Who's the greatest specialist of them all?

[Darmanicus]

In your opinion, who is the best specialist wizard of them all and why? Please also give what you'd choose as your prohibited schools. Also please stick to core rules only as that is what we are using in our campaign for 99% of it.

I'll start obviously and I am voting for Necromancer with evocation and illusion as my prohibited schools.

I'm not bothered with the undead summoning and creating side of things, I just like all the curse type spells which is why i didn't choose enchantment as a prohibited school seeing as it really compliments the necromancy school for all that stuff.

My reasoning thus far is based on a 5th lv Necro I am currently playing and enjoying immensley but feel free to base your arguements on whatever level spells and whatnots you can think of.

Thus far I have made massive use of the Ray of Enfeeblement spell and as such is my signature spell. It has saved us lot on more than one occasion from some real tough fighty critters. Str drain is just awesome against fighter types, (obviously), reducing their chances to hit and the auto damage they do if they do manage to hit. The ranged touch attack has rarely been much of a problem what with a Dex of 14 and the odd use of the spell True Strike when it's been really necessary, (even better now that I have a lesser metamagic rod of quickening however that's just an added bonus). Don't even get me started on Ray of Exhaustion which I intend to take next level!!!

Cause fear has been great as well and I know there are upgraded version/s of that spell to come. Being able to remove a combatant for X rounds x2, (the creature has to make its way back after having fled therefore the duration is effectively doubled usually), is of great help.

Blindness has become another favourite of mine and my party, effectively reducing AC hit chances, line of sight and whatever else I can't seem to remember right now.

False life is great for the extra HP's and the duration is very good.

Then you get to the various touch spells and when delivered using a Spectral Hand you don't even need to get that close! Touch of Idoicy, (I know that one aint Necro), is really gonna ruin ANY casters day. Ghoul Touch paralyzes. Chill Touch can cause undead to run away and you can slap folks with it lots!!!

The Command and Halt Undead spells are great, especially against unintelligent undead who don't get a save.

And by far the best to come to my character will be the Bestow Curse spell which has 3 written effects, my favourite being the 50/50 chance of being able to act in a round or not!

Mix in some enchantment spells to all that and you come up with a very intersting cursey type caster which any party would really like to have around.

Now I know a lot of the spells involve save or nothing effects or require touch attacks to hit but i like 'em! Sod doing base damage with a fireball to that fighter with loads of HP's, blind him instead and follow that up with a Ray of Enfeeblement and watch with great amusement as the rest of the party chop him up into fine pieces!

Necro's rock!

Oh and btw, got rid of illusion because by the time you reach X level everybody can see through them and evocation just because I didn't want blasty spells.

 

[Psion]

Conjurer.

Perhaps only slightly if going core, but by leaps and bounds if you include the energy orb spells un-nerfed. Ever since 3.5 moved the teleportation school of spells to conjuration, it's king of the hill.

Prohibited schools I'd take would be necromancy (the only spell I'd miss would be false life) and evocation (too limited and conjuration can make up the difference.)

 

[Joker]

Diviner? Lose only one school. Knowledge is the key to victory. Yada yada.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Evocation, Conjuration, and Transmutation are all about neck and neck for power. But once you start leveling up past about 10th level there are quite a few very nice spells in Transmutation school

 

[lukelightning]

Conjuration. If you can't do something, conjure a monster to do it for you.

 

[Felix]

Illusionists.

There is no other school that allows you such freedom and creativity in your choice of effects. You can do anything you want with this school. Do it well, and nobody ever even gets the opportunity to save against your spells.

Sure, Divination puts a hamper on your operations, but diviners have to know where to look, first. Illusion can prevent that from happening.

Figments and Glamers to distract and mislead.
Patterns to dupe and trap.
Phantasms to destroy minds.
Shadow magic to create unreal reality.

• Abjuration relies upon being attacked; Illusions sidestep.

• Conjuration relies upon summoning aid from elsewhere; Illusions always have their entire arsenal available: your imagination.

• Divination relies upon revealing the truth; Illusions help avoid being seen.

• Enchantment relies upon controlling the mind; Illusions keep your mind hidden.

• Evocation relies upon destroying the physical; Illusions present nothing physical to destroy.

• Necromancy relies upon controling life; Illusions have no life to control.

• Transmutation relies upon chaning the aspect of the physical; Illusions are aspects of the mind and cannot be changed but by the Illusionist.

Prohibited Schools
Because of the Shadow Conjuration/Evocation spells, these two schools are somewhat easy to prohibit. Shadow Walk makes up somewhat for the loss of Teleportation spells. Transmutation as well provides little synergy with Illusion.

Abjuration protects body and mind, and should never, ever be prohibited by anyone. Enchantment dovetails well with the [Mind-affecting] flavor of a lot of Illusion spells. Necromancy works well with the [Fear] aspect of Illusion, as well as having a relationship vis-a-vis the plane of Shadow.

 

[VirgilCaine]

There is no other school that allows you such freedom and creativity in your choice of effects. You can do anything you want with this school. Do it well, and nobody ever even gets the opportunity to save against your spells.

I was going to say that.

Enchantment dovetails well with the [Mind-affecting] flavor of a lot of Illusion spells.

Nine Mind-Affecting Illusion spells. Nine.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I'll say Necromancers: Because I play in the game with Darmanicus's Necro and he'll blind me if I don't.

In fairness, not a specialist I'd seen in 3.x before and it's impressed me a lot.

As for generally, I'd say it partly depends what splatbooks are in play!

 

[Wik]

Abjurers all the way. Mostly because they're probably the only specialization that seems to have a "Good guy" feel to it - Evil Abjurers aren't nearly as common as, say, Evil Enchanters or Evil Conjurers.

The idea of protecting your butt with magic is always fun, but Abjuration is also about expelling demons and creating all sorts of fun wards and whatnot. Play an Abjurer, and you are in effect telling the GM what sort of baddies you think it'd be fun to fight. Plus, there's that whole "You shall not pass!" element. Gandalf was totally an Abjurer.

 

[griff_goodbeard]

Power-wise, I'd lean toward Conjuration, but I always have the most fun playing enchanters.