What are the two most useless schools of magic for a Necromancer to give up?

[Testament]

Enchantment and Illusion. Those 2 schools have been nerfed into the ground in 3.5.

In what way were they nerfed into the ground? AFAICS, they were barely touched!

 

[Jack Simth]

It's hard to beat the flexibility that the [Shadow] line of spells grants (Wish and it's Limited cousin do so but... burn XP?).... granted, the effects are a full spell level lower.... but it's a little easier to pump your Illusion save DC than most.... but then, I'm also fond of Sorcerors, who need a bit more in the way of the "flexible" spells....

 

[Uder]

In what way were they nerfed into the ground? AFAICS, they were barely touched!

Spell DCs in general were brought under control, especially for encounters at low to mid level. This could be seen as a nerf for "save-or-else" effects.

 

[beaver1024]

In what way were they nerfed into the ground? AFAICS, they were barely touched!

Invisibility - nerfed.
Sleep - nerfed.
Emotion - nerfed.
Shadow Conjuration - nerfed.
Hold Person/Monster - nerfed.
Spell DCs - nerfed.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I can see your point. I think specilization is a little screwed up.

I find it especially screwed up for necromancy. While its a reasonable school now in 3.5, at least if I'm playing jhonny dogooder I can thematically(and power game wise since many spells just wont be cast if your good) ditch necromancy, and maybe 1 other shcool. But if your captain evil and either a necromancer or not willing to give necromancy up I can't come up with 2 schools I'm willing to lose.

For me virtually every school if not every school has at least 1 must have spell. Losing 2 schools just aint an option.

 

[just__al]

I'm finding it harder and harder to specialize. There seems to be spells too good to give up from every school, just not at every level. This probably comes from using the PHB and all the complete books (and for one campaign, the Planar Handbook).

Want to be a necromancer? Stuck for what to give up for schools? I'd actually go the route of not specializing and picking up spell focus (necromancy).

That being said... I'd go with evocation and maybe transmutation especially if you are using Libris Mortis and can get the summon undead spells... Then take the corpse crafer feat(s)

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

How the heck was invisibility "nerfed"?

 

[beaver1024]

How the heck was invisibility "nerfed"?

Did you notice the duration nerfed by an order of magnitude?

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I'm finding it harder and harder to specialize. There seems to be spells too good to give up from every school, just not at every level. This probably comes from using the PHB and all the complete books (and for one campaign, the Planar Handbook).

Want to be a necromancer? Stuck for what to give up for schools? I'd actually go the route of not specializing and picking up spell focus (necromancy).

That being said... I'd go with evocation and maybe transmutation especially if you are using Libris Mortis and can get the summon undead spells... Then take the corpse crafer feat(s)

I love libris mortis, its all about the pale master. The deathless masters touch rocks, oh yeah you kill things and they cme back as a zombie under your control and it doesn't count towards your cap. Though with the 2nd level control undead spell, HD limits are for suckers anyways. That spell + chain spell makes me happy. And while I dig the corpse crafter feats I think they they spread it out over too many feats. Personally I'd of prefered it being 1 feat with extra material compnents required for the extra abilities.

 

[green slime]

I love libris mortis, its all about the pale master. The deathless masters touch rocks, oh yeah you kill things and they cme back as a zombie under your control and it doesn't count towards your cap. Though with the 2nd level control undead spell, HD limits are for suckers anyways. That spell + chain spell makes me happy. And while I dig the corpse crafter feats I think they they spread it out over too many feats. Personally I'd of prefered it being 1 feat with extra material compnents required for the extra abilities.

Yep, I dig libris mortis as well. I think it is my favourite book from WotC over the past year.