You are a wizard stuck in the real world but you can only cast spells from one school

[The Eye]

You are a level 20 wizard stuck in the real world but you can only cast spells from one school, which school do you choose to keep and why?

[icefractal]

I think that this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?498921-20th-Level-Wizards-Earth-and-Ambiguity) may be useful for clarifying the parameters. Notably, whether standard D&D creatures and planes exist makes a huge difference to how useful Conjuration is. Also, do I gain only the spellcasting, or the entire effects of being a 20th level Wizard?

Personally speaking, I don't want to end up being studied in a lab or assassinated by someone who thinks I'm the antichrist, so I'd want to go for spells that can be used in private. Divination is a definite possibility. Transmutation is considerably tempting as well though.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Enchantment might actually be the most useful in a world full of other people, but I think I'll go with transformation. You always have the exact weather you wanted, you can play mine craft with the real world, and transforming around a bit should be fun as well.

[icefractal]

Enchantment would be probably the most powerful, but also the most corrupting - and with the possibility to go horribly wrong if someone makes a save at the wrong time.

Although I suppose you could also just cast Programmed Amnesia and give yourself the memories of a perfect life; easier than actually living one.

[The Eye]

I think that this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?498921-20th-Level-Wizards-Earth-and-Ambiguity) may be useful for clarifying the parameters. Notably, whether standard D&D creatures and planes exist makes a huge difference to how useful Conjuration is. Also, do I gain only the spellcasting, or the entire effects of being a 20th level Wizard?

Personally speaking, I don't want to end up being studied in a lab or assassinated by someone who thinks I'm the antichrist, so I'd want to go for spells that can be used in private. Divination is a definite possibility. Transmutation is considerably tempting as well though.

1- Option C.

2 Option I don't get it.

3- Option D.

4- Option A.

5- Option A.

6- Option B? I guess?

Also you have all the perks of being an 20th level Wizard plus you can bring an extradimensional tower with you and hide it in any vacant house or space you want.

There are others wizards that escaped to this dead magic world, they want to kill you and take your stuff.

[Floopay]

Conjuration in 3.5+, which is my first pick.

Necromancy in AD&D.

My biggest interest is healing spells. Conjuration would be amazing because of all the summoning; but necromancy would be equally useful for ethereal forms and stuff.

With conjuration I could summon unseen servants, imps, faeries, and elementals to do my bidding. Which is all sorts of awesome. I could also create food, water, shelter, and a number of other awesome things.

Thanks for reading,
Floopay

[icefractal]

Other Wizards change the picture a lot. I think it makes Enchantment less powerful, since there will be people who can recognize and undo what you've done. And it gives Abjuration more purpose, although still not enough to pick it I think.

Conjuration is very borderline. On one hand, with no D&D creatures to summon, you lose a lot of it. On the other hand, you can still go ethereal/astral and back, and that's close to an auto-win or at least an auto-safety against people who can't - which could include the other Wizards, if they're similarly restricted in spell choice. Oh, and it probably has a way to give Earth infinite free energy if you don't mind going public.

Do we have any way to regain XP? It's pretty important because Wish is the only source of magic items, and Permanency is key for some of the world-altering applications (this would require teaming up with another Wizard for the better ones like Permanent Teleportation Circles though).

Speaking of teaming up, how much do the other Wizards want to kill me. Could a well-presented plan that gave both of us enormous power and benefited the world sway their mind, or are they set on 'highlander style'? If the latter, that's a selling point for Illusion (Ice Assassin, Simulacrum) or Enchantment (various mind control) as the only methods to get access to multiple schools.

[Sariel Vailo]

Bladesong hum a tune and not get hit. become a superhero for good and every so often steal things to make a living.

[LibraryOgre]

Divination or Transmutation.

Divination would be a good way to get a significant amount of money playing the stock market. Transmutation would be incredibly powerful, and, via Shapechange, let you access a lot of other powers, without the need for Conjuration (which, being barred from Abjuration and Protection from Evil, would have some problems). In 3.x, Conjuration is still a good option, though.

[Nifft]

Transumtation, because shapechange alone can fill in for an awful lot of the other schools.

Regarding Conjuration -- I bet you could make a deal with an Elemental or Outsider to assist you by casting magic circle and dimensional anchor, but it's going to be a bit of a boostrapping problem. If you can get a decent organization working for you, it's probably the strongest -- but without any personal access to Abjuration magics, it's incredibly risky.

