Wizard Specialisation for a Beginner

[TheBlackShadow]

Hello. I am shortly to start a new campaign, and intend to play a Wizard specialised in a particular school. As something of a beginner, I wanted to ask here before charging ahead.

The character I intend to build is centred around damage-dealing, destructive magic. I have asked a few people in my playing group, and they suggested specialising either in Necromancy or in Evocation, taking either Enchantment and Transmutation or Abjuration and Conjuration, but truth be told they aren't all that much more experienced than I am, and I decided to seek a second opinion with people more experienced and cognisant in such matters.

Sorry if this is too obvious or too much of a non-question for this forum, but like I said, beginner.

[Toliudar]

Evocation looks like an obvious choice, but has some serious limitations. Conjuration and Transmutation are the usual favourites for specializing, and for damage, I'd go with Conjuration, banning Evocation and Enchantment. There are all sorts of wizard guides (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104002&highlight=Logic+Ninja%27s+Guide) around to assist with specifics.

Don't get me wrong: if you choose evocation, you're still a wizard, and still a very powerful class. You just may end up chafing under the restrictions later. Your mileage may vary.

[Magic Myrmidon]

From what I understand, damage dealing is evocation's deal. Let me just say, however, that wizards are generally not for damage. You have guys with sticks in your party for that.

Conjuration has orbs and stuff for damage, too, though, and those orbs do secondary effects. I can't really speak much for other schools, because I can't think of any damaging spells for other schools, except save-or-dies.

[Duke of URL]

Evocation is usually considered the best choice for banning because it does pretty much nothing that can't be gotten from another spell school, especially if you include non-core sources. Direct damage can be done generally better by Conjuration (typically ranged touch, no spell resistance), and frankly, direct damage is one of the least efficient things for a caster to do.

Besides, any evocation spell you really want is generally obtainable via shadow evocation, etc.

[Lapak]

If you're playing in a group for whom optimization is not the top priority (and it sounds like that's the case) going all-out is going to disrupt the group.

It's going to run solidly against the grain of the advice you get here, but my opinion? Yes, specialize in Evocation. Blast the heck out of everything in sight. Have fun with it! Worry about being super-optimal another day.

[Keld Denar]

Whatever you do, DON'T ban Conjouration. EVAR. No, not even then. A) it has a fair number of blasty spells, if thats what you are going for, and B) it has spells that pretty much do everything. Heck, you can even buff with Conjouration by summoning/binding something that can buff. It is the swiss army multitool of D&D.

If you want to specialize in Evocation and be a blaster, thats fine. I'd suggest banning Enchantment and...Abjuration, probably. You still get a fair number of defenses from Conjouration, Illusion, and Transmutation, so the loss of Abjuration isn't that shocking.

EDIT: you can actually blast fairly competantly with Illusion. Shadowcraft Mages blast very well given that its on-demand and if your quasi-reality is more real than reality, its buffed. As long as you don't pull bullcrap like Shadow Miracles, you'll be fine from a balance point of view. Its a bit complicated, but really neat once you get the hang of it.

[Ormur]

Evocation is fun for the first few levels and back when I was new to D&D I picked it and had fun blasting. If it's a long running campaign you might however notice that evocation starts to pretty much suck in the latter levels. Evocations continue to do the same d6 damage per level while the other spells get a lot better. Now that my first character is on level 15 I've stopped picking evocation spells and started filling the higher extra slots with metamagicked lower level evocations.

It still has some useful non-blasting spells like windwall, sending and forcecage and blasting isn't necessarily so bad in lower to mid-levels.

[Tukka]

I'd probably specialize in conjuration and ban enchantment and necromancy.

Conjuration, transmutation and abjuration all have things that are just too hard to give up (abjuration, I guess you could maybe ban, if you've got a cleric in the party ... I still wouldn't though). Divination, of course, can't be banned.

That leaves necromancy, enchantment, illusion and evocation. Evocation is sub-par in general, but is thematically isn't the best choice for banning in your situation. Necromancy, enchantment and illusion are not really blasty at all, though they all have something significant (but non-vital) to bring to the table.

