Abjuration: Specialist or Focused Specialist?

[Private-Prinny]

I'm putting together a Wizard with a specialty in Abjuration, and was wondering whether or not the extra slots from Focused Specialist would be worthwhile, since I would lose a lot of things that I could put in that extra slot. Abjuration is good, but I don't know if it's good enough to devote literally half of my memorized spells to.

[Autopsibiofeeder]

Which schools are you planning to bar? I think focused specialist is only really worth it when aiming for the big-shot schools (like conjuration) and I don't think abjuration is one of them. It could work if you see a role as party buffer/protector, but it would result in you being crammed in a very tight role.

I'd say no, but it really depends on your character concept. Have you tried to make a hypothetical lvl 5 and lvl 10 spells memorized list? This excercise can actually fairly swiftly crystallize your answer: does it look like what you want to be doing, or not?

[NNescio]

I'm putting together a Wizard with a specialty in Abjuration, and was wondering whether or not the extra slots from Focused Specialist would be worthwhile, since I would lose a lot of things that I could put in that extra slot. Abjuration is good, but I don't know if it's good enough to devote literally half of my memorized spells to.

It's mediocre at lower levels, up to until about level 7 (where you get Wall of X Alignment spells) when you start to shine. Not that good without SpC though.

It can be very powerful if you take Master Specialist and Io7fV, both of which mesh together nicely and give you a lot of nasty tricks. Highlights include slapping an AMF on the BSF (which can be a summoned critter).

It's also a rather decent anti-caster build at middling levels of optimisation.

[FMArthur]

There really isn't a wrong way to build a Wizard unless you do something to deny yourself access to spells entirely (Rage, low Int).

That said, Abjuration's probably the one school that most depends on your DM's style for its usefulness, unless you're going IotSV, in which case you win D&D (please don't use that class). I would probably stick to simple specialization, because while Abjuration is very powerful for protecting the party from and negating enemy magic, it's not so great at other things - so you may find it hard to know what to do with a large alotment of Abjuration-only slots.

[Godskook]

Unless you're specializing for a *very* specific reason, Abjuration is probably a worse focus specialization than Evocation(better school though). Why are you specializing into it?

[FMArthur]

Speaking of which, Evocation actually has a handful of downright magnificent defensive spells - like Otto's Resilient Sphere, Wind Wall, Walls of Force and Contingency - so I really recommend against banning it on an Abjurer, which you're likely to take a defensive style on. Transmutation, too. I'm coming to like generalist Wizards a lot these days; it's nice to not lose any spell access, and you really do get enough spells anyway. If you're not taking any exclusive specialist options, consider being a generalist.

[Keld Denar]

The only specialties I'd consider worth it for Focused Specialist are Conjourer, Transmuter, and Illusionist(assuming Shadowcraft Mage). Oh, and anyone who plans on burning off extensive amounts of spells on Arcane Strike. No other school has enough breadth and depth to be worth the loss of the extra school to fill 3 slots. Conjouration, and to a slightly lesser degree Transmutation, simply have SOOOO many spells to choose from. Abjuration...not so much.

[Eldariel]

FS: Abjuration...depends. It can be good especially for countermagic purposes and such (FS Abjurer can counter/dispel wreck people all day) but outside a rather high powered campaign, it's less powerful than standard Specialist. That said, since it's a lower powered campaign and you're a Wizard, you're still more than fine. Either is fine, high-powered you could make a case for FS Abjurer, low-powered standard Specialist wins out.

[Elric VIII]

The Spontaneous Dispelling (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm) specialist variant is quite excellent, if you're going for one of those. However, you must give up your specialist slots, so normal specialst would be best for this.

Also, if you don't want to lose versatility, the Abjuration Domain variant has a bunch of good spells. You get the same spells/day as a normal specialist, but you have to prepare your domain spells at least once.

[Tvtyrant]

FS: Divination would be fun for a city game. Run a divination and magic item shop on one side and do city adventures on the other.

[Fuhrmaaj]

Focused Specialist might have additional uses for an Abjurant Champion (from Complete Mage) because of the 4th level ability which lets you spend spells on little bonuses. I usually consider that ability to be a write-off, but Focused Specialist might be a way to make it work.

[Shadowknight12]

I have an almost finished Focused Abjurer that is simply waiting to see play. I assure you that there are, in fact, enough abjuration spells to make it a worthwhile investment. The only caveat is that your DM must allow pretty much every major splatbook out there. Spell Compendium is a must, simply because of the sheer number of spells it has.