[Honest Tiefling]

Conjuration or Transmutation. These types of threads always end up pretty super-villainous anyway. Why fight it? Just embrace it and summon/create Mega-Death-Godzilla.

Oh, and maybe do some things like teleporting toxic waste onto the moon or creating more of a valuable resource. We don't need that just yet, it'll be fine.

[Karl Aegis]

I am satisfied tossing out ray of enfeeblement and touch of fatigue, so I get Necromancy.

[Aliquid]

Personally speaking, I don't want to end up being studied in a lab or assassinated by someone who thinks I'm the antichrist, so I'd want to go for spells that can be used in private.That's always my response to questions like this.

Also... great power comes with great responsibility. I would feel morally obligated to use this power to make the world a better place. I would feel incredibly shallow if I had such a powerful gift, and only used it for personal gain. So maybe Divination and then use it to identify the location of the world's "most wanted", and hand that info off to the appropriate authorities. (sure... use it on the stock market too, so I can afford to spend all my time crime-fighting rather than working at a regular job)

[Hackulator]

I feel like if you're getting a whole school of spells, the idea that "D&D monsters don't exist" kind of goes out the window.

Given that, I go conjuration mainly for the teleports but summoning as well.

Transmutation is also an option, especially since it gives you a way to heal people.

Enchantment, as stated, would be too corrupting. I fear what I'd become. However, Demand is pretty much the most powerful spell in the game for real world application.

[Shamash]

So many killgraves on this Thread. :smalleek::smallannoyed::smallmad::smallamused:

[BeerMug Paladin]

Having any array of superpowers would be pretty awesome. I'd leave it up to random chance and just roll a die. Any school would be loads of fun.

Having said that, I think evocation would be the least useful. Or at least, I can't think of as many uses for it.

Also, I feel the need to point out that the scenario makes us 20th level wizards, but doesn't give us ability scores to cast anything up to our maximum level spell slots available. Good thing we have metamagic feats!

[Fable Wright]

Transmutation, in a heartbeat. First off, it provides the best quality of life—you experience life as every type of creature and gender, and can gain an unrivaled understanding of the world and the wonders and problems in it. Pick Draconic Polymorph to be buff as you like while looking like anyone, as well.

Second, it's one of the best things for the world—Polymorph Any Object trash into blocks of rare earth elements, getting rich, shutting down horrible mines in China, and more. Also, Fabricate for truly clean production, which is nice. Plus, Energy Transformation Field to get what are essentially magical traps and the shenanigans therewith... without actually, well, needing crafting feats that might not exist. Plus, you don't actually need to cast the spell linked to the ETF, so... well, that's how you get the other schools. Also, keep up your legacy of solving waste and mineral shortages long after you're gone.

Third, if you don't feel like being responsible today, make a new face and go out on the town. Who'll recognize you? Maybe trick the world into thinking that you're a conspiracy of people who all have magical skills and live in one particular city. Go nuts.

Fourth, Shapechange. Just... shapechange.

Fifth, just imagine the leaps and bounds that could happen in medical science if we had living examples of trolls that can regenerate, firebreathing dragons, and all of D&D's impossible creatures. As a bonus, repopulate extinct species, bring magical species into the world for the first time, and more.

Sixth, if there's any school that will gain the power to imbue someone else with their first wizard level and make a tradition in the new world, it's either Transmutation or Enchantment, and the latter one isn't exactly big on sharing stuff with the world.

Really, I don't see a single reason to take another school, in terms of either quality of life or what you could do for the world in general.

[Necroticplague]

Transmutation. Even assuming I can't use polymorph and co. to become things that don't actually exists, the sheer variety of transformations available to myself would serve me well. At the very least, I'm a curious sort, so Alter Self-ing myself into different body for a day to see what it's like would be nice. Polymorph Any Object means that, even buying only fairly basic goods, I get to live relatively luxuriously. Control Weather means usually not having to deal with weather I don't like (and everyone who lives within a couple miles of me can be very confused as to why it's always raining). Things like Fabricate and Move Earth mean I could make a considerable amount of money on construction projects every once in a while to support myself (after all, even a competitive rate, require considerably less money in overhead and safety precautions, and can deliver on tight timescales).

[Dragonix]

1. transmutation
2. conjuration
3. enchantment

[Dappershire]

You guys all have fun getting rich, saving the world, or playing Barbie dress up with your own flesh.

I'm going to live forever.

Necromancy.

