School specialization

[Ricochet]

I am creating a specialist wizard, and I was thinking about creating an illusionist. Then I saw that I could choose to "ban" any one school, or "ban" both Necromancy and Divination in order to become an illusionist...

I counted the spells, and here's the thing:

Enchantment has 25 spells
Divination has 25 spells
Necromancy has 25 spells

Each at approximately the same levels overall

Now, why can I choose to become an illusionist by deselecting enchantment only, yet if I wish to keep enchantment, I have to deselect BOTH divination and necromancy, or in other terms, ban twice as many spells from the list for my character. It seems really strange, especially given that these three schools have a like number of spells total.

Is this something that has been errata'ed or does WotC just consider some schools universallty inferior?

 

[Eternalknight]

I think it is because the Enchantment spells are used more often than divination or necromancy; overall, they are better in more situations (within the game, of course).

 

[Hypersmurf]

Is this something that has been errata'ed or does WotC just consider some schools universallty inferior?

Damned straight!

While this is my own personal highly subjective ranking system, I'd break the schools into three groups, of how bad it is to have them prohibited. WotC breaks them into three slightly different groups - numbers in parentheses.

Really bad to lose
-------
Abjuration (2): Dispel Magic
Evocation (3): Most direct damage spells
Illusion (2): Invisibility chain, Image chain
Transmutation (3): Buffs and Polymorphs

Kinda bad to lose
-------
Conjuration (3): Summon Monster chain
Enchantment (2): Charm chain, Hold chain

No big deal to lose
-------
Divination (1): Scrying
Necromancy (1): Magic Jar, Instakills, Enervation chain

WotC rates Conjuration more than I do... but I confess, I haven't played that many wizards, and I know Summon Monster can be very useful. I just wouldn't miss it as much as Illusion or Abjuration.

If I could specialise in Evocation or Transmutation, and only lose Necro as a penalty, I'd consider that a not-to-be-missed deal.

The schools are not perfectly balanced, by any means.

-Hyp.

 

[Ricochet]

Well thats a viewpoint and not one I agree with.. Necromancy has some VERY powerful spells like Clone, Horrid Wilting and Wail of the Banshee.. The ninth level equivalent for enchantment is Dominate Monster.

Hypersmurf, you are forgetting that Limited Wish and Wish are Conjuration spells, and they tend to be pretty powerfull

Divination is also an excellent school with Analyse Dweomer, all the "detect" spells and True Seeing coming to mind

 

[Eternalknight]

No. As it is not an error, there is no errata. Of course, there is nothing wrong with talking to your DM and getting him to change what schools are banned for you if you feel they are wrong.

 

[Hypersmurf]

My question hasn't really been answered though, is there some errata on this?

To the best of my knowledge, there is no errata - the school prohibitions are accurate.

It would be interesting to see a survey, but I'd guess a very large percentage of wizards, if offered specialisation in one school for one prohibited school, would choose either Divination or Necromancy as their throwaway.

-Hyp.

 

[Eternalknight]

Certainly, my players all consider transmutation, evocation, conjuration and enchantment the most powerful. I have only ever seen a diviner once, a necromancer a couple of times, but never have I seen an illusionist or an abjurer.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Divination is also an excellent school with Analyse Dweomer, all the "detect" spells and True Seeing coming to mind

I'm not suggesting the schools lack powerful spells. They're simply the schools I'd miss the least.

I think an interesting test might be to go through and pick your three or four "must-have" spells at each level, as if you were planning a sorcerer. Total up the number of spells you end up with in each school. See which schools come out lowest. THose are the schools you'd miss the least.

I might try it myself...

-Hyp.

 

[Eternalknight]

Just out of interest, I went back through the archives of my website's polls. Here is the results of the poll: What is your favourite school of magic?

Necromancy 21%
Transmutation 21%
Evocation 15%
No favourite 10%
Enchantment 9%
Illusion 6%
Conjuration 5%
Abjuration 5%
Divination 4%
Universal 4%

This was out of 278 votes all up.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hypersmurf, you are forgetting that Limited Wish and Wish are Conjuration spells, and they tend to be pretty powerfull

Well, I would be forgetting that...

... if it were true.

Limited Wish and Wish are Universal spells.

-Hyp.