Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ranxerox 02-16-04, 08:42 PM	I understand that like spells are grouped together under certain schools (summoned things under conjuration, changed things under transmutation, etc.), but is there a reason for the different schools beyond that? Is it just for specialization? Thanks for any comments.
DDRGasm 02-16-04, 09:22 PM	I find they're more there for flavor than anything else. They're artifacts from past editions that the typical D&D setting requires. Unless you're taking the Spell Focus feat, or are a specialist wizard, chances are you'll never care what school a spell is in. However, it gives something for players to go on. For example, Detect Magic wouldn't be terribly helpful is all it said was "You detect magic." Being able to tell a particular magical effect is an illusion, enchantment, abjuration, or evocation is very helpful, and adds some flavor to the "science" of magic. That was kind of rambling, but that's the game mechanics reason it's in the game - it's always been there, it gives a sort of scientific system that magic is based off of, and its flavorful.
Eldren 02-16-04, 09:43 PM	For the most part, there's no reason for the schools of magic beyond specialist Wizards. In most cases in 3rd Edition, knowing the type of magic is a lot more important than knowing the school. In other words, it's more important to know that a spell with the [Death] descriptor is being cast at you than to know the spell is from the Necromancy school. Knowing that Cure Light Wounds uses positive energy (and can thus be used to damage most undead) is more important than knowing that the spell is part of the Conjuration school. As noted by DDRGasm, the schools are a throwback to the two previous editions of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, although schools didn't become truly important until 2nd Edition, when they introduced the concept of specialist Mages (what Wizards were called in 2nd Edition). At the time, the 2nd Edition mechanic mandated that every school had an opposition school based on a graph in the Player's Handbook, in the Wizards (each of the classes were grouped in "overclasses" in 2nd Edition; Fighters, Rangers and Paladins were Warriors, Mages and Specialists were Wizards, Clerics and Druids were Priests, and Thieves and Bards were Rogues; the Barbarian and Monk didn't exist in 2nd Edition except as character kits in the various classbooks, and the Sorceror didn't exist in 2nd Edition at all) section. Some schools, such as Necromancy, had two opposition schools. They built on the idea of specialization when they released the Tome of Magic, where they introduced wild magic and Wild Mages (wild magic was first introduced in the book designed to bring Forgotten Realms into 2nd Edition, Forgotten Realms Adventures; it was a byproduct of the Time of Troubles in that campaign setting). They also had an initial concept of Epic-style spells for Clerics in the Tome of Magic, called Quest Spells. They were higher than 7th level, which was the highest level Cleric and Druid spells went in 2nd Edition (a throwback to 1st Edition; only the Wizard has ever had a 9-level spell structure since the beginning of the game), but they weren't really "8th level" spells. You had to specifically petition your Power to have one, and it had to be used for a purpose specifically in line with your Power's ethos. They would be reasonably easy to recreate in 3rd Edition as Epic spells, and a couple of them might even qualify for being just 9th level spells. See if you can find a used copy of the Tome of Magic from 2nd Edition if you're curious.
Seeker95 02-16-04, 11:02 PM	They are just like the different classes Harrry, Ron and Hermione have to take at Hogwarts. Each deals with a different "source" or "facet" of magic.
NestroEmichae 02-16-04, 11:48 PM	Beyond flavor text and a couple of rules, there pretty much is no difference. This requires a long explaination, so save yourself the time and just read what the book says and accept the fact that what the book says isn't always the truth of the matter.
smrtgmp 02-17-04, 12:33 AM	I'd say Eldran summed it up nicely.