straight up wizard showdown...

[dehro]

without feats magic items or multiclassing muddying the waters, 2 wizards enter thunderdome, 1 wizard leaves...
what school of wizardry would most likely win over the other?

Yes, I know this is an impossible question to give a definitive answer to, I guess I am just asking which wizards you would consider to have a better chance, which school you prefer in general and why..
If you were to pick a wizard build for it, what school would you pick?

[dehro]

i'd forgotten this one

[DrKerosene]

I suppose a Diviner with a good and bad Portent Roll could probably win with a Save Or Die spell.

[JackPhoenix]

It depends if the wizards are allowed to make any preparations (*cough* Simulacrum *cough* Planar Binding spam *cough*) before the duel, and the details of the dual itself (how does the arena look, how far they start from each other, etc.)

War Magic. Bonus to initiative means I'll have better chance to go first, which at high levels can decide the outcome of the duel outright. And I'll get +2 on saves (and less importantly, on AC) as long as I'm concentrating on something, and another +2 AC/+4 save with a reaction, though with the cost of being unable to cast non-cantrips in the next turn. Considering a wizard duel will be decided by who fails a save first, rather than who runs out of HP, that's a clear choice. Also, it's more reliable than Divination, which has limited number of uses and may not give you the numbers you'll need (and Arcane Deflection can mitigate the effect of Portent used on your own save somewhat if the number rolled isn't too low).

Abjuration is another strong contender, with spell resistance and bonus on Counterspell rolls (which will be crucial).

Evocation too... while you'll lack some tools of true nuclear wizard, Empowered Magic Missile is guaranteed 77 damage, average 93.5 damage with 9th level slot, or 70 damage with Overchannel and 5th level slot, if you can deal with Shield/Counterspell (unless you're facing an abjurer, who only takes half, and has Arcane Ward to absorb even that), which may be enough to one-shot another wizard (propably not, though.... on average, wizard with +2 Con mod has juuuuust enough HP to barely survive that).

[elyktsorb]

A Divination. Being able to simply decide 3 rolls (assuming they got 3 portent rolls they can work with) could be useful in a myriad of ways, from making it so your opponent is 2nd in initiative. To the fact that you'll both have the same amount of spell slots (and the same amount of chances to counterspell your opponent) but the Divination Wizard has at least 3 rolls that could possibly make the opponents spell fail without using a spellslot on Counterspell.

[dehro]

I would say no prep... pure leveraging of standard magic school abilities.
I do like the way you guys are thinking though.

[Zayol]

without feats magic items or multiclassing muddying the waters, 2 wizards enter thunderdome, 1 wizard leaves...
what school of wizardry would most likely win over the other?

Yes, I know this is an impossible question to give a definitive answer to, I guess I am just asking which wizards you would consider to have a better chance, which school you prefer in general and why..
If you were to pick a wizard build for it, what school would you pick?

Maybe Necromancy? Having the opponent Wizard have to deal with more then just yourself...

Distract him with meat shields to shake his concentration, the moment he looks away..... BAM!

[Man_Over_Game]

War Magic. Bonus to initiative means I'll have better chance to go first, which at high levels can decide the outcome of the duel outright. And I'll get +2 on saves (and less importantly, on AC) as long as I'm concentrating on something, and another +2 AC/+4 save with a reaction, though with the cost of being unable to cast non-cantrips in the next turn. Considering a wizard duel will be decided by who fails a save first, rather than who runs out of HP, that's a clear choice. Also, it's more reliable than Divination, which has limited number of uses and may not give you the numbers you'll need (and Arcane Deflection can mitigate the effect of Portent used on your own save somewhat if the number rolled isn't too low).

That's my vote. War Magic always came off to me as being a mage-slayer specialization in almost every way. Like the opposite of the Bladesinger, in a way, who's designed around countering attackers.

[SociopathFriend]

Maybe Necromancy? Having the opponent Wizard have to deal with more then just yourself...

Distract him with meat shields to shake his concentration, the moment he looks away..... BAM!


From my own experience dueling another solo caster in a Battle Royale at the end of the 2019 year for fun- enough Skeleton Archers firing on your Bonus Action can force another caster to use Shield to negate the worst of it to save his life. This takes up his Reaction and enables you to cast a spell as your Action without worry of being Counterspelled while they have no such assurance when the table it turned.

The thing is, if you're allowed to bring in Animated Dead, then you're likely allowing Simulacrums and everything else a Wizard could potentially have brewed up before the fight. That ends poorly for the Necromancer in terms of his Animated Dead as they are useful but not nearly so useful as another Caster.

If neither side has time to prepare themselves- spawning in an empty room severely messes up a Necromancy School Wizard as a good hunk of his power budget then does nothing.

[CTurbo]

There really are only 4 options here.

War Magic, Abjurer, Diviner, or Bladesinger.


Obviously it depends on the level but assuming level 15 or higher, my vote goes to Bladesinger. Cast Antimagic Field and a Bladesinger would tear every other Wizard to shreds easily.

[Wizard_Lizard]

I want to say abjuration because the counterspell/Deflect magic, etc., but then... Conjuration. Not only my personal favourite, because teleporting is fun, but also, Who doesn't want to summon a giant ice salamander that has bonus temp HP, and that you cannot lose control of? But then... then I remember that banishment is.. a thing...

The one I think would win, despite me never having actually played as one before (But I have 1v1d a lvl 15 ish? one as a lvl 20 death cleric three times and lost pitifully each time) Is the Bladesinger.. the negating of damage with spell slots is just... OP. Granted you could potentially wear out their spell slots, but by that time, you're probably dead.