A question has occurred to me. I know you have a choice of Prohibited Schools when you Specialize in the 3rd Edition era, but did you chose in 2nd or are what the BG series has what you were actually forced into?
I don't know of the difference between pnp 2nd and 3rd, so I can not help. What I am almost sure about is that the BG2 CRPG (as kits where not allowed in the original BG1) was not a perfect replica of 2nd nor of 3rd. It was 2nd inspired, with some elements of 3rd and MANY differences from both, things that where unique of the CRPG. Things existing in pnp not existing in the CRPG, things existing in the CRPG and not in PnP, things that co exist, but are implemented in completely different ways.
To try to play the CRPG as much as possible like if it was a PnP game is a valid and interesting way to use the game, nothing wrong if some players like to do it. The game is probably the best surrogate for a real DM and PnP group we can have. But assuming that it has to be as similar as possible to a PnP version is misleading, that was never the intention of the developers. Everithing, starting from how it is not a turn based game, but an hibrid between a turn based and a real time, show that it has been intended as something different from PnP, with his own peculiarities, half of the game mechanics should be completely rewritten to make it PnP like.
evocation is the way for me personally. magic missiles is a great spell in BG and NWN and cloudkill is a great way to kill hordes without getting my hands and weapons too dirty as they are two of my most heavily used spells
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.
Timereaver (Chronomancy) Level: 8 Range: 1 yd. Components: V, S, M Casting Time: 3 turns Duration: Instantaneous Area of Effect: 10 ft radius Saving Throw: Neg. This spell sends those within its area of effect backward or forward in time, up to five years per caster level. In effect, it encases those affected in a null-time bubble and pushes them into the Demiplane of Time. The bubble then moves along the timestream, reenters reality at the desired time, and releases the travelers. To the travelers, no time has passed. This is the only way a chronomancer can cause others to travel extensively throughout time without actually accompanying them. This can cause a real problem for those sent to another time with no way back. Of course, if they happen to cause enough trouble to the natural order in their new time, the Guardians may show up and give them a free ride home. The chronomancer who sent them there is likely in for a visit, too. The chronomancer can cast the spell on himself, as an easy way to travel through time with little or no risk. It is not cheap, though.
Alteration because transmuter is an awesome name. Even if you'd need kamikaze pets of your own to live up to it. Necromancy because of the spell chant and that you'll be sharing your job title with Sauron. Spellwise it's a tie between enchanting and conjuration for me.
Regarding that discussion about conjuration: so conjuration does actually bring things from place A to place B (the caster)? Wouldn't there be heaps of arrows and poor animals flying around the realms at all times?
Regarding that discussion about conjuration: so conjuration does actually bring things from place A to place B (the caster)? Wouldn't there be heaps of arrows and poor animals flying around the realms at all times?
No, because conjuration in this sense means conjuring things into existence. Summon Monster, for example, doesn't create real monsters, but representations of such, and these simulacra (or their corpses) disappear when the spell duration expires.
2nd Ed actually has 2 schools as opposition schools, with Illusion having 3, IIRC. BG actually has a far more powerful version of Mage specialisation in that you don't lose as many schools. And the opposition schools are fixed.
3.x allowed you to choose the schools that you drop, and it is a uniform 2 schools across the board except Divination, which only needs to drop one. As a caveat, Divination can never be an opposition school.
Favourite depends on which game I am playing.
In BG, I prefer Wild Mage as a specialisation if I am playing straight mage. I like the controllable/managable randomness. For duals, I don't specialise. I like the flexibility of being able to use any school.
In 3.x, I don't specialise in schools. I specialise in what I do as a wizard.
I'm basing this on 3.5e rules. Acid-based spells are my favorite, though I don't really understand where the acid is being called from since its Conjuration. If Evokers can create fire, ice, electricity, sound, and magical force from nothing, why not acid?
I'm basing this on 3.5e rules. Acid-based spells are my favorite, though I don't really understand where the acid is being called from since its Conjuration. If Evokers can create fire, ice, electricity, sound, and magical force from nothing, why not acid?
I guess hot/cold is just messing with thermodynamics and electricity is just chanelling electric potential that is around anyways. Sound is just a vibration of air. Acid is not an energy, but a physical substance that has to be created or summoned from somewhere.
Evocation manipulates energy, Transmutation manipulates matter, Necromancy manipulates life energy.
Conjuration brings things from other planes, makes stuff out of nothing, but the main thing is that everything it does is physical and tangible. That is why in 3.x, Conjuration spells are, by and large, not affected by Spell Resistance. Even its Orbs spells, which are of the usual 4 elements plus sonic and force, are not affected by SR.
Invocation/Evocation Description: This school includes two types of spells, both of which use magical energy to create specific effects by bringing forth special forces that the caster shapes into constructs of energy or constructs of matter. Evocation spells use the natural magical forces of the planes. Invocation spells call on the intervention of powerful extradimensional beings.