Complete Arcane and Complete Mage come a close second, with spells like Arcane Turmoil, the Karmic line and Mysterious Redirection (if you're going gish), Ottiluke's Suppressing Field (with area-enlargening metamagic), Anticipate Teleportation (highly situational, but useful if you have a villain fond of scry-and-die tactics), Duelward (if you're going with the counterspelling route), Energy Immunity, Reaving Dispel, Absorption, Reciprocal Gyre and Refusal (tip: a lot of creatures with SLAs don't actually have Will saves that high. Furthermore, the DC increases by the highest level of the spell or SLA available to them, which means that it won't be so trivially bypassed even if your DCs aren't that high).

Then you have gems in other, non-caster-centric, splatbooks. From Complete Scoundrel, you have Disobedience and Spell Theft, the former being useful in campaigns rife with social intrigue, the latter being part of the Abjuration subschool I personally term "Anti-Caster." From Complete Adventurer, you have Daggerspell Stance, which helps make Daggerspell Mage slightly more competent at its extremely specific job. From Complete Divine, you have Unbinding, which might be underpowered for a 9th level spell, but it's still hilariously fun to watch in action. Furthermore, if you go with the Master Specialist route, you have some nifty abjurations from the cleric list right here to pick for your Expanded Spellbook feature (some quick suggestions: Resurgence, Spell Resistance, Dance of the Unicorn and Blessing of Bahamut).

Frostburn, Sandstorm and Stormwrack have abjurations that are obviously useful if your DM is setting adventures in cold, desert or aquatic areas. Of note is the spell Ice Shield, which costs the same as Stoneskin and prevents the same amount of total damage, but exchanges a better kind of protection (DR 15/- versus DR 10/adamantine) for a decreased duration outside frostfell environments (lasts just as long as Stoneskin on frostfell environments) and giving the target vulnerability to fire. From Races of Destiny, you could grab Urban Shield with Expanded Spellbook if you have a way to exploit gaining cover. Libris Mortis has questionably useful ways to deal with incorporeal creatures (especially ghosts) if force effects are unavailable or undesired (for example, if you banned Evocation). From Dragon Magic, Kiss of Draconic Defiance is of moderate usefulness if you have a way to pump your DCs. The spell does allow you a free counterspell against 5th level spells or lower cast within its area, so it might be worth taking if you want to focus on the [Anti-Caster] subschool of Abjuration. :smallamused:

Book of Exalted Deeds has Sanctified spells of questionable usefulness (more for flavour than any real utility, I suppose, since their cost usually outweighs their benefits), but it also has a few worthy spells, such as Telepathy Block, Vanishing Weapon (be a team player, give your melee buddy something to do!) and Starmantle. From Book of Vile Darkness, Psychic Poison is fun, if not particularly earth-shattering, and you have a couple of spells to deal with possessors and astral travellers if they're ever a concern in your campaign.

In general, anything with the word Prismatic is good, or at least amusing to watch in action. It also complements an Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil rather well. Oh, and do keep in mind how I actually never touched Spell Compendium, one of the greatest contributions to Abjuration magic in D&D, or core, which has a slew of solid, bread and butter Abjurations.

Oh! I almost forgot: If you're allowed to take things from other settings, Eberron has a handful of very useful abjurations and Faerun is positively rife with those as well. Seriously, if you get approval for Faerun material, you're all set. The famous Incantatrix PrC is (allegedly) an Abjuration specialist, for example.

Also, a quick tip: Don't ban Illusion. It's got some very solid defensive capabilities that abjuration finds hard to replicate (such as Mirror Image and Displacement). I'd honestly sooner ban Conjuration than do away with it.

[Private-Prinny]

For the people wondering why I'm specializing in Abjuration, it's for Master Specialist and Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil. I know that class is absurd, but my DM gave me Incantatrix as a serious suggestion knowing full well what it's capable of, so I should be fine.

Also, banned schools are Enchantment and Necromancy. Yes, I'm keeping Evocation if I don't go FS. Don't even bother trying to talk me out of this one. Regular Specialist it is, then.

[Godskook]

you have to ban another school for incantrix, right?

[Private-Prinny]

you have to ban another school for incantrix, right?

Yes, but I'm not going with Incantatrix, so the point is moot.

[Godskook]

Yes, but I'm not going with Incantatrix, so the point is moot.

Wow, I read "Initiate" as "Incantrix"

Nvrmind me

[faceroll]

Speaking of which, Evocation actually has a handful of downright magnificent defensive spells - like Otto's Resilient Sphere, Wind Wall, Walls of Force and Contingency - so I really recommend against banning it on an Abjurer, which you're likely to take a defensive style on. Transmutation, too. I'm coming to like generalist Wizards a lot these days; it's nice to not lose any spell access, and you really do get enough spells anyway. If you're not taking any exclusive specialist options, consider being a generalist.

