Absolute, must have Divination Spells

[TeslaJr]

Out of the spells from Core, SpC, CArc, and CMage, what are the most important Divination spells to take as a specialist?

[fallensavior]

Detect magic.

[Graypairofsocks]

Scrying is pretty useful.

[chaos_redefined]

http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1152481

Enjoy!

Unluck and Alter Fortune are amazing options that you should definitely have.

[HunterOfJello]

Two that I like and didn't see on the other list:


Omen of Peril - because sometimes you just want to double check whether you're actually safe or in extreme danger

Appraising Touch - if you're a wizard you should grab this. it will be worth it to check the value of an item you find one day eventually. This is one of your basic non-combat day spells.

[Socratov]

my list would be:

detect magic (just use some lateral thinking to be more creative to, for instance, detect invisibility)
Locate city/Lay of the Land: know where you're going
Locate Object: makes finding the macguffin a lot easier. Also, like the link says, "My [bleep] car keys" make for a legal target. So no matter what, you can find it.
of course anything granting bonuses to skillchecks you need to make, initiative and attacks make for great spells. Basically anything allowing you to limit the DM's realityplanning and to substitute your own is a pretty good idea

[ben-zayb]

Personally, I always have my Sorcerer/Wizard get Alter Fortune, Arcane Sight (or Greater), and Foresight when they're able to. Scholar's Touch and Prying Eyes (or Greater) are guilty pleasures.

[Dorian Gray]

my list would be:

detect magic (just use some lateral thinking to be more creative to, for instance, detect invisibility)
Locate city/Lay of the Land: know where you're going
Locate Object: makes finding the macguffin a lot easier. Also, like the link says, "My [bleep] car keys" make for a legal target. So no matter what, you can find it.
of course anything granting bonuses to skillchecks you need to make, initiative and attacks make for great spells. Basically anything allowing you to limit the DM's realityplanning and to substitute your own is a pretty good idea

And you can also use Locate City with a bunch of metamagic to kill everything in any city you want! So long as it's low enough level. But the subsequent wightopocolypse should get the rest.

Speaking of combat divination, True Strike is an oft-underestimated divination which gives such a huge bonus that it, to quote HPN20, "would be enough to hit an unusually petite fly at a distance of about here to Juppiter." Combine that with Guided Shot, and you can hit anything. Damage is an issue, but at low levels, True Strike on a power attacking charging 18 str wizard is actually a legitimate strategy.

Also, the Spontaneous Divination ACF lets you trade the level 5, 10, or 15 wizard feat for the ability to spontaneously cast any divination. Which is totally broken, and also awesome.

[sideswipe]

for a cleric, augury. it has saved my life many times.
i know you meant arcane but this had to have a mention

[nedz]

See Invisibility and True Seeing
Det Magic and Identify are pretty useful also.

[TeslaJr]

Thanks guys! Out of what you listed, I've already got Identify, True Strike, Unluck, Scrying, See Invisibility, and Detect Magic. I'd loved to pick up Alter Fortune, but I don't have access to the PHB2, and I don't know what book Scholar's Touch is in.




Edit: Spelling

[Flickerdart]

detect magic (just use some lateral thinking to be more creative to, for instance, detect invisibility)
More like "detect invisibility if the target stays still for the entire time, and even then you're not sure where they are or what kind of illusion is being used."

[HunterOfJello]

Thanks guys! Out of what you listed, I've already got Identify, True Strike, Unluck, Scrying, See Invisibility, and Detect Magic. I'd loved to pick up Alter Fortune, but I don't have access to the PHB2, and I don't know what book Scholar's Touch is in.




Edit: Spelling

Skip learning Identify and buy an Artificer's Monocle (Spell Compendium). You will save a lot of money on material components in the long run.