What are the two most useless schools of magic for a Necromancer to give up?

the hardest spells to use in many campaigns are probably the best to get rid of...

divination, illusion, and/or enchantment
 

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Divination cannot be a prohibited school. ;)

Not figuring in character background, I'd drop Evocation and Enchantment, because those are the least fitting schools for a Necromancer. Enchantment is about manipulating life, which is pretty much the far opposite of Necromancy.

Bye
Thanee
 

my vote is always for a generalist who happens to focus a lot in necormancy. a bonus spell per level in no way comes close for me to compensate for the loss of two schools.
 


Shard O'Glase said:
my vote is always for a generalist who happens to focus a lot in necormancy. a bonus spell per level in no way comes close for me to compensate for the loss of two schools.



I can see your point. I think specilization is a little screwed up.
 

As a DM, my necromancer NPCs forgo the schools of evocation and enchantment. I love to mix necromancy with illusions ("Oh, look at those poor, lame urchins lurching towards us, hands out-stretched. What the-- they're eating my arm!")
 

frankthedm said:
Most of those spells don't have that built in. Many players gravitate to those spells because 60% of the MM inhabitants have a 10 to 11 dex.

...

(That sound you hear is my jaw dropping)

Here are the spells I found in Frostburn:

Level 1, necromancy (Clr/Wiz): Shivering Touch, lesser: Touch deals 1d6 Dex damage (no save).

Level 2, evocation (Drd/Wiz): Numbing sphere: Creates rolling ball of intense cold that deals 1d6 cold damage plus 1d4 Dex damage, lasts 1 rnd/level (Ref negates).

Level 3, necromancy (Clr/Wiz): Shivering Touch: Touch deals 3d6 Dex damage (no save).

Creatures with the cold subtype are immune to both Shivering Touch spells. Which is probably more common in the Frostfell. Still...

Once again we are shown the dangers of mixing and matching (cherry-picking) spells and feats from various sourcebooks.
 

LostSoul said:
...

(That sound you hear is my jaw dropping)

Here are the spells I found in Frostburn:

Level 1, necromancy (Clr/Wiz): Shivering Touch, lesser: Touch deals 1d6 Dex damage (no save).

Level 2, evocation (Drd/Wiz): Numbing sphere: Creates rolling ball of intense cold that deals 1d6 cold damage plus 1d4 Dex damage, lasts 1 rnd/level (Ref negates).

Level 3, necromancy (Clr/Wiz): Shivering Touch: Touch deals 3d6 Dex damage (no save).

Creatures with the cold subtype are immune to both Shivering Touch spells. Which is probably more common in the Frostfell. Still...

Once again we are shown the dangers of mixing and matching (cherry-picking) spells and feats from various sourcebooks.

You left out the best part: the Shivering Touches last for ROUNDS per level, so you can keep touching!
 

I have to ask if you are asking this question from a character/role-playing perspective, or from a player/numbers perspective? If the latter, then I would probably drop Evocation and Enchantment, keeping the defensive options of the Illusion school open. There are plenty of damaging spells in Necromancy for killing your foes, and some of them have the added bonus of boosting you at the same time.

If you're approaching from a role-playing perspective, I have always stuck by the 2nd Ed. rule of dropping Illusion and Enchantment. My character (Luthien Greyspear, natch) thought those schools were for charlatans and mountebancs, and were too...wispy to be effective. Part of this is because he was originally a 2nd Ed. necromancer, and he had great Wisdom, therefore great saves vs. illusions and charm spells.

In his eyes, it was too wishy-washy to make friends with your enemies, or to hide behind a fake monster and expect them to be scared of it. Just kill them, and THEN put them to work for you. Saves on time, and on payroll expenses.
 


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