Gust of Wind is pretty much a must have if your DM ever uses battlefield control tactics against you. I'm of the opinion Shadow Evocation can't affect spells, though.


The only specialties I'd consider worth it for Focused Specialist are Conjourer, Transmuter, and Illusionist(assuming Shadowcraft Mage). Oh, and anyone who plans on burning off extensive amounts of spells on Arcane Strike. No other school has enough breadth and depth to be worth the loss of the extra school to fill 3 slots. Conjouration, and to a slightly lesser degree Transmutation, simply have SOOOO many spells to choose from. Abjuration...not so much.

I could see a case for Enchanters, Evokers, and Necromancers, as well, simply because you're either spamming save-or-be-my-friend/dead or take-damage. Even with 3 schools banned, you've got enough access to still be T2, and if you REALLY need to get that one spell, UMD it with Loremaster, or pick up a copy of Lost Empires of Faerun.

There's no shame in casting the same spell more than once in a day.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Speaking of which, Evocation actually has a handful of downright magnificent defensive spells - like Otto's Resilient Sphere, Wind Wall, Walls of Force and Contingency - so I really recommend against banning it on an Abjurer, which you're likely to take a defensive style on. Transmutation, too. I'm coming to like generalist Wizards a lot these days; it's nice to not lose any spell access, and you really do get enough spells anyway. If you're not taking any exclusive specialist options, consider being a generalist.

Shadow Evocation and the Greater version would respectfully disagree with your assessment.

[FMArthur]

They might, but they'd be wrong. Those are just horrible spells, especially for the things I am talking about. I am talking about 'just say no' effects that you're saying are just as good with a Will save every time someone interacts with them? And exclusively castable from 5th and 8th level slots? SE/GSE are awful even when you do decide to ignore the fact that you're casting spells 4-6 levels after you wanted them.

No wait, let me guess: everyone who bans Evocation is a Shadowcraft Mage. Is that about right?

[ShneekeyTheLost]

They might, but they'd be wrong. Those are just horrible spells, especially for the things I am talking about. I am talking about 'just say no' effects that you're saying are just as good with a Will save every time someone interacts with them? And exclusively castable from 5th and 8th level slots? SE/GSE are awful even when you do decide to ignore the fact that you're casting spells 4-6 levels after you wanted them.

No wait, let me guess: everyone who bans Evocation is a Shadowcraft Mage. Is that about right?

No, just everyone bans Evocation because two spells duplicates the entirety of the college. Of everything you mentioned, only Contingency really matters, and you can pick that up without needing expensive components from GSE.

[FMArthur]

There exist two spells that are really, really bad at duplicating the spells, and they get brought up too often as an indication of Evocation's uselessness without being part of the reason for it at all. Evocation's weakness comes from being mostly blasting, mostly subject to SR, energy resistance and one type of save, having a lot of functionally identical spells, and having generally equivalent-or-better blasting alternatives in Conjuration.

Those spells I was talking about are legitimate strengths of the school, few though they might be. They are very, very good spells, and Shadow Evocation is just such a phenominally poor substitute that frankly doesn't deserve the amount of attention it gets.

[mootoall]

Naw, pretty sure they're still useful in making those schools redundant with the right build. Shadowcraft Mage, especially, does it wonderfully. But I'd still rather be a focused specialist conjurer than a focused specialist illusionist.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

There exist two spells that are really, really bad at duplicating the spells, and they get brought up too often as an indication of Evocation's uselessness without being part of the reason for it at all. Evocation's weakness comes from being mostly blasting, mostly subject to SR, energy resistance and one type of save, having a lot of functionally identical spells, and having generally equivalent-or-better blasting alternatives in Conjuration.

Those spells I was talking about are legitimate strengths of the school, few though they might be. They are very, very good spells, and Shadow Evocation is just such a phenominally poor substitute that frankly doesn't deserve the amount of attention it gets.

You are, of course, welcome to your opinion. I happen to strongly disagree with it.

Personally, I find them useful for the occasions on which you want to use something out of Evocation. You don't need to be a Shadowcraft Mage to be able to use them viably. Will is notoriously the save which is most commonly weak. And most of the spells you're talking about won't be interacting with sentient beings, if you use them properly, so the will save is moot.

Case in point: Gust of Wind. You use it to blow cloud-spells and deflect arrows. Neither of which are able to make a Will save, so it functions perfectly normally. Assuming you don't just ignore them (necklace of adaptation... best 9k you can ever spend) and not bother with the school, other than GSE for Contingency.

[faceroll]

Objects automatically succeed on their will saves vs. Shadow Evocation.

[faceroll]

On further analysis, the best spells in evocation can all be adequately cast from items. A dip in Loremaster for UMD gets you pretty much what you need from the school, if you don't mind replacing class features with gold.