NeoSeraphi
2011-11-06, 03:53 PM
If a cleric could specialize as a wizard could (and therefore, could gain access to the master specialist prestige class from Complete Mage), what school would you specialize in, if any? (This is just a comparison of the wizard/cleric spell lists and class mechanics, so don't think about the fluff of specializing as a divine caster)
Rules: To specialize, a cleric chooses one school to specialize in. He gains 2 additional daily spell slots per spell level that he may only prepare spells of his chosen school in. (The 2 spell slots is to give you the same boon as a wizard, who also enjoys a bonus on Spellcraft checks made to spam-copy them from scrolls, while a cleric already knows his entire spell list)
The cleric chooses two schools of magic other than his chosen school of specialization. He may not choose divination. He forever loses access to spells of those two schools, and they are no longer treated as being on his spell list for the purposes of activating command items and for prestige/feat qualifications. This includes spells from his domains. He does not gain bonus domain slots for his school of specialization. If the cleric chooses to specialize in divination, he only has to choose one school to prohibit.
A cleric may not change his bonus spell slots per day from specializing into spontaneous cure or inflict spells unless the school he specialized in was conjuration (for curing) or necromancy (for inflicting)
The main reason I'm asking is because the three schools of choice for a wizard to dump are necromancy, evocation, and enchantment. But for clerics I think it'd be different. The argument for wizards to not drop evocation is usually citing such gems as forcecage and contingency, but for clerics, they would stand to lose something much bigger, because miracle is an evocation spell.
Necromancy loss would also be a huge penalty to clerics, especially evil clerics, who lose access to spontaneous inflicts and the powerful reanimation abilities. And unlike wizards, the cleric gains most of his damage spells from the necromancy school, including harm and mass inflict critical wounds. (he can't just throw it away and rely on conjuration like wizards).
The shadow evocation and shadow conjuration line also don't exist for clerics, so they can't cheat and get around prohibited schools with cheap illusion spells.
Enchantment still sucks just as much for a cleric as it does for a wizard.
So what do you guys think? What school would you specialize in as a cleric? What schools would you drop? (For the purposes of this discussion, please assume that the Focused Specialist variant is still wizard-only)
Rules: To specialize, a cleric chooses one school to specialize in. He gains 2 additional daily spell slots per spell level that he may only prepare spells of his chosen school in. (The 2 spell slots is to give you the same boon as a wizard, who also enjoys a bonus on Spellcraft checks made to spam-copy them from scrolls, while a cleric already knows his entire spell list)
The cleric chooses two schools of magic other than his chosen school of specialization. He may not choose divination. He forever loses access to spells of those two schools, and they are no longer treated as being on his spell list for the purposes of activating command items and for prestige/feat qualifications. This includes spells from his domains. He does not gain bonus domain slots for his school of specialization. If the cleric chooses to specialize in divination, he only has to choose one school to prohibit.
A cleric may not change his bonus spell slots per day from specializing into spontaneous cure or inflict spells unless the school he specialized in was conjuration (for curing) or necromancy (for inflicting)
The main reason I'm asking is because the three schools of choice for a wizard to dump are necromancy, evocation, and enchantment. But for clerics I think it'd be different. The argument for wizards to not drop evocation is usually citing such gems as forcecage and contingency, but for clerics, they would stand to lose something much bigger, because miracle is an evocation spell.
Necromancy loss would also be a huge penalty to clerics, especially evil clerics, who lose access to spontaneous inflicts and the powerful reanimation abilities. And unlike wizards, the cleric gains most of his damage spells from the necromancy school, including harm and mass inflict critical wounds. (he can't just throw it away and rely on conjuration like wizards).
The shadow evocation and shadow conjuration line also don't exist for clerics, so they can't cheat and get around prohibited schools with cheap illusion spells.
Enchantment still sucks just as much for a cleric as it does for a wizard.
So what do you guys think? What school would you specialize in as a cleric? What schools would you drop? (For the purposes of this discussion, please assume that the Focused Specialist variant is still wizard-only)