I'm starting DMming a new campaign next week and one player was thinking about making a specialised wizard.
Then we remembered the focused specialist option from Complete Mage (we use 3.5 material) and I thought of coming here and ask for advice.
Do you think it's balanced?
[A Focused Specialist wizard picks 3 Forbidden Schools and 1 less spell per day of every spell level he can cast but can cast 3 spells from his specialized school, instead of one a regular specialist get]
Thanks in advance.
Well honestly I have doubts, since the opposition schools are less of a hindrance than it was in 3.5 and it already was a powerful option in 3.5
In pathfinder a wizard can cast spells from opposition schools by using two slots, making it slightly better in my opinion.
I would allow it if the player picked one school that was completely closed to him, as in unable to cast even by using two slots or use spelltrigger items for those spells. That seems like a fair way to balance, keeping closer to the actual hindrance it was in 3.5
I was thinking of making it use 3 spell slots instead of two, but that makes me think it's to much.
Your suggestion seems to be a better option.
I was thinking of making it use 3 spell slots instead of two, but that makes me think it's to much.
Your suggestion seems to be a better option.
I would personally just keep in mind that they can't use the "bonus" spell slots for opposed spells, even if they spend two for the price of one. Those spell slots are only for spells of their favored school. I also extend the -4 penalty to skill checks to all skill checks involving spells from their prohibited schools, not just magic item crafting. Copying a spell from a prohibited school? -4 to spellcraft and linguistics checks. Identifying a spell being cast in a prohibited school? -4 to Spellcraft. Passing yourself off as an expert in a prohibited school? -4 to Bluff. Identifying a magic item that uses prohibited magic? -4 to Knowledge: Arcana and Appraise.
Even with all of that, 3 bonus spells in their favored school is a lot. If it's something like Evocation or Illusion, I'd let them do it. If it's something heavy in Save-or-Dies, I wouldn't.
I was thinking of making it use 3 spell slots instead of two, but that makes me think it's to much.
Your suggestion seems to be a better option.
3 spell slots is next to impossible the wizard would need 4 spells on a level (unless he uses higher level spell slots as well) to be able to memorize one spell, before taking into account specialization.
I think that option would be too harsh, making those spells effectively inaccesible or uninteresting enough not to bother.
Make the opposition schools actually forbidden like they were in 3.5, and maybe it's okay.
I would ask the player what his specialty school is....if he says "Conjuration" tell him that a Focused Specialist is not allowed.
Are you playing with any other 3.5 stuff, or will the be the only bit allowed into your game? Because if you are playing with a bunch of other 3.5 stuff allowed, Focused Specialist Conjurers were pretty much widely recognized as the only real option by the end of 3.5's run. With all the splatbooks and such, conjuration filled almost every role, as well as having abilities (I'm looking at you abrupt jaunt and fast summoning variants) and alternate options that made them insane.
Even if you are not allowing any other 3.5 stuff, if the player does go with Conjuration and then informs you that he is taking the Teleportation focused school, make sure you enforce his "Shift" ability that acts like dimension door (meaning it ends his turn if he uses it, even though it's a swift action).
Just a couple warnings! Otherwise, Focused Specialist is certainly powerful, but probably not gamebreaking in the hands of someone who isn't trying to be gamebreaking. A focused specialist Diviner for the sake of a cool character concept would be fine, for instance.
How about this?
In your studies you have dedicated yourself so wholly to one school of magic that you have expanded your ability to cast its spells beyond that of other specialists. Your focused study has its cost and your neglect of broader magic means you cannot cast from some schools at all.
School Focus You cannot be a generalist wizard. The number of spells per day you may cast is reduced by 1, to a minimum of zero. You gain two additional spells per day of each level you are able to cast in addition to your school specialisation bonus spells. This replaces Arcane Bond.
Neglected Study Spells of your opposed schools are treated as not being on your class spell list.
I think my suggetion earlier was ok, but I have no idea what kind of character the player is going to make, I advise you to just look at the end result of his character tweaking and then make final decisions, it is so very easy to break the game if players want to with 3.5 / pathfinder stuff combined.