuter or Conjurer would be my first choices from all of them.

Transmuter has all sorts of nifty 'utility' spells that no wizard should be without.

On the other hand, Conjuration is great in a fight - not only does it do damage to the opponents, but it provides them with plenty of targets, and lets you set up flanking and other tactical situations with ease. If you spend your free languages wisely, you can even give the summoned critters orders.

It all depends on what kind ofpowers you see the character messing with. If you want their poer to be 'internal' go with Transmutation. If you want it to be 'external' go for Conjuration.

J