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View Full Version : Most Versatile School of Magic



Balesirion
2007-01-25, 12:32 PM
I would have to say the most versatile school is Conjuration. Think about it. All in one school, you have summoning and calling, teleportation, healing, planar travel, and powerful attack spells, including the Orb spells, Acid Storm, Arc of Lightning and the ultimately powerful Sphere of Ultimate Destruction and Blade of Black Disaster. So conjuration for me. Anyone else?

Gamebird
2007-01-25, 12:34 PM
No. I'd have to agree with you about Conjuration.

Fax Celestis
2007-01-25, 12:38 PM
Transmutation. Something about turning into other forms has versatility to it. It also has the temporal spells.

clarkvalentine
2007-01-25, 12:40 PM
Divination. Because knowing is half the battle.

themightybiggun
2007-01-25, 12:41 PM
I went with Trans, gotta love the "random animal"+"random attribute" spells.

...I love me some Eagle's Splendor.

Morty
2007-01-25, 12:42 PM
Hm. I voted for Transmutation, but Conjuration:smallyuk: is equally versatile. So it's hard to choose. In fact, I find Conuration's versatility quite unfair compared to other schools(with an exception of Transmutation, which is school made of awesome). Other schools have niches they fill, but Conjuration has everything- with CA it's got even straight damage. I wouldn't touch half of Conjuration spells with 10 feet pole, but still.

pestilenceawaits
2007-01-25, 12:45 PM
I think Transmutation is going to win out. I chose it because it has damage spells, buff spells, and the best all around utility spells. For example fly, haste, mend, etc.

Hyrael
2007-01-25, 12:52 PM
I would like to point out the inherent versitality in the Illusion school by virtue of the Shadow Conjuration and Evocation spells. I still voted conjuration, though

Orzel
2007-01-25, 12:58 PM
Transmutation.
Buffs, debuffs, damage, and utility. Bear's Endurance is a heal to me.

Ramza00
2007-01-25, 01:02 PM
Transmutation easily, though I want to follow it by Conjuration. Trasmutation may be the king, but Conjuration comes very close.

Indoril
2007-01-25, 01:03 PM
Enchantment. Because pitting friend against friend and forcing people to do as you please makes me happy in bad ways


Divination. Because knowing is half the battle.

G I Jooooooe...

jjpickar
2007-01-25, 01:07 PM
The real American hero...

I pick conjuration because if you can't do it you're summoned ally can.

Telonius
2007-01-25, 01:28 PM
Enchantment, because you can charm practitioners of all other forms of magic to cast the spells for you. :smallbiggrin:

Saph
2007-01-25, 01:36 PM
Enchantment - whatever the problem is, get someone else to deal with it. :)

- Saph

Druid
2007-01-25, 01:39 PM
Conjuration, it's the one that gives unlimited free wishes. Hooray super cheese!

Khantalas
2007-01-25, 01:40 PM
Doesn't universal have prestidigitation, limited wish and wish? They are the most versatile spells, aren't they?

Though evocation has miracle...

Cocktail Umbrellas
2007-01-25, 01:54 PM
All I can say is it suuuuuuuuuure isn't necromancy ^^;;
I play 2e and man... banned from enchantment/charm and illusion makes for a load of neato spells I can't touch. But, I still have a good time with it.

If I had to pick the best?... I dunno, its probably just because I can't touch it, but enchant/charm seems pretty darned versatile.

Woot Spitum
2007-01-25, 01:55 PM
Necromancy. You use it to become a vampire. You then bite two people and turn them into vampires under your control. They go out and each bites two more people, creating four more vampires, for a total of six under the control over you or people directly under your control. Repeat as necessary. Eventually, you control thousands of vampires, who you send to bite spellcasters from all the other schools of magic. Because you control all these vampires, you can get basically any sort of spell cast whenever you want, making you the most versatile mage in the land. It's the pyramid scheme of doom.:smallbiggrin:

Gamebird
2007-01-25, 02:04 PM
Necromancy. You use it to become a vampire. You then bite two people and turn them into vampires under your control. They go out and each bites two more people, creating four more vampires, for a total of six under the control over you or people directly under your control. Repeat as necessary. Eventually, you control thousands of vampires, who you send to bite spellcasters from all the other schools of magic. Because you control all these vampires, you can get basically any sort of spell cast whenever you want, making you the most versatile mage in the land. It's the pyramid scheme of doom.:smallbiggrin:

That's cool and all, but the school of necromancy doesn't let you become a vampire. (Unless there's some spell I haven't seen...) Transmutation, on the other hand, does, though I think the spell is 6th or 7th level and acts like Polymorph (meaning not a long enough duration for what you're considering).