Conjuration/Summoning Description: This school includes two different types of magic, though both involve bringing in matter from another place. Conjuration spells produce various forms of non- living matter. Summoning spells entice or compel creatures to come to the caster, as well as allowing the caster to channel forces from other planes. Since the casting techniques and ability requirements are the same for both types of magic, conjuration and summoning are considered two parts of the same school.
Invocation/Evocation spells channel magical energy to create specific effects and materials. Invocation normally relies on the intervention of some higher agency (to whom the spell is addressed), while evocation enables the caster to directly shape the energy.
Conjuration/summoning spells bring something to the caster from elsewhere. Conjuration normally produces matter or items from some other place. Summoning enables the caster to compel living creatures and powers to appear in his presence or to channel extraplanar energies through himself.
The evocation school of magic included spells that manipulated energy or tapped an unseen source of power in order to produce a desired end. In effect, they created something out of nothing. Many of these spells produced spectacular effects, and evocation spells could deal large amounts of damage. Many iconic offensive spells such as magic missile, lightning bolt and fireball were of the evocation school. The evocation school had no subschools.[1] A wizard who specialized in evocation was known as an evoker.[2]
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Conjuration The conjuration school of arcane magic calls materials, creatures or energy to the caster and can also be reversed to send creatures to other places, either over long distances or even to a whole different plane of existence.[1] A wizard who specialized in conjurations spells is called a conjurer.[2]
Taken from the 2nd edition complete wizards handbook..............
I don't play PnP, and I don't know PnP rules and lore in detail, just enough to let me play the CRPG. But reading the boards I had learned how the rules change according to what PnP version you use, that some things that in a PnP version are very important in an other version can not exist or be the opposite.
I think that the OP idea to start the poll was good, I did not vote as I don't play PnP, but I see it as an interesting poll. But to discuss the matter more in depth than voting and expressing in a post the reasons of your vote can lead only to confusion as an informed discussion need to know, for each matter, to which PnP version is referring the one who tells that thing and also to know that PnP version.
Taken from the 2nd edition complete wizards handbook..............
I don't play PnP, and I don't know PnP rules and lore in detail, just enough to let me play the CRPG. But reading the boards I had learned how the rules change according to what PnP version you use, that some things that in a PnP version are very important in an other version can not exist or be the opposite.
I think that the OP idea to start the poll was good, I did not vote as I don't play PnP, but I see it as an interesting poll. But to discuss the matter more in depth than voting and expressing in a post the reasons of your vote can lead only to confusion as an informed discussion need to know, for each matter, to which PnP version is referring the one who tells that thing and also to know that PnP version.
Absolutely. Then take into affect house rules and everything goes haywire!
I think that the OP idea to start the poll was good, I did not vote as I don't play PnP, but I see it as an interesting poll.
But to discuss the matter more in depth than voting and expressing in a post the reasons of your vote can lead only to confusion as an informed discussion need to know, for each matter, to which PnP version is referring the one who tells that thing and also to know that PnP version.
No need to to let your non-PnP playing dissuade you. Do you play D&D games? Vote on your favorite spell types! Don't play a Wizard, but a Cleric or Druid? Their spells are still classified, vote anyway! While Divination and Transmutation may be my favorite PnP schools (and specializations,) I do use Enchantment as my non-PnP focus far more often (since the other two don't have much going for them in a very fixed world.)
Taken from the 2nd edition complete wizards handbook..............
I think that the OP idea to start the poll was good, I did not vote as I don't play PnP, but I see it as an interesting poll. But to discuss the matter more in depth than voting and expressing in a post the reasons of your vote can lead only to confusion as an informed discussion need to know, for each matter, to which PnP version is referring the one who tells that thing and also to know that PnP version.
I don't play PnP either, but...
Acid is my favorite element because back in NWN: HotU it was the only element that Mephistopheles didn't have damage resistance against. Most things don't have resistance to acid either. And all the acid-based spells come from the Conjuration school, so...
Comments
What I am almost sure about is that the BG2 CRPG (as kits where not allowed in the original BG1) was not a perfect replica of 2nd nor of 3rd. It was 2nd inspired, with some elements of 3rd and MANY differences from both, things that where unique of the CRPG. Things existing in pnp not existing in the CRPG, things existing in the CRPG and not in PnP, things that co exist, but are implemented in completely different ways.
To try to play the CRPG as much as possible like if it was a PnP game is a valid and interesting way to use the game, nothing wrong if some players like to do it. The game is probably the best surrogate for a real DM and PnP group we can have.
But assuming that it has to be as similar as possible to a PnP version is misleading, that was never the intention of the developers. Everithing, starting from how it is not a turn based game, but an hibrid between a turn based and a real time, show that it has been intended as something different from PnP, with his own peculiarities, half of the game mechanics should be completely rewritten to make it PnP like.
