I'll never understand why some summoning spells are Evocation and others are Conjuration. What, did Mordenkainen have Conjuration as a prohibited school?
And on that note, did Melf hate Evocation so much that he made his Acid Arrow and all Acid spells Conjuration?
Few acid-based Evocation spells do exist within PnP, but generally that type of dmg is used more often by Conjuration and Alteration spells.
Acid and Flame Arrow spells belong to Conjuration because you are conjuring a "real" physical arrow (that's why I add 1d6 missile dmg to Melf's Acid Arrow for consistency). With later D&D editions this aspect of the Conjuration school was reinforced even more by making its spells bypass magic resistance.
Few acid-based Evocation spells do exist within PnP, but generally that type of dmg is used more often by Conjuration and Alteration spells.
Acid and Flame Arrow spells belong to Conjuration because you are conjuring a "real" physical arrow (that's why I add 1d6 missile dmg to Melf's Acid Arrow for consistency). With later D&D editions this aspect of the Conjuration school was reinforced even more by making its spells bypass magic resistance.
Which made things even worse once Complete Arcane added all of those Conjuration-based Orb spells, making sure Conjuration would be a better blasting school than Evocation on top of everything else.
Acid and Flame Arrow spells belong to Conjuration because you are conjuring a "real" physical arrow (that's why I add 1d6 missile dmg to Melf's Acid Arrow for consistency).
But the shield of reflection reflects the flame one and not the acid one, probably because the flame one has a physical component in his dmg, 1d6 piercing, while the acid one has only elemental dmg. So it seems that the game considers the flame one as "real" physical arrow, and the acid one as a spell damage. It seems, but I suppose that the real reason has nothing to do with it, is that that shield is probably coded to reflect each ranged bullet that delivers physical damage and is impossible to code a 0d6 physical damage into a bullet, or, if is possible, it was not done.
My opinion in this kind of things is that is better to take the game "as it is", without arguing to much. Or eventually modding it as we like, because we like that way, not because the vanilla way is not "correct". The same apply for spells and schools and for what that shield do.
There are so many spells from PnP that never made it to the games (and I can see why, what with limitations and practicality and whatnot). Especially cantrips and utility spells! Mage hand, Larloch's tiny hut etc... Such fun spells to use!
I mean really that's the improved haste/ timestop school.
Transmutation is the alias of alteration.
Alteration spells offer the greater versatility, buff, debuff, area control, insta kill, even spell protection removal! (ruby ray)
That said, playing a transmuter is hard mode esp. in bg2 mage spells/duels heavy environment:no abjuraton means no dispel, breach, lower resistance! Or no spell protections for yourself, even no pro from magic weapons! I think lower resistance should be allowed to transmuters, it is both an alteration/abjuration spell. Still, playing a transmuter can be very doable, and may make a fine challenge. Other party members and wands can supply needed dispels, breaches, and pierce magics. And I would love to toss disintegrates at natural -2 to save! Hm I should try this out some time.
Playing an abjurer would be dreadful, though. No stoneskin, no time stop! I wouldn't want to play that mage. Nuff said.
I mean really that's the improved haste/ timestop school.
Transmutation is the alias of alteration.
Indeed! It helps me keep Abjuration and Alteration separate, plus as I'm a later-edition comer, Transmutation is what I know it as (and the specialist is still called a Transmuter, not an Alterer.) Heck, I still need to catch myself, because I frequently call Thieves Rogues, which is TECHNICALLY true, but Bards are part of that category too.
I mean: Lower Resistance, Breach, Khelben's Warding Whip, Secret Word, Dispel Magic, Remove Magic, Spell Turning, Spell Shield, Spell Deflection, Spell Immunity, Globe of Invulnerability, all the life savers are Abjuration.
I really can't see a successful playthrough without it.
I mean: Lower Resistance, Breach, Khelben's Warding Whip, Secret Word, Dispel Magic, Remove Magic, Spell Turning, Spell Shield, Spell Deflection, Spell Immunity, Globe of Invulnerability, all the life savers are Abjuration.
I really can't see a successful playthrough without it.
without SCS it's fairly simple to just plow through a stoneskin with summons/rest of the team, wait out PFMWs, or use the breach wand / staff of magi. with SCS I can't say since I've never tried but I assume it would be pure hell.
the best part about a transmuter is you don't have to spend 2 minutes of pre-buff every short while
Mashedtater zombies can only be raised with the school of necromancy.
Or the school of culinancy.
More like colonancy, as zombie taters are basically turds.
Whoah, whoah, whoah, take it easy and fight fair! Just cause they look like a turd, sound like a turd, and act like a turd...hmm...logic defies...current beliefs...
Attack @Nimran !!! Steal his cookies and bring me back his soul, my cute little minions, you! You are cute, aren't you?? Yes you are! Yes you are, my little cutie-dumplings! Now bring me those cookies!!
See, I told you necromancy-culinancy-colonancy-whatevernancy was the best. No other school of magic can do that.