Indoril
2007-01-25, 03:06 PM
Necromancy. You use it to become a vampire. You then bite two people and turn them into vampires under your control. They go out and each bites two more people, creating four more vampires, for a total of six under the control over you or people directly under your control. Repeat as necessary. Eventually, you control thousands of vampires, who you send to bite spellcasters from all the other schools of magic. Because you control all these vampires, you can get basically any sort of spell cast whenever you want, making you the most versatile mage in the land. It's the pyramid scheme of doom.:smallbiggrin:

Why not just skip the years of turning people to vampires and becoming one yourself and just charm/dominate people to do as you please with Enchantment?

Dhavaer
2007-01-25, 04:28 PM
Illusion. Yay Shadow, and an infinity of ways to pump you save DCs. It doesn't matter how many chances you get to save if you can't make the DCs.

Everyman
2007-01-25, 04:32 PM
I like almost all the schools, but I have to give the nod to good ol' transmutation. It has buffs, shapechanging, direct damage, walls, and all kinds of other spell types. Ergo, transmutation for TEH \/\/1|\|!!!1!!!eleven!

Viscount Einstrauss
2007-01-25, 04:37 PM
Necromancy. It's usefullness is directly proportionate to how inventive you are with your cruelty.

Cruiser1
2007-01-25, 06:17 PM
Illusion, definitely! Everything Conjuration can do Illusion can simulate with (Greater) Shadow Conjuration (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowConjuration.htm). Everything Evocation can do Illusion can simulate with (Greater) Shadow Evocation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowEvocation.htm). Illusion is three schools in one! No other school can even remotely do anything as versatile as that. :smallsmile:

Parlik
2007-01-28, 05:57 AM
Well I voted Transmutation, mainly because the ability to turn yourself/others into anything pretty much overrides anything else in versatility.

I almost voted Divination, but decided to refrain from it, since it 'just' lets you know what will happen, and hence lets you put the rest of your skills, spells and knowledge to maximal use, and therefore isn't versatile on its own

Ninja Chocobo
2007-01-28, 07:11 AM
Transmutation.
Buff+Utility+Damage+Mega-Cheese = Win.

The Dirge
2007-01-28, 07:26 AM
Fools, I find that evocation is the best for damage dealing and self-protecting. Isaacs greater missile storm anyone?

Single Shot Zombie
2007-01-28, 11:22 AM
Illusion, definitely! Everything Conjuration can do Illusion can simulate with (Greater) Shadow Conjuration (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowConjuration.htm). Everything Evocation can do Illusion can simulate with (Greater) Shadow Evocation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowEvocation.htm). Illusion is three schools in one! No other school can even remotely do anything as versatile as that. :smallsmile:

Two and a half schools, to be exact; the Shadow Conjuration series can only mimic Conj (summoning) or Conj (creation) spells. Still, it's all cool; you can call monsters, you can blast, you can mislead people with illusions and random objects. Or a shadow Wall of Force.

Add in Gnome Shadowcraft Mage, and you start worrying less about whether or not the enemy realizes that monster isn't real. Friend of mine cooked up some cheese with that - from the basic "more real than the real thing" shadow illusions, to abuse of that 5-level PrC's final ability. I've been sworn to secrecy on this, though.

Indon
2007-01-28, 11:39 AM
I'd go with Evocation. It has the Force spells, one of the Prismatic spells (spray), Contingency, and all the star attack spells at almost every level; Magic Missile, Scorching Ray, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, and so on all the way to Polar Ray and Meteor Swarm.

You know, I'm surprised nobody's voted for Abjuration. The school provides protection to all the other schools more or less, after all.

Yuki Akuma
2007-01-28, 11:44 AM
If you're a cleric, evocation. It has bloody Miracle.

Jack_Simth
2007-01-28, 05:31 PM
For a Sorcerer, Universal.

Because that's where Limited Wish lies, and Limited Wish can be used to duplicate Psychic Reformation, which permits the Sorcerer to trade out spells known, feats, and skills.

So Limited Wish, a Universal spell, permits the Sorcerer-20 to have Wish, Shades, and Time Stop one round, Gate, Foresight, and Shapechange one round later.

JaronK
2007-01-28, 05:58 PM
Illusion, because you can be a Shadowcraft Mage, take Arcane Disciple (Luck Domain) and cast Miracle with Silent Image. Now you can cast from every other school using a single illusion spell.

I'm pretty sure that wins hands down for versitility.