[goto124]

That just gets adventurers to chase and try to kill you. Sure, you could defend yourself, but it's such a hassle trying to set up everything you need to block other level 20 Wizards.

[BeerMug Paladin]

You guys all have fun getting rich, saving the world, or playing Barbie dress up with your own flesh.

I'm going to live exist forever.

Necromancy.

There, I fixed your statement.

[RazorChain]

Wish is conjuration, with it I can replicate all other spells of 8th level or lower


I chose Conjuration!

[Jormengand]

Transmutation without a doubt. Every polymorph spell you cast heals you, and you can be anything you want. Sounds pretty compelling.

[Telonius]

Why take one school when you can have three? I'll go with Illusion.

[Professor Chimp]

Another vote for Transmutation.

As others have pointed out, it has immense potential for improving your own quality of life through the Polymorph line, while also allowing you to great things for the world in general.

Divination would be a close second, with Enchantment as a distant third, mostly because much of it involves messing with people's free will, and that makes you kind of a real douchenozzle git.

[Dappershire]

There, I fixed misunderstood your statement.

Being a Lich wont do me much good in the real world. Its not as if there is an unlimited amount of magical learning one can hang around for.
If I'm not feeling life, im not living life.

Clone and Magic Jar for the win, baby.






Divination would be a close second, with Enchantment as a distant third, mostly because much of it involves messing with people's free will, and that makes you kind of a real douchenozzle git.


But a sexy, beloved, heroic seeming, douchenozzle git.



Edit: their/there witchcraft.

[Jay R]

Having said that, I think evocation would be the least useful. Or at least, I can't think of as many uses for it.

Really? As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of solving approaches zero.

Edit: And that would be wrong.

[Quertus]

2 Option I don't get it.

Also you have all the perks of being an 20th level Wizard plus you can bring an extradimensional tower with you and hide it in any vacant house or space you want.

There are others wizards that escaped to this dead magic world, they want to kill you and take your stuff.

Let's talk about the builds that win against those annoying Wizard 20's who want me dead.

3e Teleport Through Time + Leadership; Cohort has 5e Simulacrum. By the time the other Wizard 20's arrive, every 5' square on Earth contains a Simulacrum of my cohort.

3e Mind Blank + Leadership; Cohort is 2e Chronomancer with, say, Chronomancy as their 1 School. Whenever an opponent arrives, they die to a NI number of copies of us, perfectly prepared with held actions etc. I can reach, what, level 28 that way? So we both have Epic spells / True Dwoemers.

2e Illusionist. Nobody much understands 2e, so this build wins both on power and unlikelyhood of defense. On top of the usual, pick a particularly nasty DM (I've had several), and my Mirage Arcana says you lose.

3e Teleport Through Time + Leadership; Cohort has 2e Necromancy. No monsters?! There will be plenty by the time the opposition gets here.

3e Astral Projection is, of course, an old standby.

Even 3e Simulacrum / Ice Assassin isn't bad. Although, I'd rather have them as part of my WBL... especially a Simulacrum of a Paragon template stack template stack Illithid Savant... with Leadership.

Or, there's the fact that one of my "favorite" grognard stories is about the character who got promoted to godhood because he was so powerful, the DM couldn't deal with him any more. That character was level 7. Yeah, 2e level 20 deity, whatever spheres, is probably gonna rock house.

Once those pesky wizards are out of the way, I can worry about dealing with this crazy world. :smallwink:


Do we have any way to regain XP? It's pretty important because Wish is the only source of magic items, and Permanency is key for some of the world-altering applications (this would require teaming up with another Wizard for the better ones like Permanent Teleportation Circles though).

I expect liking those other Wizard 20's would be worth some XP. As would defeating them without killing them. And, for a 2e or earlier mage, even the simplest challenge (or smallest treasure, for really old-school mages) is worth XP.


So many killgraves on this Thread. :smalleek::smallannoyed::smallmad::smallamused:

Eh?

[Svata]

Transmutation is probably the objectively RIGHT choice. However... I want to lead an army of the dead. So... Necromancy it is.

[Joe the Rat]

Transmutation has hella utility. Be Dr. Manhattan, less the omniscience. But wear some pants, please.

Subpar for the modern world, but Evocation is just plain fun. After blowing stuff up and generally violating all sorts of thermodynamic considerations, make a living and a truly impressive stage magician with your telekinetic options. But mostly for blowing things up. I have issues.

Enchantment takes some work, and some cleverness. But you'd be the best therapist EVER. Also, you can use the mind games and Power Word: Kill to go play Death Note.