Illusion for me, would be the hardest to ban, because of the three, I think it's the easiest one to have fun with.

[Iferus]

If you want to play an evocation specialist, consider playing a warmage instead.

[Keld Denar]

Necromancy can actually be kinda blasty if you are creative. Enervation is one of the most commonly cited metamagic'd spells. Split Ray Enervation is a 6th level spell that deals the same negative levels as Energy Drain (a 9th level spell). Each negative level, among everything else, comes with a 5 HP loss per HD. 2d4 negative levels is between 10 and 40 HP lost, on top of a -2 to -8 penalty to nearly everything and the loss of 2-8 highest level spell slots. Its a little blasty, and a little debuffy, and a lot good.

EDIT:

If you want to play an evocation specialist, consider playing a warmage instead.
No. Just no. (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869150/Warmages_Blow_Goats_For_Pocket_Change;_OR,_Why_You _Should_Play_A_Sorcerer_Instead)

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Are you guys starting at level 1? And how far do you expect to go?

If you're starting at 1st level I'd specialize in Conjuration *just* so I could get Abrupt Jaunt. It will be your only reliable low level defense, and it will keep you alive when the front liners do not. Like people have said before, there are various blasty/destructive spells in conjuration, even at low levels.

I'd also recommend taking some battlefield control spells (and learning how to use them effectively), since you're going to be focusing on Conjuration and Evocation anyway. Just because you're a blaster doesn't mean you blast every single round.

[Eloel]

EDIT:

No. Just no. (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869150/Warmages_Blow_Goats_For_Pocket_Change;_OR,_Why_You _Should_Play_A_Sorcerer_Instead)

I beg to differ. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5213.0;wap2)

[The-Mage-King]

Why not go with the Elf Generalist specialization? Use a Grey Elf, take the racial sub. level from Races of thhe Wild, and enjoy having a slight advantage over those overspecialized fools!

[Seatbelt]

In my experience blasting works ok if you take the right metamagics and pick good spells and such. So you'll probably be fine in a less experienced crew. The problem you will run in to at first level though is that you only have 2 or 3 spells and your damage really isin't enough to kill anything (burning hands? 1D6, magic missile? 1D4, etc). So learn spells like sleep and pick up damage dealing ones later.

[Wings of Peace]

If I may make a suggestion, Sorcerer may actually be the better way to go for a blaster. Sorcerer has access to more metamagic reducers than the Wizard (assuming low shenanigans on the Wizard's part) and since you're focusing on blasting you won't need nearly as much utility.

This is just how I would do things, but I would choose a handful of well damaging fire spells (Including orb of fire for things with SR.) and then take the Battle Sorcerer variant from Complete Champion. This will let you enter the Sanctified One prestige class at level 8. Sanctified One will let you turn all fire damage into divine damage which will bypass immunities assuming that you worship Kord. So whether you choose to go Wizard or Sorcerer, Sanctified One is going to make spell choice much easier because you won't need to prep a handful of spells of differing elements nor will you need to invest heavily in ways to change the elemental damage types of your spells.

[Kurald Galain]

Besides, any evocation spell you really want is generally obtainable via shadow evocation, etc.

That highly depends on what level you're playing at.

[Endarire]

The standard answer for your Wizard school of specialization is Conjurer.

Conjuration can do anything, if only indirectly. Really.

Even in core, it targets every save; it offers slight blasting (more with orb spells from Spell Compendium), lets you summon and call creatures (summon monster and planar binding); jaunts you short distances (dimension door), long distances (teleport), and interplanar distances (plane shift); and if you use alternative class features, Player Handbook II 70 has Abrupt Jaunt, an ability so good that just about anyone would want to take a Conjurer level for it.

As for your blasting question, see The Mailman (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19868534/The_Mailman:_A_Direct_Damage_Sorcerer?pg=5), and snuggle up with Treantmonk (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19873034/Treantmonks_guide_to_Wizards:_Being_a_God). For more individualized questions, ask the Brilliant Gameologists (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?board=9.0).

