What is your favorite of the eight schools of magic for wizards? This is about the spells, not the subclasses. Not like most people would choose differently if it were.
edit: stupid autocorrect and I cannot remove the top poll. Please vote the bottom one, with Conjuration and not conjugation
Hard to say, in theory I'd say enchantment or illusion but, the mechanics of them are either handicapped by excessive resistance/immunity or needing a GM that lets it fly. Including how they roll in play probably transmutation.
Wow, what am I missing with Transmutation...I like the concept, but I think it's poorly designed
-Minor Alchemy has very few uses. I mean you can change a regular weapon to a silvered one, but that is extremely circumstantial *and* it uses concentration. Let me know if I'm glossing over a very useful way to use this feature
-Transmuter's Stone is *very good* it's actually so good that I wish some of the features from this were usable at level 2. Proficiency in Con Saves would be my default, and *should* just be the feature at level 6. But the damage resistance and several other minor benefits that can be changed after casting a Transmutation spell should be the level 2 feature.
-Shapechanger is bad, horrible for a level 10 subclass feature. Basically a once a day Wild Shape, but it requires concentration
-Master Transmuter is good. Gives Wizards access to a heal and raise dead spell. My problem with this is it destroys your Transmuter Stone. So using it to raise dead is fine, just wait until the end of the day. But using it with Panacea comes with the cost of your really good level 6 ability.
I think this class could be tweaked to be awesome, but RAW it's doesn't add much to a Wizard
Wow, what am I missing with Transmutation...I like the concept, but I think it's poorly designed
-Minor Alchemy has very few uses. I mean you can change a regular weapon to a silvered one, but that is extremely circumstantial *and* it uses concentration. Let me know if I'm glossing over a very useful way to use this feature
-Transmuter's Stone is *very good* it's actually so good that I wish some of the features from this were usable at level 2. Proficiency in Con Saves would be my default, and *should* just be the feature at level 6. But the damage resistance and several other minor benefits that can be changed after casting a Transmutation spell should be the level 2 feature.
-Shapechanger is bad, horrible for a level 10 subclass feature. Basically a once a day Wild Shape, but it requires concentration
-Master Transmuter is good. Gives Wizards access to a heal and raise dead spell. My problem with this is it destroys your Transmuter Stone. So using it to raise dead is fine, just wait until the end of the day. But using it with Panacea comes with the cost of your really good level 6 ability.
I think this class could be tweaked to be awesome, but RAW it's doesn't add much to a Wizard
This is about the spells, not the subclasses
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I've never encountered a forum where I got this many "talking to a wall" impressions as this one...
Wow, what am I missing with Transmutation...I like the concept, but I think it's poorly designed
-Minor Alchemy has very few uses. I mean you can change a regular weapon to a silvered one, but that is extremely circumstantial *and* it uses concentration. Let me know if I'm glossing over a very useful way to use this feature
-Transmuter's Stone is *very good* it's actually so good that I wish some of the features from this were usable at level 2. Proficiency in Con Saves would be my default, and *should* just be the feature at level 6. But the damage resistance and several other minor benefits that can be changed after casting a Transmutation spell should be the level 2 feature.
-Shapechanger is bad, horrible for a level 10 subclass feature. Basically a once a day Wild Shape, but it requires concentration
-Master Transmuter is good. Gives Wizards access to a heal and raise dead spell. My problem with this is it destroys your Transmuter Stone. So using it to raise dead is fine, just wait until the end of the day. But using it with Panacea comes with the cost of your really good level 6 ability.
I think this class could be tweaked to be awesome, but RAW it's doesn't add much to a Wizard
This is about the spells, not the subclasses
ahhh...don't i feel silly
well fwiw and I can't speak for everyone, but the OP assumed that most people wouldn't choose differently between the subclass and the spells and I very much would. Transmutation has some amazing spells and is probably my favorite spell school. But the Transmutation wizard is far from my favorite subclass
It is because the subclasses are fueled by spells of that school. Divination was the main one I expected to be different. I did not think transmutation would be the favorite by the margin it has.
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Royalty among the charge kingdom. All will fall before our glorious assault!
Since it's about the spells rather than the school I'm a huge fan of illusion; they're a lot of fun to come up with creative uses for, but as MyDudeicus says they can be very DM dependent, if you're lucky enough to have a DM who's onboard with creative uses of magic then they can be a lot of fun.
I'm less enthusiastic about School of Illusion; it's not bad, but I don't think the features really lean enough into what makes illusion magic fun, so my opinion of the spells comes from playing a Bard (they're not specialists as such, but they're well equipped to maximise the benefits of illusions).
Yeah the spells for illusion are a lot of fun, the subclass is sort of meh. If your game is going to 20 then its dang good, only its level 2 and 14 abilities are fun. And the 14 ability is very powerful.
