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Favorite School of Magic

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  • MagpieRandomsMagpieRandoms Member Posts: 72
    Conjuration. My D&D wizard has a familiar and she's soooo cool. Familiars are much more useful in 5e than the Baldur's Gate games!

    I also like the thought of summoning elementals and fiends to buff up the battlefield. And Mordy's sword <3<3<3
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    edited September 2016
    Mordenkainen's Sword is actually Evocation (for my Enchanter's despair).

    http://baldursgate.wikia.com/wiki/Mordenkainen's_Sword
  • MagpieRandomsMagpieRandoms Member Posts: 72
    Oh my mistake! Mind blown. Ah well. Still a cool spell though.
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    Summoning things!
  • JumboWheat01JumboWheat01 Member Posts: 1,028
    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?
  • JumboWheat01JumboWheat01 Member Posts: 1,028
    So all acid is what, brought from a black dragon's belly or something?
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    edited September 2016
    From Melf's Acid Arrow?

    It's an Evocation spell now IIRC.

    It hurts to admit, but AD&D wasn't perfect :neutral:
  • Abi_DalzimAbi_Dalzim Member Posts: 1,428
    Demivrgvs said:

    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.
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    Demivrgvs said:



    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.


  • SirBatinceSirBatince Member Posts: 882
    Still bummed IE doesn't support "enlarge person" from pnp.

    That could have been a load of fun. And a very basic level 1 starter buff spell.
  • MagpieRandomsMagpieRandoms Member Posts: 72
    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!
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    @subtledoctor has a mod to add cantrips, you can give it a try.
  • SmilingSwordSmilingSword Member Posts: 827
    Where is Alteration?

    I mean really that's the improved haste/ timestop school.



  • lunarlunar Member Posts: 3,460
    edited October 2016

    Where is Alteration?

    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.
  • RideratRiderat Member Posts: 136
    edited October 2016
    Ulcaster's school of course
  • mashedtatersmashedtaters Member Posts: 2,266
    Mashedtater zombies can only be raised with the school of necromancy.
  • JumboWheat01JumboWheat01 Member Posts: 1,028
    lunar said:

    Where is Alteration?

    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.
  • BillyYankBillyYank Member Posts: 2,768

    Mashedtater zombies can only be raised with the school of necromancy.

    Or the school of culinancy.
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    BillyYank said:

    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.
  • SirBatinceSirBatince Member Posts: 882
    edited October 2016
    Raduziel said:

    How can you guys play without Abjuration?

    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.

    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
  • mashedtatersmashedtaters Member Posts: 2,266
    Nimran said:

    BillyYank said:

    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...

    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.
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    edited October 2016
    0_0 Good thing they're all bunched up! *casts Fireball*
  • mashedtatersmashedtaters Member Posts: 2,266
    @Nimran

    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!
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    *casts Voracious Appetite and starts chowing down*
  • mashedtatersmashedtaters Member Posts: 2,266
    *fail save and starts eating own minions*
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    Raduziel said:

    How can you guys play without Abjuration?

    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.

    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.
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    As a gnome... Illusion is obviously the most powerful.

    Unfortunately... It is against my own undead school of necromancy...

    ...

    What we need in the world is more undead gnomes who can master both...
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