JaronK

The Dirge
2007-01-28, 05:59 PM
Illusion, because you can be a Shadowcraft Mage, take Arcane Disciple (Luck Domain) and cast Miracle with Silent Image. Now you can cast from every other school using a single illusion spell.

I'm pretty sure that wins hands down for versitility.

JaronK

Not really because if you want the versatility you are forced to become a shadowcraft mage.

JaronK
2007-01-28, 09:34 PM
No, SCM just makes it more powerful. Even without that you could cast Shades, Heightened with Earth Spell, and still cast Miracle. SCMs don't make it possible, they just make it better.

JaronK

Jestir256
2007-01-28, 09:41 PM
Not to beat a dead horse, but I think transmutation wins as the most versatile school because it has the (probably) most versatile spell (short of wish and prestidigitation): telekinesis. I once had a particularly creative player who could get into and out of just about any situation with that spell.

The Dirge
2007-01-28, 09:42 PM
Curses! You are correct in every way!

Gralamin
2007-01-28, 09:46 PM
Two and a half schools, to be exact; the Shadow Conjuration series can only mimic Conj (summoning) or Conj (creation) spells. Still, it's all cool; you can call monsters, you can blast, you can mislead people with illusions and random objects. Or a shadow Wall of Force.

Add in Gnome Shadowcraft Mage, and you start worrying less about whether or not the enemy realizes that monster isn't real. Friend of mine cooked up some cheese with that - from the basic "more real than the real thing" shadow illusions, to abuse of that 5-level PrC's final ability. I've been sworn to secrecy on this, though.

Thats nothing new.

Illusion for me as well, though you shouldn't ever ban abjuration.

Turcano
2007-01-28, 10:05 PM
Thats nothing new.

Illusion for me as well, though you shouldn't ever ban abjuration.

If you're willing to ban the school that gives you dispel magic, you'd might as well just kill yourself.

And I'd go with Illusion for the three-for-one cheese, but Conjuration is probably the best single school.

Chris_Chandler
2007-01-28, 10:48 PM
I'd say that illusion is the most versatile, as long as your DM does not work to nerf the school by play style. Versatility is, inherently, not necessarily correllative to power, but illusionary magic can be quite adaptive. Past that, it'd be conjuration and transmutation, depending on the situation at hand. There are some spells that are both versatile and powerful in both of those schools, but the question was school not spell. Overall, illusion is more versatile.

TheOOB
2007-01-28, 10:49 PM
Shadow spells are perhaps the most versitile spells in existance, so I'll go with illusion.

Weezer
2007-01-29, 09:01 PM
I'll go with conjuration, summoning and direct damage cant really be beat

The Dirge
2007-01-29, 09:15 PM
They can be beaten by miracle.

Ninja Chocobo
2007-01-29, 11:06 PM
They can be beaten by Polymorph cheese.

Hallavast
2007-01-30, 12:16 AM
I'd just like to say that illusion spells like permanent and greater image and the like are some of the most open ended spells in the game. Combine this with some shadow conjuration and shadow evoc, and you've got yourself a winning combination.

The Dirge
2007-01-30, 04:32 AM
Perhaps this thread should be 'cheesiest school of magic'.

Teloric
2007-02-05, 03:36 PM
The versatility of a school is not just about what spells you will have when you are at a high level. A truly versatile school will have something to offer at every level. I used to think that Transmutation was the most versatile school, but then I realized how much better Conjuration is at level 1. A level 1 Conjurer has a lot more options than a level 1 Transmuter. The real power of a Transmuter isn't apparent until higher levels are achieved. Same goes for an Illusionist.

So, since it has something good to offer at EVERY level of skill, it is my opinion that Conjuration is the most versatile school of magic.

Hope this helps...

Flawless
2007-02-05, 05:42 PM
Evocation: Just because I love those fireballs, cones of cold and force spells. Wall of force is great spell in almost any battle. Out of battle evocation is rather useless, though.

Conjurer
2007-02-05, 06:05 PM
Conjuration, obviously (yeah, I'm biased).

I'd never ban Transmutation, however.

Magi_Ring_O
2007-02-05, 07:05 PM
I voted for illusion for the same reason as most of the other people-the shadow evocation/conjuration thing

Dr. Weasel
2007-02-05, 09:46 PM
Nearly every level of Illusion spells has a "make up something and that's what this looks like/does" with its images and whatnot. Shadow Conj/Evoc just makes it an even prettier school as far as versatility goes.

