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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LightPhoenix" data-source="post: 3647403" data-attributes="member: 115">I agree on Mirror Image and Displacement, but I think Invisibility would go into Transmutation or Enchantment, depending on how you rule how the spell works (messes with physical, or mental senses).  Time Stop, by the description as written, speeds you up so that time appears stopped - that's why I would say it's Transmutation.  If Time Stop actually stopped time, there's a case for Abjuration.These are good examples of spells needing some degree of DM fiat.I agree with Tequila Sunrise (quoted below for a different point) on Abjuration - it isn't defined by its method, but by its effect.  In this aspect, Abjuration is opposite Evocation for a clear reason - one protects, the other damages.  It's a pure defense versus offensive opposition.  Transmutation and Enchantment are opposed because one focuses on the physical and one non-physical.  That leaves Conjuration and Aburation - I could argue that one creates physical stuff, and one creates mental stuff, but that's a weak argument.  In reality, they're just the two left over.I think the best way is to remove opposing schools altogether, and divide the schools into two groups - one with Trans/Conj/Evoc, and one with Div/Abj/Ench.  You choose your restricted school from the same group as your specialty.See, I'm exactly the opposite - I think Necromancy as a school limits fantasy, because it usually get tagged as evil.  I much prefer any negative or death-affecting magic being evil - whether it's creating undead, or draining life essence, or exploding a corpse, or what have you.  Removing Necromancy as a strict school allows for any school of magic to have "bad" magic - and conversely, "good" magic.That said, I did consider having a life/death school of magic - but based on the way I was defining other schools, specifically Transmutation and Enchantment, it seems as if I was deliberately forcing those spells into a "special" category.  That's exactly the reason I dislike Abjuration as well - it's deliberately channelling defensive spells into a special category.  I'd much rather see a spell that creates physical armor (Conjuration) or changes your skin (Transmutation) or lets you ascertain what people are doing ahead of them (Divination), which are all protective.Honestly, the only reason Abjuration is a school is for counter-magic and spells like Mage Armor, which don't really fall into a category without changing definitions.  Evocation could be redefined as the manipulation of "energy," to accomodate some esoteric spells like Mage Armor.  I think I would rather say that like Wall of Force, Mage Armor involves creation, and that would make it Conjuration.Regarding counter-magic (and meta-magic, and Wish/LW/Miracle) those could be moved into a "Universal" category.  Alternatively, since they don't usually alter something physical, but rather something magical, that could be Enchantment.  Neither really satisfies me though.</blockquote>

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