When powergaming: Conjurer, because if you need the divination school you can have a support mage or a bard for that. When roleplaying an evil Charname: Necromancer. MUUAARHARHAR! When dual-classing Imoen in BG: Illusionist, because I find this class is most fitting for a (former) thief. When having fun: Sorcerer. More versatile but with limited spell selection. Rules at higher levels. What I don't: Wild Mage. I know they can wipe the floor with any other mage, but only until they have a wild surge and fireball themselves or summon a pit fiend. I'm not THAT fond of reloading. ;-)
When roleplaying an evil Charname: Necromancer. MUUAARHARHAR!
Why not an Illusionist? I had endless fun playing a gnome Illusionist in PnP. I was always casting illusions on the party. I convince them one time that we were being chased by a Giant Ancient Red Dragon. it was several days of adventuring later that they realized what I had done. Boy were they ticked. I loved it. ::Evillol::
Technically, BM would likely be an Invoker...he spends WAY more time Nuking the surrounding country-side then ...well..I've never actually seen him raise or use any kind of "death" spells that didn't involve a mushroom cloud.
Necromancers casts the spells that make the guys who fell down get back up and fight for you.
Not really...only 3 can kill an enemy outright, all fairly high level, unless they just happen to deal enough damage or drain enough levels, Death Spell (limited to 8 HD) and Finger of death, and wail of the banshee (which is pretty much an AoE finger of death, but doesn't work on Deaf creatures and will kill everyone but the caster unless they save).
They're mostly about disabling or debilitating, or leeching health. Or raising undead minions (or using the souls of the dead to act as armor) who are SUPPOSED to last until destroyed and be able to follow you around (up to double your level in total HD controlled). (Even complete Necromancer only adds Wail of the Banshee for instant death....Unless you count Exterminate Vermin (kills all fine sized vermin and other pests (such as normal mice, ticks, termites, roaches, etc) within a 10 ft radius)..Core rules was just Death Spell and Finger of Death).
Invocation gets CO and Blackblade of Disaster.
Conjuration gets Symbol: Death, Power Word: Kill, Prismatic Spray (and other prismatic spells), trap the soul, limited and Wish.
Alteration gets disintegrate and flesh to stone, possibly Polymorph spells, if they fail their system shock rolls.
Illusion would actually get the most instant death spells of any school, but most of them aren't implemented (Phantasmal Killer is the only one that made it in). (which is why they have 3 opposed schools instead of just 2 in PnP).
I normally like the flexibility and freedom of an unspecialized mage, but if I had to specialize it would be abjuration or illusion. Abjuration would be the first choice (I am surprised to actually see others pick this) because the survival and control it contains is fascinating and the study of protective magics and barriers would be very interesting study. Although honesty is my most prized virtue, the art of it's opposite is morbidly fascinating and illuminating.
But if you choose Alteration you also give up Necromancy, and if you choose Invocation, you also give up Enchantment.
From the poll, I'm selecting Enchantment because I think it would be fun to be forced to get away from Invocation spells. Also, I like to specialize in Enchantment in 3.5e. And in 4e, if it allows you to, which I don't know.
Well, the problem Power Word / Symbol Death is that they only work on enemies with I do believe 20 or less hitpoints remaining.
And Finger of Death, if saved against still deal damage... Not to incredible amounts, and Necromancers casting those spells give enemies a -1 penalty to the save rolls if it counts for anything... But I think the most powerful Necromancy spell in Baldur's Gate is pretty much Horrid Wilting... at 1d8 per caster level, save for half.
60 hp, actually. Symbol hits a group, but allows a save and is somewhat long cast time (it's meant to be used as a trap), while PW:K hits a single target instantly, and no save. (Power word: Sleep is the one that uses 20 hp)
Forgot BBoD for invocation for above....absolutely broken for a F/M and still pretty nasty for a plain mage and especially invoker (BBoD, IH, Tenser's, kill everything in 1 or 2 hits for 16 rounds (32 swings at fighter thac0)).
Comments
When powergaming: Conjurer, because if you need the divination school you can have a support mage or a bard for that.
When roleplaying an evil Charname: Necromancer. MUUAARHARHAR!
When dual-classing Imoen in BG: Illusionist, because I find this class is most fitting for a (former) thief.
When having fun: Sorcerer. More versatile but with limited spell selection. Rules at higher levels.
What I don't: Wild Mage. I know they can wipe the floor with any other mage, but only until they have a wild surge and fireball themselves or summon a pit fiend. I'm not THAT fond of reloading. ;-)
2/ Make a new thread with a corrected poll.
3/ Profit!
Diviners can dance on the head of a pin as well.
Technically, BM would likely be an Invoker...he spends WAY more time Nuking the surrounding country-side then ...well..I've never actually seen him raise or use any kind of "death" spells that didn't involve a mushroom cloud.
Necromancers casts the spells that make the guys who fell down get back up and fight for you.
They're mostly about disabling or debilitating, or leeching health. Or raising undead minions (or using the souls of the dead to act as armor) who are SUPPOSED to last until destroyed and be able to follow you around (up to double your level in total HD controlled). (Even complete Necromancer only adds Wail of the Banshee for instant death....Unless you count Exterminate Vermin (kills all fine sized vermin and other pests (such as normal mice, ticks, termites, roaches, etc) within a 10 ft radius)..Core rules was just Death Spell and Finger of Death).
Invocation gets CO and Blackblade of Disaster.
Conjuration gets Symbol: Death, Power Word: Kill, Prismatic Spray (and other prismatic spells), trap the soul, limited and Wish.
Alteration gets disintegrate and flesh to stone, possibly Polymorph spells, if they fail their system shock rolls.
Illusion would actually get the most instant death spells of any school, but most of them aren't implemented (Phantasmal Killer is the only one that made it in). (which is why they have 3 opposed schools instead of just 2 in PnP).
Abjuration - Alteration
Conjuration - Divination
Enchantment - Invocation
Illusion - Necromancy
But if you choose Alteration you also give up Necromancy, and if you choose Invocation, you also give up Enchantment.
From the poll, I'm selecting Enchantment because I think it would be fun to be forced to get away from Invocation spells. Also, I like to specialize in Enchantment in 3.5e. And in 4e, if it allows you to, which I don't know.
And Finger of Death, if saved against still deal damage... Not to incredible amounts, and Necromancers casting those spells give enemies a -1 penalty to the save rolls if it counts for anything... But I think the most powerful Necromancy spell in Baldur's Gate is pretty much Horrid Wilting... at 1d8 per caster level, save for half.
Forgot BBoD for invocation for above....absolutely broken for a F/M and still pretty nasty for a plain mage and especially invoker (BBoD, IH, Tenser's, kill everything in 1 or 2 hits for 16 rounds (32 swings at fighter thac0)).