RaistlinandPals
2007-02-05, 10:37 PM
I voted Evocation just because I <3 it so. Illusion is handy too. Even at first lvl, BAM! 50 by 50 illusion! I ban abjuration though, protection isn't my thing. The best defense is a good offense!

Planewalker
2007-02-05, 11:35 PM
I think that Conjuration and Enchantment are basically the same. You get other people to do stuff for you!

Winged One
2007-02-06, 12:55 AM
I voted Conjuration because of the fact that there are spells for a lot of situations in said school. That said, I prefer to play generalists because every school has at least one spell that justifies my preference.

Armads
2007-02-06, 03:31 AM
Evocation! Why bother charming your enemies or fooling them if you can send them into the afterlife?

On top of that,
Miracle's evocation

Teloric
2007-02-07, 04:53 PM
I feel like I must be missing something, but why is Evocation getting votes? Don't get me wrong, I like this school of magic, but versatility isn't what comes to mind when I choose this school. I usually take it for the walls and the damage spells.

On the other hand, a school like Conjuration can do some damage with summoning, some defense, some battlefield control, utility, and mobility. In terms of versatility, I can't see how Evocation can compete with Conjuration.

Can someone enlighten me?

talsine
2007-02-07, 05:09 PM
i voted Necromancy, but thats more of a play style choice, i play a lot of support debuff sorcerer's and necromancy is the king of debuff. If i was being unbiased it would be conjuration or illusion, though why they moved the Orb line from evo to conj is still beyond me, makes no sense...

ZekeArgo
2007-02-07, 05:47 PM
I feel like I must be missing something, but why is Evocation getting votes? Don't get me wrong, I like this school of magic, but versatility isn't what comes to mind when I choose this school. I usually take it for the walls and the damage spells.

On the other hand, a school like Conjuration can do some damage with summoning, some defense, some battlefield control, utility, and mobility. In terms of versatility, I can't see how Evocation can compete with Conjuration.

Can someone enlighten me?

Evocation isnt getting votes because direct damage is the worst thing a wiz/sorc can do in a confrontation. What seems like a better plan of action to you? Meteor Swarm and hope all of your touch attacks hit, and that your opponent doesn't have any fire resistances, or Power Word: Kill/Wail of the Banshee/Imprison/Dominate Monster/Weird them? And thats just using core 9th level spells, nevermind whats in splatbooks and all the stuff at lower levels.

Seatbelt
2007-02-07, 05:58 PM
either way, they have to fail a save. Speaking from experience, when the baddies consistently make your save DCs, evocation looks really attractive. Especially when you start the campaign telling everyone how direct damage is not the way to go... :P

Hyfigh
2007-02-07, 06:00 PM
I say illusion. If its your focus you can cast evocations and most conjurations anyways. It frankly cancels the need for evocation entirely. Not to mention that the image line of spells is only limited by your imagination.

Teloric
2007-02-07, 06:46 PM
Evocation isnt getting votes because direct damage is the worst thing a wiz/sorc can do in a confrontation. What seems like a better plan of action to you? Meteor Swarm and hope all of your touch attacks hit, and that your opponent doesn't have any fire resistances, or Power Word: Kill/Wail of the Banshee/Imprison/Dominate Monster/Weird them? And thats just using core 9th level spells, nevermind whats in splatbooks and all the stuff at lower levels.

Actually, I was asking why Evocation IS getting votes. I know about the limitations of this school. I just want to know why some players consider this school to be versatile?

ZekeArgo
2007-02-07, 07:07 PM
Actually, I was asking why Evocation IS getting votes. I know about the limitations of this school. I just want to know why some players consider this school to be versatile?

Ahh, then I am blind ^_^ Sorry bout that

ZekeArgo
2007-02-07, 07:12 PM
either way, they have to fail a save. Speaking from experience, when the baddies consistently make your save DCs, evocation looks really attractive. Especially when you start the campaign telling everyone how direct damage is not the way to go... :P

Baddies cant make save DCs when you use spells that don't have them (power word as a prime example, but pleanty of others).

Arceliar
2007-02-07, 07:41 PM
Seeing as Universal is on the list... Sort of, by definition, having Wish, Lesser Wish, and Prestidigitation (which I think of as level-0 Wish) would have to be the most versatile by my logic. Wish is a bit expensive, but Lesser Wish is unbelievably useful.

I mean...what could be more versatile than doing (almost) anything?

Seatbelt
2007-02-07, 07:55 PM
Baddies cant make save DCs when you use spells that don't have them (power word as a prime example, but pleanty of others).


I know. I would also botch my touch attacks too though. The character, on paper, is pretty solid. I just had the most horrible luck in that campaign.