a few wizard ?'s

[Deathgrowl]

I just want to say: There's no such thing as an "opposing school". You can specialise in a school and you have to prohibit yourself from another. They're not opposing. Even in NWN2, they aren't:

Divination and Enchantment both get Illusion as prohibited school as standard NWN2.

Evocation has Conjuration as prohibited, but a Conjurer is prohibited from Transmutation. They're not opposing. If they were opposing, one would not be able to access the other, going both ways.

Anyways. Just ranting about that because I get annoyed when people RP it as "opposing schools".

Sorry, I'll stop ranting now.

[aaron22]

Ok fair enough. I am having a hard time deciding on a prohibited school. Still feeling like evocation might be the best choice for me. But i am going back and forth with enchantment.

[Tsidkenu]

I'm guessing this is your orc diviner and dropping Necromancy is a no-go.

Evocation has some important control spells (Bigbys) & irresistible damage spells (MM, ILMS, IGMS) but nothing that you couldn't compensate for, to some extent, by using Lesser Orbs instead of MM and Empowered/Maximised level 4 orbs or Orb of Force in level 5-6-7 slots (depending on if you took ASoC or not), not to mention Horrid Wilting for AoE magic damage (save for 1/2). You can still use cloud conjurations for a degree of control (web, grease, acid fog) although they're not quite the same as some Bigby 6 smackdown, and there's always control enchantment spells like Confusion & Chaos to use on grouped mobs while your summons/allies go to town on them. You might miss Sunburst vs Undead but high necro DC Undeath to Death can compensate (it can also be empowered for juicy goodness).

[Planehopper]

I just want to say: There's no such thing as an "opposing school". You can specialise in a school and you have to prohibit yourself from another. They're not opposing. Even in NWN2, they aren't:

Divination and Enchantment both get Illusion as prohibited school as standard NWN2.

Evocation has Conjuration as prohibited, but a Conjurer is prohibited from Transmutation. They're not opposing. If they were opposing, one would not be able to access the other, going both ways.

Anyways. Just ranting about that because I get annoyed when people RP it as "opposing schools".

Sorry, I'll stop ranting now.

I agree with you, in the literal sense it makes no sense whatsoever. They never were opposing, it was more circular prohibition like rock-paper-scissors (but even then it was uneven and clunky).

It was the terminology used by AD&D, however, so that is probably where people are getting it from. I am most likely guilty of it myself. They got rid of the idea in either 3 or 3.5 I think, which seems to make sense to me. But its hard for me as an old man to use new terms!

More on topic, however, while I still advocate a generalist (especially when learning and with a bodyguard), it would be a lot easier to stay under the spells-cap if I had a whole school that I couldn't select. Pros and cons, pros and cons.

Tsidkenu laid it out pretty well. The loss of Bigby's will be noticeable, especially if you are going to be an "emergency" tool for the party, but I really like the enchantment school. Besides those mentioned, the Dominate line are always fun ones.

[chad878262]

The idea of opposition comes from earlier editions, but yes, prohibited school is more accurate.

[aaron22]

well... one problem with RcR to generalist is this IS my orc diviner and getting spell scrolls is next to impossible. i saved up the ones i score from chests and drops for several months just to put together a workable spellbook. i am taking ASoC levels to represent my orc's growing knowledge base. essentially i hope to nearly build my entire spellbook while taking those levels. So while this is likely a good choice. it would set me back so far that recovery might not occur for a very long time.

i do have a bodyguard so dropping enchantment might be a bad idea simply because of Gr.Hero. the partner would certainly like +4 everything. the hold spells can be circumvented with like spells from other schools. and Gr. Hero can be purchased in a bottle. so that makes me waver. +4 AB could be a huge difference in making a hit and confirming crit. maybe better than any damage granted by evocation. would be nicer if it wasnt so easily dispelled

evocation provides the always hit spells and provides bigbys line that i have no experience with. they could be amazing or not. we should remember that i typically take on mobs with a CR above my CL. how will this effect a bigby's? but the missile lines are completely unaffected.

[V'rass]

A gish wizard is alot more easy to play then a pure if you build it right. Also more survivable with buffs up. Yeah dispell can/will ruin your day but there are ways to mitigate that and with over a hundred buffs up if you take another caster like cleric or druid, even a mords will only remove maybe 5-10 at most. And if you take a cleric/druid you will be able to fight decently in melee as well if an oh crap moment happens to occur.

And as for running out of spells... thats what reserve feats are for.