[Mando Knight]

Particularly sad is how poorly Evocation scales to other schools:
Polar Ray: Deal 1d6/level cold damage on a touch attack, no save. Level 8 Evocation. Disintegrate: Deal 2d6/level (max 40d6) nonelemental energy damage on a touch attack, Fort save for set 5d6 damage, reduce target to ashes if knocked to 0 HP. Level 6 Transmutation. Finger of Death: Fatality on missed save, 3d6+Caster level nonelemental damage otherwise. Level 7 Necromancy.

Meteor Swarm: maximum 32d6 (8d6 bludgeoning, 24d6 fire) damage on a single target with touch attacks, maximum 24d6 fire damage for remaining area. Level 9 Evocation. Wail of the Banshee: 1 creature/level dies horribly if they fail the save. Level 9 Necromancy. Time Stop: Hammertime. Level 9 Transmutation. Gate: Say hello to my little pretty darned huge spellcasting friend. Level 9 Conjuration.

[Tytalus]

It's been said before: Evocation is an option (it does have some nice spells), but not a particularly strong one. Conjuration has similar blasting capabilities with the added benefit of often not allowing spell resistance (orb spells) and - of course - much greater variety of options.

In general, you are ill-advised to drop Conjuration or Transmutation as those are the largest, most diverse schools. Typical recommendations for schools to drop are Evocation (doesn't do much except direct damage) and Enchantment (most of it too reliant on mind-affecting effects that opponents tend to be immune to at higher levels). Necromancy (nice debuffs) and illusion (invisibility and, well, illusions) are somewhat harder to drop, but still ok.

To get a better idea of the individual spell schools and their perks, check this thread (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19873034/Treantmonks_guide_to_Wizards:_Being_a_God?no_redir =1), in particular the threads linked in post #2.

If you are considering being a specialist, consider being a Focused Specialist (Complete Mage), too. It can pay off (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19864630/Focused_Specialist_is_better_than_you_think?no_red ir=1), particularly when you choose a strong school.


I beg to differ. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5213.0;wap2)

Good point, but doesn't kick in until level 11 (only if using extreme cheese) or 16 (normal entry) and is somewhat dubious regarding the RAI of the caster progression.

[Lord_Gareth]

I'd actually recommend AGAINST banning Abjuration, ever - it gives access to the all-important Dispel Magic.

[Keld Denar]

Beguiler does Rainbow Warsnake better than Warmage....

[Yuki Akuma]

Why not go with the Elf Generalist specialization? Use a Grey Elf, take the racial sub. level from Races of thhe Wild, and enjoy having a slight advantage over those overspecialized fools!

Elf Generalist is better than a non-specialist, sure, but specialists get more spell slots even without Focused Specialist.

[Killer Angel]

Hello. I am shortly to start a new campaign, and intend to play a Wizard specialised in a particular school. As something of a beginner, I wanted to ask here before charging ahead.

The character I intend to build is centred around damage-dealing, destructive magic.

Then, I suggest to specialize in Divination.
At every level, you have at least a good divination spell, and you must ban only one school, so the choice will be less difficult, if you're a beginner.
And you'll still have plenty of spell slots to pick your damagin' spells.

[Kurald Galain]

I'd actually recommend AGAINST banning Abjuration, ever - it gives access to the all-important Dispel Magic.

...so what? Clerics, Druids, and Warlocks can cast it too.

Sure, it's nice to have, but it's not vital. And besides Dispel, Abjuration really doesn't have much to offer that isn't covered by the other schools.

[Yuki Akuma]

It's always nice to have something to fall back on if the Cleric is taken out, though.

[Kurald Galain]

It's always nice to have something to fall back on if the Cleric is taken out, though.
Like I said, it is nice. However, that is a far cry from "all-important". Yes, it is completely feasible to play a wizard without Dispel Magic.