As a quick example of the DM thing for illusions. You have the phantasmal force spell, you cast it at bob, the illusion is you threw a orb at him that grew steel bands grabbed bob and restrained him, like the iron bands of bilarro basically. Now is Bob restrained, does he just stand there trying to move but being unable to because hes convinced the illusory bands are stopping him as he feels the bands and doesn't feel them budge when he flexes against them. Or does he instantly move through them but weirdly think he is restrained. If the DM is going to have creatures effectively ignore that the illusion exists, not reacting to them illusion is fairly weak, if they react realistically to what they see its incredibly powerful in the hands of the right player.
You in theory could get crazier with the spell, you throw a blob of inky darkness at the enemy it envelopes their head, they can't see, hear or breathe in the blob. It feels like a oozy mass of ink that is smothering them. When they try to push it off their hands just push into it. You just blinded, deafened them and maybe are causing 1d6 psychic damage a round. How is the DM going to roll with this. Does he even allow it.
Blinded, deafened, and taking full psychic damage if they think that not breathing can hurt them. I once had a fellow party-mate make an enemy’s sword look like it was extremely hot, making him drop it and letting another player pick it up.
The sword was able to block healing and apply damage over time. On a 100 hp, 20 ac boss. Faced by level fours. And we just barely won.
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Royalty among the charge kingdom. All will fall before our glorious assault!
When the party teams up with the bbeg to kill you only for them to fall into your trap of permanent zombies, a gang of spec ops skeletons, as many magen as you have gold for and an infinite health homunculus all in a fortress filled with traps.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
[roll]7d6[/roll]
Every post these dice roll increasing my chances of winning the yahtzee thread (I wish (wait not the twist the wish threa-!))
When the party teams up with the bbeg to kill you only for them to fall into your trap of permanent zombies, a gang of spec ops skeletons, as many magen as you have gold for and an infinite health homunculus all in a fortress filled with traps.
How infinite health?
Also, evocation is my favorite school because i love AOE spells (also DOT spells). my favorite combat tactic is to upcast tasha's caustic brew on turn one at the bbeg, melfs acid arrow on turn two, and keep spamming thunderwave to deal with minions around me. i also have a homebrew magic item where if i concentrate on a spell for three rounds the next spell i cast does double damage and is guaranteed to hit and not be resisted, so caustic brew works perfectly. our whole partys thing is that we all pile status effects on the BBEG and then hit it really hard.
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No, warlocks do not need more spell slots, put them back how they were. if you want more spell slots, play a sorcerer
Don't make every stat block from a class (find steed, pact familiar), custom, wotc. Just give us a choice between 4-6 creatures and give them a buff.
Transmutation got my vote for my favorite tradition of magic…not so much because of the subclass, but what can you do?
Transmutation just has a spell for every occasion; and they are so much FUN.
They grant superpowers like super speed (Expeditious Retreat), the ability to fly (Fly), or transform you into a warrior or mutant (Tenser’s Transformation & Draconic Transformation, and the Investiture of (Insert Element Here).
For damage, they have very limited options, but with “Erupting Earth”, you have a decent AOE that affects the terrain…and of course “Disintegrate”.
Add to that the ability to “Slow” or “Haste”…”Levitate” or “Enlarge / Reduce”…become an ethereal ghost…animate random objects…turn people to stone…
…yeah, you can’t really beat Transmutation’s variety.
What is your favorite of the eight schools of magic for wizards? This is about the spells, not the subclasses. Not like most people would choose differently if it were.
edit: stupid autocorrect and I cannot remove the top poll. Please vote the bottom one, with Conjuration and not conjugation
Royalty among the charge kingdom. All will fall before our glorious assault!
Quest offer! Enter the deep dungeon here
Ctg’s blood is on the spam filter’s hands
Hard to say, in theory I'd say enchantment or illusion but, the mechanics of them are either handicapped by excessive resistance/immunity or needing a GM that lets it fly. Including how they roll in play probably transmutation.
Wow, what am I missing with Transmutation...I like the concept, but I think it's poorly designed
-Minor Alchemy has very few uses. I mean you can change a regular weapon to a silvered one, but that is extremely circumstantial *and* it uses concentration. Let me know if I'm glossing over a very useful way to use this feature
-Transmuter's Stone is *very good* it's actually so good that I wish some of the features from this were usable at level 2. Proficiency in Con Saves would be my default, and *should* just be the feature at level 6. But the damage resistance and several other minor benefits that can be changed after casting a Transmutation spell should be the level 2 feature.
-Shapechanger is bad, horrible for a level 10 subclass feature. Basically a once a day Wild Shape, but it requires concentration
-Master Transmuter is good. Gives Wizards access to a heal and raise dead spell. My problem with this is it destroys your Transmuter Stone. So using it to raise dead is fine, just wait until the end of the day. But using it with Panacea comes with the cost of your really good level 6 ability.
