Wizard Specialization Help Needed

[Lee's Fortune]

HI all!!

I've just joined a PBEM game and have partially created a 1st level Elven Evocation Specialist. In the party we have a Rogue, a Bard, and soon to be a Barbarian as well; no Cleric! (my character has yet to meet up with the others). I haven't played a Wizard (or even a spell caster) since 2E days--yeah, go ahead and flame me!!!!

Anyway, I initially chose Illusion and Necromancy as my forbidden schools. But at first level I really wouldn't mind having that Disrupt Undead cantrip knowing we have no Cleric in the party, so I want to reconsider choosing different forbidden schools.

As board members, what combinations of forbidden schools worked well for you as a specialist? What schools were you ok with not having and why?

For those of you who have chosen not to specialize for a reason(s), what are they?

Game : 3.5E
Setting : Greyhawk




NOTE: If I posted this thread in the wrong forum I apologize.

 

[ForceUser]

Evokers are usually well served to consider giving up any of the following three schools: Enchantment, Illusion, and Necromancy. The other choices are too painful to lose: Abjuration (the most powerful defensive spells), Conjuration (teleports and the life-saving dimension door), Divination (Want to know what magic items do? Identify and Legend Lore are in this school), and Transmutation (the best utility and mobility spells are here).

Specializing is rough.

I recommend reading the spell lists very carefully and finding out what schools are least painful to do without.

 

[JustKim]

I went with enchantment and illusion, I'm partial to a number of necromancy spells. For a lot of people the reverse is true with illusion spells, I'd imagine. Enchantment is something I've never missed.

 

[Tiberius]

I have a conjurer who gave up Enchantment and Illusion because I love the necromancy. Losing Illusion hurts. Sure, you don't get wacky things like Illusory Wall, Invisibility, and Shadow Conjuration, but you lose defense staples like Displacement and Mirror Image. Also, by picking those schools you will be losing access to all Will-save spells. Does access to necromancy balance out being a two-save wizard? In my case, probably, for my love for the school is so vast as to be measured in parsecs; you'll have to make your own judgment, though.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm a nutcase. I freely admit it.

Were I to play an Evoker right now, I'd choose between Abjuration or Divination and then between Enchantment or Necromancy as the Schools I'd drop.

Necromancy, while powerful, is the school I'd consider as an alternative to the other 2, mainly because of its flavor as well. While I have played good and neutral Necromancers, they're the exception- the school has an overwhelming connotation of being connected to evil, so dropping the school also speaks towards running a good-aligned PC.

I prefer the flavor of Illusion over Enchantment, and generally have more fun using those spells. Both are equally useless against undead, but I think Illusion has more...style.

Abjuration has the most powerful protective spells, no question. It also has Dispel Magic. I don't care. I love blowing things up. The ability to know what things are (divination) versus being protected from them (abjuration) is about a wash. Forwarned is fore-armed- I find out what's on the other side of the door, and prepare my offensive spells...

What is dead (truly dead, not undead) cannot harm me.

 

[Thanee]

Very simple. Pick up Races of the Wild and use Elven Wizard substitution levels.

If that book is ok, that is...

Otherwise, I prefer specializing in Divination, since you only drop one school (Necromancy, Illusion or Enchantment are most popular choices, I think, also Evocation, but that wouldn't really be a good idea, if the character is going to heavily utilize evocations, naturally).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Li Shenron]

Necromancy is usually the best school to choose as forbidden: it is a good school with certain very nice spells, but it doesn't cover an exclusive area of spells.

As a second forbidden school, I suggest that you choose Enchantment. If you have never played a Wizard, chances are that you'll try to be quite versatile and choose traditionally useful and popular spells, which include at least some invisibilities, so you'll still want to have access to Illusion.

But of course any choice is viable in the end.

Anyway, you should also consider the option of not specialising at all. At low level, specialisation is a great boost because it increases your spells/day significantly; at mid-high level it is still a good bonus, but overall it will decrease in goodness. And the more you advance in levels, the more spells you will notice that you cannot access because of your forbidden schools.
You should think about it: are you going to play this campaign up to high levels? In that case, you may want to be a generalist as your 1st wizard, even if at low levels it means less spells per day.

One more thing that you could check out is Unearthed Arcana variant specialists. Ok, it's not usually nice that your first character in a class is actually a variant, one should always start with the core version But take a look at it if you can.
Check out the Evoker options:
- one costs you the wizards bonus feats, so you may choose this option when you reach 5th level, and it is useful if you don't want to use too much metamagic or create magic items
- another costs you the familiar (sometimes a beginner wizard player may prefer not to have a familiar, since it is also a risk in case it's killed)

***

BTW, what do wizards sub level do?

 

[Thanee]

The elven wizard substitution grants you the most important benefits of specialization (an extra slot for your highest spell level (not for all, tho)) with none of its downsides (no prohibited schools), plus some minor stuff (i.e. better link to familiar).

Bye
Thanee

 

[shilsen]

Evocation is always first on my list of schools to drop. Doing damage is usually one of the slowest & least effective ways to affect enemies, and you can do it with other schools too (if less effectively). If you're using Complete Arcane and the conjuration orb spells, that's even more so.

 

[noseman]

Were I to play an Evoker right now, I'd choose between Abjuration or Divination and then between Enchantment or Necromancy as the Schools I'd drop.

I thought that you couldn't give up Divination if you specialize.

Anyhoo, I would give up Necromancy and Enchantment.