[Susano-wo]

In my experience blasting works ok if you take the right metamagics and pick good spells and such. So you'll probably be fine in a less experienced crew. The problem you will run in to at first level though is that you only have 2 or 3 spells and your damage really isin't enough to kill anything (burning hands? 1D6, magic missile? 1D4, etc). So learn spells like sleep and pick up damage dealing ones later.

Hold it! That's 1d4+1, mister! In all seriousness, though, there are plenty of monsters you might face at lvl 1 where 3 average dmg will kill them, and burning hands is what you go for when wanting to inflict damage/death on multiple goblins, kobolds, etc.
Finally, The pain of only having a few 1st level spells is very real, don't get me wrong :P Though focused specialist gives you another, and (I know this probably isn't possible for him, but oh well) Pathfinder would help a great deal by giving him the ability to get 4 spells without focused specialist, and a 3+INT a day acid dart (probably 8times) from Conjuration specialty. Still limited, but eases the pains a bit :P

Either way the limitations, if not the amout of damage will go away assuming Complete Mage is allowed and he takes a blasty reserve feat.

Also, I defintiely think Conjuration Specialist with Evocation not banned sounds like what the OP wants for flavor. The Conjuration RT spells are good, and he can still Fireball/Lightning Bolt, etc for hte fun of it. :D

[HMS Invincible]

Why doesn't anyone ever specialize in divination? Then you only need to ban one school, aka evocation. With all the batman builds going around, you'll need the scrying spells.

[Jolly]

Why doesn't anyone ever specialize in divination? Then you only need to ban one school, aka evocation. With all the batman builds going around, you'll need the scrying spells.



The number of batman builds seeing actual playtime is far smaller than the number posited on optimization and/or general dnd boards I suspect.

[Kylarra]

Just to offer something different, might I suggest a Psion if you're going to be a blaster? :smalltongue:

[Ormur]

While divination is useful it's not guaranteed you'd find a use for your extra spell slot every day on every level. If you follow the rule of always having to choose one spell of your speciality school per level you might also get in trouble with 7th and 9th level spells. Conjurations have a greater chance of being useful every day and to have useful spells every level.

[Godskook]

If you must be a wizard, be a conjurer or evoker(ew!). There's ways to optimize damage a bit as a wizard, but! Can I talk you into playing something, nay, anything else? Good options for 'blasty' include:

DFA
Psion

For DFA, you got blaster in a can, and with entangling exhalation, you can cripple the enemy first before roasting to a delicious medium-rare. Best of all, DFA is an invoker class, so you can do this all day long, with nothing to slow you down at all.

For Psion, they're not far removed from wizards in most ways(including general theme), but they have, I'm told, far better ability to use blasting spellspowers.

[Edhelras]

Never understood the looking-down on Evocation. To me, it's one of the most fun and archetypical DnD wizard schools. I mean - a wizard who cannot cast Lightning bolt or Fireball???
All right, I guess there are wizard variants who act very differently, and can be fun. But still - Evocation is the Wizard school to me.

All this talk about Evocation being weak - what the...? Everybody seems to agree that Wizards are overpowered - and now it's a problem that Evocation wizards are... underpowered? This just doesn't make sense.

I would go ahead and pick Evocation, and have great fun at it. In the company of other, ordinary, non-superoptimization players, you'll have great fun. A Fireball is a fireball, and even if everyone saves or resists it, it's still a pretty sight. We all love fireworks on New Year's Eve, don't we...?

As for banned schools, I've found that Necromancy and Enchantment are the easies to drop. Necromancy is cool but also kinda Evil. Enchantment is expendable, although it's cool too. It's more a matter of what other schools are absolutely necessary.
I couldn't go without Abjuration, Conjuration and Transmutation, and Evocation is a must. So for me, it's mostly a question of whether Enchantment or Illusion should go - I tend to keep Illusion.

[Eloel]

Why doesn't anyone ever specialize in divination? Then you only need to ban one school, aka evocation. With all the batman builds going around, you'll need the scrying spells.
If they're not generalists, divination specialists ARE common.


