Why do YOU hate specialization?

[tricky_bob]

I like the Domain Wizard from Unearthed Arcana, no prohibited schools but one additional spell/level. Although this extra spell has to be from the Domain, the listed Arcane Domain spells are, IMO, better than the hit and miss Divine Domain spell lists.

 

[MarkB]

I hate the specialization rules because they have no real "feel" to them. In 2nd ed each type of specialist got something special.

Use the PHB2 variants. That gives something special to each specialist.

 

[Old Gumphrey]

PHB2 + UA + CM = Specialists Rawk...I like giving up 3 schools and having more spells per day than a sorcerer, with higher level spells sooner. It's really balanced...

 

[Trouvere]

I could have fun playing a specialist evoker, I think - but I don't want to endure the scornful looks of those who regard evocation as the choice of wizards who were dropped on their heads as children. I wouldn't have much interest in specializing in abjuration, for no particular reason (unless I were heading Master Specialist, IotSFV). I'd be happy playing a specialist diviner, conjurer, transmuter or illusionist - because with each of those I can drop enchantment and necromancy, schools I can happily do without. I don't like the enchantment school, because so many of those spells strike me as more morally objectionable than any of the necromantic spells. I'd have fun with a necromancer for a change, except that it's more difficult to decide which schools to drop in this case.

 

[findar]

Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

Oops, wrong RPG.

 

[Nifft]

Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate.

Sorry, gotta correct you here: anger leads to +4 Strength and Constitution for 3 + newly modified Con rounds. After that, anger leads to Fatigue.

Hate leads to a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks; and a +2 bonus on weapon damage.

Cheers, -- N

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I keep thinking they weren't playtested and were just "patched" on afterwards to the rules system. The specialists are pretty weak and not balanced with each other. I don't get an RP vibe for being a specialist. A Diviner plays just like a wizard and might not even cast mostly Divination spells, just one (or more) per spell level - part of the problem is the lack of benefit for being a specialist.

The best diviner concept I've ever seen is the dwarf PC from the second episode of the Warcraft III Dwarf Campaign. Now that's how you play a diviner!

 

[FireLance]

I'll simply re-post what I said in this thread:

To be frank, I've never really liked the way that the rules handle school specialization. In my view, they are at the same time too restrictive (you can't ever learn spells from your prohibited schools) and too lenient (apart from your one bonus spell per spell level, you can prepare any spell in your spell book; apart from the one spell of your school you must learn at each level, you can scribe any spell from any non-prohibited school into your spellbook). Because wizards tend to choose the best spells in their non-prohibited schools, the most distinctive thing about a specialist is what schools he gives up. Assuming they gave up the same schools, an evocation specialist and an abjuration specialist may end up with very similar spells known and prepared. It seems rather perverse to me that a specialist is better defined by what he doesn't know than by what he does.

 

[howandwhy99]

Schools are a setting element that take quite a bit of work to remove.

 

[Darklone]

Wizards are scientists to me. Who want to know EVERYTHING AND EVERY DARN SPELL IN ANY BOOK IN THE WHOLE WORLD, PLANES, WHATEVER THERE'S OUT THERE SO GIVE IT TO MEEEE!