I think this class could be tweaked to be awesome, but RAW it's doesn't add much to a Wizard
I've never encountered a forum where I got this many "talking to a wall" impressions as this one...
ahhh...don't i feel silly
well fwiw and I can't speak for everyone, but the OP assumed that most people wouldn't choose differently between the subclass and the spells and I very much would. Transmutation has some amazing spells and is probably my favorite spell school. But the Transmutation wizard is far from my favorite subclass
It is because the subclasses are fueled by spells of that school. Divination was the main one I expected to be different. I did not think transmutation would be the favorite by the margin it has.
Royalty among the charge kingdom. All will fall before our glorious assault!
Quest offer! Enter the deep dungeon here
Ctg’s blood is on the spam filter’s hands
Since it's about the spells rather than the school I'm a huge fan of illusion; they're a lot of fun to come up with creative uses for, but as MyDudeicus says they can be very DM dependent, if you're lucky enough to have a DM who's onboard with creative uses of magic then they can be a lot of fun.
I'm less enthusiastic about School of Illusion; it's not bad, but I don't think the features really lean enough into what makes illusion magic fun, so my opinion of the spells comes from playing a Bard (they're not specialists as such, but they're well equipped to maximise the benefits of illusions).
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Yeah the spells for illusion are a lot of fun, the subclass is sort of meh. If your game is going to 20 then its dang good, only its level 2 and 14 abilities are fun. And the 14 ability is very powerful.
As a quick example of the DM thing for illusions. You have the phantasmal force spell, you cast it at bob, the illusion is you threw a orb at him that grew steel bands grabbed bob and restrained him, like the iron bands of bilarro basically. Now is Bob restrained, does he just stand there trying to move but being unable to because hes convinced the illusory bands are stopping him as he feels the bands and doesn't feel them budge when he flexes against them. Or does he instantly move through them but weirdly think he is restrained. If the DM is going to have creatures effectively ignore that the illusion exists, not reacting to them illusion is fairly weak, if they react realistically to what they see its incredibly powerful in the hands of the right player.
You in theory could get crazier with the spell, you throw a blob of inky darkness at the enemy it envelopes their head, they can't see, hear or breathe in the blob. It feels like a oozy mass of ink that is smothering them. When they try to push it off their hands just push into it. You just blinded, deafened them and maybe are causing 1d6 psychic damage a round. How is the DM going to roll with this. Does he even allow it.
Blinded, deafened, and taking full psychic damage if they think that not breathing can hurt them. I once had a fellow party-mate make an enemy’s sword look like it was extremely hot, making him drop it and letting another player pick it up.
The sword was able to block healing and apply damage over time. On a 100 hp, 20 ac boss. Faced by level fours. And we just barely won.
Royalty among the charge kingdom. All will fall before our glorious assault!
Quest offer! Enter the deep dungeon here
Ctg’s blood is on the spam filter’s hands
I love Abjuration spells… Absorb Elements, Armor of Agathys, Shield, Mage Armor, Dispel Magic, Counterspell, Banishment.
It is an incredible, powerful, protective and versatile school of magic.
Necromancy
When the party teams up with the bbeg to kill you only for them to fall into your trap of permanent zombies, a gang of spec ops skeletons, as many magen as you have gold for and an infinite health homunculus all in a fortress filled with traps.
[roll]7d6[/roll]
Every post these dice roll increasing my chances of winning the yahtzee thread (I wish (wait not the twist the wish threa-!))
Drummer Generated Title
After having been invited to include both here, I now combine the "PM me CHEESE 🧀 and tomato into PM me "PIZZA🍕"
How infinite health?
Also, evocation is my favorite school because i love AOE spells (also DOT spells). my favorite combat tactic is to upcast tasha's caustic brew on turn one at the bbeg, melfs acid arrow on turn two, and keep spamming thunderwave to deal with minions around me. i also have a homebrew magic item where if i concentrate on a spell for three rounds the next spell i cast does double damage and is guaranteed to hit and not be resisted, so caustic brew works perfectly. our whole partys thing is that we all pile status effects on the BBEG and then hit it really hard.
No, warlocks do not need more spell slots, put them back how they were. if you want more spell slots, play a sorcerer
Don't make every stat block from a class (find steed, pact familiar), custom, wotc. Just give us a choice between 4-6 creatures and give them a buff.
Transmutation got my vote for my favorite tradition of magic…not so much because of the subclass, but what can you do?
Transmutation just has a spell for every occasion; and they are so much FUN.
They grant superpowers like super speed (Expeditious Retreat), the ability to fly (Fly), or transform you into a warrior or mutant (Tenser’s Transformation & Draconic Transformation, and the Investiture of (Insert Element Here).
For damage, they have very limited options, but with “Erupting Earth”, you have a decent AOE that affects the terrain…and of course “Disintegrate”.
Add to that the ability to “Slow” or “Haste”…”Levitate” or “Enlarge / Reduce”…become an ethereal ghost…animate random objects…turn people to stone…
…yeah, you can’t really beat Transmutation’s variety.
Hufflepuff 4lyfe