Here is a chronomancy spell to sate your palates.
Timereaver
(Chronomancy)
Level: 8
Range: 1 yd.
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 3 turns
Duration: Instantaneous
Area of Effect: 10 ft radius
Saving Throw: Neg.
This spell sends those within its area of effect
backward or forward in time, up to five years
per caster level. In effect, it encases those affected
in a null-time bubble and pushes them
into the Demiplane of Time. The bubble then
moves along the timestream, reenters reality at
the desired time, and releases the travelers. To
the travelers, no time has passed.
This is the only way a chronomancer can
cause others to travel extensively throughout
time without actually accompanying them. This
can cause a real problem for those sent to another
time with no way back. Of course, if they
happen to cause enough trouble to the natural
order in their new time, the Guardians may
show up and give them a free ride home. The
chronomancer who sent them there is likely in
for a visit, too.
The chronomancer can cast the spell on himself,
as an easy way to travel through time with
little or no risk. It is not cheap, though.
The material component is a ruby worth 10,000 gp
*casts raise thread*
Regarding that discussion about conjuration: so conjuration does actually bring things from place A to place B (the caster)? Wouldn't there be heaps of arrows and poor animals flying around the realms at all times?
Minor Spell Sequencer, Spell Sequencer, Spell Trigger, Contingency, Chain Contingency, do I need to say more?
Okay okay one more ...
Web (With a -4 to save against if you are an Invoker!)
3.x allowed you to choose the schools that you drop, and it is a uniform 2 schools across the board except Divination, which only needs to drop one. As a caveat, Divination can never be an opposition school.
Favourite depends on which game I am playing.
In BG, I prefer Wild Mage as a specialisation if I am playing straight mage. I like the controllable/managable randomness. For duals, I don't specialise. I like the flexibility of being able to use any school.
In 3.x, I don't specialise in schools. I specialise in what I do as a wizard.
Evocation just manipulates energy.
Evocation manipulates energy, Transmutation manipulates matter, Necromancy manipulates life energy.
Conjuration brings things from other planes, makes stuff out of nothing, but the main thing is that everything it does is physical and tangible. That is why in 3.x, Conjuration spells are, by and large, not affected by Spell Resistance. Even its Orbs spells, which are of the usual 4 elements plus sonic and force, are not affected by SR.
The other schools are pretty self-explanatory.
http://www.deathranger.com/The Complete Wizard's Handbook.pdf
Invocation/Evocation
Description: This school includes two types of spells, both of which use magical energy to create specific effects by bringing forth special forces that the caster shapes into constructs of energy or constructs of matter. Evocation spells use the natural magical forces of the planes. Invocation spells call on the intervention of powerful extradimensional beings.
Conjuration/Summoning
Description: This school includes two different types of magic, though both involve bringing in matter from another place. Conjuration spells produce various forms of non- living matter. Summoning spells entice or compel creatures to come to the caster, as well as allowing the caster to channel forces from other planes. Since the casting techniques and ability requirements are the same for both types of magic, conjuration and summoning are considered two parts of the same school.
Taken from the players handbook.
http://www.orbisrpg.co.uk/Planescape/players_handbook.pdf
Invocation/Evocation spells channel magical energy to create specific effects and materials. Invocation normally relies on the intervention of some higher agency (to whom the spell is addressed), while evocation enables the caster to directly shape the energy.
Conjuration/summoning spells bring something to the caster from elsewhere.
Conjuration normally produces matter or items from some other place. Summoning enables the caster to compel living creatures and powers to appear in his presence or to channel extraplanar energies through himself.
Taken from the wiki page.
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Evocation_school
The evocation school of magic included spells that manipulated energy or tapped an unseen source of power in order to produce a desired end. In effect, they created something out of nothing. Many of these spells produced spectacular effects, and evocation spells could deal large amounts of damage. Many iconic offensive spells such as magic missile, lightning bolt and fireball were of the evocation school. The evocation school had no subschools.[1] A wizard who specialized in evocation was known as an evoker.[2]
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Conjuration
The conjuration school of arcane magic calls materials, creatures or energy to the caster and can also be reversed to send creatures to other places, either over long distances or even to a whole different plane of existence.[1] A wizard who specialized in conjurations spells is called a conjurer.[2]
But reading the boards I had learned how the rules change according to what PnP version you use, that some things that in a PnP version are very important in an other version can not exist or be the opposite.
I think that the OP idea to start the poll was good, I did not vote as I don't play PnP, but I see it as an interesting poll.
But to discuss the matter more in depth than voting and expressing in a post the reasons of your vote can lead only to confusion as an informed discussion need to know, for each matter, to which PnP version is referring the one who tells that thing and also to know that PnP version.
Acid is my favorite element because back in NWN: HotU it was the only element that Mephistopheles didn't have damage resistance against. Most things don't have resistance to acid either. And all the acid-based spells come from the Conjuration school, so...