Just to offer something different, might I suggest a Psion if you're going to be a blaster? :smalltongue:
I'll have to second this. Anarchic Initiate is the 1337zorz. Yes, 'leet speak'. Problems?

[Kurald Galain]

If they're not generalists, divination specialists ARE common.
They are? Based on what? I've never seen a player who had one. I believe it's one of those perennial suggestions that are "theoretically" optimized, but that nobody much seems to use in practice.

It's not even theoretically optimized, in that Treantmonk has shown that a focused conjurer or transmuter is better. But not every DM allows focused spec.

[Eloel]

They are? Based on what? I've never seen a player who had one. I believe it's one of those perennial suggestions that are "theoretically" optimized, but that nobody much seems to use in practice.

It's not even theoretically optimized, in that Treantmonk has shown that a focused conjurer or transmuter is better. But not every DM allows focused spec.

I've seen them used quite often - to only get Evocation banned. 1/level useful divination is easy to find.

And if you can stretch a bit, 3/level is also possible (HARD but possible), making Focused Diviner get by with only 2 banned schools, with the full amount of spells. Though that does assume Spell Compedium to find more useful divinations.

[Kurald Galain]

And if you can stretch a bit, 3/level is also possible (HARD but possible), making Focused Diviner get by with only 2 banned schools, with the full amount of spells.
The extra versatility you get from one less banned school is greatly overshadowed by the extra versatility you get from choosing three Conjuration or Transmutation spells per level.

This is Treantmonk's point all over again: people greatly exaggerate how much you "lose" by banning a school. You can play a highly effective wizard using only a single school (assuming it's Trans or Conj) and banning the other seven.

Being able to cast four spells per day of your highest level, instead of two, that's a huge difference.

[Psyx]

Assuming that you're not crazy about min-maxxing and annoying everyone else at the table; I'd simply go for an Evoker and be sure not to drop Summoning - because some good blast spells come off that. Drop Echantment and whatever else you fancy.

Evokers are fun. Fireballs are great. Give the Warmage a look, too. And Sorcerers, of course.

[Myth]

Assuming that you're not crazy about min-maxxing and annoying everyone else at the table; I'd simply go for an Evoker and be sure not to drop Summoning - because some good blast spells come off that. Drop Echantment and whatever else you fancy.

Evokers are fun. Fireballs are great. Give the Warmage a look, too. And Sorcerers, of course."Summoning" :smallannoyed:

[Eloel]

"Summoning" :smallannoyed:

He meant "Calling" don't worry.

[Petrocorus]

Have you look on the Domain wizard variant?

It's in the SRD, here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizardVariantDomainWiz ard).

[Susano-wo]

Never understood the looking-down on Evocation. To me, it's one of the most fun and archetypical DnD wizard schools. I mean - a wizard who cannot cast Lightning bolt or Fireball???
All right, I guess there are wizard variants who act very differently, and can be fun. But still - Evocation is the Wizard school to me.

All this talk about Evocation being weak - what the...? Everybody seems to agree that Wizards are overpowered - and now it's a problem that Evocation wizards are... underpowered? This just doesn't make sense.

I would go ahead and pick Evocation, and have great fun at it. In the company of other, ordinary, non-superoptimization players, you'll have great fun. A Fireball is a fireball, and even if everyone saves or resists it, it's still a pretty sight. We all love fireworks on New Year's Eve, don't we...?


I thiink that the deal is that compared to what you can do with other schools, Evocation is weak. The difference is that WIz=overpowered is comparing wizards to other classes. Evoc=weak is comparing evocation to other wizard schools.

But I agree that he hsould be what he wants. Unless it just doesn't work,(like trying to full armor cast without still spell or PRcs etc) its way more important to play a cahracter that is fun. Which I don't think you'll find many people to disagree with :

[Grynning]

The main issue with Evocation and with caster blasting in general is that it does something that the melee characters in the party can already do. The whole point of the Batman wizard isn't to be overpowered, but to solve problems for the party. Being a straight blaster removes that versatility and also steps on the toes of the melee characters who can ONLY deal damage.