Conjuration, Wish and summoned friends aside, also makes you the master of logistics. When it absolutely, positively has to be there RIGHT NOW. Plus you can just leave if it gets too hot.

Illusion can cover a lot of ground. Hollywood will love your CGI skills (assuming the images can be captured by recording media). Or your sound mixing skills. Or being a one man rave. My tabletop games would be epic. Illusiory nonedetction and Phantasmal Killer give you some more supervillainous options. But don't wear the fishbowl... that's just goofy.

Divination is a safe, subtle bet. Live a charmed life. Your ability to affect the world is limited, so the unavoidable is unstoppable. Find the right plausible explanation for your accuracy, and go dig up shipwrecks. Or leak secrets.

Abjuration is more potent in a magic-rich setting, but there are mundane defenses available. Or you can glyph and nondetect your way around as an untraceable bomber.

Necromancy, depending on edition, is zombies, sickness, or life itself. It's also got a surprisingly versatile toolset. Offensive, defensive, information-gathering, diversionary, life-sustaining, sport-fixing, and the ability to create whatever form of undead horde apocalypse you want.

[Segev]

For those considering Conjuration, keep in mind that Illusion has shadow conjuration and shadow evocation. And simulacrum. Your quasi-real shadow conjuration: planar binding is going to be pretty potent in the modern world, particularly if you're the only one with the power to call outsiders at all. Also, illusory creatures probably are less hazardous than real ones, considering the illusion is under your control and doesn't have a life of its own.

The big thing that tears me between Conjuration and Transmutation, myself, is that I really, really crave teleportation. The unseen servant spell and a few similar ones are cool, too, but most of the REALLY fun stuff, aside from teleportation effects, lie in Transmutation. Shapeshifting, flight, body improvement, mental improvement (the stat-up spells lurk here), animation of objects...

Necromancy has a lot of surprising versatility, but it mostly covers minions and offense. Though if you are prone to the more malevolent sort of Enchantment, consider going Necromancy and picking up the Mother Cyst feat for much longer-term and further-reaching control of the living.

[S@tanicoaldo]

You guys all have fun getting rich, saving the world, or playing Barbie dress up with your own flesh.

I'm going to live forever.

Necromancy.

Can't a trasmuter live forever by transmuting his cells in younger ones every day?

[Fable Wright]

Can't a trasmuter live forever by transmuting his cells in younger ones every day?

Pft. It's easier than that. PAO/True Polymorph yourself into an Aberration, like an Elan. You're now immortal. Don't have backup clones like the necromancer... but you usually won't need them, either.

Alternatively, transform your body into, say, a Stone Golem's. First, you're immortal. Second, you go back to full HP with one Standard action. Seems like a good trade to me. Plus, shapechange/True Polymorph shenanigans with Contengency and Raise Dead and similar things to get the not-quite-necromancy-but-I-ain't-dying-this-millenia plots working.

[Necroticplague]

Pft. It's easier than that. PAO/True Polymorph yourself into an Aberration, like an Elan. You're now immortal. Don't have backup clones like the necromancer... but you usually won't need them, either.

Alternatively, transform your body into, say, a Stone Golem's. First, you're immortal. Second, you go back to full HP with one Standard action. Seems like a good trade to me. Plus, shapechange/True Polymorph shenanigans with Contengency and Raise Dead and similar things to get the not-quite-necromancy-but-I-ain't-dying-this-millenia plots working.

Neither Raise Dead nor Contingency are Transmutation. Simply Polymorph Any Object-ing into 'myself when I was younger' would be enough to stave off the reaper.

[Tohron]

Probably would go Transmutation for the combined power of shape-changing spells, stat buffs, and Fabricate. One question - if you assist in the discovery of mind uploading, would the uploaded AI of yourself be able to cast spells? What if you gradually replace your brain with mechanical implants?

[Fable Wright]

Neither Raise Dead nor Contingency are Transmutation. Simply Polymorph Any Object-ing into 'myself when I was younger' would be enough to stave off the reaper.

That doesn't stop you from making an Energy Transformation Field that replicates the effects if you're a 3.5e Wizard, and there's probably a creature you can turn into with abilities that replicate or include Raise Dead or Contingency accessible through various shapeshifting magics. In 5e, given that you can turn a rock into a CR 9 spellcaster (in an edition where CR 12s can get 9th level spells) or a squirrel into a spell scroll, it's just a matter of finding and/or creating the right creature, person, item, or ability combination to set it up.