My mashedtater zombies, although badly brunt, are still delicious...but no longer able to move...not that they were able to move much before...I can't really figure out if that fireball changed anything other than their color and crunchy exoskeleton...hmm...still waiting for cookies and souls...still waiting...oh! I think I just saw one try to think about moving!
I mean: Lower Resistance, Breach, Khelben's Warding Whip, Secret Word, Dispel Magic, Remove Magic, Spell Turning, Spell Shield, Spell Deflection, Spell Immunity, Globe of Invulnerability, all the life savers are Abjuration.
I really can't see a successful playthrough without it.
On top of what @SirBatince told, that I don't repeat, I add few things. Your specialist mage has not to be your only caster, you can have a secondary mage to use abjuration spells, a Bard or Inquisitor have better DM than a mage, Bards also a better lower resistance. Also Carsomyr dispell on hit and cast it 3 times x day, RRoR is not abjuration.
The topic is about the favorite school, the one that you like the most, and not about the cons of having barred a school choosing to specialize in an other, assuming that he is the only caster in the party. Sure your specialist that has abjuration barred has less ways to protect himself, mainly a wise use of SOtM invisibility, but you can still debuff enemy mages, with only a little lesser efficiency, also in modded game.
Comments
I also like the thought of summoning elementals and fiends to buff up the battlefield. And Mordy's sword
http://baldursgate.wikia.com/wiki/Mordenkainen's_Sword
And on that note, did Melf hate Evocation so much that he made his Acid Arrow and all Acid spells Conjuration?
If you bring things from somewhere else: Conjuration
If you create things out of air: Evocation
It's an Evocation spell now IIRC.
It hurts to admit, but AD&D wasn't perfect
Acid and Flame Arrow spells belong to Conjuration because you are conjuring a "real" physical arrow (that's why I add 1d6 missile dmg to Melf's Acid Arrow for consistency). With later D&D editions this aspect of the Conjuration school was reinforced even more by making its spells bypass magic resistance.
So it seems that the game considers the flame one as "real" physical arrow, and the acid one as a spell damage.
It seems, but I suppose that the real reason has nothing to do with it, is that that shield is probably coded to reflect each ranged bullet that delivers physical damage and is impossible to code a 0d6 physical damage into a bullet, or, if is possible, it was not done.
My opinion in this kind of things is that is better to take the game "as it is", without arguing to much.
Or eventually modding it as we like, because we like that way, not because the vanilla way is not "correct".
The same apply for spells and schools and for what that shield do.
That could have been a load of fun. And a very basic level 1 starter buff spell.
I mean really that's the improved haste/ timestop school.
Alteration spells offer the greater versatility, buff, debuff, area control, insta kill, even spell protection removal! (ruby ray)
That said, playing a transmuter is hard mode esp. in bg2 mage spells/duels heavy environment:no abjuraton means no dispel, breach, lower resistance! Or no spell protections for yourself, even no pro from magic weapons! I think lower resistance should be allowed to transmuters, it is both an alteration/abjuration spell. Still, playing a transmuter can be very doable, and may make a fine challenge. Other party members and wands can supply needed dispels, breaches, and pierce magics. And I would love to toss disintegrates at natural -2 to save! Hm I should try this out some time.
Playing an abjurer would be dreadful, though. No stoneskin, no time stop! I wouldn't want to play that mage. Nuff said.
It's an honest question
I mean: Lower Resistance, Breach, Khelben's Warding Whip, Secret Word, Dispel Magic, Remove Magic, Spell Turning, Spell Shield, Spell Deflection, Spell Immunity, Globe of Invulnerability, all the life savers are Abjuration.
I really can't see a successful playthrough without it.
the best part about a transmuter is you don't have to spend 2 minutes of pre-buff every short while
Never mind logic!!!
*casts summon mashedtater-zombie swarm-raging-army
Attack @Nimran !!! Steal his cookies and bring me back his soul, my cute little minions, you! You are cute, aren't you?? Yes you are! Yes you are, my little cutie-dumplings! Now bring me those cookies!!
See, I told you necromancy-culinancy-colonancy-whatevernancy was the best. No other school of magic can do that.
Hey! Crunchy!
My mashedtater zombies, although badly brunt, are still delicious...but no longer able to move...not that they were able to move much before...I can't really figure out if that fireball changed anything other than their color and crunchy exoskeleton...hmm...still waiting for cookies and souls...still waiting...oh! I think I just saw one try to think about moving!
Your specialist mage has not to be your only caster, you can have a secondary mage to use abjuration spells, a Bard or Inquisitor have better DM than a mage, Bards also a better lower resistance. Also Carsomyr dispell on hit and cast it 3 times x day, RRoR is not abjuration.
The topic is about the favorite school, the one that you like the most, and not about the cons of having barred a school choosing to specialize in an other, assuming that he is the only caster in the party. Sure your specialist that has abjuration barred has less ways to protect himself, mainly a wise use of SOtM invisibility, but you can still debuff enemy mages, with only a little lesser efficiency, also in modded game.
Unfortunately... It is against my own undead school of necromancy...
...
What we need in the world is more undead gnomes who can master both...