[Susano-wo]

To be fair to blasting wizards, most fighters can't do a 20ft Radius sphere O' damage. Or hit every enemy in X line or Y cone. :P

Which I guess comes into the stepping on toes part. Which is a can be a problem if the wizard can cast spell after spell, and the fighters aren't actually warblades :P

[Yuki Akuma]

To be fair to blasting wizards, most fighters can't do a 20ft Radius sphere O' damage. Or hit every enemy in X line or Y cone. :P

Which I guess comes into the stepping on toes part. Which is a can be a problem if the wizard can cast spell after spell, and the fighters aren't actually warblades :P

If there's one thing Fighters don't suck at, it's dealing four-figure damage. Wizards do not need to blast if they have a Fighter around.

[Susano-wo]

I wasn't talking about the amount of damage, I was talking about area effects. Fireball, Lightning Bolt, and the rest of the AOE spells give you the ability to damage lots of enemies at once (also to bypass cover, etc in certain circumstances.)

And I'm not talking about what is best to do for wizards, either. Only what they can do as blasters that fighters cannot.

[Petrocorus]

If there's one thing Fighters don't suck at, it's dealing four-figure damage. Wizards do not need to blast if they have a Fighter around.

What do you call four-figure damage?

[Godskook]

What do you call four-figure damage?

1000+ damage would be what "four-figure damage" means

[Yuki Akuma]

I wasn't talking about the amount of damage, I was talking about area effects. Fireball, Lightning Bolt, and the rest of the AOE spells give you the ability to damage lots of enemies at once (also to bypass cover, etc in certain circumstances.)

And I'm not talking about what is best to do for wizards, either. Only what they can do as blasters that fighters cannot.

Spreading damage around to multiple enemies is a waste of resources. Focusing on a single enemy kills threats quicker - taking damage doesn't reduce your ability to deal damage, after all. Twenty kobolds at half health are more dangerous than nineteen at full.

And if you can kill them all in one spell, they're a waste of resources anyway, as they're likely so weak they can't hurt you. Let the Fighter slaughter them, he doesn't have to waste resources.

[Ormur]

I've played an evoker through many levels and sometimes there was not strict melee type so we casters "had" to share the damage dealing. During the time the party included a barbarian I resorted more to buffing, debuffing and battlefield control. The barbarian was the one to exchange full attacks with the dragon (okay no the best idea but she was still better at dealing damage to it than us casters).

So if there are melee types in the party it's probably both more optimal and less upstaging if you avoid direct damage. At least there is no need to specialize in it. I might not ban evocation for sentimental reasons but I don't think I'll specialize in it again.

[Susano-wo]

Spreading damage around to multiple enemies is a waste of resources. Focusing on a single enemy kills threats quicker - taking damage doesn't reduce your ability to deal damage, after all. Twenty kobolds at half health are more dangerous than nineteen at full.

And if you can kill them all in one spell, they're a waste of resources anyway, as they're likely so weak they can't hurt you. Let the Fighter slaughter them, he doesn't have to waste resources.

I don't know the stats on AoE-1-shotable enemies and their ability to hurt PC's, but I suspect that there are cases where that is true, and cases where that is false.

Secondly, though its usually better to kill one enemy, this is not always the case, and there may be times where you can kill two birds with one stone. A couple of reasonable examples. If the enemies are behaving realistically, the fact that the Wizard just burned you and your friends badly with fire, might make you pretty worried, and might even make you run. Even in a game where you aren't worried about such reactions, softening up the enemies might make cleave attacks from the fighters possible, or allow the other members to drop them more efficiently. Or perhaps you know one is near death, but you can catch some others in the blast.

Are these going to happen all the time? no. are these going to happen? yes. Did I say AoE blasting is the best thing a wizard can do, in all circumstances? no. Did I say its something Fighter's cant generally do? yes.


Also, don't forget the concept that the most efficient way to defeat the enemy is the one that uses the least recources, from a value point of view. AoE might leave 10 standing enemies where focusing may leave 9, that doesn't necessarily mean that it will not cause more enemies to be dropped quicker, over the course of the whole fight.