[GungHo]

Evocation. To hell with your laws of thermodynamics.

[The Eye]

Dang it! I was hoping to educate all of you on how transmutation is the best choice, didn't expect everyone to already know that.

Oh well, cheers!

[khadgar567]

Depends on feats more then random choice but enchantment realy useful but i go divination for money proposes

[Shamash]

Eh?

Kilgrave is a villain from the Marvel universe who got popular after he appeared in the Jessica Jones Tv Netflix show.

Basically he has the power to control people with worlds, anything he says you have to do, like the Jedi mind trick or the command spell.

All the people saying that they would pick enchantment would most likely act like he does.

[Psyren]

Are all the other planes still there? Because at level 20, Conjuration gets you literally every other school, plus a way home to boot.

(Assuming 3.x)

[Quertus]

Kilgrave is a villain from the Marvel universe who got popular after he appeared in the Jessica Jones Tv Netflix show.

Basically he has the power to control people with worlds, anything he says you have to do, like the Jedi mind trick or the command spell.

All the people saying that they would pick enchantment would most likely act like he does.

Ah, thanks.


Are all the other planes still there? Because at level 20, Conjuration gets you literally every other school, plus a way home to boot.

(Assuming 3.x)

Asked and answered. "Yes, but they're empty", IIRC.

[goto124]

Could one find a way to connect to the real world's internet from within a plane?

[Dappershire]

Kilgrave is a villain from the Marvel universe who got popular after he appeared in the Jessica Jones Tv Netflix show.


Wait, Kilgrave was the Villain?! ...learn somethin' new every day.



Could one find a way to connect to the real world's internet from within a plane?

I doubt it, minus working with portals shenanigans. Its possible something passes into the ethereal, but...there's the issue of using it.
Then again, it doesn't need a very big Gate to run some wires into your Pocket Mansion.

[Psyren]

Asked and answered. "Yes, but they're empty", IIRC.

If there's nothing available to conjure then Transmutation probably wins.


Wait, Kilgrave was the Villain?! ...learn somethin' new every day.

He... literally practiced slavery, murder, theft and sexual assault with absolutely no compunctions about any of them. Is this sarcasm?

[Shamash]

He... literally practiced slavery, murder, theft and sexual assault with absolutely no compunctions about any of them. Is this sarcasm?

I sure hope, I mean you can try to find shades of grey in basically any villain but having sympathy for HIM? That's kind of pushing it.

He rapes a girl, gets her pregnant with his child and then makes her shoot and kill her own parents, and people don’t know about his existence so “The guy with mind control powers made me do it” excuse won’t really work, and she goes to jail hated by society as a crazy girl who killed her own parents, in the very first episode he is able to ruin a girl’s entire life, the reason he did that to her? He found her pretty.

[JBPuffin]

I'm stuck as a wizard? Boo - I need divine magic for healing (the only thing I'd want). Honestly, I'd pick Evo; I won't last long in the Wizard Wars, perhaps, but I'll have a nice demolition derby while I can.

[Leon]

Transmution. Fabricate, Move Earth, Control Water etc. Open a Engineering/Landscaping Business

[Nifft]

I'm stuck as a wizard? Boo - I need divine magic for healing (the only thing I'd want). Honestly, I'd pick Evo; I won't last long in the Wizard Wars, perhaps, but I'll have a nice demolition derby while I can.

Conjuration => Planar Binding => call up some Celestials, and then don't try to control them. Just talk to them nicely.

[goto124]

The planes exist but they're empty, so it wouldn't work.

[Perch]

This sounds like an awesome idea for a setting! Perdition to steal it?

[Twizzly513]

I would take either Evocation or Illusion.

Evocation would be fun, but I could also then be a peacekeeper and if anyone tried to start hurting people on a large scale, they'd have to answer to me, and I could much more effectively take out other wizards. It's not a great solution, since it involves more blowing things up, but the Tao of Vaarsuvius can never be incorrect.

Although, I'd probably pick Illusion.
I'm most familiar with 5e rules, but the 14th ability lets me make a nonmagical and inanimate part of my illusions real as a bonus action, infinite times. It doesn't last very long, but that's useful in a pinch. There's also phantasmal force, fear, invisibility, project image, and the fact that illusion can do a lot of just fun things if you're creative. Besides, who needs real evocation when you can make an illusion of an RPG, make the RPG real, then shoot it?