MoleMage
2012-08-26, 02:35 AM
I have occasionally felt that specializing as a Wizard in DnD 3.5 is something of a silly point. All you really gain from it is +1 spell per day, and you give up a fourth of your potential spells known permanently (unless you're a diviner, of course). I had a thought to counteract this: Specialist-restricted spells.
These could be old spells or new, homebrew spells, but how they would work is that they can only be prepared in a specialist bonus spell slot. To that end, they would have to be iconic spells of their school, but not iconic spells of the wizard class (Fireball, for example, is the iconic evocation spell, but it is also the iconic wizard attack spell; Shapechange, on the other hand is iconic for Transmutation, but not necessarily for wizards as a whole).
This is partly inspired by the Psion specialties gaining additional spell lists, and partly by other things I have long since forgotten.
For example, say in this system Shapechange becomes a specialist spell. This means that when Wizard McBlastypants, Evoker prepares his spells for the day, he cannot prepare Shapechange, since his specialty slot can only be used for evocation spells. And when Shifter von Werewolf, Transmuter prepares his, he can only prepare one instance of Shapechange, since he only gains on specialty slot. And Casty Casterson, Sorcerer, can't learn Shapechange at all, but maybe instead gains some Sorcerer specific spells.
What are peoples' thoughts on this system, and what are some spells that you feel belong here/homebrew spells you'd like to add to the list? I will hopefully edit in some more ideas when I'm less tired myself.
These could be old spells or new, homebrew spells, but how they would work is that they can only be prepared in a specialist bonus spell slot. To that end, they would have to be iconic spells of their school, but not iconic spells of the wizard class (Fireball, for example, is the iconic evocation spell, but it is also the iconic wizard attack spell; Shapechange, on the other hand is iconic for Transmutation, but not necessarily for wizards as a whole).
This is partly inspired by the Psion specialties gaining additional spell lists, and partly by other things I have long since forgotten.
For example, say in this system Shapechange becomes a specialist spell. This means that when Wizard McBlastypants, Evoker prepares his spells for the day, he cannot prepare Shapechange, since his specialty slot can only be used for evocation spells. And when Shifter von Werewolf, Transmuter prepares his, he can only prepare one instance of Shapechange, since he only gains on specialty slot. And Casty Casterson, Sorcerer, can't learn Shapechange at all, but maybe instead gains some Sorcerer specific spells.
What are peoples' thoughts on this system, and what are some spells that you feel belong here/homebrew spells you'd like to add to the list? I will hopefully edit in some more ideas when I'm less tired myself.