And lets not forget this salient point: AoE's are fun! (IMO, which is hopefully obvious :D) Just like smiting down your enemy with the wrath of Tha Lord-a! and felling them in single blow is fun, so is dealing damage to massive amounts of foes.

(final caveat: not saying that fighter cleave tactics are the best thengs they can do either, but they too, are fun(

[Edhelras]

Spreading damage around to multiple enemies is a waste of resources. Focusing on a single enemy kills threats quicker - taking damage doesn't reduce your ability to deal damage, after all. Twenty kobolds at half health are more dangerous than nineteen at full.

And if you can kill them all in one spell, they're a waste of resources anyway, as they're likely so weak they can't hurt you. Let the Fighter slaughter them, he doesn't have to waste resources.

Again, why the focus on efficacy? Is that the only object of the game? I agree that a Fighter with Great Cleavage is great fun, but there are few things more satisfying than seeing your Fireball burn a whole bunch of unlucky enemies. Or watch your Lightning bolt searing through an entire corridor of soldiers.

Here's efficacy: The party was up against a BBEG, a Fighter many lvls above them, everyone were looking forward to a long and exciting fight, particularly because the Fighter was using a Longspear, and had a pet Otyugh, might be challenging. Then the party Cleric (who's a scholar and healer and often useless in melée combat) decides to cast Hold Person on the BBEG. Failed Will save, next the party tank Coup-de-graces the poor guy, end of encounter. Sure it was satisfying, and extremely efficient (not a hair was scathed on the party members' heads), but it was kind of an anticlimax too. Lacked the flavor of evocation magic, methinks.

[Togo]

The important thing is choosing which schools to ban. Ban the ones that don't fit with you character.

It doesn't matter much which school you specialise it. The main difference is that you have to choose a spell for your spellbook of that school each level, which means you need at least two spells, of every level, from that school that you want to cast. If your DM is stingy with opportunities to gain new spells, you may be relying on them for a while. I had a character who regularly had fewer spells in his spell book of the highest level he could cast that he could cast per day, so choosing spells was question of which one I wanted two of.

You also need to memorise a spell from that school at every level, but that's really less of restriction in practice. In many cases, the rest of the party won't be able to tell what you specialised in, although they will definitely pick up on what you ban.

[Renchard]

If there's one thing Fighters don't suck at, it's dealing four-figure damage. Wizards do not need to blast if they have a Fighter around.

Consider we're talking about a member of a group that's discussing what school to specialize in for blasting, and has just learned that evocation is the blasting school. I don't think competing with a Dungeon Crashing, Leap Attacking Colossal Fighter is his worry. It's a lot more likely his melee types will be doing with 1d8 + 4 with long sword and shield. In that case, the fireball's 5d6 is going to look pretty darn crackerjack, and getting an extra fireball a day is gravy on the awesome turkey.

[Susano-wo]

Then the party Cleric (who's a scholar and healer and often useless in melée combat) decides to cast Hold Person on the BBEG. Failed Will save, next the party tank Coup-de-graces the poor guy, end of encounter.

Isn't there some ruling stating that a hold personed dude isn't 'helpless.' in terms of Coup De Crace. Or was that just a "no you can't essentially one shot a low will character with a 2nd lvl spell" house rule? EDIT: defintiely house rule, accroding to the SRD...maybe I should alooked that up first...:smallredface:

(though I would probably houserule myself that you can't coup de grace unless no one could reasonably get to you, or something to that effect. I know you can't really simulate real-time battles with rounds, and it would be quite complicated to do so, but the idea of the Otyugh just standing there whilst you line up and happy gilmore his master's head just hurts by brain so much ><)
...but I'm terrbly off topic, aren't I? >.>

[Logalmier]

Personally I think going generalist is the best option. One should be a generalist wizard and then take the spontaneous divination feat later. That way you have all the options of all the schools open to you, but you can cast divination spells whenever you please.

[Augmented Lurk]

There's also the Domain Wizard variant.